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Olar

SC PICTURE PROJECT 20 Comments

SC Picture Project / Bamberg County / Olar

Olar, situated in western Bamberg County, was originally called Buford’s Bridge for the bridge Colonel William Buford built over the Salkehatchie River in 1792.

Bank of Olar

Brandon Coffey of Charleston, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

A century later, at the end of the 1800s, four brothers – Elisha, Henry, James, and Richard Morris – donated large tracts of land to the South Bound Railroad. A depot called Hammond Station was subsequently built on Richard Morris’s land, and the town that grew around it, named Hammond for the depot, was incorporated in 1891.

Olar

Jim Jenkins of Chesterfield, 2015 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

By October of 1892, a post office was in service in Hammond. The post office was called Olar for Richard Morris’s daughter, Olar Eader Morris, who was six at the time. In 1894 the town’s name was changed to Olar in keeping with the post office. Pictured above, the granite marker in honor of the Morris Brothers stands next to the railroad tracks and was dedicated by Morris descendants in 2000.

Olar Police Station

Sara Dean of Moncks Corner, 2016 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Though the police station in Ridgeway holds the title as world’s smallest, the former public safety building in Olar gives it a run for its money. The shed-sized building seen above operated until the later part of the twentieth century, with one police officer occupying the station. Today a modern police station serves the community, but the former tiny police house remains in the center of town as a nostalgic reminder of simpler times. The classic police car pictured below also harkens back to a different era and is the impetus of the Olar Model T Festival held each October.

Olar Model T

Sara Dean of Moncks Corner, 2016 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The antique police car leads the festival parade of Model T’s, Model A’s, and tractors. According to local lore, Olar businessman C.F. Rizer invested in a Ford dealership – the largest in South Carolina – in 1913, shortly after the advent of the car. Prior to the dealership, Rizer had proven his business acumen by successfully selling general merchandise, buggies and accessories, and farm equipment. After he expanded with his Model T dealership, apparently Henry Ford himself reached out to Rizer and asked him to invest in the Ford Motor Company so he could expand manufacturing. Rizer invested $25,000 in Ford, which resulted in the production of half a million cars by 1914. A train with 64 box cars delivered 256 of these cars straight to Rizer’s dealership. Rizer then focused solely on selling Ford products for the remainder of his career. Though not an original Olar police car, the Model T seen here stands on display in town. The bank building seen below, thought to have been built around 1900, was operated by C.F. Rizer.

Olar is home to historic Mizpah Methodist Church, built in 1856 when the town was still known as Buford’s Bridge. A string of closed businesses harkens back to the thriving times of Olar. Flanking the end closest to Highway 64 is the old general store known as Creech Variety Store, its name faintly seen on the rusty hanging Coca-Cola sign hanging from its corner. Established in 1938 and facing the railroad tracks that once helped economy of the town, this store provided the town with many of its most common provisions needed for daily living.

Olar Stores

Brandon Coffey of Charleston, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Plan Your Trip: Olar

Where is Olar located?
Address: 3rd Street, Olar, SC 29843
GPS Coordinates: 33.181040,-81.185464
What else should I see?
Govan 4.7 miles
Lancaster's Store 4.8 miles
Mizpah Methodist Church 6.9 miles
Salkehatchie Baptist Church 8.9 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Trains & Depots
    Olar Map

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. John Lange says

      May 11, 2021 at 2:37 PM

      My uncle Woodrow Marshe and aunt Dora-dee owned Creechs Variety store! I remember E.D well! He used to make me “forts” out of furniture boxes in front of the store!

      Reply
    2. Louis E. Wilson, Sr. says

      January 14, 2021 at 5:45 PM

      My name is Louis Wilson. My cousin, Daniel Joseph Jenkins, was born on the Heyward Plantation in Olar. He escaped from the four-cell jail in the park by the Ford car, and ended up in Charleston, SC, where he founded Jenkins Institute for Children. I am writing a book on this. Been researching since 2009. Please get ready for that four-cell jail to be famous. I would like to attend the next Model T Festival for a book signing. Would appreciate it if someone sent me information on the next date. The repair work done to the jail door is a result of a small amount of dynamite … I am going to put Olar on the map!

      Reply
    3. Robbie Sanders says

      September 27, 2020 at 5:38 PM

      Laurie James – It [was] Cora, Lillian, and Rosa. Rosa was my grandmother. Lots of of great memories of your grandparents Bobby and Jimmie.

      Reply
    4. Pam Hanckel says

      September 4, 2020 at 11:57 AM

      I would love to see more pictures of Olar. My grandparents lived there and I visited frequently. I remember Archie’s ( I think) Grocery Store and so much more. I know my grandparents’ house is no longer there and so wish I had a picture of it and Archie’s! If anyone has any more pictures, please post or contact me and I would love to have some. Pam Morris Hanckel

      Reply
    5. Jason Franklin says

      June 28, 2020 at 11:52 PM

      Would love to visit this place. My great-great-grandfather, Ed Franklin, and great-great-grandmother, Lula Franklin, were from Olar.

