Recent Developments and News Related to Pacolet and This Website

The Asbury Community (March 10, 2022)

We are pleased to add a new contributor and section to the Pacolet Memories website. Janet Spencer is a retired journalist who grew up and lives in Asbury, SC. Pacolet and Asbury have long had close connections. Janet has graciously agreed to provide articles and stories to this website about the Asbury community. She has a wealth of knowledge about the community and its people. You can read more about Janet and access her articles about Asbury by clicking on the link above. (My family has had connections to the Goucher and Asbury communities for over 80 years. My immediate family lived there when I was in high school in the 1950s.)

Pacolet Mills Family and Reunion (January 28, 2022)

Benjamin Brown and Leticia (Tish) Horne Brown are my great grandparents. They moved to Pacolet Mills in about 1908 and lived there the rest of their life. Two of my cousins, Louise Rochester and Shelley Sawyer, are organizing a Brown family reunion. They have asked me to place the following announcement about the reunion on this website:

To the family of Ben and Tish Brown: Several of the Brown cousins, are interested in having a Brown family reunion.These cousins are descendants of Ben and Tish Brown who lived at 9 Green Street Pacolet Mills, SC. If you and your family are descendants of Ben and Tish and you are interested in coming to a reunion please contact Louise Rochester (Louiserochester@yahoo.com ) or Shelley Sawyer (shelleysawyer47@yahoo.com).

You can read more about Ben and Tish Brown and updates on the reunion at Pacolet Mills Brown Family.

Mrs. Eloise Seay Mathis (January 19, 2022)

I was very sorry to hear that Mrs. Eloise Seay Mathis has passed away. Mrs. Mathis and her granddaughter, Drenda Brennan, were so kind as to furnish the story of Mrs. Mathis’ life in Pacolet for this website. Her story tells about things in Pacolet that no longer exist. Her story can be read at Mrs. Eloise Seay Mathis.

 Theory about How the Quarter Round Road Got Its Name (July 31, 2021)


The Quarter Round Road is one of the oldest and most historical roads in the Pacolet area. Part of it was used by the British Army just before the Battle of Cowpens. In spite of this, no one seems sure exactly how it got its name. I have a theory, unproven, about the name. You can read this by clicking on the link above.

Straight Outta Pacolet (February 21, 2021)

Recently, I put an article on the website about Eastman’s Dry Cleaning. To my knowledge, this was the only Black owned business in Pacolet during the 1930s, 40s and early 50s. I have been able to find very little information about Eastman’s.  I first came into contact with Mr. Otis McCollum during my search for information about Eastman’s. He was born and grew up in Pacolet. During our email conversations, I asked if he would like to put his memories of growing up in Pacolet on this website. It just so happened that Mr. McCollum had been working on writing his memoirs since his retirement and during this Covid pandemic. He has graciously agreed to provide an excerpt from these memoirs to post on the website. You can read his very interesting story by clicking on the link above.

A Sad Discovery and Mystery (January 11, 2021)
Pacolet has been in the local, state and even national news over the last two or three weeks. The subject of all the media coverage was the discovery of the skeletal remains of a baby in the walls of a Pacolet Mills house during a renovation. Despite all the coverage, it was difficult to determine the true story. To find out the truth behind the sad discovery click on the link above.
Easter Steadings Fisher ( December 21, 2020)
It was with great sadness that I learned that Easter Fisher had passed away. For many years, Easter was a major contributor and a valuable resource for the Pacolet Memories website. Easter loved Pacolet and its people. She was vitally interested in what happened to the community. You can read more at Easter Fisher contributions to Pacolet Memories website.

Eastman's Dry Cleaning (December 5, 2020)

Even during the strict segregation of the 1940s and 1950s, there was one prominent, black owned business that was important for the Pacolet community. That business was Eastman’s Dry Cleaning. It was located on SC Highway 150 in Central Pacolet. An effort is being made to put the story of the company on this website. Unfortunately, I can find no details about the company or the Eastman it is named after. Eastman may be a first name or a family name. Click on the link above to learn more.

Last Photo Album from Mrs. Eloise Seay Mathis ( November 6, 2020)

The last album from the photographs furnished by Mrs. Eloise Seay Mathis has been completed. This album contains photographs in the vicinity of the Town Hall, the Pacolet Mills Baptist Church and the Old Cotton Gin in Pacolet Station. You can see this album by clicking on Album 20. You can see all the albums at Pacolet Photo Albums.

