Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
1748 - 1829 (81 years)| Name | Elizabeth SINGLETON [2, 3] | |
| Birth | 1748 | Northampton County, Virginia  [4, 5, 6] |
| Gender | Female | |
| HIST | Second Mill By SAMMY WAY Item researcher / archivist sway@theitem.com Richard and Elizabeth Singleton Bradford migrated from Virginia to South Carolina during the late 1700s. In 1786, they purchased a section of land on Green Swamp in what would become Sumter County. It is on this property that Richard Bradford would build a grist mill located on a stream, which came to be known as Second Mill. A sawmill was later constructed on what is now referred to as Swan Lake and a canal was later added to connect these two streams and provide access to the mills. It is rumored that Richard Bradford may have lived in the High Hills area of Sumter County for a period of time; however, it is noted that at the time of his death in 1825, he was living on Green Swamp Plantation, which is the current residence of Mrs. John Snowden Wilson. Upon Richard’s death, his grandson Robert inherited all of his possessions, which included the mills and the plantation. It was at this time that a section of land was donated, and according to the will, it was “to remain free to the use of the Methodist Churches so long as they may continue the same place of religious worship.” In 1904, Mr. W.E. Brunson purchased the mill pond, and along with Marion Moise, decided to build a power plant at this location in hopes of generating electricity for the city of Sumter. One of the conditions of this proposal was that they would be granted permission to flood additional land in order to create enough power to turn the electric generators. Unable to acquire the necessary concessions, the two men eventually abandoned this project. The mill was then sold to W.E. Brunson’s father. He would construct a mill house on the property, which was later lost in a fire. Sometime later, the pond then came under the control of Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Brunson. The Brunsons turned the mill into a recreational site and advertised it as “Sunset Lake.” This lake was used for swimming and recreational activities. The Brunsons’ would add a large bathhouse in order to provide dressing facilities on the first floor and a dance hall on the second. Research points out that in 1920, a group that was camping near the facility allowed one of their campfires to got out of control and the bathhouse and dance hall were destroyed. During the 1950s, a new facility, including a bathhouse, was constructed near Second Mill Pond. This area was once again opened for swimming and recreation; however, it never regained the level of popularity it once had. The Elks Club purchased the property in 1967 with plans to restore the area to its former beauty. The dam on the mill collapsed in 1965 because of heavy rains and therefore drained the lake. Repairs on the dam would not begin until two years later, in February 1969. By 1971, contracts were signed for the construction of an Elks Club facility at Second Mill. Second Mill ceased to be a recreational site as a new four-lane highway was constructed replacing the former Second Mill Road, now referred to as Old Liberty Street. The building, which formerly housed the grist mill, has been torn down and swimming is no longer allowed. Today, visitors may observe an occasional boater and people fishing from the banks. Second Mill continues to be one of the more beautiful natural areas located within Sumter’s city limits. Email Sammy Way @ Reflections Feedback or give him a call at 803-774-1294 This photograph circa 1960's show construction of the new dam. This photo taken by Item photographer Chris Moore shows Second Mill looking toward the intersection of Wedgefield and Pinewood Roads. This photograph was taken in October 2006. Second Mill was once a popular recreation spot County work crews repair the dam at Second Mill, which was ruined by heavy rains in 1965. The photo shows the crews preparing the foundation for the new dam. Sammy Way Item Archivist Second Mill and Pocalla Springs were two of Sumter's favorite recreational and swimming spots. According to Cassie Nicholes, "Richard and Elizabeth Singleton migrated from Virginia and purchased a tract of land on the Green Swamp about 1786. Richard placed a grist mill on a stream now known as Second Mill and a sawmill on what became Swan Lake or First Mill. He had a canal constructed to connect these two bodies of water." According