Ferguson Island Ghost Town

Off the beaten path, just past a campground and a hot dog stand, the trees part way to form a boat landing. Upstream, behind the cypress tress and the osprey nests you will find the remains of Ferguson Island, a ghost town, both above and below the water. A token to progress and Americas pursuit for a better life. What's left of the late 18th and early 19th century town stands as a reminder that life is full of opportunity and change. Yet, those sturdy walls pay tribute to the memories and the stories of those who've came before us.

The only remaining structure is a lumber kiln.

This past weekend, Mark and I had the opportunity to adventure with friends on Lake Marion! I recently learned about Ferguson Island and was enthusiastically counting down the days until we got to explore the remains of this once logging town. Accessible only by boat or kayak, Ferguson Island was once a town, but the development of Lake Marion during World War II just about covered up what was left of it.

Ferguson's story started long before Lake Marion existed. It all began when two Chicago businessmen, purchased large amounts of forest land at bargain prices in post-Civil War South Carolina. Both men realized the potential in logging the bald cypress trees in the Santee floodplain. Thus, they built a lumber mill and town on the Santee River that they named Ferguson.

Ferguson was a self-sufficient community that did not interact much with outside villages. Logs were sent by rail to Eutawville and Cross and were later transported to other parts of the state. While Ferguson had indoor plumbing and gas lighting in the streets, employees were not paid in cash. Instead, they were paid in scrip, forcing workers to buy only from company owned stores. However, the town was short lived and the post office closed their doors by 1917.

Yet the actual fate of Ferguson, like so many other towns throughout the state, derived from the need to develop a waterway that could transport goods throughout South Carolina to Charleston. While this desire existed long before Ferguson, plans were finally put into action in 1934 when state legislation established the SC Public Service Authority which created and operated the Santee Cooper Hydroelectric and Navigation Project. Years later, Lake Marion was built and covered up what was left of Ferguson.

Ferguson Island is located on the south shore of Lake Marion, near Eutawville and requires a quick kayak trip from the boat landing to the island. 

Finn was a little worried. He'd heard there were gators in the water!

Adventures are always better with friends :)

The bare limbs of the cypress trees add to the ghoulish atmosphere surrounding the ghost town. 

Just think, in the spring and summer these trees provide the perfect cover for gators and snakes!

Once we beached our kayak, we got out and explored the tiny island. While we didn't find any ghosts, we sure did find a lot of fish and gator skeletons!

While these may look like stumps, they're actually Cypress knees!

Where are all the ghosts?

Some of us lucky enough to have long legs actually went inside the kiln...

and got to take this really cool silhouette picture! Photo creds go to Rachel!

Besides the lumber kiln, all that is visible are the remains of various building foundations and lots of crumbling bricks! They are best seen by kayak and canoe!

As we left, I was reminded that this single lane road that brings visitors to and from Ferguson Island was once the rail bed that transported the lumber out of town to the rest of South Carolina. Just think of all the lives, towns, and cities those logs built!