Michael Gaffney was born in Granard, Ireland, and immigrated to the United States in 1797. After a short period in New York, he sailed to Charleston, South Carolina, then departed for the upstate and arrived at Smith's Ford on the Broad River on December 17, 1800. There he met and married Mary "Polly" Smith, daughter of John Smith, on July 21, 1803. On January 20, 1804, Gaffney purchased 805 acres of land from John McKie for $600.00 and then constructed a home, store, and trading post at the corner of present-day N. Granard Street and Baker Boulevard. That intersection was a Native American trail and wagon road, and it became known as Gaffney's Crossroads, later Gaffney's Old Field. Michael and Polly's first child was born on June 1, 1804, most likely in this hand-hewed log home.