The Meeting
In the shadow of the Pickens Cotton Mill, where the constant hum of looms filled the air from dawn to dusk, two young lives were taking shape. Kate Pace had arrived at the mill village as a child, her family leaving their farm northeast of Pickens around 1912 when she was just twelve years old. Her father, Richard Frank Pace, had made the difficult decision that many farmers faced in those days - trading the uncertainty of agriculture for the steady wages of mill work.
Just a few miles away, Jay Robert Edens was growing up on his family's 300-acre farm, born in what they called the "new house" not far from the old "Rusty" home. But by 1907, when Jay was six, his parents had also made the move toward town, settling on the outskirts of Pickens. When Jay's father died in January 1914, thirteen-year-old Jay found himself the man of the house, living with his mother for the next five years and four months.
On May 15, 1919, Jay Robert Edens, now seventeen, married Kate Pace, eighteen, in Pickens, South Carolina. Neither could have imagined the journey that lay ahead.
A Child Born to Movement
When their son John Davis Edens II was born on April 12, 1920, in that old "rusty log house," the family was already preparing for what would become a pattern that would define the next sixteen years of their lives. By the time little John was six months old, they had moved to Pickens Mill Village. Three months later, when he was nine months old, they packed up again for "Black Snake Woods" above the mill.
The moves came in rapid succession. Back to the Rusty Home. Then to Mill Village #2 in Liberty when John was a year and a half. To Alice Mill in Easley when he was not quite two. Back to Elizabeth Street at Pickens Mill. To a house above Judge Welborn's place, where their daughter Edna was born. Back again to the house where John was born.
Each move told a story—Jay chasing better wages, Kate hoping for a more stable situation, both of them young parents trying to make their way in a world where mill work was often the only work, and mill jobs could disappear as quickly as they appeared.
The Great Wandering
January 1924 marked a significant leap when John was three and three-quarters years old. The family moved to Southern Worsted Mill in Greenville, living first in an old store building before finding a house in the mill village. But Greenville didn't hold them long. By 1925, they were back in Easley at the Frick house above Alice Mill, then into Alice Mill Village proper, then to the Holder house near Grandmother Edens in Pickens.
The year 1925 was particularly restless. Kate worked at Pickens Mill while Jay worked at Alice Mill, a arrangement that required careful coordination and long days. They moved to a house by the water tank at Alice Cotton Mill, trying to consolidate their lives around Jay's workplace.
But 1927 would prove to be their most unsettled year yet. Seven-year-old John and five-year-old Edna experienced six different homes in a single year, while Kate carried their third child. First to Monagan Mill in Greenville, then to another house at the same mill. A brief stint at Catechee Mill near Norris. An infamous one-day stay in Liberty that became family legend. A month back at Monagan Mill. A few days with Kate's Aunt Letha when their daughter Catherine was born. Finally settling near the swimming pool, then into a three-room house in Alice Village.
The Search for Stability
By 1928, when John was eight, the family's wandering reached almost frantic proportions. They moved through Easley Mill Village, tried farming on Mr. Bud Hendrick's place north of Easley, returned to mill village life, moved to Catechee Mill Village, back to Liberty, and even ventured as far as Chicapee Mill Village in Gainesville, Georgia.
Perhaps homesickness drew them back, or perhaps it was the pull of family, but in 1929 they returned to Pickens and moved in with Grandmother Edens. It was a brief respite. Soon they were in Easley Mill Village near the baseball park, then trying their luck in Anderson at Old Toxaway Mill, Appleton Mill beside the railroad tracks, and finally the old Anderson Mill, where Jay broke his arm.
A Glimmer of Hope
The summer of 1930 brought what might have seemed like salvation. Kate found work at Arial Mill in Farley, and they moved to a store building nearby. For the first time in years, there was steady work and steady pay. They moved to a house on the Easley-Pickens highway, then behind Arial Elementary school, then to Seventh Street in Arial Mill Village.
In 1932, when John was twelve, they made a move that would prove remarkable in their nomadic history—across the street in Arial Mill Village to a house where they would stay until fall 1935. Three years in one place. For a family that had known thirty-seven moves in fifteen years, it must have felt like putting down roots.
The Final Migrations
Fall 1935 brought another adventure—a move to York, South Carolina, where fifteen-year-old John would finish his formative years. They moved to a better house across the street, then homesickness or family obligation called them back to Grandmother Edens in Pickens one more time.
This return marked a turning point for Jay. He quit mill work and found employment with Pickens County, driving a truck and working with chain gang prisoners. It was steadier work, but the transition from mill life brought its own challenges and stresses to the household.
Their final moves as a family came in rapid succession in late 1936—to a house two miles west of Pickens on November 3rd, then to the sawmill village on Christmas Day. It was a strange gift for a family that had known so many Christmas mornings in new surroundings.
