William Mack Blackmon was born about 1848. The location of his birth is unknown but is believed to be in Lancaster, South Carolina. Emma Williams Blackmon was born about 1849, near the Sand Hill Baptist Church, were she was baptized. Both were born before slavery was abolished; hence, information was difficult to locate. Some sources have related that Emma was kind and helpful to the slaves. She was the offspring of a plantation owner.
In later years, these two were to meet, fall in love and marry.
This couple was blessed with thirteen (13) children: Ida, Anderson, Cordelia, Baxter, Jettie, Foster, Nettie Bell, Cora, Earlie, Gessie, Gattsy, Eunice and Prince.
Historical data on their educational training and background is extremely scarce.
Mack and Emma were deeply religious, pious and industrial Christians, who loved God, their family and others.
There is evidence that Mack and Emma Blackmon’s family reunion may have originated as early as, or earlier than, Thanksgiving of 1936.
Mack and Emma’s spiritual foresight led them to start a place of worship for the slaves. The slaves had been permitted to worship God in the back of the plantation owner’s church. As a result of overcrowding the “white church”, the plantation owner gave the slaves a parcel of land in a beautiful grove of trees, under which they could have their religious services. The first services were held in a “Brush Arbor” until they could build a church. This is the origin of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church of the Rich Hill community in Lancaster, South Carolina. The church received its name from the beautiful grove.
On November 27, 1905, Deacon Mack Blackmon saw that the land was recorded in a deed book in Lancaster. Being an astute business man, he encouraged the purchase of adjoining land, which was accomplished between 1914-1922. Emma, by his side, was then made the first Mother of the Church.
Much of Mack and Emma’s assets was lost when the Jones’ Bank of Lancaster was closed during the Great Depression. Lots of gold was also lost in the bank’s closing.
William Mack Blackmon passed on September 21, 1928 in Lancaster, SC. He was 80 years of age. Emma W. Blackmon passed on July 5, 1955. She was 106 years of age.
Their home remains on a few acres of land 3 miles east of Lancaster on Highway No. 9