History – Cedar Falls Park

History – Cedar Falls Park. . Settled in the 1780’s, Fork Shoals was not a typical Southern textile mill village where residents earned their living solely at the mill. The community was primarily agrarian and the people supplemented their farm income by working at the mill. Over the years, the community grew and included the Post office, farm supply store, filing station, washerette, mercantile store, barber shop, and several grocery stores near the intersection of McKelvey Road and Cedar Falls Road. Population and commercial activity peaked in the early 1950s., 1. The Fork Shoals Baptist Church was organized in 1780 in a brush arbor where the Reedy River and Big Creek (Huff Creek) came together at the shoals which was Fork Shoals. It has been at its current location since 1888. , 2. Dr. William Alton Ross, 1867-1923 – prominent doctor in the area was heavily involved in the Fork Shoals community. The Ross family home, which served as his medical clinic was built in the early 1900’s. Before cars, he rode on horseback to visit patients in their homes, carrying his medical supplies in two saddlebags. Dr. Ross served the community for over 25 years. , 3. Ornan Lodge No. 69 of the Ancient Free Masons was chartered in 1849. The Lodge was initially located in Cedar Falls. It moved to Fork Shoals in the 1870’s where it was located with the first public school building at the F.S. Baptist Church. The Lodge has been at its current location since 1983. Tow of its members became governors of South Carolina: Robert Cooper (1920-1922) and Carroll Campbell (1986-1994). , 4. The textile baseball team was an important part of life in Fork Shoals. It brought together the spirit of family pride and sense of community from the early 1900’s to 1960. , 5. In 1870, Hewlett Sullivan constructed the first cotton mill in Greenville County after the 1865 conclusion of the War Between the States. His brother, Dr. James Sullivan, served as the general manager. The mill initially ran 2,000 spindles but, by 1952, it had increased this number to 14,000 spindles. Although the mill had several owners and names, it was, and still is, generally referred to as “the Fork Shoals Mill”. The mill ceased production in 1978. , 6. The Old Steel Bridges over huff Creek and the Reedy River were replaced with the current concrete bridges, but the old Water Tank can still be seen across McKelvey Road from the Fork Shoals Mill site. , 7. The 95 acres Cedar Falls Park and Historic Society along the Reedy River was developed by the Greenville County Recreation District in 2011. Funding for the development came from the Colonial Oil Pipeline Spill Mitigation Fund and United States Department of Interior – Land and Water Conservation Fund. , 8. Shubal F. Arnold build a textile mill at Cedar Falls in 1820. It was a small operation running only 72 spindles. Eventually it came into the possession of nearby planter Hudson Berry. He and his two sons operated the mill until 1852. There was also a general store, water powered gristmill, saw mill, and cotton gin on the premises. , In 1910, the Cedar Falls Dam was built to provide electrical power for the Fork Shoals Mill located a mile upstream. , 9. Hudson Berry Home, one of the oldest houses in Greenville County, was constructed in the 1780’s. Mr. Berry was a major landowner and early 1800’s industrialist in southern Greenville County. , 10. From 1907-1917, a private high school with dormitories was established on what is now South Old Fairview Road (shown here). A public school was founded in 1877 on the grounds of F.S. Baptist Church and moved to its current location in 1916. It is believed to have been the second rural high school in the state to be accredited. , 11. December 22, 1775, the Battle of Great Cane Brake was fought between 1,360 South Carolina Patriots under Colonel William Thomson and a band of British Loyalists under Major Patrick Cunningham. The Loyalists were completely routed with five or six killed and about 130 taken as prisoners. Cunningham narrowly escaped into the Cherokee Nation. The Patriots suffered only one wounded soldier.