Building Something Lasting
Between 1939 and 1940, Jay Robert Edens did something remarkable. On land secured from Grandmother Edens, directly across the road from her home, he built a house. With his own hands, he created something permanent for his family. It would be the last home John Davis Edens II would share with his parents, as he left for college in 1941 and never returned to live at home.
During World War II, Jay found work at the Charleston Navy Yard, but when the war ended, he came home to Pickens County. Around 1950, something transformed in Jay's life. He took a job as a security guard at White Horse Mill in Greenville and, for the first time, became a homeowner. He became a faithful church member and began buying and selling houses—building the stability that had eluded him for so long.
The Final Chapter
When Jay retired on disability in 1959, he lived in a mobile home in Pickens, then later bought a lot in Easley. He died at Easley Hospital on October 11, 1978, having finally found the peace that had been so elusive in his younger years.
Kate, who had endured decades of uncertainty and constant change, went to live with their daughter Edna McCrain in Asheville, North Carolina. There, removed from the stresses of her earlier life, her health improved remarkably. She lived quietly with Edna, occasionally visiting her other children, until her death on September 17, 1987.
Legacy of Movement
The story of Jay Robert Edens and Kate Pace is the story of thousands of Southern families in the early twentieth century—people caught between the dying agricultural economy and the promise of industrial work. Their thirty-nine moves in twenty years weren't just changes of address; they were acts of hope, repeated attempts to find stability, prosperity, and a place to call home.
Their son John Davis Edens II, who experienced this nomadic childhood, would later document these moves with remarkable precision, understanding that this restless period had shaped not just his own character, but the character of a generation. In their constant movement, Jay and Kate were not just chasing work—they were chasing the American dream, one mill village at a time.
Their story reminds us that behind every family tree, behind every carefully documented genealogy, are real people who loved, struggled, hoped, and persevered. Jay and Kate's restless years were not failures—they were the determined efforts of two young people who refused to give up, who kept moving forward even when forward meant packing up once again and starting over in a new mill village, in a new town, with new hope for a better life.
In the end, they found what they were looking for—not in any particular place, but in the family they built together, one move at a time.
Source: This story is drawn from the comprehensive family history "MY ANCESTRY," meticulously compiled by John Davis Edens II, who lived through many of these moves as a child and later documented his family's journey with extraordinary detail and precision.
From the works of JD Edens II (our Great Uncle John) - Reference notes:
We can definitely trace the moves of John Davis Edens 2's parents, Jay Robert Edens and Kate Pace, by drawing on the detailed information provided in "MY ANCESTRY". The author's own extensive "MOVINGS FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE" section is particularly insightful, as his early life moves were directly tied to his parents' frequent job and residence changes.
Here is a timeline of their significant moves and related residential information:
Early Lives and Marriage:
Kate Pace:
Born: December 03, 1900, on a farm a few miles northeast of Pickens towards Pumpkintown, Pickens Co SC.
Moved to Pickens Cotton Mill Village: Sometime between 1907 (when the mill was completed) and 1912 (when Kate turned 12 and began working there). Her father, Richard Frank Pace, moved the family from their farm to the mill village and worked there until his retirement.
Jay Robert Edens:
Born: October 04, 1901, on a 300-acre family farm in Pickens Co SC, about 6-7 miles north of present Pickens SC. This farm was referred to as the "new house... not far from the 'Rusty' home".
Moved to Outskirts of Pickens Town: Around 1907, when Jay was about six years old, his parents (John Davis Edens 1 and Mary Florence Lynch) moved to the outskirts of Pickens.
Lived with Mother: After his father's death in January 1914, Jay lived at home with his mother for the next five years and four months.
May 15, 1919: Jay Robert Edens and Kate Pace married in Pickens SC.
Moves as a Married Couple (with John Davis Edens 2, born April 12, 1920):
Prior to April 1920: Jay Robert and Kate lived in the "rusty log house" where their son, John Davis Edens 2, was born.
1920 (John 6 months old): Moved to Pickens Mill Village.
1920 (John 9 months old): Moved to "Black Snake Woods" above Pickens Mill.
1920 (after John 9 months old): Moved back to the "Rusty Home".
1921 (John 1 1/2 years old): Moved to Mill Village #2, Liberty SC.
1922 (John 1 3/4 years old): Moved off Alice Mill, Easley SC, near the swimming pool.
1922: Moved to Elizabeth St, Pickens Mill, Pickens SC.
1922: Moved to a house just above Judge Welborn near Pickens Mill (their daughter Edna was born during this period).
1922 (John 2+ years old): Moved back to the house where John was born.
