Walter Stewart Clan 2009 Reunion Pictures

A number of Stewart cousins enjoyed the Saturday tours and fellowship on August 8, 2009. Higher resolution pictures are available for the pictures shown here, but they are too large to post on this page and are also too large to be e-mailed in bulk. Contact the page author if you would like to have just a few pictures, or to arrange another means to obtain many or all of the high-resolution files. Thanks to 351231 LaMarr Brooks for lots of these pictures!

Please be warned that the videos are rather large in size and are best viewed or saved with a high speed connection.

38 James Preston and Martha Cely Stewart (yard and house stop, with refreshments)

The first tour stop was at 743 Stewart Road near New Harmony Presbyterian Church. This site was part of the original 400 acres owned by 3 Robert Stewart. The first Stewart known to have lived here was 38 James Preston Stewart who married Martha Anne Elizabeth Cely. They lived first in a log cabin, and later in a two-story farmhouse, where they reared their family of one daughter and three sons. 384 William Franklin “Little Will” Stewart and his wife Lucy Peden Stewart and their five children lived here after 38 James Preston Stewart passed away in 1909 at age 72, along with his sister 381 Dora Jane Stewart. This land backs up to the property of 31 William “Squire Bill” Stewart and 317 William Clark “Big Will” Stewart. In 1917, Little Will married Lucy Allen Peden. And they raised their family of three sons and two daughters at this home. This land backs up to the property of31 William “Squire Bill” Stewart and 317 William Clark “Big Will” Stewart. Today their daughter 3845 Lucy Peden Stewart owns this property and lives here part-time, and her brother 3843 Dr. Joe Stewart lives next door. Lucy was gracious enough to welcome the family to her home, show us many old family treasures, and provided refreshments as well.

3845 Lucy Peden Stewart describing the property history		3845 Lucy Peden Stewart describing the property history

2384 Thompson Rd., Fountain Inn. 3 Robert Stewart was born in the Bethany community in lower Laurens County when his father Walter Stewart, Sr. settled after emigrating from Northern Ireland. He and his wife Rachel had 13 children. In 1844, probably while Rachel was pregnant with little Samuel (#13), the bought a large tract of land (600 acres or more) in upper Laurens County just south of Fountain Inn. Their first home was a log cabin across the street from the present house. In the years after Robert's unexpected death in 1845, Rachel and the children built a two-story farmhouse that still stands today, though unoccupied. After Rachel's death in 1869 the house passed to 3.13 Samuel Stewart, who with his wife Louise Holcombe Stewart raised 11 children in the old homeplace. In later years, most of Robert and Rachel's surviving children and grandchildren remained in the Harmony-Durbin communities (five of their nine sons died in the Civil War). The house and some of the original property are owned today by Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Hill of Simpsonville.

1958 Hunts Bridge Rd., Fountain Inn. William Clark Stewart ("Big Will") and his wife Jincie Ballenger Stewart raised their family of one son and six daughters at this old homeplace. This house has been demolished and another built (owned by Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Styles). The story is that as a young man, Big Will left a job at a hardware store in Greenville to return to his home community. In 1890, he went in with a friend to jointly buy this land and farm it, with the agreement that the first one to leave would give his half to the other. The friend tired of farming and left, so Big Will got the land. In later years, his children were face with the task of locating all the friend's children to establish clear title to the land - no easy task, as some were living in England, but they finally succeeded.

314 Henry Richardson Prior and Mary Stewart Prior (yard and house stop, with refreshments)

2261 Hunts Bridge Rd., Fountain Inn. Mary Katherine Stewart, fourth child of "Squire Bill" and Becky Stoddard Stewart, married Henry Prior of lower Laurens County in 1879. They began building their house, which was enlarged as their family expanded to five children, about 1880. Part of the 2-story house was burned, but the front rooms are original and were the first to be constructed. Henry Prior owned and operated the Dixie Grocery Store in Fountain Inn (named for his political sentiments, not the part of the old Dixie Store chain) and, of course, farmed on the side. The house is not occupied now, but is lovingly maintained by their granddaughter, 31453 Edna Hunt Tripp of Fountain Inn. The shady yard at the old homeplace has long been famous for its colorful peacocks, one of which can still be seen. The grindstone from Squire Bill's grist mill can also be seen in the yard. Edna Hunt Tripp was gracious enough to welcome the family to her home, show us many old family treasures, and provided refreshments as well.

31 Willam Stewart ("Squire Bill") and Rebecca Stoddard Stewart (drive by only)

On Durbin Rd., a few hundred feet from 2651 Durbin Rd., Fountain Inn. 31 William Stewart, 3 Robert and Rachel's eldest, married young Becky Stoddard in 1850 and acquired land on old Durbin Road not far from his sawmill/gristmill on South Durbin Creek. Here he and Becky lived in a two-story farmhouse, the crumbling remains of which, along with the old barn, can still be seem on their great-grandson 31235 Doug Stewart's property. Squire Bill, as he was called in later years and Becky had nine children, two of whom ("Big Aunty" Alice and Uncle Jim) never married and remained at the hold homeplace. Squire Bill was elected Chief of the Walter Stewart Clan at the first reunion in 1907.

Unfortunately, both of the photographers failed to get a picture of the remains of this house and barn, near 31235 Doug Stewart's home. If you happened to walk down to the ruins and take pictures, we would be very grateful for copies to post! You can mail them to jmlesslie_777@bellsouth.net.

312 Alexander Baker Stewart and Ella Owings Fowler Stewart (yard and house stop)

2651 Durbin Rd., Fountain Inn. 312 Baker Stewart was the second child of Squire Bill and Becky Stoddard Stewart, born in 1853. In 1888 he married Ella Owings Fowler, a pretty young widow and schoolteacher. By then, "Bake" was 35 years old, a prosperous farmer, grist mill owner, and enterprising businessman, with a thick-walled concrete country store on his Durbin Rd. property next door to his parent's home. Stewart's Store, as it was called, was the Durbin community post office, general store, and popular gathering place, with lively dances on the second floor hall. No doubt among many other matches made here, 3171 William Tinsley Stewart met his wife-to-be Mabel Moore at a dance here. Bake and Ella built a modern one-store house in the three-pronged crossroads beside the store and raised their two daughters and son there. The house is currently owned and occupied by their grandson 31235 Doug Stewart, treasurer of the Walter Stewart Clan, and his two daughters. The remains of the store can still be seen distinctly.