Volume 8, Issue 1- Spring Edition | 2024 | |
A Long Journey Home: The Life of Lucy Phifer | |
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Lucy Phifer was born into slavery in 1844 and grew up as the enslaved property of George Caleb Phifer. She was listed in the 1860 -1863 Cabarrus County, NC Tax Assessment as being 19 years old and having a value of $1200.
Lucy married Jack Phifer (Enslaved people were often given the surname of their owners), who worked at the same plantation. Jack was skilled at carpentry and farming and after slavery was abolished, he and Lucy and their children continued to work and live on the Phifer Plantation.
Jack Phifer heard the stories of the new country, Liberia, created on the coast of Africa where black people were given land and housing. Jack decided, despite Lucy’s apprehension, to move his family to the new land. He and Lucy and their children sold or gave away all their possessions and took a train to Brooklyn, NY where they boarded the Yates and Porterfield sailing vessel bound for West Africa.
Sometimes the stories of life in Liberia were oversold and promises made that just weren’t true. When the Phifer family arrived, they had to walk the 20 miles to the village of Brewersville, northeast of Monrovia, Liberia. The Phifer family, later joined by a child born in Africa, moved into a small cottage with a thatched roof. Jack Phifer made the best of life there, using the land they were given to cultivate a coffee crop.
Jack’s dream was not to be. Within several months, Jack, two daughters and a son died from a tropical fever to which they had no immunity and a daughter, Lillie, lost her foot to infection from an insect bite. Lucy was in dire straits and wrote to her former employers, Robert and Annie (Phifer) Allison asking for help getting her family back to America. She was so desperate, she promised to work in their household until she paid for their help.
Lucy, her daughter, Lillie, and a son, Silas worked for the Allison family in Concord, NC until Lucy and Lillie were asked to come to Fort Mill when Ester Phifer Allison married Samuel E. White. Lucy was given land where Joe Louis Street is now and built a home for herself and Lillie.
Lucy Phifer, known throughout the community as “Aunt Lucy," learned the skills of being a midwife and, in addition to working for the White family, was said to have delivered more than 100 babies while assisting Dr. J. B. Elliott. Among the children she delivered was prominent Fort Mill citizen and newspaper publisher William R. Bradford Jr.
Lucy died in 1930 at 86 years of age and is buried in an old cemetery near Sanders Street in Fort Mill. Rufus Sanders, prominent citizen and former chairman of the F. M. History Museum wrote of Lucy Phifer, “She was born enslaved, instilled with spiritual values, and received the surname of her enslaver. She was a wife, mother of eight children and nanny/aunt to many others. She traveled abroad, experiencing many more hardships than most, persevered and returned home to start life over again.”
Mike & Cheryl Hill
FMHM History Research Team
Based on research materials from Rufus Sanders and Ann Evans
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There were five George Fish yearbooks produced and they have been digitized by Winthrop University in partnership with the Fort Mill History Museum Grants Team. | |
Watch the George Fish School Documentary to learn from the people who attended and taught at the school. | |
Visit the Fort Mill History Museum to view the Exhibit on "Paradise". | |
Visit the George Fish School Monument and learn about the importance of the school to Fort Mill and the Black community. | |
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Lunch and Learn
Tuesday, February 6
12:00-1:00 PM
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Strawberry Soiree
Saturday, April 20
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
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Volunteer!
21+ Only
Would you like to support the museum by volunteering at the Strawberry Festival? We are looking for volunteers to check IDs, issue ID wristbands, sell tickets, & serve bottled beer and craft beer.
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York County SC 250 Committee | | |
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The York County SC 250 committee has been established to celebrate the tremendous contribution the county provided during the American Revolution. The Executive Committee has an immediate need for a secretary. Please email yorksc250@gmail.com if would like to join this historic committee. Check out the Facebook Page here for updates. | |
Looking to help out the museum? Check out our Amazon wish list of items that are needed! | | |
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Giving to your local museum ensures that your dollars stay in your community along with supporting programs for you, our children and our neighbors. Please consider giving to help us enjoy more programs and activities and improve our quality of life. | |
A Day in the Life of a Child | |
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Ever wondered what life was like for children 150 years ago, when Fort Mill was incorporated and officially made a ‘town?’ No Switch, no YouTube or TV on demand at all hours! Our children today would hardly believe the lives of their predecessors!
After the Civil War ended in 1865, the South was under a period of reconstruction. There were no formal schools and children were mostly taught in ‘field schools,’ which were makeshift buildings created in fallow fields to allow for a place for children to learn to read and write.
In 1876, Catawba Masonic Lodge #56 (Chartered in 1859) sponsored and supported the building of a two-story brick structure with three classrooms on the first floor and a Masonic Hall on the second floor. The school later became the town’s first public school, Fort Mill Graded School, and was located on West Calhoun Street.
