Local – Page 23 – Random Connections

Laurens County Photo Trek

July 7, 2010 Tom 2 Comments

I had Monday off as part of the 4th of July weekend. My brother, Houston, and my sister, Glynda, also had the day available, so we decided to go on another photo exploration. This time our target was our old stomping grounds around Laurens, South Carolina.

Houston had some specific locations he wanted to see if we could find. Most of these were in the old Long Branch area, but we knew we would get sidetracked in route. I picked up Glynda and Houston at the family home in Gray Court. Armed with GPS, maps, and more cameras than we had passengers, we set out.

We actually didn’t get very far. At the south end of Gray Court is the historic farm area that the Gray Court-Owings Historical Society has put together. Glynda and Houston weren’t aware of this place, so we spent a good bit of time looking at the old cabins and farm implements and taking pictures of these.

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Saluda Lake, Take Two

July 4, 2010 Tom 1 Comment

Local, Paddling, Photography

When Alan and I came out to Lake Saluda last week, I wasn’t feeling so hot. Well, actually, I was too hot – heat exhaustion plus a fever of over 100. Couple that with the fact that we missed the channel we were supposed to be taking, and it wasn’t an ideal trip. So, when Dave Freeland called and wanted a close paddling venue that would be good for his 13 year old son, Zach, I suggest heading back to Saluda.

We made our way back down Motor Boat Club Road to Saluda Landing. Personally, I would love to find some other access point. These guys charge per boat, so to launch our three kayaks was $15. I don’t mind paying a parking fee, but the per boat fee is a bit steep. However, they have a monopoly on lake access, and they know it.

We paddled out, then southward to avoid the silted spit, then turned upstream. This time we hugged the right channel toward the river, rather than being tempted by the more open water of the west arm of the lake.

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Chasing the Swamp Rabbit – Illegally

July 4, 2010 Tom 8 Comments

Local, Photography

It’s pretty bad with 85 degrees feels like a cooling trend. However, the humidity was down, and it didn’t feel as sweltering as the past several weeks have been. Laura and I had taken advantage of the nice weather to do some yard work in the morning, and in the afternoon we decided to take the bikes up to Furman and ride part of the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

We parked at the south end of the Furman section of the trail and headed north. This was the first time Laura had ridden the trail since it had been paved. However, the combination of earlier yard work and lack of recent cycling got to her. We made it about 2.5 miles before she decided it was time to head back.

I wasn’t done, though. I wanted to continue on down the trail toward Greenville. I particularly wanted to see parts of the trail I hadn’t traveled yet. I knew that the trail had been closed at the CSX railroad crossing, so I couldn’t make it all the way into town. My intent was to ride down to the barricades, turn around, and head back. Turns out I did two things I hadn’t intended – I made it all the way to Greenville, and I did it illegally.

Twelve Feet from Royalty

May 30, 2010 Tom No Comments

Entertainment, Local

This weekend the Greenville Scottish Games were held at Furman University. Laura and I decided to take we wanted to get in on all of the party, so we went to both the parade down Main Street on Friday and the games themselves on Saturday.

This year Prince Edward, youngest son of Queen Elizabeth, was special guest at the games. He was there ostensibly to present the Duke of Edinburgh award to the contestants of the Miss South Carolina Contest. In order to qualify for the award, the contests had to show some athletic skill. That’s where the Scottish Games come in – princess wannabees wearing tiaras and throwing axes and hammers. I’m not kidding.

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Vote Greenville for Google Fiber!

April 7, 2010 Tom 1 Comment

General Technology, Local

Google’s at it again with another product that everyone wants. This time it makes more sense than Buzz or Wave. Google is looking for a community to serve as a test bed for its 1 gigabit fiber optic Internet connection, and Greenville wants it. Of course, so do several other cities. Topeka, Kansas notoriously renamed … Read More “Vote Greenville for Google Fiber!” »

Swamp Rabbit Revisited

March 31, 2010 Tom No Comments

Local

It had been quite awhile since I had ridden my bike on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. In that time there have been quite a few changes and improvements. The trail has been paved from Watkins Bridge Road almost all the way up to the Renfrew community above Travelers Rest. The town of Travelers Rest has done massive improvements along its main street, adding parking, lighting, sidewalks, and benches all along the street and the trail. I figured it was time I rode the trail once more and experienced some of these changes for myself.

I parked at the southern edge of the Furman University campus, where the trail crosses Duncan Chapel Road. For ages there has been an old Pullman car here that has served as home for various Boy Scout Troops. More parking has been added to accommodate the trail visitors.

From the parking area I first headed south just to see how far the county had gotten with paving the trail. I was able to make it about a mile more, down to Watkins Bridge Road. The trail on the other side of the road was dirt, but didn’t look as rough and bumpy as the last time I had ridden it. I rode on down a bit, but decided that I had plenty of paved trail to explore, so I turned around.

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Furman Singers and the End of an Era

March 18, 2010 Tom 1 Comment

Local, Music

Tuesday night Laura and I attended the Furman Singers’ concert. It was the last tour concert with Dr. Bingham Vick at the helm. This May Vick will retire from Furman after 40 years as a professor there. In most respects the concert was typical of the Singers’ tour concerts. The first half featured major choral … Read More “Furman Singers and the End of an Era” »

Echo Valley Photographic Proof

March 11, 2010 Tom 2 Comments

History and Genealogy, Local

After reading my recent post about Echo Valley, my brother Houston decided that further photographic proof was necessary. As archivist for our family, he had the necessary photographs and sent them to me via email. So, here we go.. Here’s a photo of me standing in front of the Swamp Rabbit Railroad… …and here’s the … Read More “Echo Valley Photographic Proof” »

Memories of Echo Valley

March 4, 2010April 1, 2015 Tom 43 Comments

History and Genealogy, Local

In the northern part of Greenville County the Middle Saluda River flows across a long flat valley. Where Highways 276 and 11 come together, and where the Saluda crosses this road, one finds the community of Cleveland, South Carolina. The valley now hosts a post office, convenience store, and a couple of other businesses, but at one time an exciting amusement park occupied this same spot.

It was the late 1960’s and I was seven or eight years old. Dad and Mom loaded five of us (my two oldest siblings were in college) into the Chrysler and we headed toward the Great Smokey Mountains. It was a fantastic trip up through the mountains of North Carolina, with stops at Pisgah National Forest, Maggie Valley, and eventually Gatlinburg, Tennessee. That was the trip that we visited Echo Valley, a Western-styled theme park along the banks of the Saluda River in Cleveland, South Carolina.

During this time Western theme parks were all the rage in North Carolina. There was Ghost Town in the Sky in Maggie Valley, Frontierland in Cherokee, and Tweetsie Railroad in Boone. Most of these featured a Wild West town with regular shoot-outs and the endless conflicts between cowboys and Indians. There were also carnival rides and can-can dancers to round out the bill. Echo Valley followed this same pattern, and was developed to capture some of that Wild West market for Greenville audiences.

The late Melvin Jarrard was postmaster of the Cleveland post office and a local businessman. In his autobiography The Mountaineer of Cleveland, South Carolina, Jarrad describes how Harry Stuart brought the idea of Echo Valley to the area, and how that idea had originated with Ghost Town in the Sky.

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Sledding on “Suicide Hill”

February 1, 2010 Tom 1 Comment

Local

On the other side of our lake is a short segment of Selwyn Drive that drops steeply from a hill down to the lake level. The piece of road is difficult even in a car, and even more challenging on foot or bicycle. Add an inch or two of snow and ice and it becomes … Read More “Sledding on “Suicide Hill”” »