Gotcha. I used to go through there on my way down 321 to visit my grandmother in Scotia back when she was alive. One small town after another on 321. I remember Ulmer was a pretty busy junction back then. Seems I remember a restaurant and a motel. I seem to also remember seeing a public swimming pool near there beside 321, but it's vague now.
It had some gas stations and a truck stop that was big and spacious with a restaurant. Probably more business than population. 301 was the I-95 of its day. Bumper to bumper traffic most of the year. Motels in every town along with restaurants and gas stops
Chester and Union are a lot alike, just a slow death for the past 30 - 40 years.
I go through Lockhart and Whitmire regularly, nothing left of them. Union is larger but not in good shape.
When Hwy 176 became a 4-lane all the way to Spartanburg, that was about the end for Jonesville.
I'm not sure it was "voluntary", I guess at some level it was, in that trade agreements were made with foreign countries with cheaper labor.
Barnwell- BHS. Warhorses baby!! We were good when I went there. Made the state championship in I think it was 97, my first year in Columbia. I went to the game at WB and watched us lose on a last second TD pass..
I've heard of them certainly. I think they won some state championships. I was trying to get a bead on what Salkehatchie was near.
I did, too. I lived in the small town on US 301 named Ulmer. We used to call it Ulmers until some historian corrected us. You have the story of those town's demise down pat. Allendale used to be full of dozens of motels, restaurants and such. Now, there's none except the ones USC-Salkehatchie has converted to dorms. Allendale is truly a dying town only inhabited by elderly and very poor people. It used to be a great place to grow up. Ulmer has practically dried up. I still know a few people there and we buried my parents and much of our family in Great Salkehatchie Cemetery in Ulmer. I was recently told that only 3 white and 3 black families still live there. Basically, nobody moves there and many of the old houses are falling down. A real shame.
I'm not sure about those championships. I do know that Allendale-Fairfax HS used to have a really good football team that had lots of community support and games were always crowded. I remember when they played for the state championship on their level. They played Irmo at Irmo in a flooding rain. Our coach wanted to postpone the game, but Irmo wouldn't agree. AF beat them 39-0. I was there.
I think a more precise characterization is that influential people made deliberate policy decisions that gave rise to this disaster.
Branchville was on the map for the main reason of a nearby coal-fired electric plant. Branchville and the electric plant was served by the Hampton & Branchville Railroad, a small very wealthy railroad due to the coal moving on it. That coal plant has long closed and the railroad is slowly dying as no trains use it. CSX RR owns it and there has been rumors that they will reopen that line and even extend it to the Volvo plant in Ridgeville. The coal plant was in Cannadys.
Salk is in Allendale- 17 miles from Barnwell. Used to have to drive it twice a day at least…
Best peaches in the state in Kline, Pat's Peaches. The Chappel's have ran that for as long as I can remember.
I drove through Branchville today on my way to Lodge. As I was leaving I saw a sign pointing to Yemesse and I thought of you.
Yeah, they grow more peaches in Allendale and Barnwell counties alone than the entire state of Georgia. “peach state” my arse… oddly I have never been a big fan of peaches, and grew up literally right across the street from a massive peach farm.
Know it’s not my business but I have to ask what someone from Grey Court is doing in my neck of the woods. This is nothing but country
Actually, my friend from Union visited me last week. He was talking about several new restaurants that were opening in Union so I asked if Union was starting to grow some. He said yes and that most of it was because people were wanting out of big towns/cities and because of the growth of USC-Union.
My wife's hometown. They're trying to bring it back. Mack Truck killed that town. They still have a pretty good football team
Barring an economic miracle, Winnsboro will never be what it was back in the 1950s and 1960s. Actually the beginning of the end was the loss of the U.S. Rubber plant. Mack was supposed to assuage that loss, but then it ceased operations as well.
What kind of shape is Pickens in? My family lived there briefly during one of my teenage years.
I attended a wedding reception at some eating place in downtown Union - maybe five years ago. Dinner was served and it was quite good.
The town was still doing ok because of all the nuclear plant money. Mack Truck came in and brought a bunch of outsiders and the evil empire known as Walmart. Walmart drove all the local small business out. Then Mack left, the outsiders left, property values dropped and the town had lost it’s charm. US Rubber possibly started it but Mack sped it up and ended any chance of revival.
I’ve only been in Union a few times-to see my friend and it was in my territory when I was a state investigator-just passing on what a native told me this month.
I drive cars/trucks for a local dealership. Yesterday I delivered sales papers to a customer in Lodge as a courtesy so they did not have to drive up here. Beautiful country down there!
Thanks. Ever in Lodge again try a cheeseburger at the corner store. Homemade. Fries are usually cooked just right too
There is also a campus in Walterboro that is part of USC-Salkehatchie.
