Roads, rivers and rails
Trading paths, wagon roads, ferries, canals, railroads, ports and lighthouses. 107 places on the trail.
Colonial (pre-contact to 1763)
- 40-50Broad RiverEarly boundary between Cherokee and Catawba Indians. Name first applied about 1745. Faust's Ford, 2 mi. above, used in R...
- 39-23Cherokee PathThe Cherokee Path was once part of an important trade network that connected the Upper, Middle, and Lower Cherokee towns...
- 40-185Congaree River FerriesJoseph Joyner owned a private ferry on the Congaree River near this site by 1749. John McCord’s private ferry succeeded ...
- 43-05Early Charleston RoadThis road largely followed an old Indian path (1691). Widened by Public Act, 1753, and called "The Great Charleston Road...
- 45-09Early SettlersAmong the first settlers of Williamsburg County, members of the Witherspoon family sailed from Belfast to Charleston in ...
- 08-71Eighteen Mile House TavernFrom the 18th century, the State Road from Charleston and the Road to Dorchester met near here. These paths connected Ch...
- 40-41Friday's Ferry1 mi. west was East Granby Landing of Friday's Ferry (licensed 1754) across Congaree River. Floods destroyed two bridges...
- 07-47Gardens CornerGardens Corner was a junction of two significant roads long before the American Revolution. The King’s Highway (now U.S....
- 08-59Goose Creek BridgeThe first bridge here, in use by 1680, had a raised road at either end and was built from split logs with the flat sides...
- 07-53Intracoastal WaterwayArcheological evidence suggests human activity on Daufuskie Island as early as 12,000 B.C., with seasonal habitation tie...
- 08-80Martin's TavernNear here stood Martin’s Tavern, also known as the Forty-Five Mile House for its distance from Charleston. On Sept. 11, ...
- 38-09Old Charleston RoadThis was the first public road connecting Orangeburg with Charleston and was authorized by an Act of the General Assembl...
- 32-06Old State RoadThis route follows an old Indian trail, which became a trading path and later in 1747 a public road from Charleston to G...
- 32-07The Cherokee PathBefore the Revolution, two major trading routes came together near here. Branching to the west was the road to New Winds...
- 37-03The Cherokee PathThe main trading path to the Cherokee Nation paralleled the route of Highway 11 for several miles at this point. This se...
Era of American Revolution (1764-1783)
- 18-19Bacon's BridgeAn early bridge over the Ashley River near this site, built ca. 1696-1700, was first owned by John Stevens. Stevens sold...
- 35-14Battle of Hunt's BluffOn July 25, 1780, a convoy of British boats en route from Cheraw to Georgetown was captured here by local Patriots. Wood...
- 03-19Burton's FerryOne mile west is the S.C. landing of Burton’s Ferry. The ferry was opened in 1765 by Robert Dunn on a 440-acre tract on ...
- 18-07Four Holes Swamp BridgeThe first bridge across Four Holes Swamp, a branch of the Edisto River, was built between 1770 and 1780 and was located ...
- 32-57Friday's Ferry SkirmishA Revolutionary War skirmish took place at Friday’s Ferry on May 1, 1781. Lt. Col. Henry Hampton’s Patriot Light Dragoon...
- 10-133Gibbes LandingAt the mouth of this tidal creek is the colonial-era site of Gibbes Landing. Located on a low bluff off the Ashley River...
- 21-04Marion at Port's FerryPort's Ferry, 3 miles NE on the Pee Dee, was owned and operated by Frances Port (c. 1725-1812), widow of Thomas Port, wh...
- 28-15Peay's FerryA ferry was operated on the Wateree Point, at a point about 4 mi. W, as early as 1775. In 1808 ferry rights were granted...
- 02-06The Martintown RoadIn the 1730s, an Indian path from Fort Moore to the Saluda ridge was used by traders going to the Cherokee Nation. Later...
- 40-43Wateree River FerriesRiver took its name from Wateree Indians, a Siouan tribe which occupied the valley until about 1715. Near this site was ...
