Tag: Greenwood County

The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble

Posted on By Tom 1 Comment on The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble
History and Genealogy, Rambling

Every year Alan Russell and I do some sort of ramble or exploration on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. This tradition started when both of us were in education and had a rare winter Monday that we didn’t have to work. This year we invited my brother, Houston, and Dwight Moffitt to come along … Read More “The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble” »

Orphaned Graveyards and Family Connections in Ninety Six

Posted on By Tom 5 Comments on Orphaned Graveyards and Family Connections in Ninety Six
History and Genealogy

For this exploration of orphaned graveyards I’m leaving Greenville County and heading to Greenwood County, specifically to the Cambridge and Epworth regions of the county. The two graveyards are no longer connected to extant churches, but are closely connected to our family’s history. Mount Hermon (Herman?) Baptist Church is the burial place for my great-grandparents, … Read More “Orphaned Graveyards and Family Connections in Ninety Six” »

Promised Land and Beyond

Posted on By Tom 3 Comments on Promised Land and Beyond
History and Genealogy, Photography, Rambling

Cedar Springs Church

It was a Second Saturday. Normally Alan and I would be out with our friends from Lowcountry Unfiltered exploring some river or other historic locale. There were several last-minute conflicts, so the trip fell through this month. Alan and I were still up for a photo trek, so we decided to head out on our own. We took the opportunity to revisit one of my favorite locations, the Long Cane Creek Historic Area and Sumter National Forest.

We had some specific targets in mind. However, with the beautiful morning light, it was hard not to be distracted by every old barn and homestead along the way that looked like a photographic opportunity. We would have only gotten a few miles from home if we had given in. We kept going until we crossed the border into Greenwood County, stopping first at Donalds Depot.

Donalds Depot

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Searching for Shoals Junction

Posted on By Tom 4 Comments on Searching for Shoals Junction
History and Genealogy, Local, Photography

Shoals Junction Ramble-027

It’s spring break for most of the Upstate school districts, and I wanted to search for a few ghost towns. Mark Elbrecht and I had bounced around some possible targets, and after looking through the South Carolina section of the Abandoned Rails website, we decided to try to find Shoals Junction, at the end of the abandoned Ware Shoals line. We would also hit a couple of other smaller communities and see what we could find.  Turns out we could hit lots of communities – eight of them in all.  I’ll try to summarize them here.

Ware Shoals

We set out down Augusta Road eventually reaching the eastern terminus of the railroad in Ware Shoals. We took a turn through the town, then headed down to the river. We drove through the riverside park, then circled past the power generation station. There were several workers, and we felt awkward stopping for photos. We retraced our steps upstream and headed beyond the bridge crossing the Saluda River. We soon reached the Ware Shoals Dam.

Ware Shoals Dam-002

Ware Shoals Dam

At the top of the dam water is diverted into a canal so that it can be routed through the power turbines below. With the recent rain lots of water was flowing over the dam.

Ware Shoals Dam-004

Ware Shoals Dam-006

An old masonry staircase led down to the river. As sign pointed to the “Fishing Trail” and “Canoe Portage.” I guess the portage was around the dam, but I couldn’t see where one would take out a canoe at the top of the dam. I guess it would be more obvious if I were on the river.

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