How some Anderson County streets like Hen Coop Road and Y'all Street got their names
Main Street in Anderson has all the trimmings of a main street in any other city. The historic courthouse gives it a bit of distinction, but the name does not.
It would have been different if Louise Ayer Vandiver had been part of that name selection. In a thorough history of Anderson she compiled in the 1920s, Vandiver laments the fact that the decision-makers at the time abandoned the original name of the road — The General's Highway.
It was called that in the 18th century because the old wagon road took Gen. Andrew Pickens from his residence in Oconee County to Abbeville. The only town of any size in between was Pendleton.
"The forefathers failed to see the beauty of retaining the name," Vandiver wrote, referring to those who laid out what was then known as Anderson Courthouse in 1828. "Consequently, the first thoroughfare of the town bears the same name that is borne by hundreds of other streets throughout the country.
"Main Street means nothing," Vandiver continued. "The General's Road would be distinctive, and also historic."
Vandiver's classic history explains the origins of those early street names that make up the heart of downtown Anderson today. Those in areas that developed much later were typically named by those who turned hayfields into neighborhoods.
Among those is longtime realtor and developer Bill Brissey, who continues to ply his trade at age 85.
He had a hand in naming Doubletree Drive, a block west of Pearman Dairy Drive. The road gets its name from two large willow oaks that once stood there, one of them Brissey verified by Clemson University arborists to be the second-largest willow oak in South Carolina in the 1980s. He has recently found a third willow oak in the area, one estimated to be 150 years old.
Brissey had the honor of naming a few streets himself. His favorite is Purdy Shores, which rests in a subdivision he developed in the southeast corner of the county on the shores of Lake Secession.
Although many suspect it was a southern version of "pretty shores" Brissey named the street in honor of the Hilda Purdy, who sold him 190 acres to set the stage for the development nearly 40 years ago.
"She was a wonderful lady," Brissey said of the late Ms. Purdy, who wanted to sell the land and buy a house in Antreville in Abbeville County. To make that happen, Brissey made a cold-call to that home to see about a possible sale — and was shocked when one of his former football players at Brookland-Cayce opened the door. Brissey coached at the Columbia-area school before he became a realtor in Anderson.
The stories behind the names of Anderson County streets is a fascination of many. According to a staff member at the Anderson Library's South Carolina room, it is among the most frequent queries by visitors.
Most of the names have ties to the city's earliest settlers, but there are exceptions — especially among the neighbors built long after the county seat was established in Anderson.
Stephen King Drive near the Brown Road Boat Ramp fits into that category, as does all the streets in the Sherwood Forest subdivision — among them, Nottingham Way, Robin Hood Lane, and Little John Trail.
Among the head-scratcher names are Y'all Street near the Anderson Regional Airport, Kitty Corner Circle in Iva, Sugarhill Trail and King Arthur Drive in the Wren community.
Those not familiar with the community might wonder about Cheddar Road, which has nothing to do with cheese but will take a visitor to that community (which locals have long pronounced "Sheddar," and Hen Coop Road near Honea Path, which is the right highway if you're looking for Hen Coop Creek.
Most of the names have connections to those who trekked the road (or sometimes built it) long ago.
At least three Anderson County streets are named for men who have no connection to the county. McDuffie Street is named for George McDuffie, father-in-law of one-time governor Wade Hampton who himself served as South Carolina Governor and Senator in the mid-19th century; Cleveland Street is named for President Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Circle is named for President Woodrow Wilson, who was in his first term when the road opened.
Most of the streets bear the names of the early settlers. Among them:
Anderson Street – Named, along with the county and the city, for Robert Anderson (1741-1813), a Virginia native who explored the region extensively and joined the Fifth South Carolina Militia during the Revolutionary War. He became a captain in the regiment commanded by his friend, Andrew Pickens. After the war, Anderson owned 2,100 acres in what is now Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties including his home, Westville, on the west side of the Seneca River. It is now under Lake Hartwell and he is buried at the Old Stone Church near Pendleton.
Augusta National – The street at Cobb’s Glen Country Club Benson Street isn’t a convenient route to Augusta, but it nicely fits the golf setting at the popular course in Anderson.
Benson Street -- Named after the Benson House hotel, a landmark in the era of long-term downtown hotel stays.
Bleckley Street — Named in honor of Sylvester Bleckley, a 19th-century town councilman and businessman who owned a large farm on that location. His home, known as the Bleckley Place, was donated to the town. He served as the chief officer of the Confederate treasury on South Main Street.
