This book--the fourteenth in a series of books containing news reports from the Keowee Courier over its 170-year history--consists of news from rural communities from throughout Oconee County during the years 1888-1909. It does not include any news from the three largest towns--Seneca, Walhalla (including West Union) and Westminster, because they have all been featured in previous books in the series. By the author's count, the Courier received reports, at one time or another, from 81 different rural communities during the 22-year period covered by this book. The reports were sporadic. For instance, a community might have a faithful correspondent for a while, who would submit a report nearly every week, but then he or she would quit, and there might not be another report for weeks, or months. There was one subject that nearly every report from every part of the county would include: the current status of the crops in that community. Reports also nearly always included information about church and school activities. . .This book will give the reader insight into what day-to-day life was like in rural Oconee County during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Keowee Courier always had a Westminster correspondent who would write a column each week reporting the goings-on in the town. This book contains selected items from those columns during the years 1888-1909. The reader can follow the development of the town, as wooden buildings gave way to brick buildings, horse-or-mule-drawn wagons and buggies gave way to automobiles--the first of which drove through town in 1902, stores began using gasoline engines to generate electric lighting, and industrial development included a shuttle and bobbin factory, a cotton mill, and a knitting mill. The school and churches were centers of activities. The economy largely depended on the cotton crop. Too much or too little rain could be devastating. Too much cotton on the market brought a lower price. Fortunately, the boll weevil had not yet arrived. . .This book will give the reader insight into what day-to-day life was like in Westminster during the town's early years.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s the Keowee Courier was Oconee County's dominant newspaper. An important aspect of the Courier was weekly reports by community correspondents from throughout the county, who would tell about the day-to-day goings-on in their communities. One of those communities, of course, was Seneca, and this book consists of a compilation of news reports from the Seneca correspondents, spanning the period 1888-1918, specifically from the years 1888, 1889, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910 1911, 1914 and 1918. Although several excellent Seneca history books have been published, the author feels that this book will add an extra dimension by focusing on the day-to-day, week-to-week, year-to-year goings on as Senecaites (as they were called back then) adapted to the coming of cotton mills, automobiles, electric lights, etc.