Human and Environment Interaction

Darrell Koons. South Carolina Railway Station. 1967. acrylic on panel. 18" x 47.25" Image courtesy of the SC Arts Commission.

Find out about transportation, environmental issues, and other ways South Carolinians and the environment interact.

Railroads

• South Carolina Logging Locomotives
  Timber companies used railroad equipment to haul logs from the forests to shipping stations.
• The Walterboro Railroad
  Watch this video about the South Carolina Railroad Museum and the Winnsboro Railroad.
• The Best Friend of Charleston
  Running for less than a year in 1830-1, The Best Friend of Charleston was the first steam locomotive in the US used for regularly scheduled passenger service.
• Lives on the Railroad
  In this photo, Southern Railway conductor C. Frank Marshall and engineer David J. Fant compare watches at Greenville, January 4, 1929.
• Images of Rail Travel
  See photographs of railroads, railroad bridges, and trolleys in South Carolina

Marine and River Transportation

South Carolina canals in use in 1825. Image courtesy of SCETV.

• Pirates, Plankton, & Pelicans
  Explore the Spirit of South Carolina schooner that replicates a merchant ship used in the late 1800s along South Carolina’s shores.
• The Saluda Canal
  The Saluda Canal was built in 1818 to help boat travel upstream using the Saluda River.

Man-made Lakes

• History of Lake Murray
  Read the history of Lake Murray in the Piedmont and watch 1930 news footage of the construction.
• History of Santee Cooper Power
  The Santee Cooper project started in 1939 to provide power to many South Carolinians.
• Santee Cooper Project – 1939
  Read about the plantations, churches, cemeteries, and other places that were lost with the construction of Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie.
• Building Santee Cooper
  Explore the 188 images from the construction of the Pinopolis and Santee dams.
• Timeline of J Strom Thurmond Lake
  Check out pictures of flooding along the Savannah River and the construction of the Clark Hill Dam.
• History of Lake Hartwell
  Lake Hartwell was built between 1955 and 1963 for flood-control and creating hydropower.

Environmental Issues

• Water Quality
  Find out what water quality is and how scientists tell if the water you drink is safe.
• Enviromysteries
  Maggie and all the folks at Reps need your help in solving all the environmental health problems going on at their center.
• EPA Student Center
  Explore games, videos, quizzes, and information about environmental issues that affect you.
• The Facts on Water Conservation
  Find out how you and your family can help use water wisely.

Explorations

• Carriages and Carts
  These images of horse-drawn carriages show how people traveled before trains and automobiles.
• Anderson Motor Company
  Take a look at these images of early cars in South Carolina.
• Research on the Vessel Palmetto, Part 1
  Watch this interesting video on Palmetto, a research vessel that is used to study marine water, pollution, fish, and more!
  • Research on the Vessel Palmetto, Part 2

CCC and the State Parks

• The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in South Carolina, 1933 -1942 
  Check out this photo gallery of Civilian Conservation Corps workers working at several South Carolina State Parks.
• Myrtle Beach State Park
  Several table shelters, rental cabins, and ranger staff houses are still in use that were built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.