Carolina Ghost Towns

Judson, North Carolina

When the Fontana Dam was completed in 1944, the newly created lake inundated several communities in Western North Carolina, including the towns of Judson and Almond.  This week we take a look at Judson, on the southern side of Lake Fontana.
Here are some of the resources used in this episode;
Remembering Judson
A Visit to the Judson of 1943
Following Wagon Trails - 1890s Almond
Christopher Columbus Bryson
Interview with Edna and Try Whiteside
Oral Histories of Western North Carolina

Madison, South Carolina

Fort Madison, Old Madison, and New Madison were located on the Tugaloo River in the western part of Oconee County.  Here are some of the links I used in this episode:
Incorporation of Madison
Tugaloo Corridor
Tugaloo Town
Trip to Long Nose Falls

Fort Motte, South Carolina

This week we visit the ghost town of Fort Motte, in Calhoun County, South Carolina.  The town takes its name from a British garrison, which was named after the plantation owner, Rebecca Brewton Motte. 
Resources:
On the Road with Charles Kuralt
Fort Motte - Wikipedia
Siege of Fort Motte
Rebecca Motte
National Register of Historic Places

Season 3 Trailer

The next season of Carolina Ghost Towns is about to drop!  This season begins on January 6, with new episodes coming out every other Tuesday.  Be sure to subscribe and recommend the show to your friends!

October 2025 Update

I had really hoped to be back on track with ghost towns, but things just haven't worked out.  We're still in temporary housing after Hurricane Helene over a year ago.  It's been frustrating.  I put the podcast on hold because I thought we would be busy moving back in, but it's been one delay after another.
I have done lots of research and I've got a long list of potential episodes, so there's lots more content and places to explore.

Happyville

Jewish workers in the Socialist Commune of Happyville, Aiken, SC
Happyville was a short-lived agricultural commune near Montmorceni in Aiken County, South Carolina.  The community was based on socialist concepts, and was sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, which wanted to bring in Eastern European Jewish immigrants to work the farmland.  The project was purely racist, with the intent of replacing "less desirable" black farmworkers with Jewish workers.
The Happyville residents didn't succeed.  Unusually harsh weather, inexperience, and racial troubles of their own eventually doomed the colony.  
Here are some of the resources used in this podcast:
Wikipedia Article
The Sharing Project - Joel Tauber film
Interview with Rose Rudnick Rubin
H Is for Happyvile - Walter Edgar

The Kingdom of Happy Land

Kingdom of the Happy Land by Gary Carden. Acrylic on canvas, 36”x24”. Source
The Kingdom of Happy Land was a settlement of freed slaves on the North Carolina/South Carolina border near Tuxedo, North Carolina.  The Kingdom had a King and Queen, and was operated as a socialistic society with all sharing equally. 
Resources:
Blog Post - Seeking the Kingdom of Happy Land
Happy Land - Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Interview with Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Happy Land Liniment
Serepta Merritt Davis Grave
Google Search

Mitchelville

Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, was the first town in the United States governed by freed slaves.  It was part of the Port Royal Experiment.
Partial list of links:
Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park
Archeology at Mitchelville
Mitchelville: Experiment in Freedom
The archaeological manifestations of the "Port Royal Experiment" at Mitchelville, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
 
 

Paper Towns

Instead of towns that disappeared, today we look at towns that never existed. Through my research I’ve found four categories of these so-called Paper Towns
A town planned out on paper that never really took off.
A town that was never meant to exist, but was advertised simply as a scam for investors.
An area incorporated for political reasons, such as a town on the edge of a larger town incorporated to prevent annexation into the larger town.  The town provides no services, but exists on paper only.
A copyright trap.  
Links to more information:
Kingsberry
Find-a-Grave
Kingsberry article by Louise Pettus
Landsford Canal Lock Keeper's House - Library of Congress
Paper Town Copyright Traps
Phantom Settlements
What Is a Paper Town?
 

Colonial Dorchester

The colonial town of Dorchester is located on the Ashley River, just north of Charleston.  Settled by Congregetionalists, it was once the third largest town in South Carolina.
Now only the old bell tower of the St. George's Church and the tabby fortifications remain.  Old Dorchester is now a historic site and part of the South Carolina Parks System.
Here are some of the resources used in this episode:
Office SC State Park Website for Dorchester
Wikipedia Entry
Old Dorchester Visitor's Guide
National Register Entry for Dorchester
National Register Entry for White Meeting House
The Town of Dorchester:  A Sketch of It's History
KnowItAll Video - Dorchester
South Carolina Picture Project