A History of Marlboro County with Traditions and Sketches of
Numerous Families.
Rev. J.A.W. Thomas, Author
1897
CHAPTER XXVIII
Blenheim
transcribed and
contributed by Shauna Williams
On August 13, 1704, the celebrated battle of
Blenheim was won by the Duke of Marlborough. This signal defeat
proved fatal to the plans of Louis XIV, of France, for the French
and Bavarian army was almost annihilated in the battle. The Duke of
Marlborough, the hero of a hundred battles, was rewarded by his King
for the successful issue of the struggle. The manor and honor of
Woodstock were conferred on him by the King, and the Queen ordered
that a palace should there be built, to be called Blenheim, and
there to-day in Blenheim Castle resides the young Duke of
Marlborough, who a year or so ago, came to this country and
persuaded (?) an American girl to return with him and act in the
capacity of Lady Marlborough.
Blenheim, a
little town lying seven miles south from Bennettsville, was named in
honor of the battle of Blenheim, or more properly speaking of the
castle of Blenheim. The late Donald Matheson saw the propriety
of so naming it, and suggested the name. He doubtless often wondered
why the county seat of Marlboro should have been called
Bennettsville, instead of Blenheim, and when the opportunity arose
for having a Blenheim in Marlboro, he gladly embraced it. Mr.
Matheson was born in Alladale, Ross-shire, Scotland, July 19, 1810,
and landed in this country at Charleston, November 29, 1825. He
remained there two years or more, spent a year in Sumter, went from
there to Marion, and from Marion came to Marlboro. For a while he
taught school, both in the Brownsville and Parnassus neighborhoods;
and for a few years was employed as a salesman by the Messrs.
Townsend near Parnassus, and afterwards by John McCollum at
Bennettsville. He married Miss Margaret McLeod, and settled first in
Brownsville, but in a few years moved to the place of his late
residence near Blenheim. His death occurred a few years ago. He was
an intelligent, cultured gentleman, and good blood coursed in his
veins.
For fifty years or more there has
been a settlement at Blenheim. Several wealthy planters who owned
plantations near the river, built summer houses at Mineral Spring,
or Spring Hill (called by both names), where they resided during the
summer months. It being unhealthy on the river on the summer, they
annually moved out to the Spring for the double purpose of finding a
healthy locality and good cold water. Gen. John McQueen, Dr.
Alexander McLeod, Samuel Sparks, and B.N. Rogers, with their
families, during the summer months, together with the people living
near by, made quite a pleasant, intelligent little community in the
years gone by. The old people who formed that ante-bellum settlement
have all passed away, but their descendants and others have come
upon the ground, opened streets, built houses, and now have the town
of Blenheim upon the maps. The Mineral Spring, the pride of the
town, was discovered by James Spears, Sr., in the year 1781.
A.J. Matheson, the merchant prince of the
town, is a son of Donald Matheson mentioned above.
By indomitable energy and close attention
to business, he has, while yet comparatively a young man, amassed
quite a sung fortune. He is the largest owner of real estate in the
county, and plants a larger number of acres in cotton, and makes
more bales than any man in the county. He also devotes a large share
of his time and attention to mercantile pursuits, and has been more
largely instrumental in building up the town of Blenheim than any
other person. He was the pioneer merchant of the place, and perhaps
"builded better than he knew," when he established the first store
there at the Cross-roads.
The late F.B.
Rogers shrewdly suspected that Blenheim would by a great point for
trade, and built a store on another corner of the cross, and bough
the farm of Geo. Dudley lying adjacent, as well as quite a number of
other farms in the community. Blenheim is a city of parsonages,
three being located there, so that preachers sometimes know how to
appreciate a good thing when they see it.
Forty years ago, living in the locality of Blenheim, and on both
sides of the creek, were a class of honest, honorable, intelligent
and industrious men, who did not cringe and beg the world for a
living, but by hard and well directed licks made their own living.
The McRaes, Jack and Phillip; James Spears, and Light Townsend, the
father of John R., Mrs. T.E. Dudley, Mrs. John Irby, and Mrs. W.F.
Kinney, knew how to make money by farming. Major Drake, on some of
his broad acres, may have given his son, Z.J. Drake, valuable
lessons in making corn, which he used to advantage in his successful
race against the world a few years ago. The Major may not have
thought it possible to make 250 bushels per acre, but he doubtless
made enough to keep his mules, sheep, hogs and negroes all fat, and
a surplus to sell besides. Daniel John taught his sons the
possibilities of the Marlboro sil, and they yet know how to make big
crops of big potatoes, heavy corn and heavy hogs, and plenty of
cotton as a surplus crop.
