This marker is near the center of the small town of Kershaw…read more On the front side, "Kershaw, originally Welsh's Station, was founded in 1888 when Capt. James V. Welsh (1845-1906) persuaded the Charleston, Cincinnati, & Chicago Railroad to build a depot halfway between Camden and Lancaster, on what was then the county line between Kershaw and Lancaster Counties. The town was incorporated later that year and renamed in honor of Maj. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw (1822-1894), prominent Confederate general and state senator from Camden." On the opposite side, "Kershaw, with a population of 500 by 1890, grew even more dramatically after an 1897 fire which destroyed most of the downtown. By 1900 a guide to Lancaster County called it "a pretty and prosperous town of about fifteen hundred inhabitants." Among the most significant early businesses here were the Kershaw Oil Mill (1902) and the Kershaw Cotton Mill (1912). The Benton Hotel on S. Cleveland St. was well known and frequently hosted tourists visiting the nearby Haile Gold Mine. Erected by the King Alfred Garden Club and the Kershaw Centennial Commission, 2002." There is not much near this marker other than a small mini-mart across the street. [Review 13656 overall, 975 of 2020, number 612 in South Carolina.]

Located next to the Riverwalk YMCA, this marker points out the history of the massive plant that…read moreused to be on this site. On the front, it reads, "This plant, once called "a miracle of modern technology," produced synthetic yarn and fibers for clothing, synthetic flakes for making plastic household and industrial goods, and other synthetics from 1948 to 2005. The Celanese Corporation of America chose this 1,100-acre site on the Catawba River for its capacity of 100 million gallons of water a day. The plant began operations in 1948." And on the reverse, "The plant had its own power plant, water purification and treatment plants, and chemical recycling. It was long among the largest employers in York Co., with an average of 1,600 and a peak of 2,300. Its work force was unionized, unlike most S.C. industries. At one time this plant was one of the largest producers of synthetic yarn in the U.S. As global demand for its products slowed, Celanese Celriver closed in 2005." The marker was erected in 2015 by the Culture & Heritage Museums of York County. All that remains of the plant is the water tower that now stands over the Riverwalk mixed use development. There is parking here. [Review 88 of 2025 - 1245 in South Carolina - 23656 overall]

This marker is standing in front of a very pretty two story brick home in the residential area of…read moreRock Hill. The building itself has nothing to do with Mr. Cherry's home other than it is in front of where the home used to stand. It is on two sides. The front reads, "The home of James Milton Cherry (1856-1920) stood here until 1974. Cherry was a businessman, public servant, agriculturalist, and real estate developer in Rock Hill for 50 years. He helped found the Young Men's Loan & Trust Co., one of the first banks here and later the Savings Bank of Rock Hill. Cherry was also a founder of the Rock Hill Light & Power Co., the Land & Town Site Co., and the Rock Hill Telephone Co." The back, "Cherry was intendant, or mayor, of Rock Hill 1890-91 and later a longtime city councilman. A partner in the Rock Hill Buggy Co., he founded the Carolina Traction Co. to power an electric street railway. He was known as "The Alfalfa King" for advocating hay as a cash crop and a national spokesman for diversifying crops. Cherry Road, named for him, was paved in 1920 and was one of the first concrete roads in S.C." [Review 14683 overall, 183 of 2021, number 778 in South Carolina.]

South Carolina is part of the South and as happened in much of the South during the 1960's, there…read morewas a fight for civil rights and equality for black citizens. One of those fights happened here in Rock Hill and this marker remembers the circumstances. On one side, "This building, built in 1901, was occupied by McCrory's Five & Dime from 1937 to 1997. On February 12, 1960, black students from Friendship Jr. College in Rock Hill were denied service at the McCrory's lunch counter but refused to leave. Their "sit-in" was one of the first of many calling attention to segregated public places in downtown Rock Hill. These protests lasted for more than a year." On the other side, "Many Rock Hill protesters were arrested, convicted, and fined. On January 31, 1961, ten students from Friendship Jr. College were arrested when they refused to leave McCrory's. Nine would not pay their fines and became the first Civil Rights sit-in protesters in the nation to serve jail time. This new "Jail No Bail" strategy by "the Friendship Nine" was soon adopted as the model strategy for the Freedom Rides of 1961." The marker was erected in 2007 by the Culture and Heritage Museums of York County and the City of Rock Hill. McCrory Stores was a chain of stores based in York, Pennsylvania (no relation to York County, South Carolina). Founded in 1882, it was acquired by Ames Stores in 1989. Ames became defunct in 2002. [Review 13022 overall, 339 of 2020.]