Roads to Kings Mountain (September 26, 2020)

Revolutionary War actions happened all around the Pacolet area. Two hundred forty years ago, during the first week of October, 1780, nearby Cherokee County was the site of important activity. During that week, both a British Loyalist Army and an American Patriot Army traveled across the county on their way to do battle at Kings Mountain. Read more at Roads to Kings Mountain.
Mrs. Eloise Seay Mathis - Final Interview -WWII (September 16, 2020)

Mrs. Mathis is 95 years old. She was born and raised in the mill house located right beside the ballpark on Brewster Street. Mrs. Mathis, with the help of her granddaughter, Drenda-Michell Brennan, has been kind enough to share some stories that Mrs. Mathis remembers. They have agreed for Mrs. Mathis to be interviewed and provide stories about Pacolet people, events and places in the past. The first two, done previously, can read by clicking on Interview 1 and Interview 2. They have just finished the third and final interview. This one concerns World War II and can be read by clicking on Interview 3.

Photo Albums  from Mrs. Eloise Seay Mathis and Family (August 1 and 7, 2020)

Mrs. Eloise Seay Mathis and her family have furnished this website an interview about her early life in Pacolet. This will be the first of several interviews with her. In preparing for the interview, Eloise and her granddaughter, Drenda, took lots of photographs around Pacolet. These pictures are being arranged into Photo Albums for this website. The first three have been completed and can be seen by clicking on the following links.
Album 17 - In the Vicinity of the Amphitheater, Hotel Hill, and the Old Hotel Remains
Album 18 - In the Vicinity of the New Mill, the Dam, the Pacolet River and the Cloth Room
Album 19 - The Pacolet Mills Ballpark as it Exists Today

Mrs. Eloise Seay Mathis (July 4, 2020)

Mrs. Mathis is 94 years old. She was born and raised in the mill house located right beside the ballpark on Brewster Street. She has a keen memory and remembers many things about the ballpark and Pacolet over the years. In her adult life, Mrs. Mathis has seen amazing and profound changes happen to Pacolet. She has witnessed the baseball park beside her childhood home go from one of the most important places in Pacolet to being an overgrown wooded area. If you did not know, you would never suspect that these woods were the site of a once thriving public baseball facility. She has seen similar changes to many of the huge buildings in Pacolet.She and her granddaughter, Drenda-Michell Brennan, have been kind enough to share some stories that Mrs. Mathis remembers. They have agreed for Mrs. Mathis to be interviewed and provide stories about Pacolet people, events and places in the past. The first one has been finished and can read by clicking on Interview 1.

Tragedy at the Ballpark ( May 21, 2020).

On July 21, 1934, a terrible tragedy struck the crowd watching a baseball game at Pacolet Mills. This story has been mostly forgotten by the Pacolet community. However, thanks to Mrs. Eloise Seay Mathis and her granddaughter, Drenda-Michell Brennan, the story can once again be told. Click on the link above to read the story.

Many Grandparents in Pacolet (Posted April 16, 2020)

On July 13, 1939, a little girl named Janice Kay Cook was born in Pacolet. That little girl had more living grandparents than anyone in the state of South Carolina and they all lived in Pacolet. You can read the story at Many Grandparents in Pacolet. It is almost a certainty that many people reading this will be related to Janice or her grandparents. Does anyone remember Janice or know what happened to her? Her family may have moved away as she is not in the list of graduates of Pacolet High School.

Update On National Guard Photo (Posted March 9, 2020)

Thanks to Don Camby, Peggy Schull, Bill Goforth, Rita Kirby Burgess, Dawn Martin Bennett, Samuel Goforth and Erskine Lee, many others in the photograph have been identified. See the updated picture at 1961 National Guard Photo.

Army National Guard Unit from Pacolet and Jonesville in 1961 (Posted February 17, 2020)

I have added a photograph of the Army National Guard unit from Pacolet and Jonesville in 1961. This picture was made available by Easter Fisher and Pamela Craig. The picture has been broken up and enlarged into three parts for easier identification. Also, the picture is in a PDF file that will allow you to zoom in even closer. I was able to identify a few of the men in the picture, I think, as shown. If you recognize anyone in the picture or have any corrections, please let me know and I will add them to the identification. Click on the link above to see the photo.