- 16-40Williamson's BridgeWilliamson's Bridge was built over Black Creek by 1771. In 1780 a part of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion's S.C. militia briga...
- 21-03Witherspoon's FerryIn use during the American Revolution, Witherspoon's Ferry was the site where Francis Marion accepted command of the Wil...
South Carolina in the Early Republic (1784-1815)
- 04-33DeanDean is named for the Dean family, whose cemetery is located about a mile west. Samuel Dean came to South Carolina from ...
- 26-11Galivants FerryIn 1792 Galivants Ferry was named for Richard Gallevan, owner of ferry rights for Elirsee’s Landing on the Little Pee De...
- 05-15Holman's BridgeIn 1801 John Holman constructed a bridge spanning the South Fork of the Edisto River at a site previously known as Tyler...
- 01-21James Kay HouseBuilt in the 1790s by Virginian James Kay, on land granted him by Governor Charles Pinckney in 1792. Kay was a blacksmit...
- 08-03Santee CanalThis canal, twenty-two miles in length, connects the Santee and Cooper Rivers. The canal was chartered in 1786, and cons...
- 08-36Santee Canal {Marker #2}This canal, twenty-two miles in length, connects the Santee and Cooper Rivers. It was chartered by act of March 22, 1786...
- 01-26The General's RoadThe General’s Road was an important thoroughfare for Backcountry S.C. residents and travelers during the 19th century. T...
- 04-51The General's RoadAnderson’s Main Street follows the path of the General’s Road. References to the roughly 70-mile route date as early as ...
Antebellum (1816-1860)
- 02-23AikenAiken, chartered in 1835 and the county seat of Aiken County since its creation in 1871, was an early stop on the railro...
- 40-37Columbia CanalCompleted 1824. Important link in the system of waterways transporting freight between the up country and Charleston. Su...
- 40-38Congaree River BridgesThis river took its name from the Congaree Indians, a Siouan tribe which occupied the valley until the Yemassee War in 1...
- 23-28Cooley's BridgeThe original Cooley’s Bridge, built across the Saluda River in 1835-36 to replace a ferry, stood about 150 yds. above th...
- 46-76Crossroads at Nation FordNation Ford was a pre-contact river crossing used by the Catawba Nation and other groups to traverse the Catawba River. ...
- 18-17DorchesterThis town, in Colleton County before Dorchester was founded in 1897, dates to the early 19th century and the origins of ...
- 21-19Florence Depot (1852)The original depot named Florence was built here in 1852, where the Wilmington & Manchester RR crossed present-day Hoffm...
- 40-31GadsdenNamed in honor of James Gadsden President of the Louisville, Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad. Station built here 1840...
- 04-36Greenville & Columbia RRThe Greenville & Columbia Railroad, founded in 1845, began construction in 1849. It reached Greenville in 1852, with a b...
- 40-169Hopkins [Marker #2]This rural community grew up around the plantation of John Hopkins (1739-1775). Hopkins, a native of Virginia, settled h...
- 02-77Inclined PlaneNear here is the site of the Inclined Plane, a crucial segment of the original S.C. Railroad. The railroad’s mainline wa...
- 40-166KingvilleKingville, a rural community, was established in 1840 as a station on the Louisville, Cincinnati, and Charleston Railroa...
- 08-53Mount Holly StationMount Holly Station, a depot on the Northeastern Railroad between Florence and Charleston, was built here about 1853. It...
- 34-09Mullins DepotThe town of Mullins, first known as Mullins Depot, grew up as a result of the opening of the Wilmington and Manchester R...
- 42-19Old Rutherford RoadThis old roadbed is the last extant portion of the Rutherford Road, which appears in Robert Mills's 1825 Atlas of the St...
- 23-49Old Stage RoadThe town of Simpsonville grew up around a stagecoach stop nearby operated by Thomas Goldsmith (1788-1868). Goldsmith’s h...
- 02-26Original Survey of AikenThe town of Aiken, on land donated by Mr. Beverly M. Rodgers to the S.C. Rail Road in 1834, was laid out around a core o...
