This highway marker commemorates a local citizen who was born here but went on to serve elsewhere…read more The marker reads, "John J. McRae, 1815-1868. Governor of Mississippi, 1854-1857. Member, U.S. Senate and House; Confederate congressman. Born 5 miles southeast." Online there is more information. "John J McRae, born in Sneedsborough in Anson County in 1815, moved to Winchester, Mississippi, in 1818 and became a prominent politician in Mississippi and nationally. McRae represented the state of Mississippi in the United States Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Confederate Congress during his career. He also served two terms as governor of Mississippi in the 1850s." "In 1851 McRae was appointed to complete the U.S. Senate term of Jefferson Davis. Two years later he was appointed to finish the term of John A. Quitman in the House of Representatives. He withdrew from his position in the House with all other Mississippi representatives following the secession of Mississippi from the Union in January 1861. McRae was elected as a Mississippi representative to the lower house of the Confederate Congress, serving from 1862 until 1864." [Review 14332 overall, 1656 of 2020, number 2699 in North Carolina.]

A couple of blocks from the city center, this historical marker is in a parking lot and points out…read moresomething that used to be here but is now gone. The marker reads, "Organized in 1881, this Negro Presbyterian (USA) school was founded by the Rev. J. P. Crawford with support from Mrs. C. E. Coulter from whom it received its name. The Rev. G. W. Long was academy president from 1908 until 1943, and Coulter offered junior college credit, 1933-1947. The academy merged with the public school system, 1949." The marker was erected in 1991 by the Coulter Memorial Academy National Alumni Association, Inc. Today, the brick building behind the church is the home of the Freemason's Sanctorum Lodge Number 25. [Review 18870 overall - 897 in South Carolina - 2393 of 2022.]

This marker is alongside a busy highway and there is a spot at the intersection to stop. It is of…read morecourse not near the actual subject but it's probably as close as anyone really gets. The marker reads, "Samuel Spencer. Jurist & Antifederalist leader. Member of court which in 1787 issued the first reported precedent for judicial review. His home stood 3 miles northeast." Online, there is more information. "Samuel Spencer, superior court justice and university trustee, was born in East Haddam, Connecticut, in 1734, the son of Samuel and Jerusha Spencer. Descended from highly respected and wealthy New England families, Spencer attended the College of New Jersey, where he graduated in 1759. It remains unclear as to when or why he moved to North Carolina. He was living in Anson County by October 1765 when he was appointed county clerk." "From 1766 to 1768 he represented Anson County in the Colonial Assembly. During the War of Regulation he served as an officer in William Tryon's army and participated in the campaign leading to the Battle of Alamance. However, his allegiance to the Crown waned in the early 1770's and he served as Anson County's representative to the first three provincial congresses of 1774-1776." "In 1787, Spencer and his fellow Superior Court judges John Williams and Samuel Ashe oversaw a landmark case in legal history. When Elizabeth Cornell Bayard attempted to overturn the confiscation and purchase of the properties of her father, a noted Loyalist, by Spyers Singleton, the court agreed with her that the confiscation acts of 1785 had violated the Fourteenth Article of the 1776 state constitution which ensured all citizens a trial by jury in cases that could result in a loss of property. The case, Bayard v. Singleton, set a precedent for judicial review. The North Carolina case preceded the more famous court case Marbury v. Madison, often credited with such establishment, by more than sixteen years." "Spencer retired to his plantation along Smith's Creek near Wadesboro. He became a founding trustee of the University of North Carolina in 1789. Married in 1776 to Phillipa Pegues, Spencer was the father of four children." [Review 15027 overall, 529 of 2021, number 2888 in North Carolina.]

As historical markers go, this one is pretty typical. As you can see, it is a gray sign with black…read morelettering. While it won't blow your socks off, it isn't ugly either. In fact, it looks similar to all other historical markers in North Carolina. If you're ever in Richmond County and in the mood to see a genuine state historical marker, I recommend that you consider this one. It certainly met all of my expectations for what a historical marker could and should be.

