Walhalla history talk stirs old memories
To newcomers, along with old-timers, the seat of Oconee County government is replete with a history of interesting and colorful factoids that started when a group of German immigrants set out from the South Carolina coast in search of a better life. That was the mid-19th century. A talk delivered by state lawmaker Bill Whitmire, a retired history teacher, attracted a 26-member audience for today’s Walhalla Rotary Club luncheon. Among special guests for the occasion: a group of ladies from the historic St. John’s Lutheran Church, a place of worship for many of Walhalla’s pioneering families from 1850, and its historic cemetery, the resting place for many of the settlers. Whitmire offered insight into many of the names and places passed down from the 19th century – such as the Walhalla Female College, Biemann’s Hotel, and the Walhalla Freight Depot. The depot, a renovated artifact from Walhalla’s railroad days, serves as the meeting place for the Rotary Club and fills a variety of other functions, such as a venue for weddings.