I've seen all sorts of fake "George Washington slept here" signs but this one on Rock Hill Highway…read moreis legit! The marker reads, "Near this site was the home of Major Robert Crawford, where President George Washington spent his last night in South Carolina on his Southern tour, May 27, 1791. Here Washington was met by a delegation of the Chiefs of the Catawba Nation, who set forth their apprehensions that attempts would be made to deprive them of their land." It was erected in 1970 by the Waxhaw Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. It is marker number 29-12. The marker is on the side of the road and there is not much opportunity to pull over safely but I managed it. [Review 19356 overall - 930 in South Carolina - 326 of 2023.]

This well-preserved marker in downtown Rock Hill notes the nearby structure on one side and on the…read moreother, a local celebrity. "The Andrew Jackson Hotel, built in 1926, was funded with more than $250,000 raised by the citizens of Rock Hill. Designed b Charles Coker Wilson, it is a fine example of the Beaux Arts style and has been called one of the city's 'greatest triumphs.' In 1938-39 many stars of early country and gospel music, such as the Monroe Boys, Delmore Brothers and South Carolina native Arthur Smith, recorded hit songs for RCA in sessions here." On the other side, "The building also included the ROck Hill Chamber of Commerce before it closed as a hotel in 1970. Vernon Grant, director 1957-65, was a leading American illustrator from the 1930s to the 50s. Best known as the creator of Kellogg's "Snap! Crackle! Pop!" and Rock Hill's Glen the Frog, he illustrated thousands of ads and magazine covers. He married Elizabeth Fewell of Rock Hill in 1936. In 1947 Grant moved his family to York County, where he lived until his death on 1990." [Review 13017 overall, 334 of 2020.]

This marker is located along Charlotte Ave near the Gateway Park. The marker points out the nearby…read morebirthplace of an important jurist. The marker reads, "John J. Parker, 1885-1958. Chief judge, United States Fourth Circuit, 1931-58; alternate member, Nuremberg tribunal, 1945-46. He was born one block southeast." Online, there is more information. "John Johnston Parker, jurist, was born in Monroe to John and Frances Parker. His brother Samuel I. Parker was a decorated hero of World War I. At the University of North Carolina (B.A., 1907; law degree, 1908), young Parker was a student government leader and prize-winning orator. After one year of practice in Greensboro, he returned to his hometown where he married Maria Moffitt in 1910. In that same year, at age twenty-four, Republican Parker ran for a U.S. House seat." "In 1925 Parker was appointed judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, comprising North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. During his thirty-two years as an appellate judge, Parker heard over 4,000 arguments and wrote opinions in approximately 1,500 cases." "In 1945, Parker was named the alternate judge for the United States in the Nuremberg war crimes trials. (Each of four nations--the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union--sent a judge, an alternate, and a prosecutor.) Parker believed that his role at Nuremberg was to insure that the trial was conducted in a manner acceptable to members of the American bar." "Judge Parker was long active in professional organizations. In addition, he was the recipient of several honorary degrees, a UNC trustee from 1921 to 1958, and a member of state constitutional conventions in 1931 and 1958. A devout Episcopalian, he was chairman of Billy Graham's 1957 Charlotte Crusade. At his death he was the senior appellate judge in the nation. He is buried in Charlotte." [Review 15448 overall, 952 of 2021, number 2995 in North Carolina.]

This marker is located in front of the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church and is in excellent condition…read more It points out the history of this area. The marker reads the same on both sides, "This former farming community grew up around Ebenezer Presbyterian Church which had been organized by 1785. Here was located the famed Ebenezer Academy often called "The Athens of York." The first post office was established as Ebenezer Academy in 1822. The name was changed to Ebenezerville in 1837. It was discontinued in 1866. Post office here 1890-1911 was called Old Point. The town was incorporated as Ebenezer in December, 1893. Erected York County Historical Society and the Town of Ebenezer, 1960." Ebenezer was a town in northern York County, South Carolina until it was unincorporated and annexed into the city of Rock Hill in the late 1960s. [Review 16530 overall - 859 in South Carolina - 39 of 2022.]