Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
1821 - 1906 (85 years)| Name | James Douglas BLANDING [2, 3, 4] | |
| Prefix | Colonel | |
| Birth | 26 Jun 1821 | |
| Gender | Male | |
| HIST | Early Residents shaped Sumter in all areas Posted: Sunday, November 23, 2014 6:00 am BY SAMMY WAY WAYSAMMY@YAHOO.COM Reflections continues to highlight the achievements and contributions of Sumter citizens who helped make our community successful and productive. The group highlighted in this issue comprises individuals selected at random and are not the only candidates worthy of mention. Reflections will continue to prepare additional biographical sketches of those who have worked to improve the economic and cultural life of the Sumter community and feature them in future articles. Information used in preparing this presentation was obtained from The Sumter Item archives and the writings of Cassie Nicholes. Neil O'Donnell (1859-1937) was born in Ardora Parrish, County of Donegal, Ireland, and came to America where he settled in Pennsylvania. He came to Sumter and took employment with William Bogin, later taking over this successful mercantile business. O'Donnell and Company was incorporated in 1906, and O'Donnell became active in a number of civic and commercial concerns. He was a principal benefactor of Tuomey Hospital, serving as president of its Board of Trustees, president of the First National Bank (later South Carolina National 1930), and board member of the City Schools for 43 years, served one term on city council and served on numerous boards of several local industries and business concerns. Dr. Samuel H. Edmunds (1870-1935) was born at Millgrove Plantation, Richland County, and moved in 1877 to Sumter, where he spent the bulk of his life. He attended Davidson College, graduating in 1890, and was later selected as assistant principal of the Sumter graded school, serving two years in that position. He became the headmaster of the Presbyterian High School in Rock Hill for two years prior to accepting the superintendence of the Sumter City Schools, where he remained for almost 40 years. He pursued postgraduate work at Columbia University, the University of Chicago, Presbyterian, Wofford and the University of South Carolina. He was a member of numerous civic and fraternal organizations. He was instrumental in founding the local YMCA; it was noted that "his interest was not limited or restricted to the schools but any and every movement for the good of Sumter received his active support." Dr. Julius Mood (1854-1936) "He was the oldest physician of Sumter in years and length of active service in his profession; besides being an outstanding citizen, he was honored and beloved by the entire community to which he gave a lifetime of devoted service." He served on the City Schools Board for more than four decades and possessed acute literary abilities. He was a charter member of the Fortnightly Literary Club organized in 1916; he was a charter member and president of the Sumter Rotary Club in addition to serving in numerous other civic, social and fraternal organizations. He established and conducted a private hospital for nearly 20 years prior to its merging with the Sumter Hospital (now Tuomey Regional Medical Center). James D. Blanding was born in Columbia in 1821 and studied at the Academy there. Following graduation from South Carolina College in 1841, he read law with his uncle, William DeSaussure. Blanding moved to Sumter in 1843 to practice law, only to have his career interrupted by the Mexican War in 1848. He became one of Sumter's leading lawyers and practiced the profession for 35 years. He also served in the Legislature on the Education and Judiciary Committees and as mayor of Sumter. Before the signing of the Ordinance of Succession he raised the first company of volunteers in the Sumter District. He was a devoted church member and participated in a number of civic and fraternal activities. His home once stood on the current site of Memorial Park. Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) was born on July 10, 1875, near Raccoon Road, which at one time served as the main highway between Camden and Georgetown. She was the 15th of 17 children and received the majority of her early education in Mayesville under the tutelage of Emma Wilson. Her obsession with education led her to become a schoolteacher and eventually found Bethune-Cookman College in Florida. She later became friend and confidant of Eleanor Roosevelt, leading to her appointment to several advisory boards. Bethune became a member of the "Black Cabinet," where she advised President Roosevelt on the status of African-Americans in America. She became a member of the National Youth Administration and helped draft the United Nations Charter, an act she considered to be her highest national honor. Mary McLeod Bethune died on May 18, 1955, near her school, a place that had remained dearest to her heart. Noah Graham Osteen (1843-1936) "One of the pioneers in the history of Sumter's Press was born on Jan. 25, 1843. He entered the newspaper business in 1855 at the age of 12 when he took a job with The Sumter Watchman. When he finished his five-year apprenticeship, he was given the task of publishing a Conway paper his company owned. He entered the military when the paper ceased publication and Sherman's army was approaching Columbia; following the conflict, he returned home to Sumter with his new wife. He later purchased half interest in The Sumter News (which became The True Southron)." In 1881 He purchased from Darr his interest in the True Southron and purchased at the same time