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When the Hotel was first built did you know that Teacher and
Ball Players were the only ones aloud to stay there. You had to
be single and you had to attend all Church services. You paid
$6.00 a week but you got all your meals and a clean room to stay
in.
Before the Hotel was build the Allison house was use as a
boarding house for Teachers and it cost them 20 cents a day.
They got there meals and a room for this.
The Doctors came to Tucapau/Startex were Dr, Sam Moore, Dr.
Warren Snoddy, and Dr. Wright the only Nurses that we can
remember is Ms. Boggs and Evelyn Woodward. These Doctors and
Nurses work for the mill.
Mr. J. E. West Sr. came to Tucapau in 1901 to help build the
mill. He worked for Startex Mills for 48 Years. His wife, Mrs
Molly West worked as Post Master of Tucapau/Startex from 1933
until 1963 when she retired.
The are 350 house in Startex.
In 1934 the roads were paved and sidewalks were put in.
The house were sold in the 1940’s at the same time that
bathrooms were installed. Until then we had outside toilets and
took a bath in bath tin tub. You could go to the Community
Building and take a shower for 10 cents and that included an
towel.
To go from Tucapau to Spartanburg on the P & N it cost 15
cents.
In 1950-1951 Startex had a girl’s Basketball team. It only
lasted for one season because it lost all their games. Some of
the layers were Benny Jo Smith Audrey Fann, Betty Jo Smith, Faye
Bridwell, and Mott Belcher.
Norah McKeldy, was mental retarded man who lived on the
village and the people took care of him. They would feed him and
make use he had clothes to wear and a place to sleep.
At one time Doug Barry would pay the employee of the mill off
in silver dollars.
Mr. Jody Holland ran the Movie House in the Community
Building when they had silent movies. He would play the piano
during the movies. As the people would leave he would give out
pictures of Betty Gable and Shirley Temple. It cost 9 cents to
get in the movies and they had candy bars and pop corn that you
could buy for 5 cents.
Mr. Montgomery gave all the Church’s the land they were
built on. If they decided not to build or they moved the Church
the land had to go back to Mr. Montgomery.
The old Post Office was behind the Allison house in early
days. Mrs. Molly West was Post Master. Post Master General Mr.
Farley came to visit. He didn’t really want anything he just
came to visit the town.
The new Post Office as built in 1942 (Tucapau Post Office)
Changed name October 1,1949 (Startex Post Office)
In early days there was two black men on Saturday’s morning
who would go up and down the streets of Tucapau to clean and
sweep the streets. A cart would follow them around so they could
pick up the trash.
1945 The Cannon family got the first piano in Startex.
On the Cannon land, there was a slave named Uncle Elliott
Alexander who was bought by the family. He stayed with them
until he died. He is buried in Florence Chapel in Wellford.
During World War 11, the water tanks in Startex were painted
BLACK because of the air raids. That way no light could reflect
off of them.
The parking lot next to the water tank near the river has a
spring under it. That is why when you go by you can see water
running down the street. Mr. Ogletree had his Shoe Shop there at
first.
The Tucapau Boy Scouts had a Baseball team around 1946. The
coach was Mr. Oliver Tucker. Some of the players were Bill
Wilson, Doug Barry, Benny Kitchens, Gary Holden, Furman Howard,
(Jew Boy) Dobson and Howard Jackson. |
