When I was growing up, my grandmother held a very unique place in the world. Living at 115 Ellenburg Drive, she was the next-door-neighbor of the Mayor of Easley.
My three older siblings and I spent a great deal of time at my grandmother’s house, so we became friends with the Ellenburg family. As the youngest, my memories are the most vague of the bunch. Kim, the mayor’s youngest daughter, was roughly the same age as my two older sisters, and both considered her a close friend. My brother Thom, a couple of years younger, has strong memories of “eating a bologna sandwich with the Mayor.”
My actual memories of Charles Ellenburg come from much later in his life, in the 1990s when he had retired and moved to “Willowcreek” his farm near Pumpkintown. Occasionally I would cover an event at the farm, or simply stop by as I was on my way to a friend’s house and visit with Mr. Charles from time to time.
From reading my columns and stories, he knew I was a mark for anything about the history of this area, Easley in particular. It was convenient, because at that point, there was little of Easley’s history in which Charles had not at least been a part of.
Charles would remind me that he was the only person to ever have served the city in each of its three elected positions — city councilman, mayor and a member of the water (now Combined Utilities) board.
He told me of his adventures when he was first elected of making sure every road in Easley was repaved in a timely fashion. He admitted that he probably stepped on a few toes on his way to accomplishing this (and many other goals), but it was worth it if it improved the lifestyles of the people of Easley.
Ellenburg was a leader in the construction of Old Market Square. Like many small cities in the South, Easley was struggling to keep its downtown area alive. When the idea of building Old Market Square came up, people were skeptical, and questioned if the town could afford it. Charles helped find the federal grant money he knew was available for such a project.
“We were paying federal taxes for projects that were going to be built somewhere,” Charles told me. “Why not have one built here.”
Old Market Square was an overwhelming success, and is often used as the model for any improvement in the city.
Charles was proud of Easley and was proud of his family. He always had that special twinkle in his eyes when he talked of either.
I do remember one incident from my early years as a writer for The Easley Progress. A local school had a large mural filled with autographs from those who had visited the school campus. Mayor Bill Carr came by and simply signed the mural, “The Mayor.”
Ellenburg, who was seeking to regain the office from Carr, visited the school later in the day. He signed “Charles Ellenburg” directly under Carr’s writing, so that it read, “The Mayor, Charles Ellenburg.” We had a photo of Ellenburg’s grin as he realized his opportunity.
He was a complex man. The same man who brought federal dollars into Easley for a gigantic project was the man who had time to share a bologna sandwich with a neighbor’s grandson. The same man who bucked the system to accomplish things was the man who giggled as he painted his name on that mural.
Several years ago, Ellenburg had to move into a North Carolina rest home due to his health. Every once in a while, I would see his grandson, Charles III, and ask about the elder statesman.
“He’s having the time of his life,” Charles III said. “He’s up there with a bunch of folks who have never heard his stories before.”
We have heard Charles Ellenburg’s stories. We benefit every day from some of the innovations that came to Easley during his time of service.
It is important that we remember Charles Ellenburg and use his memory as an example of the selfless public service that should be an ideal for all.
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