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From our friends at WLTX

 
Throwback Thursday: The Columbia Canal
Bierkeller
The view from Bierkeller Columbia. | Photo by @bierkellercolumbia
Columbia has some beautiful rivers — the Saluda + Broad — which merge to form the Congaree, and flow right through the heart of the Capital City. More than just providing a recreational resource, the rivers were the most important means of transportation for 50+ years.

When SC’s capital was moved from Charleston to Columbia in 1786, the demand for imports + exports increased. This led to an increase in traffic, creating the need for a canal to help the ships bypass the falls and rapids. Irish immigrants constructed the Columbia Canal in the 1820s.

From Columbia, trade boats could journey along the Congaree River to the Santee River, where they could continue to Charleston + eventually, the Atlantic Ocean. This opened up SC’s export potential to the world. The Columbia Canal was considered to be the most profitable of SC’s river canals.

Columbia Canal locks

View of the locks on the Columbia Canal in 1895. | Copy of a photograph from Art Work Scenes in South Carolina via Richland Library’s digital archives.

After railroads became the prominent mode of transportation in the 1840s, demand for the canal dropped to occasional use but was the only canal project in SC that remained in use after the railroads.

It was later used as a source of drinking water for city residents by William Sprague, IV after he purchased the canal in 1868. (Read a full history of Columbia’s drinking water.)

After the Civil War, the canal was expanded and provided hydroelectric power to the growing mill industry in Columbia. One of the most iconic is the Columbia Mill, which was the first textile mill in the world to be powered only by electricity. The location of the mill is now where the SC State Museum resides.

Today, many citizens live, work, and play around the canal at the Riverfront Park, where they see wildlife (including alligators), enjoy recreational use of the waters, and so much more.
 
Asked
 
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We’d like to hear from our readers — what pieces of local history interest you the most? Let us know at the button below.
 
Newberry Opera House
 
Events
 
Thursday, April 4
  • Midlands Clay Arts Society Spring Sale | Thursday, April 4-Saturday, April 6 | Times vary | Stormwater Studios, 413 Pendleton St., Columbia | Free | Local ceramic artists will showcase their sculptural, functional, and whimsical wheel-thrown and hand-built ceramic art.
  • First Thursday: Live Music and L’apero | Thursday, April 4, Thursday, May 2 | 4-9:30 p.m. | Hampton Street Vineyard, 1207 Hampton St., Columbia | Experience live music from 5 to 8 p.m. and treat yourself to a French happy hour, L’Apero, available from 4 p.m. until close.
  • Prettier Than Matt | Thursday, April 4 | 6 p.m. | Icehouse Amphitheater, 107 West Main St., Lexington | Free | Join Lexington’s Spring Concert Series featuring locals, Prettier than Matt.
Friday, April 5
  • Brew 2 Build | Friday, April 5 | 5-8 p.m. | Segra Park, 1640 Freed St., Columbia | $15-$35 | This night will feature 100+ unlimited brews to sample from across the nation, including alcohol-free selections + specialty waters.
  • Gamecock Softball vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs | Friday, April 5-Sunday, April 7 | Times vary | Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field, 1318 Heyward St., Columbia | $10 | Root for the Gamecocks as they take on the Bulldogs at home.
  • Gamecock Baseball vs. Texas A&M Aggies | Friday, April 5-Sunday, April 7 | Times vary | Founders Park, 431 Williams St., Columbia | $20-$25 | Root root root for the home team as they take on A&M in Founders Park.
Saturday, April 6
  • Annual Herb Festival | Saturday, April 6 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | Lexington County Museum, 231 Fox St., Lexington | Free | Activities include a plant sale with many varieties of herbs, herbs and plant-related vendors, food vendors, and free herb mini-demonstrations.
  • Columbia International Festival | Saturday, April 6-Sunday, April 7 | Times vary | SC State Fair Grounds, 1200 Rosewood Dr., Columbia | $7-$10 | Enjoy music, culture, food, and performing arts of the various cultures, nationalities, races, and language groups represented in SC.
  • Germany and Austria Wine Tasting | Saturday, April 6 | 3 p.m. | Hampton Street Vineyard, 1207 Hampton St., Columbia | $33 | Try red and white wines from Germany and Austria.
Sunday, April 7
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Lexington Medical Center
 
