As the attendance at Spartansburg school increased and the building aged, the community members realized that a new home for education was needed. So, the School Board and community leaders began to explore making it a reality. The school names have been revised over the…
Spartansburg folks enjoy celebrating. Parades, carnivals, dances, dinners, picnics and gatherings of all sorts have been reported since the late 1800s in the busy borough. Carnivals and parades were often held to mark the opening of a new business, for example the opening of the…
The Grange National Bank was the 2nd bank in Spartansburg. It’s establishment came within 3 years after the failure of the Spartansburg (Tryon) Bank. Spartansburg was a thriving community and it was the feeling of merchants and farmers in the area that a bank was…
Only seven years after the destructive fire of 1898 which burned the north side of Main Street, the quiet of a January night was broken by the call of fire. The millinery store of Mrs. Eastman was the site of the fire’s start. In addition…
Twenty years after the 1878 fire that destroyed both sides of Main Street, the alarm of “Fire!” was sounded at 2 AM on June 13, 1898. I am sure that there were folks whose memories returned to that earlier cry with a sense of dread.…
On June 5th, 1892, the abundance of rain that had fallen on Spartansburg and the nearby areas proved to be too much for the earthen dam at Eldred and Thompson Mill. While Spartansburg suffered some from the rains and flood waters, the devastation and loss…
Heavy rains that had been falling for several days and an especially heavy storm and possible water spout north of town in the early morning hours of August 24, 1885 caused the dam at Eldred and Thompson mill to burst. A man named Frank Babcock…
The first copy of the “Spartansburgh” Sentinel was 2 pages and issued on February 28, 1885. The Editor was listed as RA Maxwell who published the paper from his home. ***NOTE*** Through the generous contribution from the Firth family, photo images of the Sentinel…
In 1882, a bank was organized in Spartansburg. The bank was a private bank with no state or federal backing. The first President of the bank was IH Burt and the first cashier was FD Catlin. In 1889, DW Tryon became a major stockholder and…
Spartansburg has suffered three major fires in the town business district. The first fire occurred in 1878 and destroyed homes and businesses on both side of Main Street. The downtown of Spartansburg had been growing and many businesses and residences above stores had been built. …
Spartansburg was a flourishing village in the 1870’s. The population was growing and businesses were developing to meet the needs of the citizens. Grocery and Dry Goods stores, Blacksmiths, Saw Mills, Grist Mills, Harness Shops, as well as a hotel were among the businesses available
The first school in Spartansburg town limits was built on land donated by the Akins on the east side of Oil Creek (East Branch) In 1862, a modern new school was built on the corner of Water and Wood Streets. The wood construction building was…
The Oil Creek Railroad line from Titusville to Corry opened in 1862. The Oil Creek became a part of the Western New York and PA, and later the Pennsylvania RR. The railroad provided opportunities for merchants and tradesmen in the area to expand their…
In the 1830’s The Akins brothers, Andrew and Aaron, opened a Saw Mill and a Grist Mill on the East and West Side of Oil Creek. The Grist mill was on the site of the current Platt’s Mill. In 1837, Andrew Akin opened a General…
In the 1820’s William Sterling and Akins started the first lumber businesses in Sparta Township. The mills were on tract of land purchased from the Holland Land Company and were on Patrick Run, just north of the future location of Spartansburg.
Spartansburg History has a new design and is still a work in progress. I still welcome any photos, stories, articles or other historical items. I will care for them, digitize them and get them back to you. The information you will find here is based…
