Roads & Routes

Proud Marines and military aficionados know some of the tales of Parris Island military base, and now you can experience its history first-hand through this pictorial history of the infamous island.

Located near the Palmetto State's historic city of Beaufort, the United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina is one of the world's most famous military bases. Having trained Marine recruits since World War I, the base is the oldest major post of the Marine Corps. It is also the first base commissioned exclusively to train United States Marines, and therefore may truly be called ""The Cradle of the Corps."" Parris Island takes the reader on a visual journey through documented photographs that highlight the base's touchstones. Before the American Revolution, the island was partially owned by Col. Alexander Parris, who became the island's namesake. Plantations flourished on Parris Island until the end of the War between the States. A small detachment of Marines first arrived in the late 1800s. It was not until 1915, however, that the Marines arrived for good. Since then, the base has rapidly expanded, first during World War I and more so during World War II. Over the years, much of the physical appearance of the base has changed; yet, through this collection of photographs, former Parris Island Marines will have a chance to relive some of their memories while new recruits can watch the progression of their base unfold.

Join author M. Patrick Hendrix as he follows the tumultuous lives of the men who fought to control the most revered monuments to the war.

In 1829, construction began on a fort atop a rock formation in the mouth of Charleston Harbor. Decades later, Fort Sumter was near completion on December 26, 1860, when Major Robert Anderson occupied it in response to the growing hostilities between the North and South. As a symbol of sedition for the North and holy ground for the South, possession of Fort Sumter was deemed essential to both sides when the Civil War began. By 1864, the fort, heavily bombarded by Union artillery, was a shapeless mass of ruins, mostly bermed rubble and sand with a garrison of Confederate soldiers holding its ground.

With one of the oldest lighthouses in the country and the most working lighthouses today, South Carolina boasts a rich lighthouse history.

Discover the history of an ancient road.   Traveling US 25 through the Carolinas today is a much more pleasant experience than it was in the 1700s. Then, the road from the Tennessee Cherokee Towns to Augusta, Georgia, was a Cherokee trading path that followed a bison trace to the navigable port on the Savannah River. Drovers came from as far as Kentucky herding hogs, turkeys and mules. Lowcountry South Carolinians traveled by stagecoach and wagon to the foothills and mountains, staying for months. The Augusta Road, Saluda Gap and Buncombe Turnpike became the Dixie Highway Carolina Division and then the US Route 25 by 1931. Author Anne Peden travels the trading path and concrete highway to explore this fascinating history.

Boasting one of the oldest lighthouses in North America and the most working lighthouses today, South Carolina has a long seafaring history. In 1767, the Morris Island Lighthouse was built at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, and before 1860, there were lighthouses in Georgetown, Cape Romain, Bull's Bay, and Hunting Island. During the Civil War, all lighthouses on the eastern coast were darkened. Many were destroyed. After the war, towers that had been damaged were repaired, and additional lights were erected on Daufuskie and Hilton Head Islands. In 1962, the new Charleston Light on Sullivan's Island replaced the Morris Island Lighthouse, which was suffering from erosion by the ever-encroaching sea. The new light contained an elevator and two rotating beacons capable of producing 28 million candlepower, a light that can be seen 26 miles out to sea. At that time, it was considered one of the most powerful lights in the Western Hemisphere.

Columbia, South Carolina, sits in a perfect position--each of the numerous treasures of the Palmetto State is less than a day's drive from the capital.

Near Charleston, 137 miles from Columbia, you can enjoy more than seventeen thousand square feet of shade from the iconic Angel Oak. In Blackville, 49 miles from Columbia, you can visit a natural spring that has been deeded to God since 1944. A 53-mile trip to Edgefield will put you in the heart of Peach Country, where you can see many of the peach orchards that make South Carolina one of the nation's leading producers of the sweet fruit. Join author and day-tripper Tom Poland as he maps the beautiful treasures of South Carolina.

Experience the personal accounts of Marine Corp recruits as they recall their experiences of their time and training at Parris Island in South Carolina.

Here, for the first time, author and former Parris Island drill-instructor Eugene Alvarez records the training and tough physical and mental challenges that have helped to churn thousands of Marines out of Parris Island, South Carolina for nearly a century. Drawn from first-hand accounts of recruits themselves, the memories and recollections in these pages are humorous, sad, profane and enlightening--describing a training program that, on first encounter, often appears insane. But the results are clear: a disciplined Marine with a proud history that he or she carries proudly in peace time or war.

Welcome to York, a city that can trace its beginnings to the origins of York County, South Carolina. Explore the thirty different styles of architecture in a compact historic district that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Within three blocks, discover how an elephant brought Santa Claus into town. Walk the paths of Catawba and Cherokee warriors and chiefs, as well as where leaders and militia rode during the Revolutionary War. And imagine the sights and sounds as Jefferson Davis gave his last public address before the cabinet of the Confederacy dissolved. The Yorkville Historical Society offers this fascinating history and more in a guided tour through the White Rose City.