According to a retrospective in The State newspaper… The lakes themselves weren’t really considered.īills were introduced, but the project lay dormant for another 20 years. Hydroelectric power was a secondary consideration. These early discussions of the Santee Cooper project focused on the navigation aspects – the creation of a new canal linking the two rivers. As early as 1914 it was reported that the Santee-Cooper project was being planned. The whole area was impoverished, and illiteracy was common. Floods threatened the Congaree-Santee basin on a regular basis, and malaria was prevalent. The plight of South Carolinians had not improved. However, the dream of a complete waterway connecting the Santee and Cooper Rivers persisted. Eventually, railroads replaced the canal traffic, and the canal fell into disuse. The canal did a great business until droughts of 18 dried up most of the waterway and left boats stranded. William Moultrie was one of the principal shareholders, and eventually president of the company. Construction was begun in 1793 under the direction of Col. In the late 1700’s the Santee Canal Company was formed to explore the possibility of connecting the Santee River with the Cooper River, providing a route into Charleston. There seemed to be no good way to get goods from the interior of South Carolina to its largest city. In this state, boats coming down the Santee River had a long stretch along the ocean beset with tides and storms. By contrast, Savannah was right on the banks of the Savannah River, which provided an easy way to get goods from far inland down to that coastal city. They provided adequate access to the low country plantations, but they don’t penetrate very far into the state. While the peninsula makes an excellent harbor situated between the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, those rivers don’t really go anywhere. It’s history has been one of controversy.Īs with many things that seem to cause trouble in South Carolina (slavery, Civil War, Mark Sanford, etc), that history had its roots in Charleston. The Santee-Cooper project was both hailed as a New Deal marvel, and derided for robbing many of their homes. That was not the case with other plantations and residences in the area.

By the time the town of Ferguson was swallowed by the waters of Lake Marion, it had already been abandoned.

2 towns made marion