Browse Items · Johnsonville SC History

Gold and Black 1971

Gold and Black Yearbook, Johnsonville High School, 1971

Brigadier General John Henry Woodbury.jpg

Brigadier General John Henry Woodberry

Brigadier General John Henry Woodbury (1889-1974)

Woodberry was born in Johnsonville on Feb 22, 1889 to Wattie Gamewell Woodberry, Sr. and Rosa Belle Eaddy (first woman mayor in South Carolina history). He was the great-grandson of Henry Eaddy. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1910 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1914. Afterward he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Cavalry.

He was transferred to the Field Artillery in 1916. During World War I, he was assigned to the Ordinance Department and participated in the design and construction of the aerial bombs used by Gen. "Billy" Mitchell in the test bombing of a captured German battleship. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1918 and was transferred to the Ordinance Department in 1920. Between World War I. and II., General Woodberry studied at Army Industrial College, 1927-28; Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 1929-33; and the Army War College, 1934-35. He served in 1934-1939 as a member of the General Staff of the War Department. In World War II., General Woodberry served as Chief Ordinance Officer for General Douglas MacArthur's supply service (Southwest Pacific Area, 1944-45).

General Woodberry enjoyed a successful career of 37 years with the U. S. Army. He held numerous patents on munitions of war. Among these were artillery fuse devices for control detonating waves used in most Army high explosive ammunition. He also developed cavalry machine gun equipment and conducted research and development in anti-aircraft and armored cars. An automobile tire pressure indicator was one of his civilian patents.

In 1945, he was appointed Ordinance Officer, Army Service Command D, Japan Army of Occupation and was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. Retirement came for him in 1946. Gen. Woodberry received the Legion of Merit, was a member of the Army Ordinance Association, and wrote many technical papers on ordinance detonation. He was a Mason and a member of the Founders and Patriots of America. He and his wife are buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Information source from http://eaddy.biz/famtread/html/nti04826.htm

Old Johnsonville Methodist Church

Old Johnsonville Methodist Church - original sanctuary. 1872-1960.

George Samuel Briley Huggins

George Samuel Briley Huggins was wounded at the battle of 2nd. Manassess and was crippled. He was a prayerful, christian man, and used to walk the old foot-logs across Muddy Creek Swamp every Sunday to attend Old Johnsonville Church.
George Samuel Briley Huggins served in Co. "K", 6th Regiment, Confederate States Army, commanded by Capt. William Smith Brand, of Sumter District. Source: Morris Watsongen

George Samuel Briley Huggins was born June 18, 1831, eldest son of Rev. John Samuel Huggins of Timmonsville, inventor of the first cotton planter used in the south and his wife Zilphia Ham. He was the grandson of George Huggins, one of the largest landowners in the Darlington District who was elected to the 32nd General Assembly and his wife Letitia Montgomery. He was the great grandson of Captain John Huggins, Justice of the Peace for the Darlington District in South Carolina, who commanded a troop of Cavalry in General Francis Marion's Brigade in the Revolutionary War and his wife Elizabeth White Simmons. He died Nov. 28, 1914. His will was probated Jan. 2, 1915 at the Williamsburg County Courthouse, Will Book E, Page 29.

He married his first wife, Elizabeth Timmons on March 3, 1853. Elizabeth was born March 21, 1839 and died at Johnsonville on November 11, 1833. Elizabeth was the mother of all his children. After Elizabeth died, he married Emily Timmons Stone Eaddy, a widow and sister of his first wife, on March 11, 1884 at the Old Johnsonville Church. This date was Emily's birthday. After the death of Emily in 1900, he married Narcissa Verline Carter on September 21, 1905.

George Samuel Briley Huggins was a trustee and one of the original founders of Trinity Methodist Church. He was also one of the original founders of the Old Johnsonville Methodist Church where he served as a minister. He also supported the Ebenezer Methodist Church at Muddy Creek where he served as a steward and was a minister.

After the war, he returned to his farm near Muddy Creek, SC and to the ministry of the Methodist Church at Muddy Creek and Old Johnsonville.