      Reply
    6. Laurie Lee James says

      June 17, 2020 at 3:44 PM

      Y’all. My great grandmother was raised on Olar. Her name was Cora Morris. She married Fitzhugh Lee, and they had 3 children, a daughter who died in infancy, and two sons, Fitzhugh Lee and Robert Lee. Robert was my grandfather. My grandmother met my grandfather while teaching at the school in Olar! I have several family members buried in the Olar Baptist Church Cemetery. I would love to know more about the Morris family!

      Reply
      • Amelia M. Nelson says

        June 22, 2020 at 5:15 PM

        Sterling, sorry to hear of your mother’s passing. I still have the home place in Olar but I live in Anderson. My grandfather was Tulious Walter (Tool) – Elisha’s brother.

        Reply
      • Amelia Morris Nelson says

        June 22, 2020 at 5:19 PM

        Laurie Lee, it is good to hear from a “cousin”. We have had a reunion each year until this year. I have passed your comment to our Historian and if you are interested in more information, reply and I’ll send you my email.

        Reply
        • Laurie Lee James says

          June 24, 2020 at 8:18 PM

          Amelia Morris Nelson, I would love to hear from you! My email is Laurijames@bellsouth.net. I know that my great-grandmother, Cora Morris, had a sister named Lillian. There was another sister, but I can’t remember her name. I would love to find out about my great-great-grandparents! Sadly, I don’t have much family left. Thanks for reaching out! Laurie Lee James

          Reply
    7. Sterling Brown says

      February 28, 2020 at 10:52 AM

      I live in New Jersey and rarely visit Olar, so I was glad to see these photos. Richard Morris was my great-grandfather. His son Elisha Counts Morris of Norway, SC, was my grandfather. Ollie Faye Morris is my mother, age 93, who married and came north after WW2.

      Reply
    8. David Gray says

      October 29, 2019 at 6:31 AM

      My father and his three brothers – Sonny, Raddy and Bob – grew up in this wonderful little town – my granddaddy owned and operated the Corner Grocery there – my childhood is rich with memories of going to Olar for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter – every summer my brother and I would ride the Greyhound bus down to spend the week with our grandparents – many lessons were learned during those times – I especially recall my grandmother’s cooking, getting slathered with 6-12 to repel the gnats, buying roasted cashews at Poole’s Five and Dime and untimely visits from Bo Cave, who always seemed to drive up in his Coachman Scooter right as we sat down to eat … my brother, Chris, and I have often wondered how fantastic it would be if we could gather all of our Olar stories and condense them into a script – it would make a classic movie for the ages.

      Reply
    9. Doug Gray says

      October 28, 2019 at 1:30 PM

      Amelia: Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of the cotton gin.

      Reply
    10. Doug Gray says

      October 23, 2019 at 1:54 PM

      I grew up in Olar and have great memories of my childhood. My father owned a grocery store downtown and my grandfather owned a mercantile store and cotton gin downtown as well. I went to the Olar Graded Schools until we merged with Denmark 8 miles away. My mother taught the 4th grade. The police dept. consisted of one policeman named Earl (Squirrel) Sanders.

      Reply
      • Amelia M. Nelson says

        October 26, 2019 at 8:10 AM

        Good to see your post, Doug. Do you have a photo of the cotton gin?

        Reply
    11. Amelia Morris Nelson says

      October 14, 2019 at 8:27 AM

      This is my hometown. The namesake Olar was from my great-great-grandfather. I miss the “good ole days” when life was simple. Like Mary Barr Behlke, the school is missing from the history. I think I have a photo if you would like to post it.

      Reply
    12. Milan Olar says

      April 28, 2019 at 2:06 PM

      This page is very interesting for me because my family name is Olar. I hope one day I will visit this town.

      Reply
      • SC Picture Project says

        April 28, 2019 at 2:48 PM

        We hope you are able to get there, it is a great place!

        Reply
    13. Ted Lauretano says

      March 8, 2019 at 2:04 PM

      I visited Olar many years ago as a guest of E.D. Bessinger. I fell in love with the little family run stores. The town was a breath of fresh air from city life and I thoroughly enjoyed visiting and talking to the town members.

      Reply
    14. Mary Barr Behlke says

      October 23, 2018 at 7:42 PM

      Really enjoyed seeing this post but would have also liked to see a picture of the school! I miss the people of Olar – such an important part of my life.

      Reply
      • SC Picture Project says

        October 24, 2018 at 3:20 PM

        We can certainly try and get something added on about the school! Which school in particular was it?

        Reply

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