to the late Mayor Bubba McElveen, the mill pond has been owned by a number of individuals and families, including the Bradford family, Col. J.D. Blanding, Maj. Marion Moise, "Dr. John I. and W.E. Brunson, who moved their flour mill to this location." They also harvested the cypress timber, built a pavilion, dance hall and constructed a concrete bridge. The facility featured a large bathhouse, an area for swimming and dressing facilities. The pavilion housed dressing rooms on the first floor and a dance hall on the second floor. It opened in May of 1924. The advertisement for it noted there would be "Bathing, Boating, Fishing, Dancing and Lunches." The facility offered the following to its patrons: "a large, carefully arranged pavilion and facilities that can care for all who come. A place for old and young to enjoy themselves with the pleasures without costs, rooms reserved season tickets on sale, come and inspect our place." The headlines in The Sumter Daily Item dated Jan. 2, 1930, read, "Pavilion at Sunset Lake Is Burned in Early Morning Fire." The article said "the building was destroyed sometime before 4 in the morning, and the origin of the fire has not been determined. The building had hosted hundreds of dances during the last five or six years. Several boats near the facility were also burned; the soft drink stand suffered some damage due to the heat. The pavilion was built by G.W. Bradford at a cost of nearly $17,000, and the owners were undecided if they would rebuild." The mill pond continued to be a favorite swimming, fishing and gathering spot. According to Mayor McElveen, in 1949 Eva Bradford operated the popular swimming site. There were numerous breaches of the dam because of heavy rains; one of the more significant breaks occurred on Sept. 19, 1928. According to McElveen, "The dam gave way in March of 1965 and was rebuilt by Sumter City Council. The dam broke again in March 1990, causing flooding of homes in the Millwood section with no loss of life. Repairs and a new spillway were constructed in 1993 ." In November of 1967, the Sumter Elks Club announced that it had taken an option on the 100-acre property. "Since the dam had collapsed, the drained lake was proving a health hazard, and the club hoped to restore the area." "According to Richard Moses, chairman of the Elks board of directors, the organization plans to build a new club on a site formerly occupied by a swimming pavilion. "The property was owned by Walter H. and Margaret Grimsley of Greenville at that time and reportedly sold for $55,000." The Elks Club currently owns about 28 acres on the southeast side of the four-lane overpass. Second Mill remains one of the most beautiful natural sites in Sumter. Sources for this article were The Item archives, Mayor Bubba archives and texts written by Anne King Gregorie, Cassie Nichols and John Poindexter. Reach Item Archivist Sammy Way at waysammy@yahoo.com or (803) 774-1294. Posted in Reflections on Sunday, January 19, 2014 Reflections by Sammy Way: Second Mill became a center for sports and entertainment When the long, hot days of summer became too much, Sumterites would head for Pocalla Springs or "Sunset Lake" for a refreshing swim or a day of boating. The lake's pavilion was the scene of many festive summer dances and social events. Even before the pavilion was built, this area was the site of much activity. As early as the 18th century, Richard Bradford erected a grist mill. Soon after, the lake became known as Second Mill. On the site of what is now Swan Lake Iris G SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO Posted Saturday, January 29, 2022 6:00 am By SAMMY WAY Sumter Item archivist and historian Reflections remembers Second Mill, which was one of two mill ponds constructed on the Bradford plantation. The mill pond, also referred to as Sunset Lake, was located near the Wedgefield Highway and played a varied role in the history of the Sumter District. In order to complete this research, the author used The Sumter Item archives, the writings of Cassie Nicholes and numerous documents and maps. According to Nicholes, "Robert Bradford, the son of Matthew and Harriet Dingle Bradford and grandson of Richard and Elizabeth Singleton Bradford, came to South Carolina from Virginia and purchased land on Green Swamp circa 1789." On his plantation, Richard authorized the construction of a grist mill and a sawmill. The grist mill was located on a stream, now known as Second Mill, and on the pond, now known as Swan Lake Iris Gardens, he