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Anderson in Anderson County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
 

Oliver Bolt's Cotton Gin

 
 
Oliver Bolt's Cotton Gin Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Brian Scott, August 23, 2008
1. Oliver Bolt's Cotton Gin Marker
Inscription.
The first cotton gin to be powered by electricity transmitted over a long distance stood near this site on the farm of Oliver "Duck" Bolt (1847-1922). In 1897 Bolt, whose gin had previously been powered by a steam engine, contracted with the Anderson Water, Light, and Power Company to furnish electricity for a 20-horsepower electric motor from its new plant at Portman Shoals, 7 mi. W on the Seneca River.
 
Erected 1997 by Anderson County Historical Society. (Marker Number 4-26.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: AgricultureIndustry & CommerceWaterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the South Carolina, Anderson County Historical Association/Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1897.
 
Location. 34° 30.25′ N, 82° 42.6′ W. Marker is in Anderson, South Carolina, in Anderson County. Marker is on West Whitner Street (State Highway 24) west of State Highway 1028, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Anderson SC 29621, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 10 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Anderson Regional Airport (approx. 0.7 miles away); Vietnam Veterans Monument (approx. 2.1 miles away); Anderson County Veterans Monument
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(approx. 2˝ miles away); Anderson County Fire Fighters Memorial (approx. 2.7 miles away); Bolt-Bell House (approx. 2.7 miles away); William Arthur Floyd (approx. 2.8 miles away); Dr. Samuel Marshall Orr House (approx. 2.8 miles away); R J Ginn House (approx. 2.8 miles away); Gambrill House (approx. 2.9 miles away); Cathcart-Schonauer House (approx. 2.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Anderson.
 
Also see . . .
1. Seneca River. The Seneca River is created by the confluence of the Keowee River and the Twelve Mile Creek in northwestern South Carolina, downriver from Lake Keowee near Clemson. (Submitted on September 23, 2010, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.) 

2. Oliver Bolt Duck - Find-a-Grave Entry. Burial: New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery, Anderson, S.C. (Submitted on October 27, 2012, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.) 
 
Additional commentary.
1. Oliver Bolt
Oliver Bolt was born in Laurens County April 25, 1847, the grandson of Irish immigrants. He served
Oliver Bolt's Cotton Gin Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Brian Scott, August 23, 2008
2. Oliver Bolt's Cotton Gin Marker
during the Civil War. In 1867, he married Permeler Crombie and fathered five sons and two daughters. Bolt's first residence was a log cabin and the land uncleared. Over the next forty years, Bolt developed and successfully farmed his land, constantly making improvements. (Source: History of South Carolina, by Yates Snowden.)
    — Submitted January 10, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.
 
Portman Shoals Power Plant, Seneca River image. Click for full size.
South Carolina Postcards, Vol. IX: Anderson County, by Howard Woody
3. Portman Shoals Power Plant, Seneca River
W.C. Whitner conceived the idea of the long distance transmission of electric power in 1894. First a small plant was established at High Shoals on the Ricky River six miles from Anderson. It transmitted 200 electrical horsepower from 5,000-volt generators. Then the Portman Shoals Power Plant on the Seneca River, a 10-mile distance, was built by the Anderson Light & Power Company. Construction began in 1896. It used Stanley Electric Company's 11,000-volt generators. The Portman Dam, swept away in December of 1901, was rebuilt and returned to service in September 1902. The plant caused Anderson to be called the "Electric City."
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on October 14, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 10, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,488 times since then and 74 times this year. Photos:   1. submitted on January 10, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.   2, 3. submitted on September 23, 2010, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.

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Mar. 28, 2024