Lost towns of Lake Murray: How a town was flooded in South Carolina

Lost towns lie beneath the waters of Lake Murray in South Carolina.
But one time, that area was known as the Saluda River Valley. It was settled in the 1750's by German, Swiss, and Dutch immigrants, with two major towns: Dutch Fork and Saxe Gotha.
But those towns are no more, they were buried in water after SCE&G bought the land, creating the lake. The towns were both flooded, all but erased from history. All that remains now are remnants of a past that few people alive know little about.
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[@NorrisStanfield-en4kb]

My ancestors are buried there. The video is very interesting but the back ground music is too loud.

[@noaht5191]

Swimming here as a kid always was creeped out thinking about the graves and communities underwater.

[@DoctorAlright]

I used to grab the little grass underwater and dive under and tickle my friends feet with it, then I would jump out at him and terrify him into the boat so I got the water to myself. I told him that if he told parents, the spirit of the lake would avenge its fallen comrades.

[@leilaniLA]

@@DoctorAlright you have to question why you would desire to do those things. It means that you’re spiritually OFF. At least at that point.

[@DoctorAlright]

@@leilaniLA I was just a cruel kid doing cruel kid things

[@leilaniLA]

@@DoctorAlright all the spirits will have their revenge especially the ones that are under lake Lanier in Georgia a.k.a. Oscarville.

[@cd3064]

@@DoctorAlright better be careful, my best friends family just had a family friend who jumped in the water to help one of the little children that fell off the boat into the water when the current picked up , he wasn’t wearing a life jacket and in short time , everyone noticed that he was nowhere to be found and has been missing for a couple weeks still , they had to explain to rest of children and parents what just happened. Everyone was so terribly devastated. Very sad. 😞

[@SouthCarolinaScubaDiving]

The Divers are from Scuba Johns Dive Shop in Lexington. Come dive into Lake Murray History with us! 😀

[@dezlobands5426]

Destroyed black towns

[@Jamiedreamweaver]

This is so interesting...but some of the music was so loud I couldn’t understand what was scrawled into the bridge and more

[@robthomas5365]

Why they lie like that

[@kdime87]

Satan sends his evil to “ Lie, Steal and Kill” and most of his workers are very good at all three.

[@Donovan_shingle]

Man what are you two even talkin about

[@ORIGINALREDY2MIX]

So sad smh so many towns underwater

[@javionriley8739]

Majority black American town destroyed!! The number of unmarked slave graves is tragic!, those towns consisted of run away slaves, native Americans and white people running from the law.

[@blackmack8033]

Facts

[@ashleykellon3374]

So tragic

[@gandalflotr2898]

If God I bet he regretted create White people

[@epicpika11]

Does your life revolve around race? Couldn't be me.

[@gandalflotr2898]

If God was real he would be like: I knew it was a mistake to create white people 🤦

[@mamiep01]

I will have to look into to this. My Great Grandfather owned land and was pushed out.

[@battleaxe.]

That's a damn shame. Therefore, shame on the State of South Carolina for allowing the flooding of the Congaree Indians' ancestral land to take place to begin with!

[@tyxfilmeditt]

Black towns always get drowned 🙃now it’s gentrification

[@autumnjohnson2127]

I agree 100%

[@chiefjadigga4667]

💯💯💯

[@troylambert5140]

Exactly right

[@troylambert5140]

Reparations need to be paid to foundational black Americans

[@janatribble7286]

This‼️‼️‼️‼️

[@clarenceleggett607]

wtf lol this was a black town

[@integrityborn6156]

They were lucky to make it out of that water, if that was lake Lanier, it probably would of been over with!

[@hemiwarrior6226]

I was thinking that. That lake doesn't have all the ghost sightings, drownings and unexplained disappearances that Lanier does. I've had plenty of those in my time growing up there. You always get the general feeling that you're being pulled down when swimming, but I have felt hands grab my legs, I've seen faces in the water, been to parts of the lake that I could never find again despite GPS info, but probably the most chilling things I remember was being on the shore on a friend's land one night while we were toasting marshmallows on a campfire. All the sounds of a summer night in Georgia just died. No crickets, no frogs, no wind, even the crackling of the campfire got quiet. Then all three of us suddenly heard church bells. There was no church around, but more concerningly, the sound seemed to be coming from the water. I walked to it and put my head in and the sound was most definitely coming from below. The next morning, we did some research and found out that one of Oscarville's churches was near where we heard the sound.