built a sawmill. A canal connected the two streams; there was not enough water entering First Mill, thus the canal permitted the migration of water from Second to First Mill, enabling operation of the sawmill. According to an article published in The Sumter Daily Item on Sept. 1, 1909, W. E. and John I. Brunson of Sumter formed a partnership leading to an important enterprise resulting in the manufacturing of several commercial products. Dr. John I. Brunson proposed to move his flour roller mills from Sumter to the waterpower channeled at Second Mill Pond, located two miles from Sumter. His mill would utilize the waterpower to grind bolted (separate good from bad) meal and a fine grade of patent (plain) flour. The mill would continue to grind ordinary corn for the accommodation of the local farmers. It was expected that a 600-foot-long siding would be run from the Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta Railroad in order to provide an exchange point for receiving wheat from Western markets and for shipping the products from the mill. Some unexpected, yet welcomed changes followed the development of this mill. "In connection with the commercial features of this enterprise, work on a dance pavilion and a club house was to be started shortly thereafter. The new owners also planned to clear the large pond of snags and stumps, making it a beautiful pleasure lake on which motor launches and other boats could be placed in the future." Plans also included making the pond attractive and safe for swimmers following the removal of sludge and other hazardous matter. "A magnificent new bridge with concrete pillars was proposed to cross the causeway. J. M. Minnus, who was the superintendent of construction of the Sumter sewage system, was placed in charge of the concrete work. An electric light plant was to be constructed to light the grounds when the site became ready for public use. Some delays briefly deprived Sumter of a magnificent pleasure park, but it would not be long before Sumter would have a delightful entertainment venue near the city. The arrival of 1924 saw Second Mill's first two dances having taken place, and it was the opinion of the general populace that "if the first two dances were to be taken as indications of the future, Second Mill would have a very successful season for dancing, and before the end of the summer. Its already popular resort would become even more popular with Sumter's citizens." Disaster strikes The dance pavilion at Second Mill (Sunset Lake), "popular summer resort, located two miles from Sumter on the Pinewood road, was burned to the ground shortly before four o'clock the morning of Jan. 2, 1930, by a fire of an undetermined origin. The wooden structure was a mass of flames within a few minutes after it was discovered, and all efforts to extinguish it proved futile. All that remained of the building that was the scene of numerous dances during the last five or six years was a smoldering mass of embers. Several boats near the pavilion were ignited and burned; the soft drink stand was slightly damaged by the heat." "The pavilion was built by G. W. Bradford at a cost of approximately $17,000 and carried insurance of $10,000. Bradford had not announced whether the structure would be rebuilt, but it is assumed that it will be." [1, 3] | |
| _UID | 9F6B6C9D94294B519307F6618B7A66F4BC5C | |
| Death | 1829 | Sumter County, South Carolina [7] |
| Person ID | I376 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 29 Jan 2022 | |
| Father | Robert SINGLETON, b. Abt 1726, Isle of Wight, England d. Bef 29 Aug 1800, Sumter, South Carolina (Age < 74 years) | |
| Mother | Sarah GAYLE, b. 1723 d. Bef 1800, Claremont County (now Sumter County), South Carolina (Age < 76 years) | |
| Marriage | 1744 | King William County, Virginia [5] |
| _UID | CA1320D4E44A40E499F617D83653BF8E77C4 | |
| _UID | CA1320D4E44A40E499F617D83653BF8E77C4 | |
| Family ID | F113 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family | Richard BRADFORD, Sr., b. 1743/4, Northampton County, North Carolina d. 21 Jun 1826, Sumter (later Clarendon) District, South Carolina (Age 82 years) | |||||||||||||||
| Marriage | 1786/73 [7, 8] | |||||||||||||||
| _UID | A7EC77AE028D49BC9C13E3F59C36F30CA4BD | |||||||||||||||
| _UID | A7EC77AE028D49BC9C13E3F59C36F30CA4BD | |||||||||||||||
| Children |
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| Family ID | F142 | Group Sheet | Family Chart | ||||||||||||||
| Last Modified | 20 May 2009 | |||||||||||||||
| Sources |
