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Pumpkintown SC | History, Heritage & Hidden Gems of the South Carolina Foothills
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Pumpkintown SC | History, Heritage & Hidden Gems of the South Carolina Foothills
  • The Vine That Ate the South: How Kudzu Changed the Landscape of Upstate South Carolina
    Nature

    The Vine That Ate the South: How Kudzu Changed the Landscape of Upstate South Carolina

    Byphone June 11, 2026June 12, 2026

    What looks like a peaceful green hillside may actually be a battle for survival. Introduced to America with good intentions, kudzu was once promoted as a solution to soil erosion across the South. Instead, it became one of the region’s most infamous invasive plants, swallowing forests, fence lines, abandoned farmsteads, and even entire buildings beneath a blanket of vines. Discover how “the vine that ate the South” transformed the landscape of Pickens County and why its legacy continues to shape the Upstate today.

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  • Beneath Lake Keowee: The Lost Town, the Fort, and the Valley That Disappeared
    Local History

    Beneath Lake Keowee: The Lost Town, the Fort, and the Valley That Disappeared

    Byphone June 10, 2026June 12, 2026

    Before Lake Keowee became one of South Carolina’s most beautiful lakes, the valley below was home to Cherokee towns, frontier history, family farms, and generations of local residents. Discover the forgotten world that still rests beneath the water.

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  • Before Lake Jocassee: The Wild Rivers That Created the Keowee Valley
    Early Settlers

    Before Lake Jocassee: The Wild Rivers That Created the Keowee Valley

    Byphone June 8, 2026June 12, 2026

    Before Lake Jocassee covered the valley with deep blue water, four wild mountain rivers joined together to create the Keowee River. Discover the waterfalls, communities, farms, and natural wonders that once filled the lost Jocassee Valley beneath the lake.

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  • The Orange Flowers That May Mark Forgotten Homes in Pumpkintown
    Early Settlers

    The Orange Flowers That May Mark Forgotten Homes in Pumpkintown

    Byphone June 8, 2026June 12, 2026

    Every summer, bright orange daylilies transform the roadsides of Pumpkintown and the Table Rock foothills into ribbons of color. Most people admire their beauty, but few realize these flowers may be living reminders of forgotten homes, farms, and communities that once dotted the landscape. Discover the history behind the Upstate’s famous “ditch lilies” and why they continue blooming long after the people who planted them are gone.

    Read More The Orange Flowers That May Mark Forgotten Homes in PumpkintownContinue

  • The Forgotten Highway That Built Poinsett Bridge
    Local History

    The Forgotten Highway That Built Poinsett Bridge

    Byphone June 8, 2026June 12, 2026

    Most visitors know Poinsett Bridge as South Carolina’s oldest surviving bridge. Few realize it carried traffic for more than 135 years and was once part of an ambitious highway project designed to connect Charleston to the mountains. Here’s the forgotten story behind one of the Upstate’s most remarkable landmarks.

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  • 30 Strange and Unusual South Carolina Town Names (And the Stories Behind Them)
    Interesting

    30 Strange and Unusual South Carolina Town Names (And the Stories Behind Them)

    Byphone June 7, 2026June 12, 2026

    From Pumpkintown and Sugar Tit to Nine Times, Ninety Six, Possum Kingdom, and Tigerville, South Carolina is filled with communities whose names tell remarkable stories. Explore the history, folklore, and local legends behind 30 of the state’s strangest place names.

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  • The 2025 Table Rock Fire: When the Mountain Burned
    Local History

    The 2025 Table Rock Fire: When the Mountain Burned

    Byphone June 5, 2026June 12, 2026

    In 2025, wildfire swept across the slopes of Table Rock Mountain, creating dramatic scenes visible throughout Pumpkintown and northern Pickens County. Discover the story of the fire, the response, and how South Carolina’s most famous mountain is recovering.

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  • Griffin Baptist Church: More Than 150 Years of Faith in the Foothills
    Churches

    Griffin Baptist Church: More Than 150 Years of Faith in the Foothills

    Byphone June 4, 2026June 12, 2026

    For more than 150 years, Griffin Baptist Church has served the communities of Pumpkintown and northern Pickens County. Located along the Pumpkintown Highway with Glassy Mountain in the background, the church remains a longstanding landmark in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

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  • The Forgotten Toll Road Across Sassafras Mountain
    Local History

    The Forgotten Toll Road Across Sassafras Mountain

    Byphone June 4, 2026June 12, 2026

    Long before Highway 178 and the Foothills Trail, travelers crossed the mountains near Sassafras Mountain on the Emory Gap Toll Road. Portions of this forgotten route still survive today, hidden beneath one of South Carolina’s most famous hiking trails.

    Read More The Forgotten Toll Road Across Sassafras MountainContinue

  • The Lost Farms of Table Rock: When These Woods Were Fields
    Local History

    The Lost Farms of Table Rock: When These Woods Were Fields

    Byphone June 4, 2026June 12, 2026

    A forgotten wagon wheel discovered on a wooded ridge overlooking Table Rock reveals a surprising truth about the Upstate foothills. Long before the forests returned, these hills were home to farms, pastures, orchards, and families who worked the land beneath the shadow of the mountains.

    Read More The Lost Farms of Table Rock: When These Woods Were FieldsContinue

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