Pacolet Mills in Georgia? (Posted July 13, 2019)

People are often surprised to learn that there was  a Pacolet Mills in New Holland, Georgia. Actually, the connection between the Pacolet Mills in South Carolina and the Pacolet Mills in Georgia goes back over 100 years. Click on the link above to learn more.

The Glass Family (Posted July 8, 2019)

Jesse Glass was an important person in Pacolet’s past. His story is told on this website at Jesse Glass. Jesse was a member of the large Glass family that came to Pacolet from Virginia just before the First World War. Thanks to another member of the Glass family, Brooke Lundeen, we now have the story of the Glass family available on this website. You can read this story by clicking on the link above.

More about Pacolet’s Nazi Connection  (Posted June 27, 2019)

The story about Pacolet’s connection to a high level Nazi propaganda broadcaster, Robert Best, is told at  http://pacoletmemories.com/naziconnection.html. Recently, a YouTube recording has been found of one of Robert Best’s wartime speeches. There has also been interest about exactly where in the Pacolet Methodist Cemetery Robert Best is buried. Links to the speech and the directions to his grave have been added to his story on the website.

No More Coal Piles (Posted January 31, 2019)

Do you have a coal pile? Probably not, but once upon a time coal was vital in heating Pacolet homes. Read more by clicking on the link above.

Glendale Bridge Project Wins Award (Posted January 24, 2019)

The Preservation Committee of the Spartanburg County Historical Association has announced its choice for the annual Peggy Thompson Gignilliat Preservation Award. The
2019 award will go to the Glendale Shoals Bridge Restoration. Dr. Bobby G. Stephens, a Glendale native and a Pacolet High School graduate of 1953, was instrumental in conceiving the project and helping bring it to completion. Read More at GoUpstate Bridge Award.

Consolidated Yearbook for B. E. Mays High School (Posted on December 3, 2018)

A high school for Black students opened in Pacolet in August, 1953. Before that, there was no high school in Pacolet for Black students. If the students wanted to go to high school they had to go to a school in Spartanburg and provide their own transportation. The new school was named for Dr. B. E. Mays, a noted Black educator from South Carolina. The school was in operation from 1953 until 1970, a total of 17 years. In 1970, South Carolina schools were integrated and after that Black students went to Pacolet High School. The B. E. Mays building became a Pacolet Middle School. Many of the graduates and students that attended Mays had very fond memories of the school. Consolidated reunions of graduates of the school started in 1993. A special reunion was held in September, 2011. At that time, a committee was set up to publish a consolidated yearbook for the years the school was in operation. You can learn more about that effort at B.E. Mays Annuals. Because of its size the  the annual has been divided  3 parts. Click on the following to see the year book:

2011 Consolidated Annual - Part 1

 2011 Consolidated Annual - Part 2

 2011 Consolidated Annual - Part 3

In the early 1940s, a very unusual thing could be seen in the sky over Pacolet. An airplane, very high in the sky, was spelling out words. You can read more by clicking on the link above.

Ricky Smith Inducted into the National Sporting Clays Association Hall of Fame - (Posted November 13, 2018)

Ricky Smith, a native son of Pacolet, has achieved fame and success in the competitive field of shooting sporting clays. In 2018, he was inducted into the National Sporting Clays Association Hall of Fame in San Antonio, Texas. This is a tremendous accomplishment. You can read his story by clicking on the link above.

Update on Boy Scouts in Pacolet - (Posted November 10, 2018)

The Boy Scouts have a long history in Pacolet. The original article about the Boy Scouts on this website covered up through the early and mid-1950s. Recently, I have received information from Jimmy Hodge that provides an update on scouting in Pacolet through the 1960s and 1970s. This information is given in his new article More about Boy Scouts in Pacolet. Jimmy was a member of Troop 151 in Pacolet Mills and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

In addition to this article, Jimmy has also compiled a list of all the Boy Scouts from Pacolet that achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. This list can be seen at Pacolet Eagle Scouts.
We would like to thank Jimmy for furnishing this material to the Pacolet Memories website.

