The Lost Railroad Town of Poston, South Carolina

POSTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Poston is an unincorporated historic community located in Florence County, South Carolina, near the Great Pee Dee River and the intersection of South Carolina Highway 51 and U.S. Route 378.

Poston Corner Road near the historic settlement site.

How a Pee Dee river port became a railroad boomtown — and quietly vanished.

For most people driving through rural Florence County, Poston, South Carolina looks like nothing more than a quiet crossroads along Highway 51.

But a century ago, this same place was the center of an ambitious railroad gamble — a booming depot town built along the banks of the Great Pee Dee River that briefly promised jobs, commerce, and prosperity for the entire region.

Then, almost as quickly as it appeared, the town’s momentum vanished.

What remains today is the story of a forgotten railroad junction, a determined family whose name became the town’s identity, and the strange twists of history that turned a once-promising community into one of South Carolina’s quiet historical footnotes.

Located near the Great Pee Dee River in Florence County, Poston’s story reflects how the ambitions of a single family and the arrival of the railroad briefly transformed a remote settlement into a regional hub before it faded back into obscurity.

From River Port to Frontier Settlement

Long before the name “Poston” appeared on maps, the settlement was known as Ellison.

Situated along the Great Pee Dee River, Ellison functioned as a modest but important river port where agricultural goods and timber were transported through the Pee Dee region of South Carolina.

The community’s history is closely tied to the Poston family, whose American roots trace back to an English immigrant named John Poston, who appeared in Pennsylvania tax records as early as 1722.

During the eighteenth century, many frontier families migrated south along the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road, a major colonial migration route that carried settlers from Pennsylvania through Virginia and into the Carolinas.

Among those migrants were descendants of John Poston who eventually settled along the fertile river bottoms of the Pee Dee region.

Family Legends and the “Fabulous Fortune”

For many years, family tradition claimed that two brothers named John and Andrew founded the South Carolina branch of the Poston family.

Later historical research, including records from an 1838 family Bible, clarified that the early settlers were actually John and Anthony Poston.

The family’s early history was also shaped by a persistent legend involving a supposed inheritance in Belfast, Ireland. According to the story, an ancestor named Jane Jennings had inherited a massive estate from her father, Sir James Holmes.

For years, descendants pursued legal claims believing the family was entitled to a share of the fortune. Eventually, English lawyers investigating the claim determined that the supposed will was a forgery, bringing the long-running legend of the “fabulous fortune” to an end.

Andrew Poston and the Railroad Boom

The figure most responsible for placing the name Poston on the map was Andrew Poston (1829–1916), a prominent landowner and Confederate veteran.

Andrew Poston reportedly lost his right hand due to a wound suffered during the Civil War. Local accounts describe an unusual tribute presented to him afterward: a specially commissioned left-handed mustache cup imported from France and decorated with his Confederate service record.

A delegation of citizens reportedly traveled by steamer along the Pee Dee River to present the cup to him in recognition of his service.

Later in life, Andrew Poston became a strong advocate for railroad development in the region.

His efforts culminated in 1914, when the South Carolina Western Railway extended tracks from Florence to the community, connecting with the Georgetown and Western Railroad.

The railroad siding built at the junction was named Poston in his honor.

For a brief time, the small river settlement experienced a surge of economic activity. Businesses appeared around the depot, jobs increased, and the community became a transportation hub linking inland farms to coastal markets.

The Sudden Decline

Poston’s prosperity proved fragile.

Plans for a railroad repair facility — which could have secured the town’s long-term economic future — were ultimately blocked after local residents opposed its construction.

Without that investment, the railroad’s commitment to the town diminished.

Following Andrew Poston’s death in 1916, the community began to decline. The railroad line was eventually removed, businesses disappeared, and the once-active depot town gradually faded from prominence.

Transportation difficulties between the settlement and the Marion County seat also contributed to administrative changes, and the area was eventually absorbed into neighboring Florence County.

Today, historical accounts sometimes refer to the original river-port settlement as a small ghost town, though the name Poston still appears on maps and road signs throughout the region.

