By Karen Brewer, Publisher & Editor, The Pickens County Chronicle
The late historian, writer, naturalist, tour guide, and speaker Dennis Chastain (pictured here in Six Mile Town Hall’s Community Room, as the keynote speaker for the May 1, 2018 dedication ceremony for the Cherokee Path historical marker) was honored March 11, 2026 by the Town of Six Mile, the Pickens County Historical Society, the Pickens County 250 Committee, Upstate Forever, and the Fort Prince George Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The special event was held at Six Mile’s Bryson Children’s Nature Walk site, where a marker was dedicated in his memory near the park’s trail. The Fort Prince George Chapter of the DAR also presented a national American History Award medal for Chastain to his widow, Jane. (Photo by Karen Brewer, Publisher, The Pickens County Chronicle)
On the beautiful and unseasonably warm afternoon of Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at the Bryson Children’s Nature Walk in the town of Six Mile, the late historian, writer, and naturalist Dennis Chastain was doubly honored, first by a marker dedicated to his memory near the park’s walking trail, and second by a national Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) American History Award medal, presented to his widow, Jane, from the Fort Prince George DAR Chapter.
Carolyn Nations, Chair of the Pickens County 250 Committee, of which Dennis Chastain was a member, welcomed everyone to the event. “On behalf of the Pickens County America 250 Committee, it is my honor to welcome you to the Bryson Children’s Nature Walk here in Six Mile,” she said. “Across Pickens County, our America 250 efforts encourage us to reflect on the people whose quiet service strengthens our community. Today, we gather for one of those moments, to recognize a man whose steady work and generous spirit helped shape this beautiful place that families and children will enjoy for years to come. The marker we will dedicate today honors Dennis Chastain, a resident of Pickens County whose efforts helped develop and care for this special natural space. The Bryson Children’s Nature Walk, with its protected green space and peaceful paths, stands as a reminder that community is built not only through great public acts but also through consistent kindness, dedication, and stewardship of individuals who care deeply about the places they call home. As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of our nation, it is fitting that we pause today to honor Dennis for the difference he made in our communities, to honor Dennis for the difference he made in other people’s communities, a man whose legacy continues in the paths we walk, the land we preserve, and the example that he left for others. Thank you for being here today to share in this meaningful moment.”
Pickens County 250 Chair and Fort Prince George Chapter DAR member and past Regent Carolyn Nations welcomes the crowd to the special event honoring Dennis Chastain. (Photo by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle)
Dr. Jeff Rogers, Pastor of Ridgeland Drive Baptist Church in Six Mile, then delivered the invocation. “Will you join me in an expression of gratitude and remembrance? For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the sky, for the gifts of nature that around us and above us lie, we pause to express our gratitude to the creator, spirit, and sustainer of it all. For those who have come and gone before us, for the first inhabitants of these lands, who hunted and fished and farmed in a respectful balance of people, plants, and animals and the bounty of mother earth. For the homesteaders who cleared and tilled and planted and harvested to eke out simple lives from the ground in foreign land still unknown to them. For the builders who constructed roads and churches and schools, and who harnessed the power of waterways for gristmills, sawmills, cotton gins, and power plants. For all those who have come and gone before us, we are grateful. And, this afternoon, we pause to express a particular gratitude for the life and work of Dennis Chastain and for his legacy to generations to come, of learning and teaching about the wonders of nature, the wisdom of the past, the foibles of the present, and the contingency of the future on our care and safe keeping of nature and of one another. May his life and work and legacy undergird our commitment to that care and safe keeping, blessed by one and the same creator, spirit, and sustainer of it all, in whom we live and move and have our being. Amen.”
Dr. Jeff Rogers, Pastor of Ridgeland Drive Baptist Church, gives the invocation. (Photo by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle)
Six Mile Mayor James Atkinson (also Six Mile Vice President for the Pickens County Historical Society and a member of the Pickens County 250 Committee) then spoke to dedicate the marker honoring Chastain. “Dennis and I spent a good bit of time talking about this project and about the trail,” he said, adding that Chastain had helped him with the trail rules (which are displayed on a sign near the beginning of the trail) and that Dennis and Jane had identified native plants on the trail (and those native plants are identified on green signs along the trail).
Atkinson recalled that Chastain had written an article for The Upstate Advocate, the biannual newsletter of Upstate Forever. “I think the very next issue I was writing an article,” Atkinson said, “and I was talking to him, and Dennis said something that was very profound, and I actually put it in my article, and I quoted it on this sign.”