- 02-10Pascalis PlantationElizabeth Pascalis purchased these 790 acres in 1835, settled here with her son Cyril Ouviere, and brought the orphaned ...
- 22-38R. F. W. Allston CausewayThis causeway was built between January 1845 and November 1846 by Robert Francis Withers Allston, who owned a summer res...
- 46-46Rock Hill DepotsThe first of six railroad depots was built here in 1851 on the Charlotte & S.C. RR, after the citizens of Ebenezer objec...
- 02-01South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company Original Track LocationBegan first successful scheduled steam railroad service in America on December 25, 1830, and by 1833 its 136 miles from ...
- 38-03South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company Original Track LocationBegan first successful scheduled steam railroad service in America on December 25, 1830, and by 1833 its 136 miles from ...
- 10-01South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company Original Track Location in CharlestonBegan its first successful scheduled steam railroad service in America on December 25, 1830, and by 1833 its 136 miles f...
- 05-11South Carolina Canal & Railroad CompanyBegan first successful scheduled steam railroad service in America on December 25, 1830, and by 1833 its 136 miles from ...
- 09-26St. Matthews Railroad CutAcross the street is the St. Matthews Railroad Cut. The cut was built in 1841 as part of the first branch line of the S....
- 37-10Stumphouse TunnelThe unfinished railroad tunnel cut into the SE face of Stumphouse Mtn. is the largest of three begun before the Civil Wa...
- 28-16Tiller's FerryIn 1760 Joseph Tiller received a grant for 100 acres on Lynches River, including this crossroads. James Tiller operated ...
- 21-46TimmonsvilleTimmonsville was founded in 1852 and named for Rev. J. Morgan Timmons. Initial growth was spurred by the Wilmington and ...
- 02-02Western Terminus South Carolina RailroadNear the foot of this bluff in the old town of Hamburg stood the western terminus of the S.C. Canal and Rail Road Co. Be...
Civil War (1861-1865)
- 06-05Blackville: Town of the PhoenixBlackville was founded in 1833 as the first overnight stop on the new railroad operated by the S.C. Canal & Railroad Co....
- 25-08Old Pocotaligo Road, March from the SeaThis was a major road in the northern part of old Beaufort District for many years, appearing in Mills' Atlas of 1825. G...
- 28-12West's CrossroadsThis crossroads, long owned by the West family, is the junction of the Georgetown and Porter Bridge Roads, both of which...
- 21-08William W. HarlleePresident of Wilmington & Manchester Railroad and a founder of the city of Florence, Harllee (1812-1897) was also a gene...
Reconstruction (1866-1876)
New South (1877-1913)
- 02-60Aiken Railroad DepotThe Aiken Railroad Depot was constructed in 1899 by the Southern Railway. Built largely to service the wealthy travelers...
- 23-25Campbell's Covered BridgeThis bridge, built in 1909, is the last extant covered bridge in S.C. Built by Charles Irwin Willis (1878-1966), it was ...
- 13-21Carolina HotelConstructed c. 1905, this two-story building originally housed the Carolina Hotel. Then made of exposed brick, the hotel...
- 43-07Col. David DuBose Gaillard Engineer of the Panama CanalBorn at Fulton Crossroads, Sept. 4, 1859, David DuBose Gaillard spent his boyhood in this section. He was graduated from...
- 42-17Cowpens DepotThis passenger and freight depot was built in 1896 by the Southern Railway and was originally 1 block N. at Brown & Chur...
- 40-170EastoverEastover, so named for being “east and over” from Columbia, was a small rural community of the mid-19th century that gre...
- 38-49Eutawville RailroadThe Eutawville Railroad opened in Jan. 1886 with a 12 mi.-trek that ended at this site. Chartered 1884, the line began s...
- 03-11FairfaxFairfax, chartered in 1893 and incorporated in 1896, grew out of an early community centered around Owens’ Crossroads, w...
- 18-21HarleyvilleHarleyville is named for the Harley family who owned much of the land that comprises the present town. William “Cow Bill...
- 16-77Hartsville Passenger DepotThis passenger depot was built by the Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) Railroad in 1908 and is an example of an early 20th-cent...
