The Eastern Cherokee, called the first true American, lived in this region before being pushed from their homeland by settlers of Scotch-Irish descent who arrived in Conestoga wagons crossing the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains. In 1852, the addition of a train station to Honea Path created new economic opportunities that stimulated local growth. Granite from the Honea Path quarry was manually excavated for foundations and steppingstones, and it also supported railroad ties and bridge crossings throughout the Upstate. Chiquola Textile Mill, built in 1902, provided jobs and housing for residents and eventually led to the town's incorporation in 1917. In 1934, one of the most infamous events in American labor history took place when Chiquola Mill workers sought better working conditions and a strike led to armed guards killing seven workers and wounding 34 others; news of the shootings spread across the country. That painful episode brought national attention and resulted in laws establishing the 40-hour work week and keeping children in school until at least their 16th birthday. Honea Path also raised money at a war bond rally to buy The Spirit of Honea Path, a World War II fighter plane. Its Carnegie Library, built in 1908, made Honea Path the smallest town in the Unites States to have a Carnegie Library at the time, and the Jennie Erwin Library still stands as an educational hub.