He then read the words of the sign: “‘In memory of Dennis Chastain (1952 to 2025), Pickens County author, naturalist, and historian. Dennis and his wife, Jane Chastain, mapped out the native plants on this trail, making possible the educational signage you view here today. Dennis’ regional legacy and his dedication to green space preservation will forever shape the lives of our youth. To quote Dennis: “How can you put a price on the precious experience of a child on hands and knees as a monarch butterfly drifts from flower to flower, sipping nectar from bright cheery flowering plants?’”
“I thought that was a great remark he made,” he said.
“On this particular site,” Atkinson continued, “you’ll notice a muddy area over there. We’ve been doing a lot of construction here. And, sometimes, when you walk across that muddy area, you tend to leave a footprint. In a short period of time, rains come, and that footprint is gone. Dennis Chastain was a very blessed individual, because Dennis left a footprint. He left a mark that is never going to go — this trail, where he and Jane worked and came up with the signage, and so many projects around that he did and he was involved in, like right here in Six Mile, the Cherokee Trading Path markers. From what I understand, as I hear about Dennis as a youth, he always recognized the importance of nature. And, in his life, so many things that he did will be here forever — not like the footprint that the rain washes away, but things that will be here forever, because Dennis Chastain was here, and we’re all blessed with knowing him and blessed that he was a part of our community, our state, and our lives.”
Six Mile Mayor James Atkinson speaks and dedicates the marker in memory of Dennis Chastain. (Photos by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle)
Aldon Knight, Executive Director of the conservation organization Upstate Forever, then thanked the committee and Mayor Atkinson for the opportunity to speak about Chastain. “I’m really happy to be here,” he said. “Plus, when Mayor Atkinson calls, you just go. He’s so engaged over here and doing so many amazing things that we’re just proud to be working with him here. We do a lot of work here, very proudly. We are a land trust, which means that we hold conservation easements. We currently hold about 165 conservation easements totaling about 40,000 acres of property, much of that in Pickens County. We also advocate for smart growth and smart planning. And we know we’re going to gain people. We welcome people from the outside. We just are trying to help our counties and our state government and others do that smartly. But we’re also proud, in that vein, to be partnering with Mayor Atkinson and the Town of Six Mile in holding the easement on this beautiful property.
“I am really proud to have a small part today in memorializing Dennis. The connections with Dennis and Jane go in many directions, for me personally and Upstate Forever. Dennis and Jane were supporters and friends of Brad Wyche’s when he founded Upstate Forever 28 years ago. I think Brad and Dennis probably had many conversations on a mountain somewhere.” Knight said that Chastain and Wyche were sitting together on a mountain one day, “and Dennis looked out and said, ‘Brad, are we just going to pave over everything?’ And I think that’s the question that kind of burned in Dennis’ mind and in his heart. As he lived, you could see it in everything that he did.
“In addition to that, Dennis and Jane have become my friends over the last 10 years that I’ve been at Upstate Forever, and I’m just honored to know both of them.
“We also have a family connection, my wife’s dear aunt and uncle, George and Fran Smith. The late George Smith was a family practice doctor in Easley. His precious wife, Fran, is my wife’s aunt. I’ve adopted her as my own. And George and Dennis and Jane, I think, worked on a park or two upon Highway 11. George was also very into conservation, and I think he and Dennis connected really well on that. So, Fran was the first person I called when I heard about Dennis, and she and I had a long conversation that day.
“I can’t really think of anybody that better embodies the whole idea of conservation and green space protection than Dennis Chastain, in both my personal interactions with Dennis and things that he did for Upstate Forever. He hosted some groups for us and led groups. He led a group off Highway 11, looking at Oconee Bells, one day. Jane was there with him, and we had a really nice time that day. But, also, in personal chats, he was just the kind of person that impacted you, if you were around him, and he could be in a really casual conversation or he could be in serious mode, and he impacted you just the same.
“A few days after he passed, I felt compelled to honor and memorialize him on social media and to try to say something about Dennis, and so I wrote this post that I want to close with today and read it for you.