One of his granddaughters, Lillian Maude Buck McDaniel, recalled that as a child her mental image of God somehow incorporated the characteristic features of her grandfather - the strong but kind face, the leonine head of white hair and beard, and the authoritative tone and demeanor. She describes him at prayer, at home and in church , where he knelt, stiff knee and all, to address his Lord in a manner she was convinced that elicited a readier response than most mortals were privileged to receive. She also remembered that he was so earnest in prayer that he would forget the passage of time and would sometimes have to be nudged by his wife to realize that others wearied more easily than he.

At Christmas time, George Samuel Briley Huggins would personally pour the Christmas sillibub - Portion Control! He was known for his good wines,also dispensed judiciously.

He enlisted in Co. K, 6th South Carolina Regt.at its organization under Capt. W. S. Brand of Clarendon, on the 22nd of April, 1962. He served with the Company, except for a few months recuperation furlough, until the surrender at Appomattox on the 9th of April, 1865. He was wounded by a minnie ball blasting through his right knee at the Second Battle of Manassas on August 30, 1862. His name appears on a list of prisoners taken and paroled at Warrenton, VA,
headquarters for the Army of Potomac, 11th corps, on 29 September 1862. After his recovery at home, he was placed on detached service to the Commissary Department in Williamsburg county and reported to J. B. Chandler. He was lame for the rest of his life.

On June 18, 1908 more than 75 family members gathered at his home for a birthday celebration that included food, fellowship and musical entertainment by the children. This article was printed in The County Record on June 25, 1908.

Henry Edison Eaddy

Obituary for Henry Edison Eaddy
It is the painful duty of the County Record to chronicle the death of Mr. Henry E. Eaddy, well known as the "Sage of Possum Fork". He died at his home near Johnsonville Friday morning about 2:30 o'clock.

Mr. Eaddy was a man of rare personality. He was a self made man in every sense of the term. Intellectually he was a genius, being an expert mathemetician. He was a civil engineer by profession, a hospitable Christian gentleman in his home, and a man of charming manner to all who came in contact with him. He was of unusual vitality, both physically and mentally for one of his advanced age, having celebrated his eightieth birthday in March.

The evening prior to his death he ate supper and was in his usual happy frame of mind and apparently in good health as he had been for some time and fell asleep. At 2:30 Friday morning he was found dead.

Mr. Eaddy was born and reared and spent his long life in the vicinity of Johnsonville. In his young life he married Miss Eliza Louisa Ann Elizabeth Huggins of Timmonsville, a daughter of the late Rev. J.S. Huggins, inventor of the first cotton planter used in the south.

He had represented the county of Williamsburg in the State Legislature several terms. He was first elected in 1890. He was one of the original founders of the Old Johnsonville Methodist Church and Trinity Methodist Church in Florence County and supervised the construction of the Old Johnsonville Church. During all of his public life he strove to render his county efficient service.

Mr. Eaddy leaves a widow, the former Eliza Huggins, five sons and two daughters: Messrs. J.A. of Bushnell, Fla.; C.L.of Linden, Fla.; John M. of Kingstree; S.O. of Johnsonville; Dr.A.G. of Timmonsville; Mrs W. A. Hanna of Gifford; and Mrs. R.B. Dickson of Johnsonville.

The funeral service, conducted by Rev. E.P. Hutton, took place in Old JohnsonvilleMethodist Church at 4 p.m. Saturday, and internment was made in the church burying grounds. Six of his grandchildren acted as pallbearers. The funeral exercises were largely attended.

S.B. Poston selling lots for Johnsonville, 1911.jpg

Johnsonville, South Carolina, 1911

This painting/mural - "Johnsonville South Carolina 1911" by John Carroll Doyle - was unveiled at Anderson State Bank in 1981 at the opening of the Hemingway branch. Doyle was a prominent Charleston artist who passed away in 2014. The work depicts Johnsonville founder Sylvester Briley Poston as lots were laid out and sold at the Johnsonville Land Sale in 1912.

