| South Carolina (Oconee County), Fair Play — Vandiver Bridge — Dedicated Oct. 31, 1961 |
| | Erected by
The states of Georgia and South Carolina
and the Federal Bureau of Roads
Named in honor of a
beloved Georgia leader and
member Georgia Highway Board
Samuel Ernest Vandiver
1876 - 1951
Father of Hon. S. Ernest Vandiver who
was elected Governor of Georgia
Sept. 12, 1958
By authority of the Georgia General Assembly and
the Highway Depts. of South Carolina
and Georgia.
Near this historic site on Tugaloo River stood
Knox's Bridge
Built in 1852 . . . — Map (db m19491) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Mountain Rest — Andrew Pickens Ranger District / Oconee County |
| |
Andrew Pickens Ranger District Side
The Ranger District was named for Andrew Pickens, an able commander of South Carolina's rebel militia during the American Revolution. Born of Scots-Irish immigrants near Paxtang, Pennsylvania, Pickens served in the state legislature and became a U.S. Congressman before eventually establishing his home in the nearby Tamassee area.
The District's Roots
Prior to Euro-America settlement, Cherokee and other Native-American peoples lived in . . . — Map (db m14210) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Mountain Rest — 37 16 — Chattooga Town |
| | (Front): Chattooga was one of the Cherokee "Lower Towns" in what is now S.C. during the 17Th and early 18Th centuries and was a short distance north in the Chattooga River bottom. Chattooga Town, in a remote location in the backcountry, was the smallest of the Lower Towns in 1721 when it appeared as "Chattoogie," with only 90 inhabitants, in that year's British census of Cherokee towns.
(Back):
Chattooga Town was on a main trading path that crossed the Chattooga River and . . . — Map (db m20970) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Mountain Rest — 37-13 — Cherokee Boundary (1777) |
| | [Front Side]:
The Cherokee sided with the British during the American Revolution, and in 1776 Maj. Andrew Williamson's S.C. militia destroyed their "Lower Towns" in what is now S.C. He then cooperated with the N.C. militia in expeditions against the Cherokees in N.C. and Ga. The Cherokees, seeking peace, soon negotiated with the Patriots to give up most of their lands in S.C.
[Reverse Side]:
On May 20, 1777, at DeWitt's Corner, the Cherokees signed a treaty with S.C., . . . — Map (db m14351) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Mountain Rest — Civilian Conservation Corps Monument |
| |
"The promptness with which you seized the opportunity to engage in honest work, the willingness with which you have performed your daily tasks, and the fine spirit you have shown in winning the respect of the communities in which your camps have been located merit the admiration of the entire country. You, and the men who have guided and supervises your efforts, have cause to be proud." President Franklin D. Roosevelt
This monument is dedicated to the honor and memory of over three million . . . — Map (db m14329) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Mountain Rest — Oconee State Park |
| | Oconee State Park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s during the Great Depression and continues to serve as a destination itself and as a gateway to the nearby Chattooga and Chauga rivers and to the blue Ridge and Smoky mountains. The park borders Sumter National Forest and is a haven for wildlife and a mix of mountain and foothill plant life. within its 1,165 acres are cabins, campsites, fishing and boating in two small lakes, and hiking and boating in two small lakes, . . . — Map (db m14324) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Mountain Rest — Russell House |
| | Russell House
This was a busy Appalachian farmstead in the late 1800's and early 1900's. You could hear the laughter of children playing in the creek, lowing cattle and clucking chickens as they searched for food. Ganaway Russell built a small house here in 1867 and enlarged it three times over the next 40 years to accommodate his growing family and guests.
Folks lacked motels, air conditioners and automibiles like we enjoy today. Vacationers flocked to the area that is now Highlands, . . . — Map (db m20978) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Mountain Rest — The Civilian Conservation Corps — 1933-1942 |
| | The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 as part of the comprehensive relief effort during the grim depression years. Three million men were involved in the CCC during its ten-year existence.
The CCC carried out a side range of conservation work in South Carolina, including reforestation, erosion control, the development of public recreation areas and wildlife habitat improvement. Nearly 50,000 young men and war veterans were . . . — Map (db m14350) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Mountain Rest — The Oconee Waterwheel |
| |
Establishment of the Park
Oconee State Park was developed in the 1930's as one of the earliest State Parks in South Carolina was built by members of the Civilian Conservation Corp. The CCC was a program created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal in the midst of the Great Depression of the 1930's to address the dual problems of massive unemployment and the tremendous need to reverse the effect of generations of damaging farming practices on the land.
