The Pickens Sentinel

Some More History of Old Pickens District
By N. Boone Carey

William L. Keith was the first clerk of the court of common pleas for Old Pickens district. Served twenty eight years consecutively and died in office. He was very popular and a remarkable man-was never defeated for any office though often opposed by good and strong men. He was the father of our late brilliant W. C. Keith, who will be remembered by many of your readers as one of the best lawyers in the upper part of the State. There was another son, Elliott M., also a lawyer, who is said to have been no less brilliant and able than W. C. Besides these there were Thomas, John and Marvin. The first two died or were killed in our civil war, the latter having died in Mississippi several years ago. There were two daughters, Mrs. Mary Towns and Mrs. Eliza Earle, both now of Greenville. Many descendants of the Keith family are living in Pickens, Greenville, Anderson and Oconee counties and are among the most respectable and influential citizens of their respective counties.

Col. Keith was succeeded in the clerk's office by James E. Hagood, who is well remembered by many of us as a most efficient officer, kind and genial gentleman. He represented the county of Pickens one or two terms in the legislature and for many years was clerk of the United States district court of South Carolina. He died a few years ago. He was the father of W. M. Hagood and James E. of Easley, B. A. Hagood of Charleston, and Mrs. Mary Alexander of Pickens. All have succeeded well in life. Mr. Hagood was the last clerk of the old district, so it will be seen there were only two clerks during the existence of the district.

I have heard my mother say that in the early days of Old Pickens there stood a pillory and public whipping post on the public square where certain malefactors were punished for their misdeeds. I sometimes think this method of punishment would be more effective in preventing crime than that of the present day.

Within a mile of the old court house site there is a small plot of ground called the "gallows lot," where those condemned to death were publicly hanged. Several were there publicly executed without any of the privacy or electrical refinement of the present day. Criminals were punished in those days-jurors were not so merciful and governors so tender-hearted as some have been since. The negroes of that community say the "gallows lot" is "haunted" and carefully avoid it at night. Chicken roosts and watermelons near there would be secure.