Gaffney in Cherokee County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Gaffney

Michael Gaffney

Photographed by Mike Stroud, April 2008

1. Michael Gaffney Marker

Inscription.

Gaffney. Michael Gaffney. [Southeast Face] Born Sept. 29,1775 in Granard, County Longford, Ireland. Came to Charleston S.C. Feb. 3, 1800. Married Miss. Polly Smith of Smith's Ford Union County July 21, 1803. He established the present site of Gaffney in 1804. Was Captain in the war of 18 12. Died Sept. 6, 1854. Interred in Gaffney Family Cemetery.. [Northeast Face] Alderman from 1876 to 1906. W.F. McArthur, A.M. Gilmer, L.G. Byars, Wm. W. Gaffney, R.O. Sams, C.C. Harris, W.H. Richardson, N.H. Littlejohn, J.E. Webster, L. Baker, J.J. Brown, Martin Bishop, W.C. Carpenter, J.N. Lipsbomb, H.D. Wheat, T.G. McCraw, R.A. Jones, R.M. Wilkins, E.R. Cash, E.J. Barnett, A.N. Wood, J.L. Sarratt, J.H. Turner, G.A. Cotton, T.L. Brown, J.N. Nesbitt, J.A. Carroll, W.L. Settlemyer, J.A. Gaffney, M.L. Ross, W.F. Brown, W.W. Gaffney, G.W. Webster, J.F. Fincken, Gus. Abernathy, A.L. Hallman, H.L. Spears, R.O. Ballenger. , [Northwest Face] Town of Gaffney Incorporated March 3, 1875, First Town Council. John R. Wesbter, Mayor, Nathan Lipscomb, T. Davenport, R.M. Gaffney, B.K. Humphries. , Mayors from 1876 to 1931. Nathan Lipscomb, M.S. Lynn, Moses Simon, Wm W. Gaffney, L. Baker, J.A. Corry, J.A. Carroll, A.N. Wood, D.A. Thomas, N.H. Littlejohn, J.Q. Little, R.M. Gaffney, W.H. Ross, T.B. Butler, J.H. Turner, R.A. jones, V.H. Lipscomb. , Clerks from 1876 to 1931. L. Baker, Wm. W. Gaffney, W.F. McArthur, R.O. Sams, C.C. Harris, W.H. Richardson, N.H. Littlejohn, J.E. Webster, G.E. Hood, W.H. Ross, Boyce Whisonant. , [Southwest Face] Aldermen from 1906 to 1931. Z.A. Robertson, P.V. Gaffney, R.S. Lipscomb, T.H. Littlejohn, W.D. Johnson, B.A. holmes, C.C. Kirby, J.D. Parris, L.Y. Randall, W.H. Smith, W.H. Perry, W.R. Tattersall, G.T. Greene, M.D. Fowler, B.B. Morgan, N.S. Thackston, J.H. Curry, W.R. Tanner, E.L. Gossett, C.E. Hamrick, J. Boyce Gaffney, D.W. Hicks, J.S. Camp, J.J. Ramsey, C.C. Green, E.T. Parker, P.D. Willis, M.V. Fitzgerald, G.D. Harris, J.K. Wood, J.R. Osborne, F.L. Sparks, W.M. Bonds, W.R. Lipscomb, Franch Z. McCraw, Alex Quinn, Guy Queen, R.C. Blackwell.

[Southeast Face]
Born Sept. 29,1775 in Granard,
County Longford, Ireland.
Came to Charleston S.C.
Feb. 3, 1800.
Married Miss. Polly Smith
of Smith's Ford Union County
July 21, 1803.
He established the present
site of Gaffney in 1804.
Was Captain in the war of 1812.
Died Sept. 6, 1854.
Interred in
Gaffney Family Cemetery.
[Northeast Face] Alderman from 1876 to 1906 W.F. McArthur, A.M. Gilmer, L.G. Byars, Wm. W. Gaffney, R.O. Sams, C.C. Harris, W.H. Richardson, N.H. Littlejohn, J.E. Webster, L. Baker, J.J. Brown, Martin Bishop, W.C. Carpenter, J.N. Lipsbomb, H.D. Wheat, T.G. McCraw, R.A. Jones, R.M. Wilkins, E.R. Cash, E.J. Barnett, A.N. Wood, J.L. Sarratt, J.H. Turner, G.A. Cotton, T.L. Brown, J.N. Nesbitt, J.A. Carroll, W.L. Settlemyer, J.A. Gaffney, M.L. Ross, W.F. Brown, W.W. Gaffney, G.W. Webster, J.F. Fincken, Gus. Abernathy, A.L. Hallman, H.L. Spears, R.O. Ballenger.

[Northwest Face] Town of Gaffney Incorporated
March 3, 1875

First Town Council John R. Wesbter, Mayor, Nathan Lipscomb, T. Davenport, R.M. Gaffney, B.K. Humphries.

