There was a small blue spot on the wall. The rest of the massive map had the neatly written names of all the schools and churches, towns and villages in York County, South Carolina in 1914, but all that marked the former site of the community of Concord, South Carolina was this unlabeled blue dot. I contacted the Historical Center of York County, and researcher Wanda Fowler kindly dug up a pair of grainy photographs of the Concord school and ten undated clipping from the Yorville Enquirer that recounted some of the history of Concord. From what I can tell Concord, SC never developed into much of a town, but at its height it had a school, a church and a graveyard. Concord was noted as a site for annual revivals by Methodist preachers. Nestled into the banks of the Catawaba River, the town flooded frequently and seemed to struggle between floods, fires, and disease. Average life span was only 46, and the rate of child mortality was depressingly high. At the beginning of the 20th century, the power needed to run cotton mills changed over from local inconsistent river flow to the new wonder - hydroelectricity. The Catawba River was dammed and Lake Wylie was formed. The town of Concord hit hard times. The rise of Lake Catawba engulfed much of the prime riverfront farmland, malaria spread and many of the Concordians sold their land to the power company and moved out. In 1925, a new power plant was opened. This required more water and the dam was raised so that the resulting lake increased in size 20 fold. In 1924, the Southern Power Company raised the level of the dam by 25 feet and built the new Catawba Hydroelectric Station to replace the original. Much of the old community was no longer accessible by road and the remaining local residents were forced off their land by rising water and the constant threat of disease. Around 1930 the church and the school burnt down. They were rebuilt, but burned down again. In 1985, the Catawba Nuclear Power plant was commissioned. Today, the peninsula is dominated by clouds of steam and the massive concrete structures. Access is through a restricted road. I was able to get the code to the gate and sneak unannounced into the grounds of the Catawba Nuclear Power facility. Massive cooling towers with cascading flows of water create a constant drone that vibrates the otherwise deserted landscape. By the time the nuclear power station was built, all that remained of the community of Concord was a couple of street signs and the old graveyard. ”In her Glory … when it was a noted camp meeting place, people flocked in from miles around…. And to think that all of the old families are dead and their descendants ruthlessly driven from their homes by the lust or greed for power , by a corporation, not one of which was interested except in the greed for gold.” (Dr. R.L. Anderson, Yorkville Enquirer, undated)
4 Comments
3/15/2023 05:20:27 am
Why don’t you promote birth control and population reduction for Africa instead of getting wound up about zebras?
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3/15/2023 11:18:38 am
The rise of Lake Catawba engulfed much of the prime riverfront farmland, malaria spread and many of the Concordians sold their land to the power company and moved out. I’m so thankful for your helpful post!
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8/11/2023 02:10:11 pm
By the time the nuclear power station was built, all that remained of the community of Concord was a couple of street signs and the old graveyard. Thank you for taking the time to write a great post!
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9/15/2023 02:16:26 pm
From everything I can say to Harmony, SC never formed into a very remarkable town, however at its level it had a school, a congregation and a cemetery. Harmony was noted as a site for yearly recoveries by Methodist ministers.
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Rob MorrisonI'm a teacher from Concord MA, travelling to all the other Concords in the USA, meeting people and hearing their stories. ArchivesCategories |