The Sumter Watchman, later consolidating the two papers into the Watchman and Southron. In 1894 he began publishing a daily paper, The Sumter Item, and the Watchman and Southron became a semi-weekly newspaper and continued until 1933. He remained active in the newspaper business until he died as a result of an accident in 1936. Thomas Sumter (1734-1832) Sumter County's namesake was born in Hanover County, Virginia, Aug. 14, 1734, and came to South Carolina in 1762, married Mary (Cantey) Jameson in 1767, became a planter and engaged in the mercantile business. He served in the Provincial Congress in 1776 and was made a lieutenant colonel in the 6th S.C. Regulars. He was appointed brigadier general of the South Carolina militia Oct. 6, 1780, and was in command of all militia in South Carolina during the Revolution. He was elected to serve as a member of the Continental Congress, 1783-1784, and the House of Representatives from 1789-1793 and 1797-1801. Sumter served as a United States Senator from Dec. 18, 1801 to Dec. 19, 1810. Sumter lived in Stateburg, which he helped found in 1793, until he died at age 98 on June 1, 1832. John K. Crosswell was a native of Lee County north of Bishopville reared near what is now Lee State Park. He was the son of John R. and Susan Wright Crosswell; however, little is known about him prior to his coming to Sumter to work for a relative. He started Crosswell and Company in Sumter in 1901 which became the "largest wholesale business in eastern South Carolina." The business was initially located on the southwest corner of Main and Liberty streets; later he had three buildings constructed on South Sumter Street. He and his brother gained control of the Coca-Cola rights on syrup, which was sold to bottlers in many cities. His business interests continued to grow until his death in 1929. One of the conditions of his will was the establishment of an orphanage to be constructed for the children of Sumter. This organization continues to exist in the city, and due to Crosswell's planning, the facility continues to fulfill its mission. John Blount Miller (1782-1851) Anne King Gregorie describes John B. Miller as "One of the most useful and influential citizens of Sumter." Born in Charleston on Oct. 16, 1782, he moved to Sumter in December of 1805, the same year he was admitted to the Bar. Records indicate that he was probably the first lawyer to reside in the Sumter community and became its initial Notary Public. He was later admitted as Commissioner and Registrar of the First Court of Equity in the Sumter District. He helped organize the Sumterville Library Society, became a noted orator, veteran of the War of 1812, writer and strong advocate of public education. Evidence of this was his conveying one acre of land for "the improvement of the children of said village and its vicinity," leading to the eventual building of three separate schools. He was an advocate of building a branch of the High Hills Baptist Church in Sumterville, which later became First Baptist. "He would devise a system of filing and labeling important papers relevant to the countless number of legal cases he handled." In addition to his numerous accomplishments he still found time to publish two books. Reach Item Archivist Sammy Way at waysammy@yahoo.com or (803) 774-1294. Blanding served the Sumter community The Blanding home on Hampton Avenue was purchased by James D. McFaddin, father-in-law of Col. James D. Blanding, and placed in trust for his daughter Lenora for the couple and their 15 children. Blanding was respected in Sumter in the field of law and was born in 1821 in Columbia. SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO Posted Sunday, December 9, 2018 6:00 am By SAMMY WAY The ensuing issue of Reflections provides a brief sketch of the life of Col. James D. Blanding. According to a publication titled "Men of the Times," Blanding was one of Sumter's most respected law professionals, and he died more than a century ago; however, his impact on the community continues to be evident. Originally published in 1902 and 1907 and sourced from The Sumter Item archives, these articles will be reprinted with minimal modifications; further enlightenment was derived from the writings of Cassie Nicholes and Anne King Gregorie. This article will be presented in two segments. Part 1: COL. JAMES D. BLANDING James Douglas Blanding was born in Columbia, S.C., on June 26, 1821, to Abram Blanding and Mary C. DeSaussure Blanding. He enrolled in The Academy and after graduation entered South Carolina College where he studied law. He graduated from college in 1841 "with distinction" and began reading law under the guidance of his uncle, William F. DeSaussure. He was admitted to the Bar in December of 1842 and accepted a position in Camden. Blanding moved to Sumter in December of 1843, where he took a position in the law firm of Blanding & DeSaussure. In February of 1849, he married Lenora A. McFaddin, the daughter of James D. McFaddin, a native of Sumter County. This marriage produced 15 children with 13 reaching adulthood. This large family needed ample space which they obtained when, for $3,500, James D. McFaddin purchased a home on Hampton Avenue from the estate of W. E. Dick. The house was placed in trust by McFaddin for his daughter Lenora. The newly married Blandings had lost their plantation home, Millgrove, which was located about "three miles from Sumter on the Wedgefield Road." Built in the Jordan community, the house had been destroyed by a devastating fire. According to Cassie Nicholes, one of the Blanding children wrote the following description of the