Alonzo Worth Gault
(Supervisor- D.E Converse Co. / Glendale Mills)
Story furnished by Clarence Crocker
Alonzo Worth Gault came to Glendale in 1892 and except for a four year period during which time he worked as a salesman for a clothing store in Spartanburg, his entire life of working days was spent with Glendale Mills. Employed at the age of 14, he worked at Glendale until his retirement in 1945. He was the Cotton Platform and outside workers Supervisor which entailed unloading and grading all incoming bales of cotton. He personally checked all cotton for quality before being processed. “Lon” as he was known called, estimated that he had graded some 400,000 bales of cotton during the time he served in that position.
Mr. Gault was born February 11, 1878 in Wilkinsville in Cherokee County South Carolina, the son of the Reverend Sidney D. and Harriett Burgess Gault. He was married to Mrs. Alice Harper Gault and they built for themselves a lovely home just across the river from the mill on the Bethesda/Glendale road where they were living at the time of their death. The road is now called the Emma Cudd Road. They became the parents of one son, Harper S. Gault who became the advertising manager for the Rock Hill Herald, Rock Hill, S.C.
They were members of the Glendale Methodist Church where Mr. Gault had served as Sunday School Superintendent. He was serving as a Trustee of the Glendale Elementary school at the time of his death. This writer knew Mr. Gault as a friend, a fine, quite, likeable Christian gentlemen who was appreciated by all who knew him. I never heard a single person speak ill of him.
Mr. Gault died on Monday night April 26, 1949 at his home following a 4 week period of illness. His obituary published in the Spartanburg Herald on April 27, 1949 stated that he was survived by his wife, Mrs. Alice Harper Gault; his son, Harper S. Gault; two brothers, A. Pierce and H. Forney Gault of Glendale; three sisters, Mrs. A. L. Davis and Mrs. J. O. Hellams of Glendale and Mrs. F. C. Ledbetter of Greenville; also 2 granddaughters.
Funeral services were held at the Glendale Methodist Church with interment following in the Glendale Community Cemetery, Rev. W.R. Carter and Rev. Timothy Hottel officiating. Pallbearers were, Will Quinn, Oscar Baker, Will Morgan, John DuPre, Elbert Hopper and William D. Murray. Overseers of the mill who served with Mr. Gault served as Honorary escort.
Mrs. Alice Harper Gault died January 13, 1964. Services were held in the Glendale Methodist Church with interment following in the Glendale Community Cemetery along side of her husband.
This web site has been started as a public service to share the story of Glendale. See more information about Mary and her Glendale connection at Mary McKinney Teaster.