The average Fort Mill school age child would have to awaken early to do chores before school. Chores may have included feeding the chickens, milking the cows or chopping and bringing in firewood. Once at school, studies began early in the morning. Recess was given around noon for dinner or play , then exercises were resumed and continued until near sundown. Boys and girls usually sat on opposite sides of the room during writing or study periods, facing one another. They often sat on hard, high-pitched benches and no communication was allowed. Students ranged in age from 6 to adults.
Mostly quill pens were used and the teacher would have to make new pens or repair old ones while the students worked on their lessons. If available, slate pencils were cut from old broken slate. Also, lead pencils were made from melted buckshot or rifle balls and fixed into cane stems.
As was the custom in cotton growing communities, school revolved around the harvesting of crops. Classes were usually suspended until after cotton crops were harvested (late November to January) and during spring planting. Aside from these interruptions, school lasted all year - much different from what our children experience now.
Interested in learning more? Check out the Fort Mill History Museum website, where additional information can be found on the history of Fort Mill Schools
Carol Case
FMHM History Research Team
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Two for one! Nope, that’s not an ad for Harris- Teeter Grocery. It just means that the Fort Mill History Museum is very fortunate to have husband and wife, Jim and Linda Cozzolongo, as volunteers.
After moving to Fort Mill to avoid the snow in Connecticut, Jim stopped by the museum and met Vern Nine and Rick Dammann. After an afternoon of interesting history and stories, Jim knew he’d found the right place to volunteer.
He started reading about Fort Mill and talking to volunteers with interesting stories to tell. He especially loved listening to Mary Sue Wolf and David Ward.
Jim quickly became an experienced museum guide and loved it. Meanwhile, Linda began volunteering with Jim at the beer sales and special events like Lanterns and Legends. Linda enjoyed meeting the folks from the museum and she decided to volunteer doing a job she likes, administration.
Linda took over some of the work that Carol Dixon did before she retired. Her first job was a big one - inventory. Who better to ask than Jim to give her a hand. Linda also makes sure the museum has books, ornaments, shirts and various things priced to sell. She is also a member of the Volunteer Coordination Team which, among other things, holds appreciation events for volunteers.
Jim is looking forward to a new mentoring program aimed at museum guides. He will tell the interesting history of Fort Mill, explain the exhibits and help newbies with their own presentation. Jim will also explain the day-to-day workings of the museum.
Both Jim and Linda will be working on a new Christmas ornament for 2024 and perhaps a new way of showcasing the many ornaments.
Linda and Jim met at NASA in California and called California home for several years. They then moved back to Connecticut, Jim’s home state. “We had visited Fort Mill and the Charlotte area a number of times and liked the area and especially the weather. I was really glad to leave my snow shovel and snow blower behind,” said Jim.
The couple have two children. Their daughter has two little boys and a girl and will soon add another baby boy to their family. They live in Philadelphia. Their son and his wife, who live in the Charlotte area, will soon be first time parents. Linda and Jim could not be happier living in this area, volunteering at the museum and being grandparents to five.
“When I think of the museum and how we want to represent our community I am proud to have Jim and Linda on our team. They get involved, share their time, support history, and are passionate for an organization that they only discovered a few short years ago. I can personally say that I am a better person for knowing them and having them in my life. Also, the museum is a better place because of volunteers like them,” said Christia Humburg, Executive Director.
Pat Crigler
FMHM Creative Writer
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Do you have any unique items significant to Fort Mill’s History that you would like to donate to the museum? If so, please send an email to Carson Cope – Collections Manager at carson@fmhm.org with a description of the item(s) and picture if possible. Thanks for
helping to preserve Fort Mill’s past.
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We Need Your Help!
The theme of the Strawberry Soiree this year is "Berries & Brushstrokes: Celebrating 15 Years of Strawberry Artistry" and we are excited to display 15 years of Strawberry Festival posters!
If you have any Strawberry Festival posters from the following years, please consider a donation to the history museum for this wonderful event. Also, if you know if there was a 2010 poster created, please let us know.
2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
If you have a poster to donate or information about the 2010 poster, please reach out to Krista Huff at krista@fmhm.org
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Did you know? Miss Harriet Carothers, daughter of N. L. Carothers of Fort Mill, has a remarkable record as a speller. While a pupil in the grammar grades of the Fort Mill school, Miss Carothers repeatedly won the spelling championship of York County and Friday (7-18-1930) for the second time won the State spelling championship for high school students. The contest was held at Winthrop college and most of the counties of the State were represented in it. This is the last State contest in which Miss Carothers will take part, as she has finished her high school course, having graduated from Fort Mill High School this year. – Fort Mill Times July 24, 1930 | |
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Hello to all the fellow historians and lovers of our great community of Fort Mill. Let me introduce myself to those individuals I haven’t had the privilege and honor to meet. I’m David Ward, Jr. lifelong resident of the best town in South Carolina, why, I’d even say the best town in the whole country. I want to thank each of you for your involvement and support of the Fort Mill History Museum.
By striving to reach our vision and mission, this helps keep the specialness of Fort Mill alive for generations to come. It’s through your engagement with this organization that we have been able to collect more artifacts, capture more stories, and share with friends and visitors the rich legacy of this community.
