Did you know that South Carolina has a swamp called Hell Hole Swamp? The name dates to the mid-1700s, and there are many theories about how the area got its name.
One account says the swamp got its name from the Revolutionary War from Colonel Tarleton because the British had a hell of a time finding General Marion.
Another says it was a repository for bootleggers during the Prohibition years, since the area was used as a significant hub for moonshining in the state. Other stories say that Al Capone and others visited Hell Hole Swamp to check on the moonshine operation supplying his underworld in Chicago.
In 2021, an article linked an abandoned moonshine still found there to Al Capone. Archaeologists uncovered the remnants of a 1920-era artifact of an illegal liquor-distilling operation run by Capone associate Benjamin Villeponteaux.
I hear it can be “Hell” of a place to visit. The swamp is in Berkeley County.
Written By John G. Clark Jr.
