Healing Springs: A History of the Springs and Surrounding Area by Raymond P. Boylston

At the Sandlapper Publishing Company website, you can see the following information on Healing Springs: A History of the Springs and Surrounding Area (published in 2004 by Sandlapper Publishing Co., Inc., Orangeburg SC).

Author Raymond P. Boylston (a descendant of Samuel and Mary’s youngest daughter Mary who married Austin Boylston), writes "The story of the springs, from the first time it burst the ground’s surface thousands of years ago to the present. Prehistoric descriptions of the land, animals and the springs are provided to give the reader a picture of how the springs were formed. One of the first settlers in the area, Nathaniel Walker, learned about the springs from the Indians and purchased the springs. He was also the founder of what would become the Healing Springs Baptist Church. Over the next 300 years those living around the springs were involved in the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the cotton economy, slavery, the railroad, the Civil War, Reconstruction, World War I and World War II. Each of these events had an impact on the people living around the springs and in Blackville. In 1944, Lute Boylston, cousin of the author and owner of Healing Springs, deeded the springs to the “Almighty God” for the use of all people forever. Carloads of people have been coming to the springs with the plastic bottles, believing in the water's healing power."

"Raymond Powell Boylston, Jr., is a South Carolina native, born January 28, 1930, in Aiken. Most of his early life was spent with his grandparents, Samuel and Olive Boylston of Springfield, South Carolina. Ray Boylston descended from the Boylstons and Reeds who settled in the Healing Springs area, along the South Edisto River just north of Blackville and drank from the cool springs."

It's a fascinating book, especially for us Reeds. It has a good bit of information on Samuel and Mary, their home, their children, and even a family legend involving Malcom Clark that I had never heard before (subject of a future post). I'm not sure about the order of events surrounding Mary and Samuel's arrival in America that Boylston portrays, but, as with all references, it's our job to verify, verify, verify.

Click on the link above for ordering information.