January 1924 (John 3 3/4 years old): Moved to Southern Worsted Mill in Greenville SC, living in an old store building.
1924 (John 3 years, 10 months old): Moved to a house in Southern Worsted Mill Village.
1925 (John 5 years old): Moved to the Frick house above Alice Mill, Easley SC.
1925 (John 5 years old): Moved to a house in Alice Mill Village.
1925 (John 5 years old): Moved to the Holder house near Grandmother (Edens) Pickens SC. During this time, Kate worked in the Pickens Mill and Jay worked in the Alice Mill.
1925 (John 5 years old): Moved to a house by the water tank, Alice Cotton Mill, Easley SC.
1927 (John 7 years old): Moved to Monagan Mill, Greenville SC.
1927 (John 7 years old): Moved to another house at Monagan Mill.
1927 (John 7 years old): Moved to Catechee Mill near Norris SC.
1927 (John 7 years old): Moved to Liberty and stayed one day.
1927 (John 7 years old): Moved back to Monagan Mill, staying one month.
1927 (John 7 years old): Moved in with Kate's Aunt Letha for a few days (their daughter Catherine was born during this period).
1927 (after Catherine's birth): Moved into a house near the swimming pool.
1927: Moved to a 3-room house in Alice Village nearer the Easley-Pickens highway.
1928 (John 8 years old): Moved to Easley Mill Village, staying about 10 months.
1928: Moved to Mr. Bud Hendrick's farm north of Easley.
1928: Moved back to Easley Mill Village.
1928: Moved to Catechee Mill Village near Norris SC.
1928: Moved to Liberty SC.
1928: Moved to Chicapee Mill Village, Gainesville GA.
1929 (John 8 years old): Moved back to Pickens SC and moved in with Grandmother Edens.
1929 (John 9 years old): Moved to Easley Mill Village, Easley SC, near the baseball park.
1929: Moved to Old Toxaway Mill, Anderson SC.
1929: Moved to a house beside the railroad tracks, Appleton Mill, Anderson SC.
1929: Moved to the old Anderson Mill, Anderson SC (where Jay broke his arm).
1930 (John 9 years old): Moved back to Grandmother Edens in Pickens SC. Kate began working at Arial Mill, Farley SC.
Summer 1930 (John 10 years old): Moved to a store building near Arial Mill, Easley SC.
1931 (John 10 years old): Moved to a house on the Easley-Pickens highway near Alice Mill.
1931 (John 10 years old): Moved behind the Arial Elementary school.
1931 (John 10 years old): Moved to Seventh Street in the Arial Mill Village.
1932 (John 12 years old): Moved to another house in Arial Mill Village.
1932 (John 12 years old): Moved across the street (they lived in this house until Fall 1935, their longest stay in one house with John).
Fall 1935 (John 15 years old): Moved to a Mill Village in York SC.
1935 (John 15 years old): Moved to a better house across the street in York SC.
1935 (John 15 years old): Moved back to Grandmother Edens in Pickens. Jay quit his mill job and later secured work with Pickens County, driving a truck and working with "chain gang" prisoners.
November 3, 1936 (John 16 years old): Moved to a house about 2 miles west of Pickens.
December 25, 1936 (John 16 years old): Moved to a house on the sawmill mill village.
1939-1940 (John 19-20 years old): Jay Robert Edens built a house on land secured from Grandmother Edens, across the road from her home. This was the last home John Davis Edens 2 lived in with his parents, as he left SC in 1941 for college and did not live at home anymore.
Later Lives (after John Davis Edens 2 left home):
During World War II: Jay Robert Edens worked in the Charleston SC navy yard. This implies a move to or near Charleston.
After WWII: Jay Robert Edens returned to Pickens Co when his services were no longer needed.
About 1950: Jay Robert Edens began working as a security guard at White Horse Mill in Greenville, SC. This marked a turning point in his life; he became a homeowner for the first time, buying and selling multiple houses.
Post-1959 (after Jay retired on disability): Jay Robert Edens lived in an owned mobile home in Pickens.
Later: Jay Robert Edens bought a mobile home lot in Easley SC. He died in Easley Hospital on October 11, 1978.
After Jay's death (1978): Kate Pace Edens went to live with her daughter, Edna McCrain, in Asheville, NC. She lived with Edna until her death on September 17, 1987. During this time, her health significantly improved, indicating less stress. She occasionally visited her other children in Florida and with John Davis Edens 2, but considered Edna's home her primary residence.
This extensive timeline highlights the restless and often challenging early life of Jay Robert Edens, Kate Pace, and their children, characterized by frequent moves between textile mill villages and various short-term residences, often dictated by job opportunities or financial struggles. Their later years saw a period of greater stability and homeownership for Jay, and a quieter, less stressful life for Kate.