At Johnsonville Last Thursday - Fancy Prices Realized

Article describes the land sale that led to the founding of Johnsonville

Trinity Methodist Church youth, 1956

First Row: Larry Taylor, Andy Richardson, Ammondine Taylor, Freddy Brown, ?, Randy Huggins, Nancy Taylor, Jean Furches.
Second Row: Wayne Taylor, Lester Perry, Stafford Perry, Brenda Taylor, Linda Taylor, ?, ?, ?, Linda Marsh, Dorothy Rogers.
Back: Bernie Huggins,Walter Brown, Louin Collins, Busman Haselden, ?, ?, Wilma Perry, S.R. Ballou, Sammy Marsh

Trinity Methodist Church - Mother's Day 1945

S.B. Poston - left - in story circa 1920.jpg

S.B. Poston's store, late 1920s

S.B. Poston (left) stands in a store with other workers. This was most likely in the "Poston Block" - a group of stores and businesses at the Northwest corner of Broadway St. and Railroad Ave.

John Henry Woodberry, 1914

John Henry Woodberry as a cadet at Westpoint.

Location of Aimwell Presbyterian Church

Aimwell Presbyterian Church was located along what is now Old River Road, approximately at the intersection of Old River Road and McWhite Circle. The approximate coordinates are 33°56'28.2"N 79°29'50.4"W.

The Aimwell burial ground still exists and is the resting place of John Witherspoon, whose family operated Witherspoon's Ferry during the American Revolution.

Aimwell is incorrectly listed as Hopewell in the Robert Mills Map of Marion District, 1825.

Johnsonville High School, 1938

This photo from the 1939 Gold and Black yearbook shows the high school building before the wings were added in 1940.

6th Grade, Vox Elementary 1955 Cora Collins.jpeg

Vox Elementary School 1955-1956

Several photographs and documents related to the 6th and 7th grade at Vox Elementary School, 1955 and 1956.

Files include:
Cora Collins - teacher
A letter from Mrs. Henry D. Powell
Vox 6th Grade, 1955
Vox 7th Grade, 1955
Vox 7th Grade, 1956

Ballou and Maisie - Saturday Jun 28 1968 - Wellman club opening night.jpg

Wellman Club Opening Night 1968

Sanford and Maisie Ballou attend the opening night of the Wellman Country Club.
Saturday, June 28, 1968

Vox Crossroads

Various images from Vox Crossroads:
Vox Crossroads - Google Street View 2008
Mike, Ken, and Ronnie Powell circa 1949
Vox Grocery - run by Ted and Norma Hanna circa 2000
Ken Powell circa 1949
Vox Grocery - Ted Hanna circa 2000
Bill Burris leaving Altman's Grocery - late 1970s

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William Arthur and Bertha Mae Cribb Altman

William Arthur (W.A.) Altman Jr. (1921-1984) and Bertha Mae Cribb Altman (1925-1991). W.A. worked at Haselden Brothers Ford. He was the son of William Arthur Altman Sr. and Wilma Grace Edwards. Bertha Mae Crib was the daughter of Charlie Anderson Cribb and Nettie Baxley. Mrs. Altman attended Pleasant Hill High School.

1791 Petition for incorporation of Aimwell Presbyterian Church.jpg

Petition of the Residents of Upper Prince Frederick Parish for Incorporation of Aimwell Presbyterian Church, 1791

Al and Hannah Altman Erwin - First wedding at Westside FWB - July 4 1957

Al and Hannah Altman Erwin - First wedding at Westside FWB - July 4 1957. Westside's sanctuary was completed in 1956.

Students at Old Johnsonville School circa 1904

1st Row: Lillian Cockfield Powell, Myrtle Poston Redfern, Eva Venters Grimball.
2nd Row: Hattie Cribb Newell, Myra Oliver
3rd Row: Eunice Huggins Brown, Zelma Ginn.
Professor S. H. Brown stands in the back

Donald "Pee Wee" Gaskins Mugshot

Johnsonville's Early July 4th Celebration, The Winyah Observer 7-8-1849

Contains a story about Johnsonville's 4th of July Celebration in 1849.

Accepting LHR Machine, Weekly Observer, 12-29-1977.pdf

Johnsonville Rescue Squad Accepting LHR Machine, 12-29-1977

Hilburn Stone and other Johnsonville Rescue Squad members along with Mayor Connie DeCamps accept the new LHR machine for the department. 29 December 1977