The lakes were named after Revolutionary War hero’s General Francis Marion,, ”Swamp Fox”, and General William Moultrie for their Contribution to The Battle Of Eutaw Springs. The Battle of Eutaw Springs was fought on September 8, 1771 and was the last major battle in South Carolina. Located on the south shore of Lake Marion, Eutaw Springs on Hwy 6 is designated by a monument as a Historical Site.
Not far from this Historical Site, 100 years later,
Ferguson was born. Located on the south shore of the Santee River four miles
northeast of Eutawville, the Santee River Cypress Lumber Company was harvesting
virgin cypress.
There were railroad tracks that led to the mill, but design made the train backed down into the small town. Planked sidewalks lined streets that were named after good wood. There were two motels. A school that educated through the week provided spiritual leadership on Sunday. A hospital, an unusual item for such a small town, was necessary because of the constant threat of malaria. Electric power lines passed by one of the two water towers, one for drinking, the other ready to face the threat of fire. There were two Lidgerwood Manufacturing Company Pull boats purchased by the company in 1908. Soon thereafter two Lidgerwood Duplex all cable way skidding planks were specifically designed for this production. The town had grown to 1000 families. With MR.. Cross as the General Superintendent, the band saw at the Ferguson Mill, powered by steam, was cutting 80,000 feet a day.
Today's sons and grandsons memories preserve the past as they tell the story of Ferguson.
Holding a time check token, possibly from 1890, stamped Santee River Cypress Lumber Company, Kenneth Mims glasses caught the reflection of the gold coin. In his other hand a token for the commissary worth 25 cents in merchandise. “They’d pay them a little salary and make a profit off of them in the commissary, too. All sawmills had commissaries,” he said. Mims, now living in Holly Hill was born in Eutawville in 1925. His father, Lutrell Mims, and grandfather, William Mims, both worked the mill.
“Ferguson Mill was the biggest that ever came to this part of the country,” he said." The owner, Mr. Beidler, was from Chicago.” The partnership between Beidler and B.F.Ferguson, was formed in 1890. The company’s land stretched from the south bank often lower Wateree and Congaree River’s encompassing 165,000 acres.
Some trees came out by rail. A bridge was built in 1909 that went from the spur of the mill to the company’s property on the northern bank of the Santee. The bridge, exclusively for the mill, was not common knowledge to the public. After the mill closed Mims uncle was responsible to open this great bridge when a boat would come by. During that time steamboats were traveling the Santee bringing passengers to Georgetown or Columbia. ”There was a little park there,” Mims said., as he held a photograph of his sister standing in front of the high structure bridge.
The other trees came by water. . ”There were pylons,
that bumped the logs into a big log pond. He recalls the excellent fishing when
he was a kid.
Ferguson Landing, Hideaway Campground.
The log pond is still home to monster catfish. One which was caught in the Randolph’s Landing, South Carolina State Championship Catfish Tournament on March 9th and 10th, 2002. Mike Barefoot caught the biggest fish, 53.11 pounds using gizzard shad.
The lakes currently hold a World and State Record Channel Catfish (58 lbs.) and Arkansas Blue (until 1996) that weighed 109.4 lbs.
The State Records that are currently held are: Largemouth Bass- 16.2 lbs., Black Crappie-5 lbs., Chain- 6.4 lbs, Shellcracker - 5.7 lbs, and Warmouth- 2.25 lbs.
There are conflicting accounts of the date as to when Beildler’s partner, Ferguson died. After Ferguson's’ death Beidler bought his interest and continued the operation of the mill until his eyesight failed him. It’s been told that his blindness made him untrusting thinking that people would steal everything from him. Sending word to M.B. Cross the great mill, after 25 years of operation, shutdown in 1914.
The only visible remains of Ferguson is the Brick Kiln where the cypress trees were dried. Now, named Hideaway Campground, this backwoods living is for the truly adventuresome A place where you can sit and watch the alligators swim and listen to guitar music. Surrounded by The South Carolina Wildlife Area it is not unusual to view whitetail deer, turkey, doves, or bobcats.
Twenty years after the closing of the mill that brought the death to the town of Ferguson, the Holly Hill Lumber Company of Bowman was given a contract to remove what timber was left before the impounding of the lake. These guidelines that were established by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” was to provide a publicly-owned power company in South Carolina. In 1934 the South Carolina Public Service Authority was established and the largest earth moving project in the nation’s history began.
In the 1940’s with the world at war manpower was reduced. Lake Marion was not completely cleared. As a result the thousands of stumps, standing dead tree trunks, and live cypress trees are a perfect backdrop for many species of fish.