Tradition has it that Lydia
got its name from 
Captain
O. D. Lee, whose plantation comprised most of the area around present
day Lydia. A devout reader of the Bible, Captain Lee found in Acts 16:14
verses concerning a woman named Lydia, who was hospitable to Paul and
Silas and helped them hold the first prayer meeting at a riverside.
Captain Lee decided that the new Post Office building in the community
should be named Lydia in her honor.
What
was Lydia like in its heyday? In the early 1900's it was
a thriving community with stores, a railway depot, a bank and even a
jail.
This
is the old Kelly Store, one of many old buildings still standing in
the community.
The
Last Duel Fought in South Carolina gained national attention back
in 1880. As usual, a Southern Lady's honor was at stake. Read the historic
account.
Cotton
was king in the old South and is still an important crop to farmers
in Lydia today. This is a blossom on the cotton plant that will eventually
become a boll full of fluffly white cotton.
History of
the Oates Community is a brief trip back in time written by the
granddaughter of the community's founding father.
History
of Wesley Chapel, oldest Methodist church in Darlington County.
To visit the Wesley Chapel web site, go to our Related
Links page.
