Thanks to Mrs. Libby Loftis Vatalaro of Landrum, the saga of Miss Jane Turner’s produce route being the impetus for the naming of Butter Street can now be consummated in print.

The spinster, you see, was Libby’s grand-aunt. She was born Nannie Jane Turner on Dec. 23, 1878, the daughter of William and Texanna Ravan Turner, and sister of Harriett Turner Carruth and Mary Turner Wofford of Landrum.
At age 45, however, she gave up her spinsterhood when she married William “Will” M. Odom on Feb. 5, 1924. He was 13 days older than she, having been born on Dec. 10, 1878.
This means she was a married lady while conducting the expanded produce route during Lake Lanier’s development in the mid-1920s.
She and Will had no children during 28 years of marriage, but did have a number of nephews and nieces, children of her sister’s and Will’s brother, Robert, and sister, Sue Odom Johnson of Hendersonville, N.C.
They lived for a number of years in Henderson County, N.C., where they were members of Balfour Baptist Church, but when her health deteriorated, they moved back to upper Spartanburg County to be near her family.
Jane died at age 73 on July 18, 1952, while living at 204 S. Blackstock Road in Landrum. She was buried at Fairview Baptist Church cemetery.
Three days shy of one year later, Will died at age 74 on July 15, 1953, and was buried beside her in Fairview cemetery.
The Reverends Lawrence Ervin, W. Broadus Belue and William Huntley officiated at both funerals.
So, oldsters in the Dark Corner have been correct all through the years on how Butter Street got its name. Miss Jane Turner did exist, and she did establish the produce route that featured her home-churned and hand-molded butter.