A Modern Legacy

Although the railroad town faded, the legacy of the Poston family continued through later generations.

One modern expression of that legacy is the Poston Preserve, a privately managed wildlife sanctuary and historic family property in Manning, South Carolina.

The preserve encompasses roughly 300 acres of fields, forests, and wetlands and protects native wildlife habitats, wooded trails, and a freshwater pond known as Dragonfly Pond.

The preserve was established and stewarded by Dr. Harold Chalmers Poston Jr., a physician, United States Navy veteran, and conservation advocate.

In 2020, the family expanded its community mission by establishing the Poston Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on charitable outreach, youth mentorship, and direct aid programs across the Carolinas.

A Legacy That Outlasted the Town

While the railroad that built Poston disappeared long ago, the name itself never left the region.

For generations, the descendants of the original settlers continued living and working throughout the Pee Dee and Lowcountry of South Carolina.

Today, that legacy continues in a different form.

Near Manning, South Carolina, members of the same family maintain the Poston Preserve, a privately stewarded wildlife sanctuary dedicated to conservation, heritage, and quiet enjoyment of the natural landscape.

The preserve protects hundreds of acres of native South Carolina habitat and reflects a shift in priorities from the railroad-driven expansion of the early twentieth century to modern land stewardship and preservation.

More than a century after the railroad junction that once carried the name Poston disappeared, the story of the town remains tied to the land and the people who first settled it — a reminder that while towns may fade, the histories behind them rarely disappear.

Historical Sources & Records

The historical narrative presented in this article draws upon genealogical publications, historical newspapers, regional histories, and modern documentation relating to the Poston family and the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. Key sources include the following works:

Landers, Erma Poston. A Poston Family of South Carolina: Its Immigrant Ancestor and Some of His Descendants; A Family Genealogy. 1965. This genealogical work provides the foundational history of the Poston family, including John Poston’s appearance in Pennsylvania tax records in 1722, the family’s migration along the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road, the identification of the South Carolina founders as John and Anthony Poston, and the debunking of the “fabulous fortune” legend associated with Sir James Holmes and Jane Jennings.

“Poston, South Carolina.” Grokepedia. Provides geographic context and historical details about the unincorporated community, including its earlier name as Ellison, its location near the Great Pee Dee River, the 1914 railroad junction boom, and the community’s later decline.

South Carolina Western Railway. Historical summaries and railway records. Documents the extension of the railway line from Florence into the Pee Dee region in 1914, which contributed to the development of the railroad junction known as Poston.

Historical Newspapers of South Carolina. The County Record, October 26, 1916. Obituary of Andrew Poston confirming his death, his Civil War service, and his role in providing land for the railroad siding that became the town of Poston.

“Left-Handed Cup Secured for Resident of Pee Dee.” Historical newspaper clipping reproduced in The Poston Family of South Carolina – Updated Book (2025). Describes Andrew Poston’s Civil War injury and the presentation of a custom left-handed mustache cup ordered from France by merchant J. L. Barringer.

“Uncovering the 250-Year Legacy of Poston, South Carolina: 5 Surprising Truths Beyond the Name.” Provides contextual information on the town’s early identity as Ellison, the railroad boom of 1914, and the subsequent decline of the community.

Discover the Poston Preserve | Bird Watching Manning, South Carolina & Family Heritage. Documents the establishment and stewardship of the Poston Preserve wildlife sanctuary and its conservation efforts.

The Poston Foundation: Carolina Cares | Nonprofit in South Carolina. Provides information regarding the family’s modern philanthropic initiatives focused on community aid and youth mentorship.

“The Poston Preserve: Standing on Our Own Dirt (300-Year Legacy).” YouTube video transcript. Offers additional commentary on the philosophy of ancestral stewardship and the preserve’s mission of conservation, heritage, and quiet enjoyment.

Together these sources preserve the story of a small railroad settlement whose brief rise reflected the larger economic and transportation forces shaping the American South in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Location: Poston, Florence County, South Carolina, United States