When you hear Swamp Rabbit, you probably immediately think of Greenville. But, DYK that there is a connection to the cotton tail creature right outside of Columbia?
If you’ve driven on US-1, all the way out to Batesburg-Leesville, you’ve probably passed the location that was once home of the “Swamp Rabbit” Bridge. This spot is packed with history + we’re going to dive a little deeper into how it got its start.
From the late 19th to the early 20th century the train that the Sievern and Knoxville Railroad operated became locally known as the Swamp Rabbit.
The Swamp Rabbit, which ran the 17.5 miles from Batesburg to Sievern, connected the small South Carolina town to the Southern Railway until 1933.
The local train was an essential asset to the economy for 35+ years. It shipped lumber, turpentine, produce + the lucrative kaolin — a soft, white clay that was superior for porcelain and papermaking. The train rarely transported people.
In the 1920s, US Route 1 (aka Highway 1) expanded to the area. To accommodate the railway, the “Swamp Rabbit” Bridge was constructed to cross the railroad tracks and a small creek.
The 111-foot bridge was built in 1928-29 by Cohen Dick Fulmer for approx. $13,000, which would cost about $206,000 today. The highway bridge was known for its graceful arches + stretched the length of the Sievern & Knoxville Railroad.
Cohen Dick Fulmer was a contractor known for building many bridges for the South Carolina Highway Department from the 1920s until World War II. Today, Fulmer is buried in Leesville Cemetery.
The Sievern and Knoxville Railway was said to have failed in the 1930s, and with that came the abandonment of the Swamp Rabbit locally. If you want more Swamp Rabbit today, hop on up to GVL and learn about their Swamp Rabbit connection.
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