Eastman's Dry Cleaning
Even up through the 1940s and 1950s the practice of Segregation had a tight grip throughout the South, including Pacolet. The color of your skin dictated almost everything that happened to you in your daily life. It determined where you went to school, where you lived and where you worked. For the most part, Pacolet was no exception. However, there does seem to be one glaring exception concerning a black owned and operated business.
When I started this website several years ago, I prepared an article about the commercial establishments like stores, gas stations, etc. that existed in Pacolet in the 1950s. It is at http://pacoletmemories.com/stores.html. There are close to 50 businesses shown. Recently, I was reviewing this article and it struck me that there was only one black owned business on the list. That company was Eastman’s Dry Cleaning establishment in Central Pacolet. It is identified as No. 28 on the website article. It was located across the road from John Lee’s Service Station. As a youth, I knew it was owned and operated by a black family. I realized that I did not know anything else about the business or the owners. What I did know was that the business was widely accepted and used by the folks in the community. It provided a valuable service. I don’t recall ever hearing about any sort of racial incident or rumor concerning the company. I don’t know when the business closed.
It got me to wondering about the history of the business and how it became so essential in a time of strict segregation. To my knowledge, there were no other black-owned businesses operating in Pacolet. I would like to include the story about the Eastman’s Dry Cleaning business on this website. Please let me know if you have any information about the following, including:
The Eastman Family or Individual with a first name of Eastman.
How and when the business started.
Are you a relative of the Eastman family or Individual?
Were you ever a customer at the Eastman’s Dry Cleaning Company? What do you remember about it?
If you have any information please contact me at gteaster@pacoletmemories.com.
This web site has been started as a public service to share the story of Pacolet.
