https://johnsonvilleschistory.org/files/original/1c3b30bc9f5c69030a03e30f73496f2c.pdf 569edc06c682051c3c0a02363906b45a PDF Text Text conflict m scnedlile on the own s • E. Y. EADDY • Brown Town Cotton Gin bandhewn s upports , sills and sleepers bespea k the age of the Brown Town gin. Perhaps the most significant of the ea rly Brown Town bui ldings, this press numbers among a very few of its type r e maining today. . Beneath Cotton Gin of the Brown Town cotton gin reveals wooden cogwheels '8d rafters. The gin was a horse powered device as Is ~n wagon. Evidences of a long-vanished way of life still drowse at Brown Town. They are scattered widely over an ar ea which at its zenith as a plantation extended over more than 10,000 acres of swamp and farm land lying between Lynches Creek and Lynches Lake. A casual drive along the. Johnsonville-Lake City high will alert only the most perceptive traveler to hints of the his tory and age of this family community . One may notice first that the land is low and water stands in the many ditches that drain fields and woods a s well as roads . He may then note the num ber of very old buildings peeping out , as if in retreat from the noise and movement of the busy highway. from the background woods . Near the pond beside a recent developme nt--a s ka ting rink--seems to have been the plantation comm issa ry . By this pond was a water-powered gri ts mill and blacksmith shop owned by Anson Brown . Perhaps 1n addition to plows , horseshoes and other farming implements that fami ly members were clever at devising, the blacksmith also turned out the handsome locks and hinges still to be seen on the older buildings . On this plantation were also a steam-powered sawmill, shingle mill , and brick kiln that employed clay from the plantation soil. A cane mill ground the sugar cane that flourished luxuriantly in the lowlands into juice that was boiled down into syrup. The smokehouse, one of the oldest buildings still s tanding, is as strong and solid, except for its shingles, as it was when first built. It has its timbers joined by vertical pegs and precise notching . A hand made metal lock still seems to work. Hogs flourished in the river swamps. The lean hams, sides and shoulders slowly cured over the hickory fire that burned in this sm11ll building further enhanced the independence of the plantation, which not only furnished its own building materials, but its own food . A short walk from the smokehouse toward the lake passes the privy and Continued to Page Z • em1n er (Editor's Note: This is the sixth in a series of articles by Mrs. Elaine Eaddy dea ling with the history and heritage of some of the early families of the Hemingway.Johnsonville area . The series called "Our Human Heritage" is being publis hed every two weeks.) Events" column, a noUce from an1s e then an early farmhouse . It has been moved from its original location and foundation and its function has probably changed many times, in the course of which the kitchen , standing a safe distance from the house proper, the porch, and shed rooms have been removed. Pride and skill in workmanship are shown in the scalloped dental frieze. the starcase, and hardware . The origin&) siding has been replaced : but the house sti ll stands tall, with its tiny attic window pointing toward the sky. After a short walk through a small pecan grove and a cultivated field and along a stretch of woods, one emerges facing a rectangular structure sitting high off the ground on a great solid foundation of hand-hewn cypress posts. An abandoned wagon stands as if ready to receive the bales of cotton coming from the press . A little Eli Whitney-type gin is upstairs . The intricate hand carved mechanisms seem mi racles of both utility and beauty . A nearby storage house , also pegged with prec1s1on , has proportions and craftmanship of unusual artistry . A drive toward Indiantown on the lake side of the plantation tempts one to stop and knock on doors , indicating as they do the development of the original family unit and the passing of time . The family cen1etery , the ground of which was broken for Robert Brown 's body , is on this side of the area , Harlee 's Map of 1820 shows three Brown homes on Lynches Lake just above the Indiantown road . In the area, according to the map. were Cockfields , Singletarys, and Camerons. Other records show that Eaddys, Hannas, and Cart.ers were also located in this area . Early Indiantown Presbyterian Church rolls show that some of the Brown family were members there. Later , after 1835, mos t united with the more conveniently located Prospect Methodist Church . Robert Brown , born Aug . 