Located in front of the Richmond County Court House, this marker points out a local hero of the…read moreRevolutionary War. The marker reads, "Henry William Harrington. Brigadier general of militia, 1776-81, State senator, a commissioner to locate State capital. Grave is five miles south." This is another instance where there is some distance from the site being pointed out to here where the marker is located. There is more information online. "Henry William Harrington, Revolutionary War political and military leader, was born in London in 1747. He immigrated to Jamaica in the 1770s, but left after a short time for South Carolina, where he settled along the Pee Dee River. At the outbreak of war in 1775, Harrington accepted a captaincy in the South Carolina militia. The following year he married Rosanna Auld, the daughter of a prominent Anson County militia officer. The couple moved to North Carolina, settling in part of Anson that became Richmond County in 1779." "Harrington was elected colonel of the Richmond County militia in November following their arrival and briefly commanded a militia regiment in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1780 before returning to serve in the General Assembly. In the summer of 1780 he was called upon to accept a temporary position as the brigadier general in command of the Salisbury District militia while Griffith Rutherford was serving in the Camden expedition." "After the conflict [a British raiding party attacked his home in January 1781] Harrington represented Richmond County in 1783 and again in 1785. In 1784 he was appointed a trustee of Salisbury Academy, and five years later became a trustee of the University of North Carolina, a post he held for six years. He also served as one of the commissioners that approved of placing the state capitol at Raleigh. In the latter 1790s Harrington retired to his plantation. He died on March 31, 1809, and is buried in the family cemetery overlooking the Pee Dee River." [Review 15474 overall, 978 of 2021, number 3017 in North Carolina.]

Quaker meeting organized, 1755. Westward migration led to decline by the 1840s. Cemetery located 1…read more1/2 mi. west. The cemetery suffered from neglect, covered over by trees and used as a hogpen, until recent renovation by the local historical society. The only readable tombstones are for Hailey family members and bear the death dates of 1853 a

The town of Cheraw is a true gem for anyone interested in antebellum southern houses. The town grew…read moreup in the 18th century as a prosperous trading center. By 1780, it was one of only 7 town's in South Carolina shown on maps. It continued to grow and a district of beautiful large houses was built before the Civil War. The story goes that when Sherman came through, he was so charmed by the town's beauty that he decided not to allow looting and ordered the town not to be burnt down, as he had done with nearby Chesterfield. According to the story posted at the Lyceum Museum (on Market, get the key at the Chamber of Commerce), the truth is that having heard what happened to Chesterfield, the town fathers greeted the advancing Union forces with a flag of truce and the town's surrender. In any case, Sherman based his headquarters in a lovely home on McIver Street for most of March. The town has a great walking tour of the historic central district. The Chamber of Commerce office has a map that includes addresses and information on more than 40 significant homes and buildings. Many of the houses have signs with a phone number to call for an audio guide to the building. Mary's Restaurant on lower Market Street is a great place to enjoy a meal before or after you walk the tour. Mary's been serving good family cooking in town for 39 years - the last 33 years at the current site! Open from 6am till 2pm everyday but Sunday. And a visit to Cheraw isn't complete without going down to the Great Pee Dee river. There is a nice park on river just past the St. johns Church off Front Street. Founded in the 1760s as the last colonial parish, the church held services until 1916. Many generations of locals are buried in its graveyard. Keys to visit inside the church are also available at the Chamber of Commerce office.

I read about this place in my AAA book, and it really is a worthwhile side trip to see streets…read morelined with beautiful antebellum houses surrounded by shady trees and manicured landscaping. Even better, the town has posted signs with a number on them in front of numerous homes. Dial the number on your cell phone, and get a recorded story that is quite interesting. If you are a history buff, this place is a must. Old time Main Street, and lovely river park add to its charm.

Of course, I've heard of the Edinburgh medical school but I never knew that there was an…read moreEdenborough Medical College. It closed a century and a half ago but still. This marker is at the intersection of Laurinburg Road and Harris Avenue opposite an ABC store. The marker reads, "Early medical school, chartered 1867, conducted by Dr. Hector McLean. Closed circa 1877. Stood one-half mile south." Online, there is more information. "In the late 1860s Dr. Hector McLean opened Edenborough Medical College in the backwoods of what was then Robeson County, half a mile south of present-day Raeford. Born to Scottish immigrants in 1818, Hector McLean graduated with a degree in medicine from the University of Louisville about 1840. At a time when medical doctors were scarce and medical schools even more rare, McLean developed an extensive medical and surgical practice." "The General Assembly officially chartered Edenborough Medical College in 1867 making it North Carolina's first medical college. There were no entrance requirements, with respect to age or previous education, for students interested in attending Edenborough Medical College. There were never more that eight students enrolled at one time. The building that housed the medical college was a two-story, 40 by 80 foot frame building. Students lived in the second story and attended lectures in the four rooms on the lower floor." "In 1876 the Medical Society of North Carolina appointed a committee to investigate the operation of the school. In May 1877, the committee advised the General Assembly to revoke the school's charter because they did not consider Dr. McLean qualified to oversee all aspects of the students' medical education as he had been doing for the past ten years as the school's sole faculty member. However, Dr. McLean's death on December 1, 1877, ended the operation of the school before its charter could be rescinded." [Review 15021 overall, 523 of 2021, number 2882 in North Carolina.]