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Plan Ahead
 
Arts & Draughts is back (and stacked) on April 12
A person dances with their arms up and smiles at the camera, with one hand holding a homemade fan
Bring your dancing shoes — April’s Arts & Draughts will also feature a silent disco, with back-to-back sets from Folk Tech and an out-loud solo set by Maya Wang. | Photo by Victor Johnson / The Columbia Museum of Art
Celebrate spring at this biannual party at the Columbia Museum of Art, featuring:
  • Live music from Daikaiju, Powder Horns, and DJ VooDoo Child
  • Debbieoke (read: karaoke hosted by the wonderful Deborah Adedokun)
  • Food from Los Chicanos, Cheese and Thank You, Babcha Korean Food
  • Drinks from Weco Bottle and Biergarden
Guests can also enjoy hands-on activities like:
  • A Unique Perspective Tour through “Darrel Ellis” and “Interior Lives” with photographer Crush Rush
  • A scavenger hunt through the CMA Collection (with prizes)
  • Live screenprinting, printmaking, and figure drawing
It’s all happening at the CMA from 7-11 p.m. on Friday, April 12. See you there, COLA.
 
News Notes
 
Civic
  • Columbia Housing unveiled its 2025 Annual Plan at a public hearing, stressing community input for the Vision 2030 strategy. The initiative aims to revamp affordable housing in the Midlands through public/private partnerships. (WLTX)
Sports
  • Joyce Edwards — Gamecock women’s basketball commit and Camden High student — scored 19 points to lead the East in the McDonald’s All American Game and was named co-MVP. Beyond the basketball court, she’s also a star soccer and volleyball player. (WLTX)
Biz
  • Parabellum, a local food truck known for its bites on-the-go, is expanding into Columbia’s brewery scene. Partnering with Columbia Craft, it’ll serve classic comfort foods alongside Columbia Craft beers. A soft launch in April precedes a full kitchen setup at the brewery, enabling a planned menu expansion and new hires.
Arts
  • One Columbia for Arts and Culture is partnering with the City of Columbia to open an artist space at the intersection of Assembly + Taylor Streets, aiming to reimagine areas in Cola through art. The former police substation will host four to five artists and applications for artists open in April.
Outdoors
  • Public Works Solid Waste Division in Columbia is hosting a free compost giveaway for residents on Saturday, April 6, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 121 Humane Ln. Assistance with loading compost onto vehicles will be provided.
Listen
  • With the draft coming up, take a look at wide receiver and defensive line options in the second round. Go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes of the Carolina Panthers with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
Try This
 
City of West Columbia
 
Eat
 
🍖 Meat Cola’s James Beard Award finalists
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James Beard Award finalist Robbie Robinson loads up the smoker with red hot coals. | Photo by COLAtoday
The Capital City is once again on the national culinary stage, with two local favorites named as finalists for the prestigious 2024 James Beard Awards.

Lula Drake Wine Parlour has been nominated for its Outstanding Wine Program, and Robbie Robinson of City Limits Barbecue in West Columbia is up for Best Chef Southeast. The winners will be announced at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on June 10, with the ceremony livestreamed on Eater.

Pro tips if you’re trying City Limits Q:
  • Be prepared to wait in line. The word is out and it’s only open on weekends. Chef Robinson let us know that 1:30-2 p.m. is a great time to arrive.
  • Sign up for the City Limits newsletter to find out what will be on the menu each weekend.
Pro tips if you’re trying Lula Drake:
  • On Wednesday evenings, pair your wine with the Dorsia Pasta special. We hear the Cacio e Pepe is heavenly.
  • Don’t miss out on the Jamon Iberico, the finest ham around. Also, ask the bartender for a “funky” red wine recommendation.
 
The Buy
 
A bicycle phone holder that fits on bikes, e-bikes, and exercise bikes. The phone holder mounts right onto handlebars, letting you use navigation apps and keep your phone secure during rides.
 
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The Wrap
 
Samantha Robertson in a white shirt and grey vest Today’s edition by:
Sam
From the editor
In case you missed it — It’s opening night for “Hero,” a locally-produced feature film directed by Dustin Whitehead, at The Nick. Supported by USC and SC Film Commission’s “Get on Set” Initiative, the coming-of-age dramedy follows a struggling artist navigating fatherhood. Filmed in Columbia, it involves USC students and faculty. Watch the trailer + learn more.
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