John Smith's Hill

Over 100 years ago, John Elrod Smith walked from Union, South Carolina to Spartanburg, SC. People would laugh at him, because he purchased a parcel of land that had a "Hill" made of rocks and a lot of red clay. Nevertheless, the humbled John Smith smiled and grew herbs, vegetables, and raised animals at the farm. John Smith worked by digging wells and laying rocks for chimneys and houses. John also found time during the evening to gather scrap clothes and make quilts. No clothing materials were ever discarded. As they took quilts to the market to sell, they saved enough money to purchase a wagon. Finally, before he died, he was able to purchase a brand new 1948 Chevrolet. Today, more than 100 years later, there is a place in Spartanburg County called John Smith's Hill. It has raised over 6 generations of the Smith family and is now operated by Sylglenda Smith Saziru & The Cross-Cultural Institute of America, Inc.