Home / History
The area now known as Pageland has been continuously occupied since 1788. Reece Shelby, Sr., received a land grant of 300 acres and left Union County, North Carolina to live the remainder of his life in Chesterfield County. Reece and his brother, Moses located in North Carolina after serving in the Revolutionary War.
After Reece Shelby’s death, the property went to his son, Reece Shelby, Jr. He in turn sold the land to John “Jack” Blakeney and the area then became known as Blakeney’s Crossroads. After the War Between the States, Blakeney sold his accumulated property to a carpetbagger named Henry J. Fox. Then the area became known as Fox Place.
By 1900, Fox was long gone and the area once again was called Blakeney’s Crossroads. It was then decided that the Cheraw-Lancaster Railroad would be laid near the cross road. A depot was erected when the railroad reached there in 1904 and it continued construction to the Crow/Burk area but never reached its destination at Lancaster. Soon after the railroad arrived, the town was born. Chesterfield Land & Development auctioned off lots and the lay out of the town was developed by an engineer.
The 157 inhabitants of the soon to be town petitioned for incorporation late in 1907 and was granted such on January 11, 1908. Adolphus High “Dolly” Page was the C&L Railroad engineer responsible for the railroads placement through Blakeney’s Crossroads. Pageland was named in honor of Mr. Page.
Being at the crossroads, the town grew quickly and became a popular stopover for travelers. The Blakeney Hotel was built in 1910 and was the place to stay. It originally housed a bank, feed store, a casket shop, and the hotel. It was also know for its good food and the talking parrot.
Pageland continued its growth, and along the way, became known as the Watermelon Capitol of the World. An annual celebration was born in honor of the fruit and the farmers. Today, the festival continues each July, just when the melons start coming out of the fields. Thousands of visitors come to Pageland during the weekend event.
Not just an agricultural town, Pageland is also a home for many industries and distribution centers. Small businesses are located in the heart of the downtown and surrounding areas. Much growth has taken place on the 151 bypass, with a wide variety of businesses located there.
The town is now home to approximately 3,000 residents who enjoy their small town atmosphere. Still close to Monroe and Charlotte, North Carolina, the town enjoys the close proximity benefits of a major city. It is also located within a couple of hours from the southern beaches or the northern mountains.
