Several families in the Oolenoy section had owned slaves. Among them were the Sutherlands, Chastains, Keiths, Hendricks, Hesters, and Burgesses. These slaves remained devoted mostly to their "white folks ".

The following incident as told by my mother, Mary Looper Hendricks, demonstrates the loyalty and feeling the slaves had for their "white folks":

She was spinning one evening, as was the custom, until 10 o'clock. When she stopped for the night, she spoke to her wheel as she unbanded it. "Now, Dock, I'll kill you and hang you up." An elderly slave, faithful to his master's family, had crouched secretly in the chimney corner outside to watch and warn them of Sherman's troops who were pillaging the area and coming that way. This elderly slave's name was Dock, the name my mother gave her wheel. When she spoke to the wheel and called it "Dock", the slave cried in anguish, "Don't Miss Mary I Don't kill me I'll jest here to take keer of you and to warn you if I seed dem troops comin'." Miss Mary, my mother, had to do some tall explaining to quiet Uncle Dock's fears.

The colored mammies seemed to love the white children as their own and gave them such devoted care. Four of these mammies remained near our family: Aunt Emily, wife of Andy Gowan, Aunt Mariah, wife of Emerson Kemp; Aunt Katie, wife of Tom Owen; and Aunt Nancy, wife of Mart Terrill. Aunt Emily lived with my sister, Mrs. Lenora H. Batson, and took care of her children, W. T. Batson, Jr. and Helen Louise.

When W. T. [Batson] was a baby, he was given milk from a cow that had to be specially fed. One day the Father and Mother were taking the baby for an overnight visit, and, of course, were taking a supply of this milk. Before they were ready to start, Aunt Emily came leading the cow out to tie it to the back of the buggy, saying, "No'm, you not take dis baby widout dis cow." Convincing Aunt Emily that they had sufficient milk for the visit and the cow could be left at home was no easy matter. She started back to the barn leading the cow and muttering as she went, "Gwine to make my baby sick, dey is; dey shorely am; I to l ' urn. "

The way of living in the days immediately after slavery, of course', was very primitive. I remember going with an older brother to the hut of Burr Hill, an ex-slave. He was baking an ash cake. The method interested me. He explained that he swept the hot rock clean, patted down his hoecake, and then covered it with hot embers and coals bake. When it was done, he would brush off the embers. If he didn't want to eat the crust, he would peel it off and the inside was "moughty good."

The negroes loved to sing to the music of the banjo. Luke Terrill, a Sutherland ex-slave, picked the banjo. He would sit on the porch steps of Mr.Sutherland house and play for the young people to dance in the covered breezeway between the large rooms of the big log house. You could hear their favorites: "Nobody Purty but Black-Eyed Susan", "Shortn in ' Bread", "Cripple Creek", "Turkey in De Straw",and "Git Along Home Lucindy ". Luke Terrill, the banjo picker, also told fortunes, using the coffee cup dregs for his signs. By looking in your coffee cup, he seemed to be able to reveal much of your past as well as the future. This would add spice to their parties when they could have Luke in the kitchen telling fortunes. He might even tell you some stories about "sure enough witches", for negroes were strong believers in witchcraft. Miles Burgess, another ex-slave, was an expert with the flute. From a distance, as he drove his wagon, you could hear that flute and know that Uncle Miles was on his way. The Keiths, too, had been kind to their slaves, as well as their ex-slaves, and when there was a sale, negroes were anxious to be bought by them. In the days of slavery, at one of these sales, a small negro boy named Goob was to be sold. He tugged at Mark Keith's trousers and begged, "You buy me, You buy me, You buy me." Keith bought him and he afterwards was known as Goob Keith. He lived a long useful life.

Some slaves were so devoted to their masters that they chose to remain near them after they were freed. Four men, James Sutherland, a Keith, a Hester, and a Hughes decided some provision of homes should be made for these freed slaves. They decided to each give five acres of land for establishing a Liberia here in America similiar to that of Africa. This land was estimated, but when measured, it proved to be much more. Any slave family who wanted to build a house and move there was allowed to do so and was given a few acres. They then sold them more land at $.50 or $1 an acre and gave them the privilege of paying for it as they could by labor or produce. Many were happy with this plan and moved in and built some sort of house, according to their means. Finally, there were 300 negro citizens living in Liberia. Most of them were loyal, honest, hard-working citizens willing to do what it took to make a living and be a good neighbor. They still are good neighbors and excellent farmers of high esteem. Their white folks were kind of heart, tolerant, and appreciative of the humor and pathos of this kind of negro life.

Any slave who chose to attend church went to the white folks' church. Usually the back seats were reserved for them. A few of the stronger churches had slave galleries. The church at Old Pickens on the Keowee River had a slave gallery and it is still there in repair. After the freed slaves had congregated in Liberia, they attended a Negro Church at Table Rock, far up in the cove of Greenville County. Many of them walked the eight or ten miles to church. The Reverend Joseph McJunkin, father of Mrs. Chris Owens, was pastor. This church became di vided on some matter and Reverend McJunkin decided to leave. He told his congregation if any of them wanted to go with him, they would organize a church. So, he came to Liberia and organized Soap Stone Church. It takes its name from the soap stone mine located just back of the church. It was there that so many tombs seen in the Oolenoy Church Cemetery were cut. Many graves of Revolutionary War Heroes, including that of Colonel Cornelius Keith, are now seen marked by soap stone slabs. These were mined, shaped, and lettered after the Soap Stone Church was organized and a "House of Worship" was built by the Negroes of Liberia with much skill and artistry. The following year, Reverend McJunkin also organized Mount Nebo Church for the Negroes in this entire area. These churches are still maintained by the descendants who return regularly for worship. Later a school for Negroes was built in the Soap Stone Church yard so Negro children could be taught.

This incident has been handed down through the years: One day Mr. James Sutherland sat reading. A boy ran in to tell him Mart and Luke were slippin' out corn. Uncle Jim said, "Well, I guess they need it, " and continued to read.

In no other land could there be any more congenial cooperation between a negro and a white community than here in this original American Liberia. But then, the dreaded disease of that period struck Tuberculosis - and many of them died. Others sold their land and moved to town. Now there are only three negro families living in the Liberia area - grandchildren of some early settlers - Messrs. Chris Owen, Will Terrill, and Clarence Glenn. These three are well-to-do farmers and law-abiding citizens of esteem.

Following is a list of original settlers of Liberia; Emerson Kemps and wife Mariah, Jim Kemp, Andy Gowan and wife Emily, Thomas Gowan, Bailus Gowan, Will Hill, Jim Hill, Sam Hill, Burr Hill, Thomas Hill, Martin (Mart) Terrill and wife Nancy, Luke Terrill, George Ruff, George Kirkland, Charles Anthony, Jim Blythe, Bayless Sizemore, Will (Lodric) Glenn, Curl Talley, Tom Owens and wife Katie, James Owen, Dock Owen, Riley Chapman, Henry Miles, Rufus Ponder, Miles Burgess, Dock Chastain, Ansel McKinney, Will Hagood, Goob Keith.