Chapter Twenty Eight

May 4, 1939

We now arrive in Ellenboro. I never knew much about the people in that village in my younger days. I was acquainted with “Uncle” Burwell Byers and Mr. Greenberry Pruett. Mr. Byers was a very prominent man and was well known in the county, and I believe he operated a store at Ellenboro at one time. He was a man that everyone liked and a great number of people went to him for advice, which he gave freely.

Mr. Pruett was one of the leading men of the community. He was a great church worker and took a special interest in the Sunday school work. He was an officer of the Sandy Run Baptist Association almost from the time he association was organized until his death. Incidentally, this association was organized in Ellenboro in the Bethel Baptist church in the year 1890, and I had the pleasure of attending that meeting.

Back in the eighties Mr. Pruett was very active in politics. He was a candidate for the Legislature a few times and was elected in 1882 and served during the sessions of 1883 and 1884. He was elected as a Republican. While Mr. Pruett was in the Legislature he helped to enact legislation that had a great deal to do with bringing the railroads into the county. He served as postmaster of the Ellenboro post office for about twenty-five years. He was one of the leading men of his community and county and was a friend to his fellow men.

About three miles below Ellenboro this old Piney Mountain road connected with the old Rutherfordton and Shelby road, about the present location of the Rutherford Cleveland county line. The location of this old road has been changed in many places but the location of the three cross roads mentioned in these articles are exactly where they were fifty years ago.