- 06-14HildaHilda, in the “Sleytown” section of Barnwell County, was chartered in 1910. It grew up around a depot built here in 1903...
- 07-60Hilton Head Rear-Range LighthouseThe Rear Lighthouse of the Hilton Head Range Light Station was built in 1879-1880 by the U.S. Light House Board. Its lig...
- 29-29Lancaster & Chester RailwayThe Lancaster & Chester Railway, founded in 1896, was originally the Cheraw & Chester Railroad, chartered in 1873. The C...
- 34-15Marion DepotThis one-story brick passenger depot, typical of the period, was built in 1908 for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The...
- 27-09Narrow Gauge Locomotive No. 7This woodburning steam locomotive with balloon smoke stack, was built by the H. K. Porter Company about 1910. It was use...
- 02-81North Augusta Trolley StationThis was the site of the North Augusta station of the Augusta-Aiken Railway, a trolley line that opened in 1902. It was ...
- 39-22Pickens RailroadThe Easley-Pickens line was chartered in 1890 by the S.C. General Assembly. Construction of the line, which ran from Pic...
- 18-20RidgevilleThis town, in Colleton County before Dorchester County was founded in 1897, dates from 1831. It was one of the first sta...
- 40-125Seaboard Air Line Passenger DepotThis depot, built by the Seaboard Air Line Railway in 1904, was the third passenger depot built in Columbia, following t...
- 42-32The "Hub City"The first rail line to serve the Hub City, the Spartanburg & Union R.R., was completed in 1859. In 1873, the Atlanta & C...
- 02-38The Augusta and Aiken RailwayThe Augusta and Aiken Railway, a 26-mile interurban electric trolley line between Augusta, Ga., and Aiken, operated from...
- 17-12Town of DillonDillon was laid out by civil engineers of the Florence Railroad Company following a plan by John H. David, a local physi...
- 02-43WagenerWagener, established after the Blackville, Alston, & Newberry RR built its line from Blackville to Seivern in 1887-88, w...
World War I and the Interwar Period (1913-1941)
- 29-31Ashe's FerryA ferry nearby crossed the Catawba River between Lancaster County and York County for more than 30 years and was the las...
- 35-33Clio Passenger DepotThis depot was built in 1915 by the Atlantic Coast Line Railway. The first railroad line in Clio was a branch of the Flo...
- 40-225Columbia Truck TerminalThis was the site of the Columbia Truck Terminal, a truck stop opened in 1940 by M.D. Hicklin, W.T. Cassels Sr., and C.L...
- 25-24Davis Swimming Pool and AirstripBuilt by Wilbur Davis on an artesian well in 1916, this private swimming pool was a popular picnic and party venue for G...
- 23-83National HighwayThe Bankhead National Hwy. Association was formed in 1916 with the goal of creating a transcontinental highway that woul...
- 02-33North AugustaNorth Augusta, chartered in 1906, includes the site of two early towns. Campbell Town was a trading post on the Savannah...
- 13-07Seaboard Air Line Railway DepotThis depot, built in 1914, was the second station built by the Seaboard Air Line Railway in McBee. The town, the most su...
- 32-34Site of the "Swamp Rabbit" BridgeA concrete highway bridge, built in 1928-29 when U.S. Highway 1 was paved through Batesburg, stood here until 2003. The ...
- 24-20Southern Railway DepotThis depot, built for the Southern Railway in 1915, is an outstanding example of an early-20th century combination passe...
- 29-25Welsh's StationWelsh’s Station, a depot on the Charleston, Cincinnati, & Chicago Railroad built in 1888, stood at or near this site. Th...
World War II and After (1941-present)
- 10-110Charleston StationThe Charleston Station was built in 1956 by the Atlantic Coast Line (ACL). ACL hoped the new station would attract custo...
- 21-56Ebony Guest HouseIn 1949, Ebony Guest House, a prominent local tourist home for African Americans, opened at this site. It was owned and ...
- 21-62Richmond RestRichmond Rest, a popular African American tourist home, opened north of here by 1948. It was owned by Lillie Richmond (d...