The CCC camp . . . — Map (db m14353) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Mountain Rest — Walhalla State Fish Hatchery — The CCC and Resource Conservation |
| |
The historic buildings below are products of the great Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The WPA, the CCC, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's other New deal programs provided jobs to many unemployed Americans. They also launched a conservation and resource management movement that set the stage for the state and national park systems we see today. The CCC created and improved many parks and recreational areas and conducted . . . — Map (db m14217) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Mountain Rest — William R. Geddings Fish Culture House |
| | Dedicated in memory
of
William R. "Randy" Geddings
S.C. Department of Natural Resource
Fisheries Biologist
for his 26 years of service
to the
protection and conservation
of
S.C.'s trout resources. — Map (db m14293) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Salem — In Memory of Salem's Confederate Soldiers |
| |
With greatest respect and honor for the Confederate Soldiers from this area, we salute you, with the dedication of this monument. Special recognition goes to Sgt. John W. Cannon, an officer of the Confederacy and highly respected citizen of the Salem area. He was also the last sole survivor of Co. C, 1st SC Regiment of Orr's Rifles.
All these soldiers fought bravely and honorably for the Southern cause. God bless them and may we never forget them. — Map (db m14385) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Salem — 37-3 — The Cherokee Path |
| | [Front Side]:
The main trading path to the Cherokee Nation paralleled the route of Highway 11 for several miles at this point. This section of the path was used by travelers going from Keowee, the main Lower Town of the Cherokees, across the mountains to the Middle and Overhill Towns. The botanist William Bartram left a written account of his journey in 1776.
[Reverse Side]:
In addition to its importance in the indian trade, the path played a military role in the . . . — Map (db m14383) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Salem — Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Bridge |
| | In recognition of Distinguished Public Service promoting water resources, highways, conservation, national defense, veterans affairs, textiles, Appalachia et cetera
State Representative
State Senator
Soldier World War II
U.S. Congressman
from South Carolina
for 26 Years — Map (db m21053) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Seneca — 37-6 — Capt. Samuel Earle |
| |
[Front]:
Capt. Samuel Earle (1760-1833), an officer during the American Revolution, state representative, and U.S. representative, lived at nearby Beaverdam Plantation. He also furnished land for the town of Andersonville, once 12 mi. SE. at the fork of the Tugaloo and Senece Rivers. A native of Va., Earle came to S.C. in 1773-74, when his father settled in Spartanburg District.
[Reverse]:
During the Revolution Earle was an officer in the 5th S.C. Regiment, then the . . . — Map (db m13982) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Seneca — Fairplay Community Veterans Memorial |
| | Dedicated by the people
of this community to the
memory of those who gave
their lives in the great wars. — Map (db m13968) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Seneca — 37-1 — First Soil Conservation District Plan |
| | On February 4, 1938, Mrs. Ploma M. Adams, owner of this farm, assisted by the Upper Savannah Soil Conservation District, initiated the first Farm-Conservation Plan of any district in America. — Map (db m26287) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Seneca — Memorial Gateway |
| | Memorial
Gateway
1860-1865
Dedicated to the
men of the Confederacy
who gallantly
defended the southland
during the
War Between the States. — Map (db m13957) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Seneca — 37-7 — Oconee County Training School |
| |
[Front]:
Oconee County Training School, which educated the African American children of this county from 1925 to 1955, was the successor of the Seneca Colored Graded School. This school, also known as OCTS, was founded in 1925 with Rev. B.F. Stewart as its first principal. Funded by local taxes and the Peabody Fund, it was built with 8 classrooms and later expanded to 26 classrooms, for students in grades 1-11 1931-1947, and grades 1-12 1947-1955.
[Reverse]:
Oconee . . . — Map (db m13979) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Seneca — 37-4 — Seneca |
| |
Founded August 14, 1873, as
"Seneca City," and chartered on
March 14, 1874, the town of
Seneca was named for an Indian
village on the Seneca River.
Its location was determined by
the junction of the Blue Ridge
Railroad and the Atlanta and
Richmond Air Line Railway.
1880 population: 382
1970 population: 6382 — Map (db m13969) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Wahalla — 37-12 — Oconee Town |
| | Oconee, also spelled "Aconnee," was one of the Cherokee "Lower Towns" in what is now S.C. at the base of Oconee Mountain and on the main trading path between the British and Cherokees, it was abandoned in 1752. Oconee Station was built in 1792 as an outpost where the path crossed the Cherokee boundary. This county, created from Pickens District in 1868, was named for Oconee Town. — Map (db m9421) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — Duty, Honor, Country |
| | The Sacrifices of few ensured the freedom of many.
A grateful community remembers those who served in the Armed Forces of the United States during times of war and peace, whose courage and personal sacrifices defended and preserved our freedom.
