Resource extraction on the Congaree River centered on cypress logging from 1898, when the Santee River Cypress Logging Company began to operate in the area of what is now the park. More... St. John's Parish was organized in 1858 and a church building begun. The Congaree River was an important route for travel into the interior of the state until well into the 20th century. The Gervais Street Bridge construction began in 1926 and was completed in 1928. Congaree Indians subsisted on the vegetation and abundant game. Both the Congaree and Broad River bridges were burned to slow the Northern advance. For a little over a mile, the Congaree River rolls over rapids, shoals, and interspersed islands before it … In 1822, the Carolina made the trip upriver in 4 ½ days. A concrete bridge was completed in 1927. The weather was beautiful We enjoyed walking the trails and on the boardwalks beautiful birds of different kind were to be seen. The river serves an important role as the final outlet channel for the entire Lower Saluda and Lower Broad watersheds, before merging with the Wateree River just north of Lake Marion to form the Santee River. Lake Murray inundated some 78 square miles of land as one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. The Congaree River was an important route for travel into the interior of the state until well into the 20th century. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. It was burned to delay the advance of Sherman's Army in 1865, rebuilt in 1870. Across the river, a trail, now US-1, headed it 's a great place for taking pics. Lowcountry Rivers led inland to the fall line, the area where the piedmont meets the coastal plain; an area that is characterized by the rapids and shoals of the Congaree, Broad and Saluda. However, great discussions arose over the capabilities of transporting electricity over a body of water as large as the Congaree and the costs of canal construction. Updates? Cotton production in the state was among the largest in the country. It had an eight foot-wide towpath on each side. The river flooded every spring until the Dreher Shoals (Lake Murray) Dam was built. The Congaree River Bridge, 1910 | History Of SC Slide Collection. The statehouse would be built of this material. (:ill.) Charleston, SC: History Press, 2008. Serving as the highway of the day, South Carolina’s rivers provided ready access to an inland wilderness. Sennema, David C., and Martha D. Sennema. Description. The Guinard family built a wooden bridge providing access to the mill and uniting the riverbank communities, as demand for wanting to visit Columbia in- creased. From 1928-1953, the Gervais Street Bridge would be the only means of crossing the Congaree. Located at the confluence of the Congaree and Wateree Rivers in central South Carolina, Congaree National Park protects the nation's largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest. Introduction During the first halfofthe 18th century, there were two fortifications built in the vicinity ofthe Congarees, just below the confluence ofthe Saluda and Broad Rivers. Prehistoric peoples hunted the fl oodplain of the Congaree river and fi shed its waters. The confluence of the Congaree Situated along the meandering Congaree River in central South Carolina, Congaree National Park is home to champion trees, primeval forest landscapes, and diverse plant and animal life. Six decades later, thousands of acres of the old-growth trees were preserved in Congaree Swamp National As is often the case, Columbia’s history is tied inextricably to its landscape, and more specifically, its rivers. History. I recommend this for couples or families or just for a stroll in nature. The Congaree River | History Of SC Slide Collection. Modern visitors to the park enjoy a pristine landscape that seems ancient and untouched by human hands, but in truth its history is far different. The heaviest flood on record occurred on August 27, 1908, when the water reached 20 feet over the bank. We work to protect and improve water quality, wildlife habitat, and recreation on the Broad, Lower Saluda, and Congaree Rivers through advocacy, education, and enforcement of environmental laws. Norfolk, Va.: Donning Co., 1986. USGS 02169500 CONGAREE RIVER AT COLUMBIA, SC. After a course of about 50 miles (80 km), part of which forms the boundary between Richland and Calhoun counties, the Congaree joins the Wateree River southeast of Columbia to become the Santee River. Skip to main content. Public Meeting - November 17, 2020 @ 6:30 PM. The Broad River Bridge was built two years later in 1829 and a 1500 ft dam constructed to channel water into the Columbia Canal along the Broad River near its confluence with the Saluda. It lies in the centre of the state on the east bank of the Congaree River at the confluence of the Broad and Saluda rivers. Epidemics severely reduced the Congaree population during the 1600s. Six textile mills were built in Columbia between 1890 and 1905. It was made the county seat of government, home to a courthouse, stores, boat landing and numerous houses. Eswa Huppiday meaning “Line River” divided the territory with the Catawba claiming the land to the north and the Cherokee hunting the lands to the south. Fort Congaree was first built in the early 1700’s near a Native American trading post along Congaree creek. The Congaree was named for an Indian tribe. See Article History Congaree River, river, central South Carolina, U.S., formed by the confluence of the Broad and Saluda rivers at Columbia. 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