Mayors from 1876 to 1931 Nathan Lipscomb, M.S. Lynn, Moses

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Simon, Wm W. Gaffney, L. Baker, J.A. Corry, J.A. Carroll, A.N. Wood, D.A. Thomas, N.H. Littlejohn, J.Q. Little, R.M. Gaffney, W.H. Ross, T.B. Butler, J.H. Turner, R.A. jones, V.H. Lipscomb.

Clerks from 1876 to 1931 L. Baker, Wm. W. Gaffney, W.F. McArthur, R.O. Sams, C.C. Harris, W.H. Richardson, N.H. Littlejohn, J.E. Webster, G.E. Hood, W.H. Ross, Boyce Whisonant.

[Southwest Face] Aldermen from 1906 to 1931 Z.A. Robertson, P.V. Gaffney, R.S. Lipscomb, T.H. Littlejohn, W.D. Johnson, B.A. holmes, C.C. Kirby, J.D. Parris, L.Y. Randall, W.H. Smith, W.H. Perry, W.R. Tattersall, G.T. Greene, M.D. Fowler, B.B. Morgan, N.S. Thackston, J.H. Curry, W.R. Tanner, E.L. Gossett, C.E. Hamrick, J. Boyce Gaffney, D.W. Hicks, J.S. Camp, J.J. Ramsey, C.C. Green, E.T. Parker, P.D. Willis, M.V. Fitzgerald, G.D. Harris, J.K. Wood, J.R. Osborne, F.L. Sparks, W.M. Bonds, W.R. Lipscomb, Franch Z. McCraw, Alex Quinn, Guy Queen, R.C. Blackwell.

Erected 1930.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers • War of 1812. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1862.

Location. 35° 4.376′ N, 81° 39.07′ W.

Northeast Face image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, 2008

2. Northeast Face

Aldermen from 1878 to 1906
(List of 38 names)

Marker is in Gaffney, South Carolina, in Cherokee County. It is on North Granard Street (U.S. 29) near West Buford Street, on the right. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Gaffney SC 29340, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Upstate

and in the Foothills. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Gaffney (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Cherokee County Confederate Monument (about 400 feet away); Gaffney Cornerstone (about 600 feet away); Michael Gaffney (about 600 feet away); Col. James Williams (about 800 feet away); Cherokee County Veterans Monument

Northwest Face image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, 2008

3. Northwest Face

Town of Gaffney incorporated March 3, 1875
First Town Council (List of 5 names )
Mayors from 1876 to 1931 (List of 17 names)
Clerks from 1871 to 1931 (List of 11 names)

(about 800 feet away); Carnegie Library (about 800 feet away); First Baptist Church (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gaffney.

Also see . . . Gaffney, South Carolina. Gaffney is a city located in the Upstate of South Carolina. (Submitted on October 23, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)

Additional commentary.
1. Gaffney
Gaffney, seat of Cherokee County, is a textile manufacturing town and marketing center for farmers. On "Sales Monday" the town resembles an Eastern bazaar; people gather from the surrounding countryside to trade eggs, butter, and livestock for brogans, coffee, and snuff. Held the first Monday in each month, the occasion was known for years as "swap day," "trade day," or "bone yard day." Like poor Jack in the old fairy story, some farmers bring a cow to the market and go home with things less useful than a handful of beans.

Previously called Gaffney's Old Field, the town was named for an Irishman, Michael Gaffney, who settled here in 1804. Hardly had the first little frame shacks been grouped together around the crossroads, than promoters took

Southwest Face image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, 2008

4. Southwest Face

Alderman from 1906 to 1931
(List of 38 names )

over Limestone Springs, which they ballyhooed as the South's Saratoga. It was the heyday of mineral therapeutic treatment and plantation owners in the Low Country, plagued every summer by malaria, which they called "country fever" and believed was caused by "miasmas," flocked here to drink the water. A $75,000 hotel was built in 1835, and the town assumed the characteristics of a gay resort. Wealthy patients paid through the nose for the sumptuousness to which they were accustomed at home; the corks of champagne bottles popped at night and race tracks were crowded in the afternoon. the town also became noted for its tilting tournaments, cockfights, and gander pullings, the last a cruel sport in which a plucked and greased gander was suspended mid-air and exposed to competing horsemen who tried to snatch off its head while riding past at a hard gallop. (Source: South Carolina: A Guide to the Palmetto State by the Federal Writers' Project (1949) pg 349.)

— Submitted October 23, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.

Gaffney Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brian Scott, October 3, 2009

5. Gaffney Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 22, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,554 times since then and 48 times this year. Last updated on May 8, 2025, by Calvin Makupson of Gaffney, South Carolina. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 22, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 5. submitted on October 23, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.