TAYLORS, S.C. — The dedication of the Vermiculite Mine Historical Marker was held on Sept. 30 and more than 40 people attended all or part of the hour-long ceremony that also featured a speech and refreshments.

The event was held at the new historical marker’s site at 55 N. Packs Mountain Rd. here.

Geraldine Eppley, president of the Blue Ridge History Lions Club, welcomed the program’s attendees and then introduced  the program’s keynote speaker, Drew Hines, who is the past president of the BRHLC.

Hines, a Greensboro, N.C., native, is the author of “North of Jordan,” his second (and latest) book published this year, as well as “In Mountain Shadows: The Story of Washington Baptist Church, Greer, S.C., 1819-2019.”

A Baptist minister for 43 years, he recently retired. He enjoys writing, gardening and traveling. He has spent most of his life in the Upstate of South Carolina. 

Hines began his speech by asserting, “When we think of some of the chief drivers of the economy in the Upstate in days gone by, we usually think of agriculture and textiles. 

“But we don’t often think of the importance of mining in our area... At one time, there were also some important mining enterprises around. That all began with gold mining, beginning way back in 1802, when folks began finding evidence of gold in northern Greenville County, leading to the purchase of 1,600 acres of land in the Jordan Road vicinity by Vardry McBee, the so-called ‘father of Greenville.’”

Hines added, “Gold mining on a large scale continued in the area well into the early 1900s, before it waas finally abandoned. But I can assure you — there is still gold in abundance in these hills.

“The mining of iron ore was briefly studied. A rich vein of iron ore was discovered on and along Glassy Mountain about 1904, and a serious study was made into the mining and processing of the valuable ore, but several logistical issues surrounding the processing of the ore prevented any further activity.

“One mining operation that prospered for a while in our area is what we are here to celebrate today.”

Hines added, “According to Geraldine Eppley and Candace Rathbone’s excellent and detailed study of the Tigerville community, called ‘Tigerville: A Journey Through Time,” a bed of vermiculite was discovered close by, in 1938. 

Continuing, Hines stated, “Vermiculite was an important ingredient for certain insulations. We most probably know it best as the chief mineral found in most potting soils. 

“It was determined that this depository of vermiculite was surpassed only by one in Montana, and it was, therefore, deemed worthy of being commercially mined,

“In fact, two corporations, the Bee Tree and the Universal Zonolite Insulation Companies, would build commercial operations closed to the Tiger River to take advantage of the estimated 250,000 tons of vermiculite that would be available for the taking.

“The mine was 30 to 50 feet deep and employed 10 miners who would descend into the mine shaft to harvest the vermiculite.

“The soil then went through an intricate refining process that included heating it to over 2,000 degrees that would expand it.

“Then, it was bagged and sold commercially. This processing operation was located in (nearby) Travelers Rest.

“This marble slab is all that remains of the mine. But it and the marker we dedicate today will remind us of this important commercial enterprise that once flourished here in the hills of northern Greenville County,” Hines said.

He then added that “just the other day” a dedication to Dean Campbell — known as “the squire of the Dark Corner” — was held. Hines’ reference was apparently to Sept. 11 designation of a section of highway, beginning at the intersection of Hwy. 11 and Hwy. 14, and ending at the intersection of Hwy. 11 and Tugaloo Road.

(Campbell died on Dec. 29. An exhibit honoring Campbell as a local historian was held on Sept. 16 at the Greer Heritage Museum.)

“The people of these parts (the Tigerville community) played a big part in the history of South Carolina and of this area,” Hines said, in concluding his 15-minute speech to enthusiastic applause from the program’s attendees.

Later in the program, the crowd heard from Tigerville-area brothers Don and Steve Corbin, as they reminisced about the mine.

Don Corbin said, “I wish I knew more, but I’ll share what Steve and I know... I was born in 1939. My Dad came down here from Franklin, North Carolina. Somehow, he was coming down here to Tigerville to look for a mine...

“Sometime in ‘37 and ’38, he came down and lived in a boarding house — and met my mom.” They soon married, he said.

In differing gently with his brother’s dates, Steve Corbin said, diplomatically, “It may have been a little earlier than ’38” that their father arrived in the Tigerville community --— “because my parents married in ’36.” 

Steve Corbin added, “The thing about the asbestos and the usage of it in the planting — it’s good for the soil,

“One usage of it is to mix it with the soil — it promotes nutrient absorption. An especially a good use of it is for mulch for roses and tomatoes.

“It was formed by mining. They used heat. It was almost like a worm… It’s silvery grey and flaky.

“At the plant in TR (Travelers Rest) —  that’s where they developed the verminuclite It was a part of the W.R. Grace Co., which was formed in 1854. But the TR plant started on 1946. The company had to close in the late 1980s because of thousands of lawsuits.

“Like a lot of people, I’d give anything in the world to have asked our parents a lot more questions. As we were growing up, Daddy and Mommy didn’t talk to us about it.

At that point, Geraldine Eppley, the president of the BRHLC, noted, “From ’39 to ’48, they paid our son over $14,000 — and at that time was good money. In 1948, they completely redid the church. We have a picture in our book (“Tigerville: A Journey Through Time.)”

“The importance of the mine to this community… It brought people in. It also provided money to the community,” Eppley stated.