[@cwisted5308]

@@hemiwarrior6226 Lake Lanier is scary as hell. I only went in a few times abck in high school and always had a very uneasy feeling. I also had a small cut on my finger and maybe 2 hours after i got out it was completely infected and almost a green color which was nasty. I refuse to ever get into that alek again its so dangerous. Not just the scary stories about it but also the insane amount of drunk people on that lake every weekend getting into boating accidents. My family has a place on lake Oconee and we love going there. It's starting to get crowded but its so much safer than Lanier. The main thing is just staying out of the northern part of the lake and you will be fine. Im completely done with Lanier though. Never again

[@dawnofthewalkers4915]

I live like an hour away from lake Lanier, place is cursed.

[@zchris87v80]

​@@hemiwarrior6226where was this at specifically? I love this kind of stuff.

[@Paul-bh1px]

With a black town underneath

[@mamiep01]

My Great Grandfather was pushed out. I will check into it.

[@staceyfelts6346]

This was a fun video, when I lived on Lake Murray 96~2002 @Pleasure Cove tip that lake was my back yard and one of the Best places to raise my two sons ❤ the neighbors and locals had told me about the bombing and all about the things under the water and in this video I was able to get a glimpse of it. So thank you for sharing the history of the area and the amazing under water shots. It's in a way sad when I try to imagine what all those people must have went through! Because I'm positive not all were Willing and we all know what Big money does in those situations. Y'all be safe down there.

[@michaelkay8914]

The Deep House is a good horror movie about a haunted house under a lake. I'm sure lake mead has some pretty spooky stories!👻🏠👻

[@TheWolphEffect]

Imagine being black from South Carolina with the last name Murray and watching this knowing your ancestors are the ones under that water.

[@battleaxe.]

EXACTLY! By making this video, they're exposing how evil and heartless their ancestors were! ✌💯

[@TheWolphEffect]

@@battleaxe. facts.

[@jamesmurray8558]

Which Murray are you? I am from Birmingham and have people in Portland. Would love to hear from you.

[@TheWolphEffect]

@@jamesmurray8558 Kiawah Island SC

[@jaipeterson786]

Sad asf fr they need to have something for them

[@hunterdeal7390]

Background music way too loud

[@janatribble7286]

“They offered to move the graves” They didn’t give a damn about black/native graves. 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@kdime87]

Right, I cringed when I heard them utter those deceitful lies to make them seem like they were just a goof bunch of people just helping others.

[@HKPSG1Shooter]

My grandfather was one of the engineers of the Saluda Dam project.

[@DJHaydinofficial]

Now, because the lake levels are down tops of tombstones can be seen 😧

[@ryanodell3790]

I did not know there was a bridge

[@SouthCarolinaScubaDiving]

Wyse Ferry Bridge. We dive it regularly. Double Span Steel bridge.

[@herbs4life]

Where did they get the water from?

[@ChocLitBar]

Man-made lakes are usually constructed by using a dam to divert a portion of a river to store the water within a reservoir. During seasonal changes, water runoff and precipitation add to the reservoir, which helps in the prevention of evaporation.

[@toddforhetz]

people donated bottles of water

[@johnwilburn]

They've left a garden hose running since 1912.

[@tammystansell406]

Tha Saluda River I believe. Lots of river dams and man made lakes in SC. Lake Hartwell and Jocassee are also huge lakes. I had ancestors from these areas.

[@Toytonia]

@@johnwilburn right 😂😂😂

[@danautry1795]

Id always heard fort jackson did their training for WWII there.. Id been told there was a b-52 jet down there from doing some training but who knows couldve been a different lake.

[@underworldgrimm3709]

Yep. They’re down there. They’ve even pulled up a few.

[@LexMedic1216]

During WWII B25 bomber crews from the Columbia Army Air Base in West Columbia did training on Lake Murray. Several planes were reported to have crashed with all but one salvaged during the war. The last one was raised in 2005 and is now partly on display at THE SOUTHERN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT in Birmingham AL.

[@cosmicenigmarevealed]

Perfect music to go with a horrific story.

[@TheJagjr4450]

Part of my family settled Saxe Gotha IN 1737.

[@kdime87]

With these people, one has to (Read Between The Lines) of all their lies and deceit.