There has been a long record of Boy Scout activity in the Pacolet Black community but it has not always been widely publicized. One example is that of Cub Scout Pack 290. A picture of the boys and leaders in this pack was found in the Benjamin E. Mays Consolidated School Annual, 1953 – 1970. Thanks to the help of Ms. Gloria Smith, the members of this pack have been identified. You can see the picture, with the names, at B. E. Mays Cub Scout Pack 290.

New Quiz About Pacolet - (Posted August 11, 2018)

Do you think that you have a thorough knowledge about Pacolet and its past? You can prove that by taking this new quiz. This Very Unscientific quiz tests your knowledge of Pacolet, its people, its places and experiences unique to Pacolet. You can access the quiz by clicking on the link above.

The Goucher Airplane Crash Mystery is Solved - (Posted May 26, 2018)

Thanks to the help of several folks in the Pacolet area, the full story of this tragic event is now known. Click on the above link to read the story.

Goucher Airplane Crash - (Posted May 16, 2018)

Sometime in the early 1950's a USAF bomber tragically crashed in the Goucher community. All of the crew were killed. The details of this crash have been lost but an effort is now underway to tell the full story and hopefully place a marker near the site of the crash. Click on the link above for more.

"Uncle Dooley" - (Posted September 28, 2017)

Ernest Nuckolls Littlejohn was well known to the grammar school children of Pacolet Station in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He was known to them fondly as “Uncle Dooley”. His visits to their class room were happy occasions. You can read the full story by clicking on the link above.

Black Veterans from the Pacolet Area - (Posted May 26, 2017)

I have recently been given a list of the Black Veterans from the Pacolet Area . This list, with more than 200 names, has been compiled by Carmen Wannamaker-Amos and her cousin, Cesar Wannamaker. They have a number of relatives on the list. Many of these veterans are already on the Memorial Register of Pacolet Veterans but some are not. The Register will be updated to insure that it includes the Black Veterans. You can read the new list by clicking on the link above.

Child Labor in Textile Mills - (Posted April 6, 2017)

Many of the people living in Pacolet today have ancestors that worked in the mill as children. You can read more about this by clicking on the link above.

Pacolet High School 1951 Annual Now Online – (Posted March 11, 2017)

The 1951 PHS annual, The Tomahawk is now available on this website. This is the third Pacolet High School to be become available on the website. You can find a link to  this book and the other annuals by clicking on the link above.

Pacolet High School 1950 Annual Now Online – (Posted March 4, 2017)

The 1950 PHS annual, The Tomahawk is now available on this website. This was the second annual to be published by the high school.You can find a link to  this book and further information about it by clicking on the link above.

First Pacolet High School 1949 Annual Now Online – (Posted February 22, 2017)

The 1949 PHS annual, The Tomahawk is now available on this website. This was the first annual to be published by the high school and the first of many to be named The Tomahawk. You can find a link to this book and further information about it by clicking on the link above. It is hoped that eventually all of the PHS annuals will be online on this website.

High School Annuals Online - (Posted February 10, 2017)

The high school annuals from the former high schools in the Pacolet area tell a lot about the history of the community. I have started an effort to scan as many of these as possible and put them on this website. This will be a long and slow process. The first of these to go online is the 1964 Panther annual from the former B. E. Mays High School. You can find a link to this annual and more information about it at by clicking on the link above.  I hope to add others soon.

Mr. Hugh Jones, Pacolet World War 1 Veteran - (Posted January 20, 2017)

The stories of most of the veterans of World War I from Pacolet have been largely forgotten. However, thanks to his granddaughter, Amanda Hogan Slusarczyk, the story of Mr. Hugh Jones has been preserved. Mr. Jones has many descendants still living in the Pacolet area. You can read his interesting story by clicking on the link above. 

Pacolet History Books   - (Posted November 8, 2016)

In 1983, the Pacolet Area celebrated its Centennial. The first Pacolet Mills manufacturing plant was completed in 1883 at Trough Shoals. As part of the celebration, the Pacolet History Club produced and published a two-volume set about the history of the Pacolet area. Click on the link above to read these interesting books.

