A senate RESOLUTION

to recognize and honor José Acaba, An artist from Honea path, AND TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON HIS SIGNIFICANT contribution to the Town of Honea Path and its own historic mural.

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina Senate are pleased to commend the beautiful work of José Acaba and his meaningful role in the arts councils of Belton and Anderson; and

Whereas, born in New York City on October 1, 1932, Mr. Acaba served in the United States Army during WW II, and used his artistic ability as a combat photographer during the occupation in Germany.  He retired from serving as a detective with the New York Police Department thirty-eight years ago, where he had also studied at the American Art School and the Arts Student League in New York City; and

Whereas, Mr. Acaba and his beloved wife of sixty-three years, the late Julia Solero, moved to Honea Path from Long Island, New York, where he had been an independent arts professional.  He became a member of the Anderson and Belton art councils and serves on the board of directors; and

Whereas, he created numerous theater sets for District 5 School's drama group and assisted the Belton and Anderson art councils in many projects and in designing sets for plays in the communities; and

Whereas, about ten years after Mr. Acaba moved to the Palmetto State, a merchants' association in Honea Path realized its need for artwork in Honea Path that would include a mural of the town's history, a story that Mr. Acaba knew he wanted to tell; and

Whereas, although he created the mural, funding for it was not forthcoming until recently.  Today, the newly placed artwork relives the town's history in a vivid pictorial format through the generosity of funds from the WebbCraft Family Foundation, Inc., located in Belton; and

Whereas, Mr. Acaba feels that his paintings are like a book because he has a story to tell, one story now emblazoned on the side of a downtown site.  Depicted in the mural is one of the first residents of Honea Path, the Eastern Cherokee.  The Cherokee were pushed out of their homeland by settlers of Scots-Irish descent who arrived by Conestoga wagons crossing the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains; and

Whereas, he included Honea Path's 1852 addition of a train station providing new economic prospects and stimulating growth in the area.  He showed granite stone being manually excavated from the Honea Path quarry to provide for foundations and steppingstones.  The granite from the quarry also shored up railroad ties and bridge crossings throughout the Upstate.  Built in 1902, Chiquola Textile Mill opened and provided jobs and housing that eventually resulted in the 1917 incorporation of the town; and

Whereas, depicted in the mural is the Carnegie Library built in 1908 in Honea Path which at the time was the smallest town in the United States to have a Carnegie Library.  The figure of a retired mill worker seated with a book, watching mill workers go to and from the Mill, represents the new educational opportunities for citizens.  The Jennie Erwin Library still stands as an educational hub, as pictured by both a mother reading to her child and a young woman with her computer; and

Whereas, one of the most infamous events in American labor history occurred in 1934 when Chiquola Mill workers went on strike to gain better working conditions.  Armed guards killed seven workers and wounded thirty-four.  A white dove weeping seven red drops in the mural represents those who died.  News of the shootings across the country brought painful attention to Honea Path but helped to establish the forty-hour work week and to keep children in school until their sixteenth birthday; and

Whereas, also pictured in the mural is The Spirit of Honea Path, a World War II fighter plane bought with money raised at a war-bond rally in Honea Path, reflecting the town's patriotism.  Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, recognize and honor José Acaba, an artist from Honea Path, and congratulate him on his outstanding contribution to the Town of Honea Path and its own historic mural.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to José Acaba.

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