I also want to thank the members, sponsors, volunteers, and my fellow board members who give of their resources so we can continually improve the museum. I appreciate all the leaders of our many teams and the museum guides who greet our visitors during the week. It has been exciting to watch how partnerships have been formed which have increased the brand and awareness of the Fort Mill History Museum. With these partnerships and community participation, the Fort Mill History Museum has expanded the events and programs to ensure Fort Mill’s past continues to come alive.
Let me close by emphasizing the importance of history, especially your local history, and just how vital each of us are to protect, encourage, and share our legacy. A profound quote by Marcus Garvey sums it by stating “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Grab a limb and come climb the tree of Fort Mill History.
David Ward
FMHM Board Chair
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Meet the New Board Members! | |
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Ira Coltharp
I am Ira Coltharp, and I am very happy to be serving on The Fort Mill History Museum Board of Directors. I am a native of Fort Mill as were my parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and great great grandparents. I have served as President of Coltharp Incorporated since 2007 and was previously employed by York County for 24 years. I am married to Kellye Lance Coltharp, and we have three children, Will Coltharp, Glenn Coltharp and Amanda Patterson. We also have 2 grandchildren, Riley, and Landon Coltharp. I presently serve on The Fort Mill Housing Authority Board of Directors, The Flint Hill Fire Department Board of Directors and The Flint Hill Fire Department Tax Board.
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Phil Blaschke
Phil Blaschke, has been a “native” of Fort Mill since moving here directly out of college in 1990. His wife has been an elementary teacher within the Fort Mill School District for 20+ years and is currently a teacher at Orchard Park Elementary in Baxter. Together they raised 3 wonderful children who attended our Fort Mill schools and all 3 graduated from Fort Mill High School. Currently, Phil works as the COO of AME, Inc. which has been a part of Fort Mill’s business community since 1960. He has subscribed to being a servant leader within the business realm and local community of Fort Mill. His core focus on sustainability is through a strong culture, a strong product and even stronger team members!
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Lee Ann works as a Global Cash Manager for Celeros Flow Technology. She has her bachelor's degree in accounting and has served as Treasurer and various positions on other non-profit Board of Directors. Although she lived in Charlotte for 19 years, she has only been in Fort Mill for a little over 3 years and loves it! | |
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Jason Therrell
Hi, my name is Jason Therrell and I am excited for the opportunity to join the FMHM team. I am a lifelong resident of Fort Mill and deeply love the town and its history. My wife, Holly, is a Kindergarten teacher at Fort Mill Elementary and I currently work at Cummins Inc as a SR. Controller. Outside of work we love spending time with our three kids Amelia (8), Parker (6), and Olivia (4).
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Thank you to our Walmart Partner!
Recently the museum's Grants Team worked with Walmart at 500 N. Dobys Bridge Road and store manager Deswick Jones on a grant. After review the museum was awarded $1500 towards technology upgrades. Walmart also provides the museum with water for our events and volunteers. We appreciate the support that Walmart has given us and are grateful that we can continue educating our community through technology. Pictured here are Cora Lyles (a member of FMHM Grants Team) and Deswick Jones (Walmart Manager).
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Many volunteers work for or are retired from companies that will match the time they volunteer at the museum. Time they spend helping out at FMHM sponsored events like the Strawberry Festival, downtown events and/or assisting visitors that come to the museum may be matched by employers that offer “Match Programs”. (For instance, some companies may match the hours volunteered at the museum for a rate per hour)
Donations made directly to the museum may also be included by these “Match Programs”. Companies will match an employee’s gift to a charity one-to-one, but others match gifts two-to-one, and some even match donations three-to-one! This means that your gift to the museum can be worth two to four times as much as you donate.
Please take the time to check with your employer about “Match Programs” that you can take advantage of. Every donation, regardless of size, has the power to make a difference. Let’s maximize ours!
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Back Window Podcast with Mike Hill
Friend of the Museum and Fort Mill native Mike Hill has a series of podcasts about growing up in Fort Mill in the 1950’s, 60's and 70’s when it was still a small town. You can listen to all the podcasts here or search Back Window on the Spotify App.
The podcast is of Mike Hill’s impressions of Fort Mill at the time and are not meant to be historically accurate.
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Please join us in welcoming our new part-time Museum Services Coordinator, Krista Huff. Krista has been a volunteer at the museum since November 2022, volunteering as a museum guide and as the Volunteer Coordination Team lead.
She has a passion for Fort Mill History and military history particularly.
She will handle the volunteer recruiting, staffing, museum operations, maintenance, inventory, tour scheduling, some communications, and more. We look forward to growing the museum with her on board.
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107 Clebourne Street, Fort Mill, SC 29715 | phone: 803-802-3646 Admin@fmhm.org
Located in the Fort Mill Historic District
FMHM.ORG
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The Fort Mill History Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Support for this project is provided by the SCPRT TAG,
Town of Fort Mill & York County Accommodations Tax, FMHM members and donors.
For visitors information including lodging, contact Visit York County at 803-329-5200.
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