“And the post said, ‘It would be impossible to overstate the impact Dennis Chastain has had on South Carolina. A naturalist, historian, author, and champion of the state’s mountains and green places, Dennis spent his life grateful for the natural world around him, thoughtfully helping others understand its wonder and the vital role it plays in the life of each of us, whether we see that fact or not. He wore his convictions with the fierce combination of determination and the friendliest smile you’d ever see, empowering anyone who listened to him and disarming even the most hardened critic. If you walked alongside Dennis, as many of us did, he appreciated you and the opportunity to chat. The gratitude with which he worked and lived was nothing short of inspirational to all who knew him, even though he never wanted to focus on himself. A hero has fallen, but not before accomplishing one of the truly great legacies it has ever been my privilege to witness. Dennis Chastain lived a life that commands us to continue to walk forward, ensuring that South Carolina’s natural world is honored and protected. Well done, my friend. May the mountains echo your eternal presence, as I am certain they will.’”
Aldon Knight, Executive Director of Upstate Forever, speaks about Dennis Chastain. (Photo by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle)
Wayne Kelley, Senior Vice President of the Pickens County Historical Society (for which Chastain served as the Blue Wall Vice President), spoke next. “Much has been written about Dennis Chastain. Much has been said about Dennis Chastain. And everybody here knew him on some level. We appreciate all that he did.
“Dr. Charles Hood has a new book coming out very shortly, about Pickens and Pickens County, and our culture, our history, our heritage. And Charles writes very concisely and brilliantly. And, as far as I can tell, so far, in his new book, he has a chapter on Dennis Chastain, which is by far the longest single chapter in that book. So, he will be thorough, and we will all enjoy reading that.”
Kelley said that Chastain had won awards and had received accolades that were deserved. “There is not much that has not been said about Dennis,” he said. “I did notice, along the way, that I didn’t see anybody talk about his firefighting history. Dennis was colorful. He was into everything. Anyhow, pretty much everything has been said about Dennis and his wide scope of interests and accomplishments.”
Kelley recalled a memory of “a crisp, clear afternoon, in the wilds of northern Pickens County” as they “stood on Jumping Off Rock, overlooking the magnificent Jocassee Gorges.” He added, “Nobody knew these ancient mountains better than Dennis Chastain.
“For over 10 years, he served as the Blue Wall Vice President of the Pickens County Historical Society,” said Kelley. “Hardly a week passed that he and I weren’t working on a project of some sort. We would squeeze that in from what time he took traveling all over South Carolina, giving presentations and lectures, and, among other things, tracing the Cherokee Path from here to Charleston. Dennis was in high demand, and his appearances were a big draw everywhere. Jane, his wife and partner, was with him every step of the way. He was a recognized authority on a number of subjects of state and national importance, a major advocate for conservation, preservation, and the rebuilding of Colonial-era Fort Prince George, which, soon, we think, will be realized here in Pickens County.
“When we began researching and placing state historical markers in Pickens County some years ago, there were only 12. Now, there are 35, with many more left on the drawing board. Dennis and I spent many hours discussing and debating the finer points of historical text. It was fun. And, now, that collaboration is a legacy. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss his intelligence and depth of knowledge. We lost Dennis way too soon. We were not finished. Thank you all.”
Pickens County Historical Society Senior Vice President Wayne Kelley speaks about Dennis Chastain. (Photo by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle)
Mayor Atkinson then introduced Fort Prince George DAR Chapter Regent Joyce Hansel and Chapter Historian Harriet Nash for the presentation of the American History Award medal.
“I learned very early, as Regent of Fort Prince George,” Hansel said, “that, if you wanted to hear Dennis Chastain, you’d better get there early, because it was bound to be a sold-out crowd. Dennis and Jane were our power couple. We learned so much from Dennis. It was such an honor and privilege to be there every step of the way.
“A few months ago, I got a call from our historian, Harriet Nash, who said, ‘I have a project. I just wanted to tell you. I’ve already started working on it, and I hope you’ll approve.’ And I’m so glad she did, because this is the result.”
Joyce Hansel, Regent of the Fort Prince George Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), speaks about Dennis Chastain. (Photo by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle)
She then introduced Nash, who stated, “What a wonderful way to celebrate the life of Dennis Chastain. Our Fort Prince George Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution thanks you for allowing us to present this DAR American History Award medal here today to Dennis posthumously before those who loved him. We learned he won only a few weeks after he died. The purpose of this DAR History Award medal is intended to honor an individual whose study and promotion of American history has significantly advanced our understanding of our nation’s past. The medal is one of the most prestigious DAR awards given by our Society, and it has the most stringent criteria for approval.”
