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Clio
Source: A History of Marlboro County: With
Traditions and Sketches of Numerous Families,
1897
This village, situated in the eastern portion of the
county, has from the first been favored with a large degree of the
Scottish element. It is true that it was at first settled by old Mr. Joe Ivey. It is
said that the old man left one of the Carolinas in search of a
better land, towards the setting sun; that he went as far as the
Chatta-hoochee, then, as it seemed to Ivey, the outer border of
civilization, a beautiful stream flowing amid a wild and howling
wilderness, with wild and savage Indians upon either bank—he became
disgusted and turned his horse's head towards the rising sun, and
returned to the spot where Clio now stands, there pitched his tent,
and purchased a home in the virgin forest, with no intention or desire that a
town should ever rise upon the plain.
Tradition has it, that
in the process of time, when at "Ivy's Cross Roads," as it was called, stores, shops,
houses and dwellings began to rise around him, the old man explained
his change of base by saying, "When they begun to build lead houses,
glass shetters, and calico chimbleys it was time for Joe Ivy to git
away." But Joe Ivy was a good, honest man, who was ready to aid his fellow
man, and whom his neighbors all respected. His two sons, Gadi and
Levi, both lived to be highly respected citizens, and have left families to
honor their memory. Gadi, especially, lived to a great age, and died
at Clio, only a few years ago, the oldest man in the community.
The father
of Senator Joseph Hawley, of Connecticut, was the first merchant to
open a store at the "Cross Roads." It had already become a
sort of center
in the community, where the militia met for drill; and "muster-day"
had be-
come a day of trade. Not only was Henry Fuller on hand
with cakes, but sometimes a "covered wagon" with something for the
thirsty militiamen to drink, besides an assortment of flour, bacon,
tobacco, and leather, and sometimes the candidates would be there,
and speeches be
made, a shooting-match would come off, maybe a horse-race or two
would be run, a ring be described, a bully would step in and
challenge the
crowd for a fight and at long intervals somebody would "get hurt."
The women in the neighborhood dreaded the "muster-day," and the
boy who got the
chance of going to muster to see the fun, counted himself a "lucky
chap." Mr. Haw-ley, with genuine .Yankee instinct, saw that it was a good place for
money-making, and he bought a "little spot" of ground and "put up a
store." A good farming country all around; honest, unsuspecting farmers,
making good crops, liked the advantage of a home market, and traded
with the shrewd Yankee, and he made money. It was not long before others began to
think that the "Cross Roads" was a "good stand, and Hawleysville a
money-making place."
William
Rogers, another Northern man, came and set up a store, soon won the
affections of a Miss McCollum, and they were married. Rogers
became popular,
not only as a merchant, but as a public-spirited good man. He soon
associated with himself John B. McDan-iel, an excellent young man, born and raised in
the community, who soon added to the strength of the firm by his
marriage to a daughter of Mr. Eli Thomas; then they brought in as a
salesman a polished young man, D. J. McDonald, quite an addition to
the moral and social tone of the place. Mr. McDonald was respected as a
partner, and the business increased. But, greatly to the regret of
the community, Rogers sold out and went to Bishopville, in Sumter
County, where he did well, and reared a fine family. A son of his is
at present quite a prominent and useful member of the South Carolina
Conference. Not long after Mr. McDaniel sold out to
John A. McRae, and went to Arkansas, where, after conducting a
large and
successful business, he died a few years ago. He was one of those
men whose capacity, manners and spirit bring them into prominence in any community,
and his removal from it was deemed a calamity.
T. C.
Weatherly, so prominent in Marlboro affairs, and for so long one of
its most popular citizens, began his business career at Clio as a
salesman with
Mr. McDaniel, but soon formed a partnership with Mr. J. L. McColl,
which continued until he was elected Sheriff of Marlboro,
when he sold out
to Mr. McColl and moved to Bennettsville, in the vicinity of which
place he lived till his death. He served the people in the
State
Legislature for several terms. A man of quick mind, ready action,
public spirit, good judgment and generous impulses, he exercised a
large influence.