More  Neigh Newspapers  - (Posted September 28, 2016)

We have recently been able to put several more issues of the Pacolet Community Newspaper, The Neigh, on this website. There is a partial issue of the August, 1953 paper, the December, 1954 paper and the July, 1956 issue. Click on the link above to access all the issues of the paper that are already online.

Mr. Jack Corn

Anyone associated with Pacolet High School in the 1950’s or 1960’s will remember Mr. Jack Corn, the Vocational Agriculture teacher. He touched the lives of many students. One of the students, Dennis Crocker, has written a tribute to Mr. Corn and tells how he affected his life. Click on the link above to read this. (Posted in August, 2016)

Boxing Champion From Pacolet 

Not many people realize that Pacolet had a championship boxer at one time. His name was Lamar Gibson. We are indebted to his son, Neil Gibson, for giving us the details of his story. Neil and I have been lifelong friends and graduated in the same class from Pacolet High School in 1955. All my life I had heard stories about Mr. Gibson's boxing achievements but never knew the details. I asked Neil if he would tell the story for this website and he graciously obliged. Click on the above link to read about Lamar Gibson's interesting story. (Posted in August, 2016.)

Photos of Pacolet Mills Elementary School Teachers (Posted in July 2016)

Jane Snapp of Whitestone has furnished photos of some teachers from the Pacolet Mills Elementary School. These are shown at Pacolet Mills Elementary School Teachers. These were probably taken in the late 1940's or in the 1950's.  Some of the teachers are identified but some are not. If you can identify any of these please let us know.

Unusual Drone View of Pacolet Mills

Mike Emory has made a new drone video and posted it on YouTube. This video shows parts of Pacolet Mills as you have never seen it. The video is a little over 5 minutes long and is very interesting.  You can access this by clicking on the above link.

First Pacolet Soldier Killed in Action in World War II

Over 300 men from the Pacolet area served their country during WWII. All of the sons from the Pacolet Sullivan family were in the military. One of them, Royce Dean Sullivan, was the first Pacolet soldier killed in action in WWII. Another, James Carroll Sullivan, landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day and was badly wounded. Read about these brave soldiers in The Sullivan Story in WWII.

Pacolet Men Killed in World War 1

It has been almost a hundred years but we should remember that men from Pacolet fought and died in this War. You can read about the three known Pacolet men killed in action by clicking on the above link. (June, 2016)

Additional Neigh Newspapers Can Now be Read

In the past, we have had some issues of the Pacolet community newspaper, The Neigh, on this website. We had all the copies for the years 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1952. Recently, in March, 2016, we have been able to add 18 additional newspapers involving 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1957.We don't have all the copies for each of the years yet. Eventually, we hope to find and put the rest of the issues for these years on the website. Click on the link above to read the new additions.

More Photo Albums Have Been Added

Added in November, 2015; Album No. 14 - May Festivals at Pacolet Mills Elementary School; Album No. 15 - Pacolet Mill Company Employees

Added in October, 2015; Album No. 10 - More Scenes Around Town; Album No. 11 - Pacolet Mills Elementary School Buildings; Album 12 - Pacolet Mills Elementary School Classes; Album 13 - Pacolet Mills National Guard

Added in September, 2015; Album No. 9 - More About Baseball

Added in August, 2015; Album No. 7 - More About July 4th and Album No. 8 - More About the Mill.

Judge Bruce Littlejohn

Judge Bruce Littlejohn was born in Pacolet in 1913. He had a remarkable life and career, eventually serving as Chief Justice of the SC Supreme Court. In 2003, at the age of 90, Judge Littlejohn wrote about his Pacolet childhood in the book, Pacolets I Have Known. Click on the link above to learn more about him and to read his book that is online at this site.

Pictures Added

Easter Steadings Fisher has furnished me with CD's with almost 300 pictures about Pacolet of times past. I hope to add many of these pictures to this website over time as additional Photo Albums. The first of these have been added to the existing articles related to the Swimming Pool.

Who is This?

We are starting a new section to the website. From time to time we are asked to help identify someone in an old photograph. We are going to start the new feature with a photo submitted from Jane Foster Snapp. Please contact us if you can identify the person. Click on the link above to see if you know Mildred Strange or Rita Garner.

Mayor Elaine Harris Passes Away 

Mayor Harris died on Thursday, May 21, 2015 from Cancer. Her death is a terrible loss not only to her friends and family but also to the entire community that lost a compassionate and very effective leader. Click on the link above to read more.