Nash added that the national DAR Historian General “knew she had a winner” after receiving so much information about what Chastain had done to promote American history, including numerous newspaper clippings about him, many articles he had written for South Carolina Wildlife magazine, and the Upcountry South Carolina 2024 Visitors Guide, and the Resolution honoring him from the South Carolina House of Representatives, and the Upstate Forever Extraordinary Achievement Award given to him, and many letters of recommendation.
Harriet Nash, Historian for the Fort Prince George Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), speaks about Dennis Chastain and the national DAR American History Award medal. (Photo by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle)
Nash then asked Jane Chastain to come forward and said, “I hope you have room for one more award Fort Prince George is truly honored to present to you today.” Nash noted, “Dennis had won another prestigious DAR award about 11 years ago, and it was the Historic Preservation award.”
Jane Chastain with Harriet Nash and Anne Kilpatrick of the Fort Prince George Chapter of the DAR. (Photo by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle)
Fort Prince George DAR Chapter Regent Joyce Hansel and Fort Prince George DAR Chapter Historian Harriet Nash present Jane Chastain with the national DAR American History Award medal given posthumously to Dennis Chastain. (Photo by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle)
Mayor Atkinson noted that many people throughout history “had no idea what things they were involved in would result in later.
“Dennis, although he was taken from us far too soon, could go all over the Upstate and see his effect, and what his presence brought to the Upstate. So, he was very blessed. There were many people throughout history that never had that opportunity. Dennis, during his lifetime, was blessed that he could actually go and see where he made a difference, see green space and areas recognized where he made a difference. Because he was there, he made a difference. The stories about Dennis are, as a youth, he recognized the importance of nature. Although he was taken from us far too soon, he was blessed in that he was able to see the results of where he had made an impact.”
Atkinson spoke about the 63-acre Bryson Children’s Nature Walk site that includes not only the horseshoe-shaped, 1.5-mile walking trail but also a children’s garden area with above-ground beds. “We are about to start work on the boardwalk pond overlook and children’s outdoor learning center,” he said. “Our goal is to have this project done, pending some more funding, particularly for the front drive, by September 1. We will have worked for three and a half years on the project, about 10 years or more in total, doing the whole project.” He noted that he and Chastain had had conversations about it from the very beginning of the project. “We thank you for being here,” he told the crowd. “We thank each and every person for coming here today, and we’re thankful, most of all, for Dennis.”
Atkinson noted that help for the Bryson Children’s Nature Walk site has come from all across the Upstate. He stated that one lady, who has never visited Six Mile, donated the sign out front, as well as two benches. “I walk talking with her this past week,” he said, “and she mentioned one more thing she wanted to do. She said, ‘If I do this, we’ve got to come up with a few words to put on it.’ It’s a short statement, and it makes me think of Dennis. The few words that she came up with – if this does happen – are: “Born January, 2023 and dedicated to our children to forever learn, explore, and connect with nature and its creator.’ That was Dennis Chastain. From what I understand about Dennis Chastain, from the time he was a youth, he was interested in nature. So, I thought that was a perfect finish. Thank you for coming.”
Six Mile Mayor James Atkinson concludes the special event. (Photo by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle)
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Jane Chastain spoke with The Pickens County Chronicle and said that she was “a little overwhelmed” and added, “He just keeps getting honored, and he deserves it. It’s a real honor. Both of these are real honors.”
She added that he had not only received another DAR award 11 years ago, but also a DAR award while in high school – and that both of those awards he received in the same room, at the Greenville Women’s Club.
The program created by Nations for the March 11 event featured two butterflies and complemented Dennis Chastain’s quote about a butterfly, about which Mayor Atkinson commented and about which he read on the newly dedicated sign.
After the special event, while Jane and her sister and this writer were walking back from the park’s trail, a single butterfly crossed the path. Her sister softly said, “That’s Dennis.”
Jane Chastain holds the framed Daughters of the American Revolution American History Award certificate and medal given posthumously to her husband, Dennis Chastain. (Photo by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle)
Pickens County 250 Committee members present for the event included Karen Brewer, Harriet Nash, James Atkinson, Wayne Kelley, Jane Chastain, Carolyn Nations, and Lynda Abegg. (Photo by MaryLou Crowley)
The nature trail at the Bryson Children’s Nature Walk site (Photos by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle) (See Photos Below)
The children’s garden area at the Bryson Children’s Nature Walk site (Photos by Karen Brewer, The Pickens County Chronicle) (See Photos Below)