Remembering their Sacrifices — Map (db m14031) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — Gen. John A. Wagener |
| | Founder of Walhalla. Born in Sievern, Kingdom of Hannover. Germany July 21, 1816. He emigrated to Charleston, SC where her became a leader in the German emigrant community. Elected Mayor of Charleston. Organized the German Colonization Society with the purpose of finding a suitable place for German emigrants to settle in upstate South Carolina. During the War Between the States, he served as (Continued from other side)
a Colonel in the German Artillery, South Carolina Militia, Confederate . . . — Map (db m20966) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — Issaqueena Falls — Dramatic Cascades of the Upcountry |
| | The Legend
Local stories about thus site involve variations from the poem, "Cateechee of Keowee,' a story of love and adversity penned by J.W. Daniels, A.M., in 1898. The following is a summary of Rev. Daniels' poem, which thrust Issaqueena in immortality.
This beautiful waterfall is named for a Creek maiden called Issaqueena. There are many legends about Issaqueena. The most popular story tells how as a girl Issaqueena was captured by the Cherokee and given the name Cateechee. As a . . . — Map (db m14193) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — John A. Wagener Monument — 1850-1900 |
| |
[East Side]:
Erected
to the Memory of
Gen. Jno. A. Wagener
Founder of Walhalla
and to His Co-laborers
of the German
Colonization Society
August 23-24, 1900. — Map (db m17491) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — 37-9 — Newberry College — 1868-1877 |
| |
[Front]:
Newberry College, founded in 1856, moved here from Newberry in 1868 and remained in Walhalla until 1877, returning to Newberry for the opening of the 1877-78 academic year. The Lutheran college struggled during the Civil War and its aftermath as enrollment dropped and debts mounted. in 1869 it sold its main building and other property in Newberry at auction to pay its significant debts.
[Reverse]:
Walhalla, with a large community of Germans who were primarily . . . — Map (db m13991) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — Oconee County Confederate Monument |
| |
[East Side]:
This monument is dedicated to the memory of the Confederate Soldiers by the women of Oconee County. These gallant soldiers gave their lives for the principle of states rights, for the protection of their homes, and in defence of their women and children. We, who knew them, testify that their courage was without a precedent, their fortitude without a parallel, their virtues of the highest, and that they knew no law of life but loyalty, truth and civic virtue, and to . . . — Map (db m14163) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — Oconee County Veterans Mamorial |
| | In appreciation of
the Oconee County Veterans Committee
for establishing this park in honor
Oconee County soldiers who served
so that we could be free. — Map (db m14456) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — Oconee Station / Oconee County |
| |
Oconee Station
The South Carolina Frontier Experience
Oconee station & the William Richards House
This site was a frontier outpost and a meeting place between European American and Cherokees of this region during the late 1700s. The first building here, known as Oconee Station, was built as a garrisoned fort for armed troops and included a military blockhouse. Its initial purpose was to protect white settlers in the area from Indian attack. Soon Oconee Station became . . . — Map (db m14372) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — 37-2 — St. John's Lutheran Church |
| |
[Front]:
On November 20, 1853, St. John's was organized by members of the German Colonization Society of Charleston, S.C. who founded the town of Walhalla in 1850. Services were originally held in a house on West Union which was purchased from Col. Joseph Gresham and belonged to Jacob Schroder. The present structure was begun in 1859 and dedicated on March 12, 1861.
[Reverse]:
John Kaufmann designed and directed the building of St. John's with the assistance of August . . . — Map (db m14160) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel — The Mountain that Defeated the Rail Line |
| |
The history of Stumphouse Tunnel is as rich as the surrounding land and carries with it stories of dreams, failures, hardships, and opportunities. The dream was to develop a railroad line from Charleston, South Carolina to Cincinnati, Ohio. The Blue Ridge Rail Line was completed from Charleston to Pendleton by the 1850s but the granite Stumphouse Mountain presented a major challenge.
Fifteen hundred tunnel workers and their families made their home on Stumphouse Mountain in a town called . . . — Map (db m15041) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — 37 15 — The English School |
| | (Front): Walhalla, in w2hat was Pickens District until Oconee County was created in 1868, was founded by the German Colonization Society of Charleston in 1850 and boasted as many as 500 German settlers by 1855. The first school offering instruction in English opened in a frame building on Church Street between mid-1850 and late 1852. It was described in January 1853 as "a good English school on the square attended by twenty German Children." (Back):
Prof. G.H.D. Cramer was the . . . — Map (db m20964) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — The Silver Rose |
| | The price of a silver rose is not free
"They gave their tomorrow for your toadys."
In memory of the men and women
who served in the Vietman War
and later died as a result
of Agent Orange dioxins
we honor and remember
their sacrifice — Map (db m14029) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — Walhalla |
| | "Garden of the Gods"
Gateway
to the
Blue Ridge — Map (db m13987) |
| South Carolina (Oconee County), Walhalla — War Between the States — 1861-1865 |
| | Dedicated to the brave and gallant Confederate soldiers and their families of Western Pickens District (Oconee County) who despite great hardships gave their blood and earthly possessions in defense of states rights and their beloved south land.
May we never forget them and what they stood for! — Map (db m14162) |
Subscribe
— Privacy Policy
— Terms of Use
— About Us
— Contact Us
HMdb.org