Think you know how to say Clemson, Keowee, Jocassee, Eastatoe, Issaqueena and Oolenoy? Test yourself with 18 Upstate South Carolina place names and learn the local pronunciations and stories behind them.
In 1849, the Keowee Courier argued that Pickens District deserved more attention. Its pitch for waterfalls, pleasant summers, and productive farmland echoes the local exploration we encourage today.
Rain canceled a planned mountain getaway in 1880. The journey that followed reveals growing railroad towns, welcoming farms, and an expanding Piedmont textile mill.
Long before Issaqueena Falls became a popular Upstate destination, its water powered a black-powder mill supplying the construction of Stumphouse Tunnel. Contemporary newspapers reveal an industrial landscape that has almost completely disappeared.
Hidden above Stumphouse Tunnel was once a bustling railroad community of more than 1,200 people. Using contemporary newspaper accounts, we explore the lost town of Tunnel Hill, its Irish workers, church, businesses, dangerous tunnel construction, and what happened after the railroad failed.
In September 1914, a 10-year-old child died from diphtheria, several additional cases appeared, and Walhalla High School closed to stop the disease from spreading.
Days of rain culminated in disaster across the South Carolina mountains in June 1903. Bridges vanished, mountainsides slid, farms were buried, and four members of one Oconee County family were killed in a flood remembered for generations as the Great June Freshet.
Why do some older Upstate homes have letters built into their chimneys? These unusual brick initials tell a story of family pride, homeownership and permanence.
Springwood Cemetery offers one of Greenville’s most unusual views, where more than 200 years of local history sit beneath the modern downtown skyline. From early burials and prominent Greenville families to weathered monuments and hidden stories, the cemetery preserves a remarkable piece of the city’s past.
Built in 1893, Hester Store has served Dacusville as a general store, gathering place and local landmark for more than 130 years. Explore its documented history, its modern revival, and what we really know about the ghost stories associated with the old store.