Pineville, a historic refuge
Part 12: Santee Canal, Locks #2 - #10
By Warner M. Montgomery
Warner@TheColumbiaStar.com

This is what remains of Big Camp Locks.

The Santee Canal began at White Oak Bluff on the Santee River. Henry Mouzon, the original surveyor had determined the river was normally 270 feet wide and 18- 20 feet deep at this point.

Col. John Christian Senf, the engineer, designed the canal to be 35 feet wide at the surface, 32 feet wide at the bottom, five- and- a- half- feet deep holding four feet of water. The traffic would consist of canal barges 50 feet long and nine feet wide.

Lock #1 (The Guard Lock) was constructed 150 feet from the Santee River. One thousand feet beyond the Guard Lock was an 85- by- 350- foot turning basin, then the canal gently curved for another 245 feet.

Lock #2 (White Oak Lock) . The White Oak lock, 10 by 60 feet, had a 10- foot rise. This is where Izardtown was supposed to develop.

From White Oak Lock, the canal narrowed to 35 feet and was carried on a three- foot- high embankment for one mile and a half. This section was supplied with water from a reservoir in Greenland Swamp.

Until several years ago, when a local farmer scoured out the canal to irrigate his fields, the brickwork was in almost perfect condition.

Lock #3 (Big Camp Locks) . Big Camp was a double lock with two nine- and- a- half- foot rises. It was the headquarters for the canal. Maj. Samuel Porcher had a residence and farm near the locks. Col. Senf maintained a residence, a two- story company warehouse, and a workyard at the site. The lockkeeper resided nearby as did the overseer who commanded the laborers.

A quarter- mile beyond Big Camp, the River Road bridged the canal. Here barges could be loaded and unloaded in a 100- by- 150- foot basin called St. Stephens.

Until several years ago, when a local farmer scoured out the canal to irrigate his fields, the brickwork was in almost perfect condition. South from Big Camp, the Old Canal Road runs along the barely visible outline of the canal. Most of the land from here to the Old Santee Canal State Park was submerged under Lake Moultrie in 1939.

The Old Canal Road runs from Hwy. 45 to Lake Moultrie, once the route of the Santee Canal.

Big Camp Locks were the beginning of the five- mile canal summit. Water for the summit came from the Great Reservoir at Kirk's Swamp enclosed by a 400- by- 2,200- yard dam. The summit level required deep digging, up to 16 feet below grade and 110 feet wide.

Lock #4 (Frierson's Lock) . Frierson's Lock was at the southern end of the summit. It had a ten- foot drop. There were two reservoirs feeding the lock.

Lock #5 . This lock, a mile and a half from Frierson's, descended another ten feet.

Lock #6 . A half mile from Lock Number 5, this lock descended yet another five feet toward the Cooper River. Aqueducts were built over the canal to allow waters from Biggin Swamp to pass through.

On a recent trip to the Santee Canal, this snake was found in the outhouse.

Lock #7 (Black Oak Lock) . After three miles of uneven sandhills, the canal reached Black Oak Lock where it descended ten feet. The main road from Monck's Corner to Jamestown crossed the canal here. Nearby was the Biggin Church, served by the same minister as the Pineville Church.

Lock #8 . A quarter mile from Black Oak Lock, this lock descended another ten feet. It was supplied by natural water.

Lock #9 (Coal Hill Lock) . Coal Hill Lock was a mile from Lock Number 8 and descended nine feet. From here the canal was fed by Wadboo Springs.

Lock #10 (Simpson's Lock) . This last lock was the second double lock and had a descent of 15 feet. In the early stages of construction, a town was planned here on a high hill but development went instead to Monck's Corner. The canal was fed by tidewater here and could have ended but Senf decided to extend it another two miles into the Cooper River. Stony Landing, next to Simpson's Lock, is now the site of the Old Santee Canal State Park.

This fishing pond was once part of the reservoir that served Big Camp Locks.

(Next week: Santee Canal, labor and costs)

Kirk's Swamp was dammed to supply water to the Santee Canal.