home they had received from their grandfather: "On this spot in days gone by there stood a home, a monument to a devoted life, and a happy family. Here in this beautiful municipal park once stood a spacious Southern home, and while sufficiently expansive to shelter a large family - and all friends who came that way - its spaciousness was more fittingly reflected in the hearts of its host and hostesses than in the physical dimensions of the house itself. Here on this spot stood the homestead of the Blandings. Their children happily played among these very trees, children who in future generations should play their part in molding the destinies of the nation, children whose progeny were destined to inhabit the nation; children whose children were to walk the Earth permeated with sound Christian principles, illuminated by those glorious old family traditions, strengthened by the memory of that remarkable old family life emanating from this very spot." Who built this lovely antebellum home and the date of construction remains uncertain; however, research indicates that the earliest property transfer probably occurred in 1860 when Leonard W. and Lenora Ida Colclough Dick sold the home to W. E. Dick. While the Blanding family grew, so did the list of achievements for this young lawyer. He was selected to serve as secretary of the Board of Trustees of South Carolina College from 1843 to 1852. During his tenure in this position, he "compiled the catalogue of all trustees, officers and students of the college from its beginning to 1853 was made by a part of the appendix to his history of the college." Prior to his participation in the Mexican War, he was selected to serve as a trustee for the Sumter Academical Society. THE MEXICAN WAR Blanding was mustered into service in 1846 and held the rank of second lieutenant in Company A (which became known in the community as the "Sumters") of the South Carolina Palmetto Regiment. According to Anne King Gregorie, these men "enlisted for the duration of the war; the original company numbered about 40, among them were boys from 16 to 18 years of age, several having left college to volunteer." He served at the siege of Vera Cruz and was promoted to captain following the death of Col. Butler. Later a young Capt. Blanding would lead the "Sumters" into Mexico City "where the Palmetto flag became the first to be planted along its walls." It was later reported in the writings of Gregorie that Blanding "had been in all the battles and had even been knocked down by a bullet which struck his coin purse, but he had come out unscathed, one of the few survivors to live to old age without some form of permanent injury." Among the mementos the captain brought home was a Mexican gold coin which he had made into a wedding ring for his young sweetheart, Lenora McFaddin, to whom he was soon happily married. When South Carolina awarded medals to members of the Palmetto Regiment, Capt. Blanding was honored to make the presentations. After his return home from the war, Blanding was soon engaged in a number of public and government activities. He was appointed as a trustee to the board of Davidson College and also accepted a position on the board of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of South Carolina. He served during this school's reorganization in 1879 to 1892. Blanding was elected to serve as mayor of Sumter from 1852 to 1856 while also serving as member of the Legislature from Sumter County from 1852 to 1858. Blanding was selected to serve as chairman of the committee on education and the judiciary committee. In 1856 as a representative, he "presented a petition of the Sumter Fire Engine Company for incorporation," and in the spring a fire engine was delivered to Sumter. The volunteer firefighters paraded in full uniform to celebrate the occasion. [5, 6] | |
| MILI | Company A. Palmetto Regiment, in the war with Mexico in 1854 receives considerable praise. This company, led by Sumter’s Colonel J. D. Blanding, comprised the first soldiers inside the walls of Mexico City, and the first American flag there was the Palmetto flag, planted by these men on the walls. Also in this engagement were the Sumter Volunteers, commanded by Captain Sumter and 1st Lt. A. C. Spain. Veterans of this war also fought in the War Between the States in the 1860s. [2] | |
| Occupation | Sumter attorney, Sumter, South Carolina [1] | |
| _UID | 3BB065B5D22E49E6B88E084158CDE89565BC | |
| Death | 24 Oct 1906 [3, 7] | |
| Person ID | I84931 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 23 Apr 2020 | |
| Father | Abram BLANDING, b. 18 Nov 1776 d. 20 Sep 1839 (Age 62 years) | |
| Mother | Mary Caroline DESAUSSURE, b. 11 Jan 1794 d. 18 Dec 1863 (Age 69 years) | |
| Marriage | Dec 1815 [3] | |
| _UID | 2355C6F5415945E7AD2EEDE7EE37E2DF8EDB | |
| _UID | 2355C6F5415945E7AD2EEDE7EE37E2DF8EDB | |
| Family ID | F146513 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family | Leonora Agnes McFADDIN, b. 23 May 1831 d. 1 Jun 1896/86 (Age 155 years) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marriage | 8 Feb 1849 [3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| _UID | 64A5DCA652AB4E139C4951CC0EDF15806D89 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| _UID | 64A5DCA652AB4E139C4951CC0EDF15806D89 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children |
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| Family ID | F58994 | Group Sheet | Family Chart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Modified | 25 Dec 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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