Editing Liberty, South Carolina (section)

===Founders' era (1876–1900)===
Liberty's official recognition as a town came soon after the Charlotte-Atlanta Airline Railway was completed in the early 1870s.<ref>Woodson, Julia. "Liberty." 2</ref> Former Confederate General William Easley, a lawyer working for the railroad company, negotiated to have the tracks laid through the southern part of Pickens County. It is along these tracks that the towns of Liberty, [[Easley, SC|Easley]], and [[Central, SC|Central]] all grew. By 1873, Liberty Station was built north of Liberty Spring after Mrs. Catherine Templeton deeded her land to the railroad company. John T. Boggs set up the new Liberty Post Office that same year, and was named the town's first postmaster.<ref>Woodson, Julia. "Liberty." 3</ref> Liberty was formally chartered on March 2, 1876, with the future town center being located on the former lands of Mrs. Templeton.

In 1877, James Avenger was appointed the town's first marshall. The marshall, a forerunner to today's chief of police, was satirized in a ''Pickens Sentinel'' article that claimed, "there was nothing for him to do, except to look after the cows that go astray."<ref>Woodson, Julia. "Liberty." 95</ref> The town's first mayor W.E. Holcombe, a lawyer and former state senator, was elected in 1876.<ref>Woodson, Julia. "Liberty." 93</ref> He, like every succeeding mayor until the early 20th century, conducted most municipal business in his own home. Several schools were already in operation by this time, with most being privately funded, and sponsored either by the community or by the local churches. The Liberty First Baptist Church had existed prior to the city's founding, being located at the old Liberty Spring site.<ref>Woodson, Julia. "Liberty." 19</ref> Reports indicate the Church had a congregation as early as year 1802, when they met at an old log house north of the present-day town. The Liberty Presbyterian Church was built in 1883 at its present site; formerly the church's members had worshiped at Mt. Carmel Church in the country.<ref>Woodson, Julia. "Liberty." 22</ref>