A glimpse into Lamar’s unique history
The Old McSween Mercantile PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN GANDY, DARLINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION
McSween Mercantile Company, Lamar’s largest department store, is seen here as it appeared around 1920. G. G. Harris of Nashville, Tennessee, moved to Lamar in 1911 to become bookkeeper for this firm, and by 1931 was co-owner with Lewis J. Beasley. In 1945, he became sole owner. This McSween store originally was a branch of the main store in Timmonsville, South Carolina, which had been founded in 1877 by John McSween, a native of Scotland. The building was destroyed by fire in March 1970.
The Palmetto Drug Company PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN GANDY, DARLINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION
The Palmetto Drug Company was founded in 1909 by Dr. S. L. Parnell, Dr. R. B. Stith and S. C. Parnell, with handsome, modern quarters in the newly constructed Parnell Building, It boasted the first Soda Fountain in the town, complete with party tables, in addition to a full line of medicines, drugs and surgical supplies. During the years, quite a few different prescription clerks were affiliated with the store, and it changed ownership a number of times. In 1911, Dr. J. G. Howell joined the firm; in October 1913, Dr. A. T. Munn and S. W. P. DuBose acquired the company. In 1914, Dr. H. S. Shealy bought an interest in the firm, becoming Manager. He was succeeded by Dr. L. L. Turner who settled in Lamar in 1926. For a number of years, R. T. Burnette, who came to Lamar from Rocky Mount, H. C., served as manager. Frank Boyd, later the proprietor of Frank’s Drug Store, was connected with the firm during Dr. Turner’s tenure.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN GANDY, DARLINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION
On February 20, 1904, the Bank of Lamar was chartered with a capital stock of $10,000. There are questions about the charter since there are two dates: January 27, 1904, and February 20, 1904. We have chosen the later since that was when the bank opened. The first officers were: Dr. James A. Cole, President; Charles A. Smith of Timmonsville, Vice President; and O. B. Jordan, Cashier. Since there was no bank insurance at the time and if a bank lost money every patron lost their money, banks published their numbers at the end of the week so people could see how they were doing. Eventually the bank gained the status as a national bank and the name was changed to “Lamar National Bank” in 1916.
On November 9, 1928, the entire community was shocked when both the Merchants and Planters Bank and the Lamar National Bank closed their doors. The collapse of the town’s two banking houses caused widespread repercussions and hardships were many. Within five weeks, a new establishment, the Lamar Peoples Bank, had been opened, primarily for the purpose of aiding in the final liquidation of the two defunct banks.
George W. Mims PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN GANDY, DARLINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION
In the custom of the day, most ante-bellum southern plantations had a Commissary; without doubt, Captain George Mims maintained a Commissary on his place, and by a liberal interpretation, could be considered the first person to operate a business in the area that is now the Town of Lamar.
However, in the strictest sense of the word, the captain’s son George W. Mims, from the best information available at this time, appears to have been the first merchant, probably at the crossroads in the mid-l820’s.
Unidentified phone operator in Lamar PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN GANDY, DARLINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION
Southern Bell Telephone had its facilities in Lamar as early as 1905, but a lack of patronage forced them to withdraw, leaving the town without telephone service. Dr. Gary L. Boykin rose to the occasion and organized the Lamar Telephone Company, with his brother E. B. Boykin as Manager and Miss Mamie Sexton as Operator; Wade Plummer was the first lineman; the company was chartered on March 22, 1911, with a capital stock of $1,000.
Two years later, on October 7, 1913, the Town Council granted Dr. Boykin’s telephone company the exclusive franchise to operate a telephone system in the Town of Lamar for a period of 15 years. After operating the company for about ten years, Dr. Boykin sold out.
The company was later taken over – around 1929 – by the South Carolina Continental Telephone Company. This company was later absorbed by General Telephone Company.
Horace Fraser Rudisill giving a brief history of Lamar during the Centennial Service. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN GANDY, DARLINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION
The first event was an open-air Centennial Service on Sunday afternoon, March 12th, on Main Street at Railroad Avenue; Mayor Hill was the Master of Ceremonies. Ministers representing each of Lamar’s churches were present. The Invocation was given by Reverend Grubbs, after which a brief history of the town was read by Horace Fraser Rudisill of the Darlington County Historical Commission. The hymn “Onward, Christian Soldiers” was then sung by all assembled after which a Scripture lesson was given by Reverend Tyler. After prayer by Reverend Edwards, the crowd sang “America The Beautifull’. The message was delivered by Reverend Talbert, and the meeting closed with the Benediction by Reverend Pearson.
Advertisement referencing the original name for the town of Lamar – Lisbon. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN GANDY, DARLINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION
Dr. E. J. Mims
AUGUST 4, 1829 -AUGUST 26, 1861
E. J. Mims was horn in Darlington District, S. C., near the present Lamar (known in his time both as Lisbon and Mims Crossroads), the son of Captain George and Penelope Reynolds Mims.
He graduated from the South Carolina Medical College in the Class of 1857; shortly thereafter, he opened an office at his home in Lisbon and announced publicly that his charges were “Uniform and reasonable.” Dr. Mims practiced medicine for less than five years, dying at the early age of thirty-two He was appointed the first postmaster of the newly created post office of Lisbon in 1859.
It is interesting to note that almost twenty years after the death of Dr. Mims, his widow, then Mrs. James C. Fields, resorted to court action to collect from several ex-patients for medical services rendered during his lifetime.
On December 9, 1857, Dr. Mims married Sarah Witherspoon; their children were George Heberdine; and Judge Baron, who became a physician.
