The Barton Historical Society held its 2010 Return to the Upcountry Reunion in Greenville, Oct. 1-3, headquartered at the Hyatt Regency. An all-day bus tour of the Dark Corner area, Poinsett’s and Campbell’s Covered Bridges, the Blythe-Goodwin-Hagood House, Tyger Church and its historic cemetery and numerous Barton-related home sites inaugurated the reunion on Friday, October 1st.
During the tour, a special ceremony to dedicate an historical marker at David Barton and Nancy Barrett Barton’s original home site on North Southerlin Road in the Tigerville area, was held. This was their home in the late 1700’s. The present house on the property was known as the John Ballenger place, but it has been the Merrill family homestead since 1919.
Anne McCuen presented a brief history of the David Bartons and their settlement of the site, then assisted Bette Pittman in unveiling the historical marker for Barton descendants on the tour, local Barton family members and members of the Merrill family.
Katherine Barton Gerwig of the Nathanael Greene Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution then placed a memorial wreath at the marker following a moment of silence to honor the ancestors.
On Saturday, Oct. 2, the society’s annual business meeting and program of continuing DNA research, under the direction of Terry Barton, and ongoing Barton settlements research by Anne McCuen, was held for reunion attendees from across the country. A number of them attended worship services at Tyger Baptist Church on Sunday morning, Oct. 3.