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Walhalla in Oconee County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
 

Oconee Town

 
 
Oconee Town Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Brian Scott, February 14, 2007
1. Oconee Town Marker
Inscription. Oconee, also spelled "Aconnee," was one of the Cherokee "Lower Towns" in what is now S.C. at the base of Oconee Mountain and on the main trading path between the British and Cherokees, it was abandoned in 1752. Oconee Station was built in 1792 as an outpost where the path crossed the Cherokee boundary. This county, created from Pickens District in 1868, was named for Oconee Town.
 
Erected 2006 by The Oconee Arts and Historical Commission and the South Carolina Heritage Corridor. (Marker Number 37-12.)
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial EraNative AmericansSettlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1752.
 
Location. 34° 50.428′ N, 83° 3.976′ W. Marker is in Walhalla, South Carolina, in Oconee County. Marker is on Oconee Station Road. Marker is on the grounds of the Oconee Station State Historic Site, near the ranger's station. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 500 Oconee Station Road, Walhalla SC 29691, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Oconee Station / Oconee County (approx. 0.4 miles away); Bethel Presbyterian Church (approx. 2.2 miles away); The Oconee Waterwheel (approx. 2.7 miles away); Building a Tradition
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(approx. 2.8 miles away); Cherokee Boundary (1777) (approx. 2.8 miles away); Oconee State Park (approx. 2.8 miles away); Civilian Conservation Corps Monument (approx. 2.8 miles away); The Civilian Conservation Corps (approx. 2.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Walhalla.
 
Also see . . .  Oconee Station and Richards House. Oconee Station was erected before 1760 to afford the few settlers nearby a measure of protection against numerous Cherokee Indians in the area. (Submitted on November 9, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.) 
 
Additional commentary.
1. South Carolina's Oconee Station State Historic Site
This 210-acre park, on Oconee Creek in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, contains two historic structures: a stone blockhouse (fort) known as Oconee Station and a two-story brick residence known as the William Richards House.

The blockhouse was constructed around 1792 as one of a chain of such buildings established during a period of tension between white settlers and the Indians. Oconee Station was the last blockhouse to be
The Oconee Station image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Brian Scott, February 14, 2007
2. The Oconee Station
The station building is a stone building two stories high with a gable roof and stonewalls 20 inches thick. In the center of the building is a large brick chimney with four fireplaces. This chimney is thought to be a later addition to the original structure. (Source: Brochure taken a site.)
decommissioned in the state. Troops were removed in 1799.

The brick house at Oconee Station, which sits near the blockhouse,was built in 1805 by William Richards, a native of Ireland. Richards established a successful trading post at Oconee Station. After the death of William Richards, along with the western movement of the frontier, Oconee Station's importance began to decline. The site is listed on the National Historic Register.

In addition to the structures, the park includes a large fishing pond and a two-mile hiking trail which ends at Station Cove Falls, a 60-foot waterfall in the Sumter National Forest. (Source; Brochure available at the site.)
    — Submitted November 9, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.
 
The William Richard House image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Brian Scott, February 14, 2007
3. The William Richard House
The Richards House is located only 50 feet from the station building. It was a private home built in 1808 for William Richards. The residents of the Richard house used the station building from the early 19th until the mid-20th century as a kitchen and dining room.
The Oconee Station image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Stanley and Terrie Howard, July 19, 2009
4. The Oconee Station
Interior of the Oconee Station image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Stanley and Terrie Howard, July 19, 2009
5. Interior of the Oconee Station
Interior of the Oconee Station image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Stanley and Terrie Howard, July 7, 2009
6. Interior of the Oconee Station
The Oconee Station image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Stanley and Terrie Howard, July 7, 2009
7. The Oconee Station
The William Richard House image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Stanley and Terrie Howard, July 19, 2009
8. The William Richard House
Interior of the William Richard House image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Stanley and Terrie Howard, July 19, 2009
9. Interior of the William Richard House
Interior of the William Richard House image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Stanley and Terrie Howard, July 19, 2009
10. Interior of the William Richard House
The William Richard House image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Stanley and Terrie Howard, July 7, 2009
11. The William Richard House
Military Outpost 1792 - 1799 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Stanley and Terrie Howard, July 19, 2009
12. Military Outpost 1792 - 1799
Responding to a series of raids by Creek Indians the State of South Carolina ordered the construction of small stations along the western frontier. Garrisoned by less than thirty militiamen Oconee Station consisted of a stone block-house, constructed in 1792, as well as additional buildings that have not survived to the present day. Recruited from "the hardiest and best hunters" the garrison consisted of infantry, mounted infantry and scouts. According to Lt. Mosley, the commanding officer of Oconee Station in 1796,"...a scout is sent every other day as far as Tugalo, and it has had some effect in lessening the depredations". By 1799 it was no longer necessary to garrison troops at Oconee Station.
Indian Trading Post 1795 - 1809 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Stanley and Terrie Howard, July 19, 2009
13. Indian Trading Post 1795 - 1809
Established in 1795 the trading post at Oconee Station was owned and operated by an Irish immigrant named William Richards. Wagonloads of skins and furs were exchanged for everything from gun flints to livestock. In addition to thousands of acres of land and 11 slaves Mr. Richards was able to afford a two story brick house, built in 1805, in an area where log cabins were typical. An inventory of William Richard's estate at the time of his death in 1809 list 30,000 dear skins, 329 bear skins, 82 pounds of ginseng, and many other sundry items. With the western movement of the frontier Oconee Station's military and economic importance declined.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on April 15, 2019. It was originally submitted on April 22, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,345 times since then and 78 times this year. Last updated on April 13, 2019, by Margaret Butts of Salem, South Carolina. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on April 22, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.   3. submitted on June 11, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.   4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. submitted on July 20, 2009, by Stanley and Terrie Howard of Greer, South Carolina. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024