He died at Glenn Springs a number of years ago, where he had gone
for the benefit of his health, and his body brought home
and laid in the
Methodist church yard in Bennettsville.
The Edens family have
for many years been prominent in the affairs of Clio. Rev. Allen
Edens, who reared a large family of sons and daughters, several of them
settling in the neighborhood, and Col. T. N. Edens, not only running
a farm near by, but for a time at the head of a mercantile firm. William M.
Bristow, W. C. Medlin, and others, for a brief time, sold goods here
before the war.
Soon after the war there came among the Clio people a young
man of handsome appearance, quiet manners, but fine sense and
business talent, first in the humble capacity of a "North Carolina
wagoner," dealing mainly in tobacco. Somehow young Hinshaw won the
heart and hand of the beautiful daughter of Mr. W. M. Bristow, and soon the
youthful pair made Clio their home. From that day began a new era in
the prosperity and growth of the place; lumber and flour mills run by
steam and presently a fouridry and extensive shops went up; many
operatives were needed and came; houses were erected, and the place
put on a real town-like appearance. When the staid old town of
Cheraw came upon the stage and made such a flattering bid for Capt.
Hinshaw's services in a foundry at that place that his attachment to
the little town he had done so much to enlarge and beautify had to yield, and
with him went a number of good people to help build up a new Cheraw.
With the Sternbergers, Calhouns, Woodleys, Ropers, Welches and the
entrance of a railroad, the town has rapidly increased in population
and volume of business.
The Medlins, Stantons, and those mentioned above,
with others, will not allow the grass to grow in her streets or her
just proportion of trade to pass into other channels; but, with
enterprise and energy, are opening up new streets and constantly
adding to and enlarging the town. Commodious church buildings invite the people
to worship, Methodist and Baptist; a good school building, occupied
by first-class teachers; a Masonic hall, hotel, workshops and mill, are all
in place and room being made for others, while all around the town
in every direction are thrifty, successful farmers vying with each other
and with others elsewhere in skill and profit.
In going out
among the fields around the town, we may find, now and then, what
was once an impoverished, worn-out old field, where the owner was scarcely able to
make a scanty support, now yielding abundant returns to skilled
labor; and the low-roofed cottages of the fathers have disappeared and
tasteful, comfortable dwellings, neatly furnished, have taken their
places. The writer calls to mind a visit to the old Methodist church that used to
stand a mile or two below the town, and must beg to mention a few of
the humble but good men who were there. And first of all, he would write the name
of the preacher, Dougald McPherson. His presence in some of our
modern pulpits would be akin to the effect produced of introducing into one of our
fashionable congregations some of those old sisters we read of in
Hebrews, "arrayed in sheep skins and goat skins." Mr. McPherson was a
diminutive person, slightly stooped, dressed in homespun clothes, a
blue cotton handkerchief tied closely around his bald head, with a few
stray white hairs peeping out behind his ears, minus his eyebrows,
with pale, but benevolent face, a feeble, cracked voice, with scarcely ever
the slightest gesture. And yet his neighbors and other intelligent
people would sit upon the rough, backlesss benches and listen to that old man
preach on a cold wintry day, in an open house, for an hour or more.
His language was
chaste, his thoughts intelligent, his doctrine evangelical, it is
true, but not that held the people. It was the character of the man;
his humble,
consistent, truthful, honest life, this was the preaching that won
his countrymen, and gave him a welcome and hearing wherever he
went. Precious
old man, when of a great age he sent two noble boys to the war never
to return. On Gettysburg's bloody heights, on the same day, from the same volley,
they both got their discharge, united in life, in death not
divided. Mr.--------Ammons married a daughter of
Mr. McPherson, and works the old farm but lives in a better house
than that which sheltered so long the quiet, pious old couple who lived in the
field. It is said that Angus McPherson, who came from Scotland, was
the father of Dougald.
