Dr. George Rogers Clark Todd was the brother-in-law of President Abraham Lincoln, but the two never agreed, with Todd once saying that Lincoln was “one of the greatest scoundrels unhung.” Todd had worked tirelessly around the clock to save lives for several days following the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863, bandaging wounds, administering anesthesia, and…
The Mysterious Dead House
The mysterious Dead House at the Old Navy Base in North Charleston, South Carolina, has stumped historians for years. Today, it’s believed to be off-limits, but many have wondered whether the building was once a mausoleum to store bodies or a powder magazine. Looking at the reinforced style of the building and its materials, English…
Remembering The 2005 Graniteville Train Crash
On January 6, 2005, a Norfolk Southern train with forty-two cars attached, traveling at approximately fifty miles per hour, struck a misaligned switch, sending the locomotive into the path of a parked locomotive. derailing both. Three of the tank cars contained chlorine, and one car was breached in the accident, dumping 180,000 pounds of poisonous…
The History of the Angel Oak
The Angel Oak sits on Johns Island at 3688 Angel Oak Road, near Charleston, South Carolina. It dates back over 500 years. It stands less than 70 feet tall and was present in 1717, when a land grant was made. Roughly 500,000 visitors visit the grounds every year. Through the years, this tree has survived…
The History of the Folly Beach Boat
Have you ever wondered where this famous Folly Beach Icon came from? The story of the Folly Beach or Folly Boat dates back to the massive Hurricane Hugo in 1989, which slammed into South Carolina as a Category 4 storm. The storm surge pushed the boat to its final resting place on Folly Road, close…
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…
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 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…