Skate Wheel Wagons

In the 1940's and early 1950's, skate wheel wagons were very common in Pacolet Mills. Now, they seem very rare. These little vehicles might even be unique to Pacolet Mills. Click on the link above to read more.

Pacolet Mills Death Records

I have found another unusual and interesting document in the papers and records of David Smith, the first Mayor of Pacolet Mills. There is a collection of Death Records for many people from the Pacolet Mills community that was assembled by the company nurse, Miss Belle Fuller. The records give the name, age, relatives, cause of death and the attending doctor. The records are not complete and only go up to about 1945 at the end of WWII. However, they give a glimpse of how many of our ancestors and relatives died. Many of the diseases listed are almost unknown today and could be readily cured by modern medicines. There are many children listed. The records also included information relating to White Rose Cemetery at Pacolet Mills. Click on the link above to read more.

Photos from Pacolet Elementary School

Jane Foster Snapp has sent us pictures from Pacolet Elementary School in the early 1960's. Shows students at recess and some teachers.

Article about the Business History of Pacolet Mills

An  article about the business history of Pacolet Mills has been found in the papers of the late David Smith. David was the first mayor of the town of Pacolet Mills. The article is unsigned and undated. However, judging by the contents, it must have been written in the 1960's. The article also describes  the company's mills in Georgia. Read the article at Business History.

2015 Re-enactment of Morgan's March

The Pacolet area was a witness to one of the most important events in the history of the United States, the Battle of Cowpens, during the Revolutionary War. Both the American and the British army marched and camped in the vicinity of Pacolet in the days just before the War. General Daniel Morgan and his army camped at Grindal Shoals on the Pacolet River. Two days before the battle, he marched his army along the Green River Road, through what is now the Goucher Community, to the battle ground. Every year a re-enactment of this historic march is done and you can be a part of it.  This is a wonderful experience for adults and children. It will make local history come alive. 

Photo Albums about Pacolet

A new feature is being added to this website. I have obtained a number of interesting photographs about Pacolet and have put these into virtual photo albums. There are now 6 Pacolet albums on the website. As time goes on, I will be adding others about different subjects.

Copy of the Program for the 1950 Graduating 7th Grade  Class from Pacolet Mills Elementary School

A copy of the program for the 7th grade graduation class has been found among the papers of the late David "Skeet" Smith. These students joined with others and became the Pacolet High School Class of 1955.

Photo of Mrs. Odum's Class at Pacolet Mills Elementary School

Jane Foster Snapp has sent us a photo of a class at Pacolet Mills Elementary School. If you can identify the children in the photo or have more information, please let us know.

Photo of 1959-1960 Sixth Grade Class from Pacolet Elementary School

Jane Snapp has sent us a class photo. The class members signed their names on the back of the photo but not in the order they are in the picture. If you can identify the people in the picture please let us know.

Pacolet Pointe Apartments Now Available

Some months ago, we were contacted by Ram Sathyamoorthy of Sathyam Enterprises LLC. He was renovating an existing apartment complex in Pacolet and was looking for possible new names for the project. He has finished the project, now named Pacolet Pointe, and the apartments are available for rent. Information about the available apartments is available at his website at http://www.pacoletpointe.rentlinx.com/ .

The Construction of a Rail Road Bridge across the Pacolet River in 1909

We have been given photos and other information about building a Pacolet River Rail Road Bridge in 1909. Photos from such early projects are rare. Click on link above to read more.

How Pumpkin Center Came To Be

Did you know that the community of Pumpkin Center owes its existence to World War II?  Click on the link above for details.

Secret Pacolet River Goldmine

One Pacolet family, around 1900, had their own secret gold mine. It was lost and has not been found until this day. You can read about it in an article from the Spartanburg Herald - Journal of November, 1989.

Pacolet Mills Baseball Park
For many years, the Baseball Park was one of the most important places in the community. Read about it and see photos of some of the activities there.

Pacolet Mills, the Best Mill Village in the South?

Read an article from October, 1921 claiming that Pacolet Mills is the best mill village in the South in which to live.

Family and Memories of Doris Jones Hogan

Doris, with the asistance and encouragement of her daughter, Amanda Slusarcyck, is sharing her memories and stories of her family.

