FYI....Char __________________________ From: "Jeff G. Bedenbaugh" <jjbede@bellsouth.net> To: <meyerma@webtv.net> Subject: PROSPERITY Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 13:23:03 -0400 Hi Mary, Yes, I do in fact know the exact location of Prosperity. It's about 10 miles from my home. It is located roughly 5 miles SSE of Newberry at the intersection of US hwy. 76 and hwy 391. The town was incorporated as "Frog Level" in 1851, and the name was changed to "Prosperity" in 1873. It is assumed that the name Prosperity was taken from the A.R. P. church of that name, which was built in 1802, about 1/2 mile SE of what became the town center. The church was moved closer to the town at some later date. It eventually became inactive, and what was left of the congregation merged with Cannon's Creek A.R.P., and built a new church about halfway between Prosperity & Newberry. The cemetery was deeded to the town as a municipal cemetery, and the old Prosperity church building was torn down within the past several years. A lot of confusion about the name of Prosperity / Frog Level probably comes from the post office. The post office was named Stoney Battery in 1827, 5 years later, it became Frog Level, changed again to Stoney Battery, and was Frog Level in 1850, named Prosperity in 1851, was renamed Frog Level in 1865, and was changed back to Prosperity when the citizens petitioned the legislature to change the town name in 1873. The post office changed names more often than the town! Carwile: The Carwile family were notable Newberry residents, in 1832 George S. Carwile was a signer of the petition to incorporate the town of Newberry, John B. Carwile wrote a book "Reminiscences of Newberry", as well as being a prominent businessman, he served in the clerk of courts office, and probably other positions, which I do not remember at this time. John S. Carwile served as sheriff, 1820-1824, and again 1828-1832; tax collector, 1815-1820; coroner-1841; commissioner of public buildings in 1837, and 1840; commissioner to approve public securities in 1815. Michael Bedenbaugh's wife: whoever she was, they apparently married in Germany as the record of his petition for a land grant in the Council Journal makes reference to one Michael Pietbag and his wife. You are right about the Scotts-Irish. There were very few "real" Irish in the early colony/state, (John Belton O'Neall was one). I'm sure he knew the difference, as he also referred to the Germans as "Dutchmen" usually, but in other places, indicated that he knew they were German. I am sure he knew the "Irish" were really Scotts, but went with the commonly used names for these people. The Moore's were Scotts-Irish A.R.P folks also, and my g-grand father is buried in the old Prosperity Church Cemetery. Thanks for all the information, Jeff ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com