A side effect of writing the Flossip is that I pay attention to my surroundings more. I look around town for interesting pictures to take, businesses to visit, people to meet. I have learned that if I am going to spend money I want to spend it at local merchants first if possible.
I was out by Ebeneezer Baptist Church the other day and noticed there is a historical marker on site. Do you ever stop and read those? Did you know that Ebeneezer Baptist was founded in 1778? I don’t go to church there, and I did not know that. 1778! Thats amazing! Read this excerpt I found on this website:
The early settlers of the Pee Dee area were poverty stricken Protestants,and all of them were farmers. Some farmers also were in the timber, tar and/or turpentine business. They would cut pine trees, make a raft out of the pine logs, in Lynches River, float the raft down the Lynches River, thence into the big Pee Dee River and on the Big Pee Dee into Georgetown, S.C. where the logs, turpentine and tar was loaded onto sail ships in Winyah Bay. They would then
walk back to their homes in the Pee Dee area or possibly ride horseback or on a wagon train. The round trip would take several days (a week or more.) My great, great, great grandfather on my maternal side lived near Cartersville in what is now Florence County (then Darlington District) named Owen Lockhart, and he was
engaged in the timber, turpentine and tar business when not in Court about some debt he failed to pay, including a huge debt and mortgage over a 6,000 acre tract of land he bought on credit and tried to farm. He was also a carpenter, and built Ebenezer Baptist Church building under a contract in 1837-1838. (Then in Darlington District, now in Florence County.) Ebenezer Baptist Church was established in 1778, and it is one of the oldest churches in the Pee Dee.
(Another interesting fact is that the minister at Ebeneezer Baptist, David Wike, is a blogger and on twitter)
I turned down Industry Drive to do a U-turn after I left EBC. Right in front of me, a wild rabbit hopped and stopped to look at me. You never know what you will find when you go exploring in Flo-town.
(Yes, the last picture was at Redbone. Y’all are getting too good. The pictures are going to get tougher I think!)
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Yay! So glad you blogged about EBC! I’m so blessed to be apart of an amazing church family!!! Did you happen to see our new Youth Assembly building while you were out there? We have some of the most amazing youth that are busy building God’s kingdom..so much so we needed a bigger place for them to congregate! : ) We certainly aren’t the New Kid on the block but that doesn’t mean we don’t have it goin’ on!
There is a historical marker on West Palmetto, near the intersection with S. Cashua / Ebenezer Rd. It is about William Gee, Revolutionary War veteran, whose grave is in the woods just off that marker, along with a number of other graves of his family members. William Gee came to the area to establish a school, which was located close to where Ebenezer Park is today. The brother of one of my ancestors married William Gee’s daughter or granddaughter (don’t have my records in front of me) and just before the Civil War they moved to Florida, the area where Tampa is now. She was disinherited supposedly, for marrying a poor school teacher.
have you been to the memorial behind the civic center? it’s actually rather impressive; i was there yesterday. got them up here: http://phillipsphoto.smugmug.com/gallery/8403269_vgFRQ/1/551689286_kPZMM
Speaking of wild rabbits in that area, I’ve been encountering rabbits on the Rail Trail on at least a weekly basis this Spring. The funny thing is that they appear to be less timid than the squirrels.
i actually saw a beaver out there there the day; it was swimming right under the bridge
I went running on the rail trail last week and saw some rabbits too
.