Shared memories from Leo Kirby and Judge Robinette

We have received very interesting stories that both these men did about growing up in Pacolet many years ago. We want to thank the family of David Smith for making them available to us.

1939 Photos from the Pacolet Mills Elementary School
We have put photos of the first and second grade classes from the Pacolet Mills Elementary School in 1939 on this website.

James David Lambert's Memories
David grew up in Pacolet and still lives in the area. He is going to share some of his Pacolet memories starting with a story about his uncle, Jim Turner, who passed away earlier this year (2013).

David "Skeet" Smith Passes Away

Skeet was a life long friend. He was instrumental in starting the Pacolet Museum. He had a vast knowledge about the history of the area.

Miss Hazel Henrickson Passes Away
Miss Henrickson taught at Pacolet High School for many years. She had a serious impact on many of our lives.

The Dummy is Removed

We now have photos on the site showing when the Dummy was taken apart and loaded on a truck to be moved to an unknown destination.  If you know anything about what happened to the last Dummy locomotive serving Pacolet Mills please let us know.

Dennis Crocker's Memories
Dennis grew up in Pacolet. He has agreed to share some of his interesting and funny stories about his youth in Pacolet on this website.

Upper Mill Dam is Again Used to Produce Power

Lockhart Power Company is using the "New Mill" Dam to again produce power. The Dam is now well over a 100 years old.

The Pacolet Methodist Church - 100 Years of Growth
In 1985, the Pacolet Methodist Church published a book about the history of the Church.This little book is very interesting and gives many names of people associated with the Church. Thanks to Nettie Rothrock Gentry for making the book available to this website.
An Unusual Connection to Pacolet from World War II

There is a strange connection to Pacolet with the Nazi Government in World War II. Click on the title for the details.

The Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation and the Town of Pacolet Announce New Program
( Spartanburg Herald news article in August, 2012)

This program will work to help revitalize, save and protect some  the houses of the Pacolet Mill Village. Click on the title to read the details.

Growing up Black in Pacolet - Now and Then
Mary Littlejohn Knox grew up in Pacolet 1930's, 40's and 50's as part of the black community. Because of the extreme segregation of the time, her experiences are different than that of most white people from the area. In spite of segregation, Mary has many fond memories of Pacolet and its people. Mary is retired and now lives in Detroit but she is thinking seriously about moving back home to the Pacolet area. She would like to help young people learn about their heritage and the contributions their ancestors made to the Pacolet Community.

Easy to Use 1940 Federal Census for Pacolet now Available on this Site

The 1940 Federal Census has just been released. The census records are available from a Federal website. However, it is difficult to find records on the site and to see them once you find them. The census records for the Pacolet area have been copied and put in a much more "user friendly" form on this Pacolet Memories website.Click on the title of this paragraph to look at the census.

Pacolet Chosen for Picture of the Month
Pacolet has been chosen by the organization, South Carolina's Information Highway ( SCIWAY),  to feature in its SC Photo of the Month for April. The photo, featured on their website, is of the townhall and the surounding area. Along with the photo, there is a link to a 10 minute video about Pacolet. This very interesting video is a portion of the ETV Special When the Mill Closes. Thanks to Mayor Elaine Harris for letting us know about this news. As most of you know, Mayor Harris has been instrumental in helping bring about the many good things that have happened in Pacolet. Click on the title of this paragraph to see the photo.

New Book on Vietnam by Pacolet/Goucher Native

People from the Pacolet area have defended this country from before the Revolutionary War. For the most part, their stories have not been written down and preserved. Col. Roy Mathis of the Goucher community has changed that. He has just released a book that describes his service in Vietnam as an army chaplain with the 82nd Airborne Divison. The book is It Was A Long Way from Home & A Long Time Ago But God Was There. This very interesting book is available directly from Col. Mathis. Click on this link, Col. Mathis Book, to learn more about the book and how to order it.

Robinson Family and Their Service to Our Country

I have recently received information about the Robinson family of Pacolet that has a remarkable record of service to our country. This family had eight sons in service! Read their amazing story at  Pacolet Robinson Family.
 

This web site has been started as a public service to share the story of Pacolet.

See more information about my Pacolet connection at Gerald Teaster.