ens ▁and ▁O con ee ▁Count ies . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁and ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁southern ers ▁had ▁little ▁control ▁over ▁their ▁government . ▁ ▁G angs ▁of ▁Union ▁troops ▁s ack ed ▁and ▁lo oted ▁many ▁far ms ▁in ▁Pick ens ▁County ▁during ▁this ▁period , ▁known ▁as ▁Re const ruction , ▁and ▁the ▁county ▁and ▁state ▁govern ments ▁were ▁largely ▁controlled ▁by ▁Northern ers ▁who ▁moved ▁South ▁after ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁Re const ruction ▁officially ▁ended ▁in ▁South ▁Carolina ▁around ▁year ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁not ▁long ▁after ▁former ▁Confeder ate ▁General ▁W ade ▁Ham pton ▁III ▁was ▁elected ▁governor ▁under ▁the ▁Democratic ▁ticket . ▁ ▁The ▁Found ers ' ▁Era ▁( 1 8 7 6 - 1 9 0 0 ) ▁Liber ty ' s ▁official ▁recognition ▁as ▁a ▁town ▁came ▁soon ▁after ▁the ▁Charlotte - At l anta ▁Air line ▁Railway ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 7 0 s . ▁ ▁Form er ▁Confeder ate ▁General ▁William ▁E as ley , ▁a ▁lawyer ▁working ▁for ▁the ▁rail road ▁company , ▁negoti ated ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁tracks ▁laid ▁through ▁the ▁southern ▁part ▁of ▁Pick ens ▁County . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁along ▁these ▁tracks ▁that ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁Liber ty , ▁E as ley , ▁and ▁Central ▁all ▁grew . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁Liber ty ▁Station ▁was ▁built ▁north ▁of ▁Liber ty ▁Spring ▁after ▁Mrs . ▁Catherine ▁Temple ton ▁de eded ▁her ▁land