The tragic story of Lue Cree Overcash Westmoreland is woven into the fabric of the Amity Hill Community as much as any cornfield, church hymn, or long-abandoned cotton gin. If you grew up in this community in the last half-century around these parts, you had heard about Lue Cree. On Nov. 28, 1936, Lue Cree…
Beneath the Waters of Lake Murray
Lake Murray was built in the 1920s to provide hydroelectric power to the state of South Carolina. Just beneath the cold, dark, murky waters, much history is forever trapped at the bottom, including lost towns, cemeteries, churches, homes, and even the Wyse’s (Wyse) Ferry Bridge, with the names of the construction workers who built it…
The Infamous 1933 Charlotte Heist
Decades before the $17 million Loomis Fargo Heist in 1997, Charlotte was the scene of another infamous heist, when a group of gangsters invaded the Queen City to “raise” money for legal fees. On November 15, 1933, four men in a brand-new vehicle cut off and robbed a mail truck on 3rd Street. One of…
Beneath the Waters of Lake Jocassee
Beneath the Waters of Lake Jocassee Under the waters of Lake Jocassee are the remains of the Attakulla Lodge. It remained intact when the area was flooded to make way for the lake. We have covered the history of Lake Jocassee before, but we have never covered the actual lodge, which can only be reached…
Blackbeard’s Blockade of Charleston
In May of 1718, Blackbeard, with Stede Bonnet, and a flotilla of four ships arrived outside of Charleston and blockaded the port. Many were frightened of what the pirates might do to the city, but the men on board those ships weren’t looking for rum. The pirates needed something more valuable to keep them alive….
The Color Haint Blue of the Lowcountry
If you have been to the Lowcountry of South Carolina (Charleston) or coastal Georgia (Savannah), you will see many homes with porch ceilings, doors, shutters, and even houses painted blue. It’s not just any color; it’s called Haint Blue, and there is a reason for that. Many who visit these areas attribute the color to…
The Phantom Horseman of Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina, is surrounded by many ghostly tales. Some are more well-known than others, but what lurks in the shadows of graveyards, around the University of South Carolina campus, and even on roadways, is a lot of history and folklore that can’t be erased over time. Another legend that we have never covered is…
The Horrific Charleston Tornado of 1938
The Charleston Area Tornado outbreak of 1938 is rarely mentioned in South Carolina’s haunted history. On September 29, 1938, five tornadoes struck the area, spawned by a tropical depression that formed in the Gulf two days before. Three tornadoes pummeled James Island and Sullivan’s, but the worst one hit downtown Charleston, resulting in almost 30…
The Ghosts of Purrysburg
Purrysburg Township (Purrysburgh) is an unincorporated community in Jasper County, in the lower part of South Carolina. Today, not much is in this area except for a stone monument marking an early Swiss settlement that eventually failed. Jasper County has seen its fair share of war through the years. From the Revolutionary War to…
A Little Higher in Price but made in Dixie
The Anderson automobile is considered the most successful automobile built in the Southeastern United States. While the Anderson Motor Company was only operational from 1916 to 1925, it will forever be remembered as a what-if story and a part of South Carolina’s haunted history. John Gary Anderson started the business in Rock Hill, South Carolina,…