Patrick
Patrick is another of the railroad towns. And in this case, was named
for railroad executive John T. Patrick. Mr. Patrick is not only contributed
to the founding of Patrick, but is also responsible for Southern Pines,
Pinehurst, and Chimney Rock, North Carolina, and chiefly responsible for
the road that became Highway 74 in North Carolina.
The area had been originally settled by the Wilks and Polson families.
By 1905, with the railroad coming through, the Pankeys, Rayfields, Gillespies,
Turnages, Buies, Perdues, Postons, Kellys, Smiths, and Swinks began moving
in. F.S. Gillespie, H.B. Poston, and S.O. Goodale submitted to the Secretary
of State of South Carolina, J.L. Grant, for the incorporation of Patrick,
on October 26, 1906. The population at that time was 104, however 85% of
them were Russian railroad employees who where camped nearby.
One of the most interesting stories in Patrick's growth was the installation
of the new town well. In 1967, engineers hired to do the job became very
discouraged after drilling 5 wells to no avail. W.C. Ruthven, the Town
Clerk and Treasurer, recommended they contact Willie F. Griggs. Willie
took them to a spot on the edge of town, broke off a twig he used as a
devining rod and began searching. When the rod began to twitch, he told
the engineers "dig here", and continued to tell them how deep
they would find water and how deep there would be an underground stream.
He was not wrong on any account. The new town well provides the 368 Patrick
residents with 100 gallons of water per minute and can easily pump 125
gallons, if needed.
Since 50% of the citizens are retired, recreation could be a problem,
but not in Patrick. The town is bounded by 95,000 acres of land owned mostly
by the United States Government. The land is leased to the South Carolina
State Commission of Forestry, which has planted native pine throughout
the sandhills. Lakes have been created making fishing good and dove and
deer hunting are annual events. Patrick Major W.C. Hoffman says not only
"Patrick is a wonderful place to live", but also it's "God's
country".
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