17, 1784, died July 25, 1866, probably developed the Brown plantation from an original King's grant to his father, thought to have been James Brown, a Colonel in the American Revolution under Marion. Robert Brown married Mary Green, Born Jan . 31, 1788, died July 31, 1852, whose name appears on an early Indiantown church roll . Their children were Joh, Born Oct. 25, 1822, Robert, liOrn 1826, Franklin, born 1828 ; Lawrence, born May Z"I, 1830; Sarah G., Moses W., and Mary . John Brown married, first, Sarah Jane Murphy, born Oct. 20, 1822 and died Continued lo Page J • B. B. Johnson Cottage er shadows soften the vertical batten siding of the cottage built for B. B. son and Agnes Brown. A porch railin g of openwork diamond design and a 1 le sawtooth cornice indicate the builder was not merely concerned with a tat. The sma ll house is almost overwhelled by the tall sycamore trees in the ground. This house is now used as a tenant dwelling. I Smokehouse Door The " "ell constructed s rnokehouse of 4" by 6" heart pine timbers, neatly dovetailed in th e corners and further secured by large vertical pegs, appears ready for another 150 years. I ts wrought iron strap hinges still swing a nonsaggi ng door. Early Brown Town House a One of the earliest Brown Town hOl!_ses, tw-tory e1~•1'Jl attic. now serves as a packhouse. The house was P"I proportions, yet only a scalloped frieze carved ju\ commands attention. Brown Town ntinued from Page I 1845; and second, Frances Johnson, daughter of William on and Margaret Stone. The four · by his first wife were Sarah, 1 1y 29 , 1847 and died at age 21 ; gnes, born July 18, 1849, and Benjamin B. Johnson ; John born Aug . 20 , 1851 ; and James ~ e, born May 24 , 1853. ohn Brown's second ma r riage rn William Johnson Brown on 1856: Jane Elizabeth on Oct. 15 , xander Chesley on Aug . I, 1861 ; rt Foster on July 23, 1863; and nts who died . Robert and David Lawrence married into Indiantown , Robert marrying Janette nd Lawrence, Sarah Elizabeth , Franklin, a teacher, married ddy , daughter of John D . Eaddy izabeth Singletary . Fran klin as prominent in the affairs of Methodist Church . 'd Lawrence Brown joined the burg Riflemen organized Sept. and was wounded at the Battle ildemess on May 5, 1864. He the House of Representatives talion life on Lynches Creek an easy one, and young men veloped physical strength and fighting s kills . Boddie reports that the first court house case tried in Williamsburg District was entitled, "The State against Daniel S. Eaddy, Moses Brown, Samuel Eaddy, Jr ., and James Eaddy-assault and battery." He adds, "These gentlemen had held a good old Irish discussion with sticks, plead guilty , paid their fin.e s, and doubtless regarded their money well spent." Maintaining roads and bridges was the responsibility of families who were dependent on them for travel. They would get together as often as necessary to work on roads and repair bridges . A Brown and a Cockfield had a difference of opinion on the last bridge toward Indiantown and Cockfield was thrown into the water. The bridge was afterwards known as " Cockfield's Bridge." Young men on the plantation prized and worked toward developing physical strength. Their prowess was demonstrated by William Preston Brown who could pick up a 500 pound bale of cotton and put it in a wagon. Arthur Brown easily lifted a 200 pound bag of fertilizer under each arm and carried them into the field. A ramble about Brown Tow1,1 at this time indicates that this industrkl'ils and inventive family early "got ahead" and maintained their family ties long after most families had .s cattered abroad. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Weekly Observer Description An account of the resource The Weekly Observer was published out of Hemingway, SC from 1973 until printing ceased in 2012. The paper continues as an e newpaper on scnow.com Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-2012 Subject The topic of the resource Local Newspaper covering the Johnsonville and Hemingway communities. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Weekly Observer Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Brown Town Is Reminder of Vanishing Way Of Life, 2-19-1976 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Weekly Observer Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2-19-1976 News Newspaper Weekly Observer