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CONTENTS

|  Collins Crossroad - Dixie  | 

(The following information on Dixie was taken from several sources, the main one being from Chapter One of book, DIXIE - 1 MILE, written by Betty Berryhill McCall for her grandchildren. )

In 1895, a settlement called "Collins Crossroad" consisted of a store, a combination cotton gin and sawmill and farm houses. It was located about one and one half miles north of old Steele Creek Presbyterian Church. (Today on Steele Creek Road -Hwy 160) Mr. R. D. Collins had established the store at that location about 1875. In 1883, a Mr. C. B. Campbell had attended a picnic in Pineville where the group was entertained by the Sharon band. He was so entertained by them, he determined that Steele Creek should also have a band. Mr. R. C. Freeman became the band director and ordered 17 instruments which no one knew how to play. They invited the Sharon Band to come to a picnic dinner to play their instruments and it is assumed from the Charlotte Observer article of September 4, 1938, that the Sharon band taught them how to play. The song "Dixie" was the favorite of the band.

In 1884, the post office officials decided to put an office in the community. Mr. R. C. Freeman was given the job of new postmaster and he quickly selected the name of Dixie for the post office. It was approved by the postal department. At that time, the mail was brought from Charlotte every Tuesday by horse back and from there the carrier went on to York, S.C. over the old stage route and then he returned on Friday.

Ms. McCall state, "In those days the store sat in the corner where two roads met, the old Dixie School sat across on another corner, and there were three houses on the road behind the store. The Collins house was just above the Dixie store up a long driveway, facing the road that led to Charlotte, about nine miles away.

Everyone farmed and there were cotton fields behind the Collins place and beside the store. On up across the field from my Grandfather Berryhill's house was a cotton gin which sat there long into my growing-up years, though it was not used then.

In about 1906, a new school house was built and the old Dixie School was rolled down to the other corner just across from Dixie Store and was used for various purposes by the students for a while and then was used for a residence until it burned to the ground in probably the early forties.

Prior to Dixie becoming a post office, the mail for the community was gotten from the Charlotte post office on Saturday and distributed at the church on Sunday.

Note: Information about this community is important since in a few more years, the airport will be expanding and there will be a runway which will cover the area where Dixie stood. It will disappear as have Lodo, Browhill and many other old areas of Steele Creek..

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