Historic Roads
Tolleson's Tavern was the first business establishment in what is now known as Pacolet Station. It was located on the stagecoach road from Spartanburg to Columbia. This was an important road in early times and on some maps is called Tolleson's Road. Part of the railroad line between Columbia and Spartanburg was built right beside this road at a later date. The stagecoach road in Pacolet Station ran where Main Street is now. It is believed that it ran up through what is now Whitestone on into the city of Spartanburg. In addition to the stagecoach road there were several other important early roads that went through or close to the Pacolet vicinity.
Grindal Shoals Road - This road today is known as the Jerusalem Church Road. However, in Colonial times it was the road connecting the Grindal Shoals settlement with the stagecoach road into Spartanburg and was named the Grindal Shoals Road. It was a very important road. The British army under Tarleton, used part of this road on the way to the Battle of Cowpens.
Quarter Round Road - This is the name for a section of road in present day southeastern Cherokee County. The road is County Highway 113. On the west end, the road intersects with South Carolina Highway 150 and on the east end with South Carolina Highway 211. The road, at one time, provided access to Easterwood Ford. When Tarleton’s army crossed the Pacolet River at Easterwood on the morning of January 16 they had to use the eastern part of the Quarter Round Road to get to the Green River Road. It is not known how the road became to be known as “Quarter Round”. However, I have a theory that the name is based on the distance saved by using this road. Read about this at How the Quarter Road Got Its Name.
Green River Road - This road ran from Grindal Shoals on the Pacolet River to the area of the Green River in North Carolina. In South Carolina, the road is located in what is now Cherokee County. The Battle of Cowpens took place on, and on both sides, of the road. About five miles from the battle site, the road crossed the Broad River into North Carolina at the Island Ford. The road is also sometimes called the Mills Gap Road. In the Goucher Community, this road today is known as the Goucher School Road.
Georgia Road - This was the road running from Georgia across upper South Carolina into North Carolina. It entered present day Spartanburg County when it crossed the Enoree River. This is in the southwestern part of the county near where South Carolina Highway 417 crosses the river today. The road then ran in a northeasterly direction, crossed Lawsons Fork Creek at Wofford’s Iron Works. Went on to cross the Pacolet River near Hurricane Shoals. It then ran on in the same direction across present day Cherokee County until it crossed the Broad River at the Cherokee Ford. Western parts of the road were also sometimes referred to as the “Dares Ferry Road”.
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.