Boulevard Avenue — Once known as College Boulevard because of its proximity to Anderson College (now University), its name was changed during the first half of the 20th century. That has created confusion at times since the mid-1960s, when Clemson Highway was expanded to four lanes and renamed Clemson Boulevard.
Cater Street — Named in honor of Postelle Cater, a prominent real-estate investor in the 20th century who built Cater Lake by hand. He later donated Cater Park on North Fant Street to the city, and his family donated Cater Lake Park on East Greenville Street. Postelle Street also wears his name.
Calhoun Drive — Named in honor of John C. Calhoun, a Pendleton native who served as U.S. vice-president from 1825 through 1832.
Clemson Boulevard — The former General's Highway became known as Clemson Highway until the mid-1960s, when it was expanded to four lanes. It is named in honor of Thomas Greene Clemson, founder of the college.
Concord Road — Likely got its name from the Concord Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, built in the late 18th century on property where the Concord Baptist Church now stands.
Crayton Street — Named in honor of Thomas S. Crayton, who built the first house on the road.
Creswell Street — When Captain William Evins donated the land, Evans Street was named in his honor (although misspelled) and Crescent in honor of his wife's maiden name.
Dobbins Bridge Road — Named in honor of the Dobbins family, who built a bridge over the Seneca River below Sloan's Ferry. Several members of the family lived near the river, now part of Lake Hartwell.
Fant Street — Named in honor of businessman George W. Fant, it was once the East boundary of the city.
Jim Rice Parkway — Named in honor of baseball Hall of Fame member Jim Ed Rice, an Anderson native who was a star athlete at both Westside and Hanna high schools. Known as "Jim Ed" in high school, when he was an All-State football and baseball player, Rice received football scholarship offers from several schools, including Clemson, but instead chose baseball.
Manse Jolly Road — Named in honor of a Confederate soldier who served with distinction in the First South Carolina Cavalry in the War Between the States. But Jolly refused to accept conditions of peace, fighting as a legendary rebel until his death in a Texas river.
McCants Middle — Named in honor of Elliott Crayton McCants, a graduate of The Citadel who became Anderson High principal in 1900 and later the superintendent of Anderson County District 5 schools. He retired in 1945 and died in 1953.
Murray Avenue — Named in honor of Major Edward B. Murray, an attorney, newspaper publisher and state legislator whose property was near the intersection of Murray and Bleckley Street. As a legislator, he sponsored the Good Roads bill in 1886, which established a minimum number of days required of the state to provide road work.
A large pond on his property was fed by a spring, which led to the name of Spring Street nearby and made the Murray Pond a favorite recreation spot. The lake became the scene of a tragedy when Murray dove into the pond to rescue some young girls whose boat had capsized. The girls survived, but Murray died.
Pearman Dairy Road — Fred Pearman's dairy was located across from the present site of Westside High School.
Shockley Ferry Road — A ferry which crossed the Savannah River, linking to Georgia, could be accessed from the road in the early 19th century. Hartwell Dam is located at this site today. The land was purchased by Thomas Shockley (1755-1805) in 1790.
Stephen King Drive – Near Lake Hartwell and Brown Road, the road shares the name, but no other known connection, to a famous American author.
T.L. Hanna High — Named in honor of Thomas Lucas Hanna, a Pendleton native who served as the first principal of the Anderson Girls School, which was renamed Hanna High in 1951.
Tolly Street – Named in honor of G.F. Tolly, a popular downtown businessman in the middle of the 19th century.
Towers Street — Named after A.B. Towers, it was once the west boundary of the city.
Tribble Street — Named after an attorney, J. L. Tribble, whose property was adjacent to Main Street.
Whitner Street — Anderson native and scientist William Church Whitner (1864-1940) got the idea in 1984 to utilize water from the Rocky River to create an electric plant and transmit power to Anderson six miles away. He made it happen a year later, at age 30 – prompting a Charleston newspaper to proclaim Anderson as “The Electric City.” His plant at High Shoals generated the first long-distance transmission of power established in the South.
Special thanks to Anderson County historian Roger McKinley. Material was also gleaned from Beth Ann Klosky's "Six Miles That Changed the Course of the South: The Story of the Electric City; Hurley Badders' "Anderson County: A Pictorial History; and Louise Ayer Vandiver's "Traditions and History of Anderson County."