About half a mile below the old
meeting house lived old Mr. Robert Purnell. His wife was a daughter
of Jonathan Meekins. Mr. Purnell was a fine specimen of physical
manhood, well proportioned, ruddy face, gray locks, weighing,
perhaps, two hundred pounds, he would naturally attract the attention of a
stranger. His daughters, who married the Messrs. Allen and T. N.
Edens,and a fine-looking young son, who died in early life, are favorably
remembered.
A mile or more below, at the Cross Roads, lived
Simon Smith and wife, an aged pair, with a single daughter. The
daughter afterwards married Charles T. McRae, while an older daughter was
already Mrs. Henry Covington. A son, John, had long since married a
Miss Weatherly and had gone to Alabama; and William R., a scholarly, intellectual
man, was, for a time, a member of the South Carolina Conference, but
had recently married and located and for sometime taught school at
Parnassus. Another old man remembered as being at that old church
now nearly fifty years ago, was James Quick, the ancestor of the worthy family
of that name who now live a few miles above Clio. It is doubtful if
any man of that
day, moving in the same sphere in that community, exercised a wider
influence; an influence which has told for good upon his posterity
from that day to
this.
Still another is remembered, old Mr. Matthew Driggers.
He, too, has left a large connection behind him. A younger ,man than
those mentioned
above was Wright Wilson, who afterwards became a Methodist preacher,
and has a son in the ministry now. Daniel Dunbar is also
remembered as
living near Clio at the time. He was as the father of the late J. C.
Dunbar.
May we not linger yet around this little town to make
mention of the Calhouns and others? Would that our space permitted a
more extended notice. Within less than two miles Mr. Alexander Calhoun has
lived to rear a family and yet lingers upon the shores of time, a
pure-minded, consistent Christian gentleman. Of pure Scottish descent,
honest, truthful, always modest and retiring, yet commanding the
sincere respect of his neighbors, he is among the oldest men in the community.
His brothers, John and Dougald, have gone before him to the tomb,
but have left their impress upon sons and daughters they have left behind
as valuable members of society. Perhaps no man was longer seen
around Clio than
John Cork. Humble and unpretending, ready to take the road on
errands for the merchants, or to enter the shops of the mechanics or
the fields of
the farmers; wherever he could make himself useful, even to old age,
he still trod the streets of Clio, till he died the oldest citizen
of the
town.
The Stantons, too, have a record in this community
older than the town. Handy and Thomas both have left large families
of useful citizens and excellent farmers. On the one side of Clio, and now, perhaps,
within the limits of the town, may be seen the snowy locks of John,
a son of Handy,
and the partner of his life's pilgrimage, Sarah Heustiss. Denied, in
the providence of Heaven, children of their own, yet seldom without
the children of
other people, to care for, and to love. Their reward is in Heaven,
their record on high. W. Godfrey Stanton, another son of
Handy, who
married a daughter of Major Aaron Breeden, has long lived near the
little town, and sometimes within it, is growing to be an old
citizen; bu has
sons and daughters to remember him when gone to his long home. On
the other side of the town there is Peter and Evander, sons of Thomas Stanton, both
with silver locks, but not as old as they look. The former in his
bachelor loneliness; the other with a flock around him to honor his memory when
gone. Good men both; may they yet be spared the reaper's sickle for
many days. Others of this name and family are as worthy of mention but we hurry on
to mention other families. Recollection next brings up the gray head
of Mr. James Woodley, who died several years ago. He married the daughter of
Jonathan Cottingham, who has been mentioned in another chapter. Wr.
Woodley lived in
Hebron township, but on the Clio side. He was a man of integrity and
industry, and taught it to his sons, John C. and Jonathan. John C,
his oldest son,
married Miss Mary John, and near the village of Clio they have
reared a fine family, sons and daughters of character and
worth, who know
how to appreciate the advantages that have come from a father's
energy and thrift, a mother's prudence and piety. Mr. Woodley died a few years ago.
Jonathan, living between his own father and Col. Covington, the
father of his wife, could hardly be excused, if he had failed to make of
himself a comfortable home, and of himself a useful, worthy citizen
of the County.
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