[@CM-fh4lp]

I think it's interesting how the history of this lake from several places, never mentions that there is a history of towns at the bottom of man made lakes but that that history has a much darker story. While I'm sure classism played a part in pushing out, relocating and displacing residents, this was capitalism and perhaps infrastructure, and not at all like the other towns ended up at the bottom of man made lakes. When white mobs attacked predominantly black towns and turned them into lakes. Residents were murdered, raped, and driven out until every last black American citizen was gone from that town and it happened across the country. Many towns like the Tulsa Race Massacre were destroyed, burned to the ground and rebuilt and renamed, but many found thrmselves at the bottom of man made lakes across the country. Given that ruins of cities found under water, are considered unique stories, and peak interests, AND this one happened around the same time that towns from the Red Summer riots and massacres, also ended up at the bottom of man made lakes, there should be be a mention specifying this lakes creation was unlike other man made lakes created in that era. Unfortunately much of vital American history isn't taught and has been covered up. This has been intentional. It's why black history has remained black history month. A month isn't long enough to cover the American black history that we arent aware of. The goal was that it would eventually just find itself in the normal curriculum, written into textbooks and that black history in this country could be what it is, American history. So we learn about the same dozen or so black figures and are conditioned to believe that if they had contributed anything significant, we'd know about it, and the idea white figures in our textbooks taking credit for the successes of black people throughout history doesn't cross our minds because of race classification labeled those with black skin as unintelligent and lazy......lol, but at the same time, having super strength and built\wired for manual labor....AND NOW, that all of this history is being uncovered, the same white oligarchs that lied to the poor white farmers are lying to the poor white working class once again and manipulating their base because they know their base isn't educated enough to question it, into thinking teaching American history as it happened is divisive and anti white. They refused to acknowledge what CRT is intentionally so that the little bit of basic history we are taught about American history, could be labeled as CRT. They are literally trying to ban a children's book on Rosa Parks somewhere. The author has written other books about several different historical heros and figures, including George Washington and Neil Armstrong. But Rosa Parks is now CRT. Anyway. I know I went off the map here but it all ties together and the whole Rosa Parks kids book thing just has me smdh and this video reminding me of how SOOOO many people had no idea about what the TulsaRaceMassacre was, even people living IN Oklahoma!!! Because it's literally not taught. That people didn't know what Juneteenth was and what all these people are having knee jerk tantrums about CRT, thinking that a worksheet about Rosa Parks is CRT, because the white supremacists in the GOP panicked over the national discussion of history being taught inaccurately and covered up and knowledge in the hands of the people is their biggest threat, and CRT was the perfect boogie man for them to continue to divide and conquer to maintain the status quo and I'm so pissed at Establishment Democrats need for power resulting in spine less complacency and flaky virtue signaling. Oy

[@battleaxe.]

AMEN to your testimony Sir! This channel attempts to make it seem as though no human suffering was involved. The people that were forcibly REMOVED, the Black Congaree Indians, from their ancestral land is simply another historical and criminal cover-up. I am Santee Indian from the lower Santee River near the split Charleston and Georgetown Counties lines. ✌🙏👈

[@javionriley8739]

I love everything you just said 🙌🏿🙌🏿 as a black American who’s family descend from those who had to leave the town underneath lake Murray!!

[@Phoenixxx215]

Exactly!?!

[@Aaron565]

if there were slave graves, the owners were either black or white but its unlikely the town was all black ppl

[@22loaded01]

There is a lot of posters and quotes from some of the people who witnessed the Tulsa race massacre in the okc underground tunnels. Okc is close to me but Tulsa is a few hours from me

[@owenmccullough6153]

I live on lake Murray and we own some land you were on

[@patblackwell6098]

I am related to some who lived under the lake. I appreciate these discoveries!

[@livefully7568]

decended from merfolk;)

[@battleaxe.]

You are "related" to some of these people under the water??

[@darlahays2471]

They lived under the lake? Are they fish? How do you live under a lake 🙄

[@Msgoddessk]

Yall lying about paying everyone but we understand yall sensitivity to looking bad.

[@TBrown-ni9fm]

German, Swiss, and Dutch immigrants. Tell the truth. Detail.

[@livefully7568]

they pretend that enslaved were not immigrants

[@javionriley8739]

Colonizer’s

[@darktoadone5068]

Lake Marion is the same way.

[@jamesmurray8558]

Which Murray are you?I am from Birmingham and have people in Portland. I was at Mt.St.Helens. Get in touch with I.

[@hannnahannna1134]

Imagine how much they needed to let loose just to do this

[@AccessDude61]

Of course they left a lot out. There were many in the black towns that refused to leave because it was their home, so they were flooded alive. And yes they were black families but of course they leave that tidbit of history out

[@jonathanbrown4933]

they should drain the water out and rebuild the towns, the same with Lebennon New Jersey

[@stefaniehauser6168]

they can't, many cities rely on this lake for drinking water.

[@smpl14]

It's scary I swim in there all the time

[@cd3064]

Be careful, so many drown or disappear , my best friends family friend disappeared in the current a couple weeks ago and all family is so devastated. 😢😞

[@anubisentertainment4108]

That’s because it’s our turn now to do what was done to my people ⚔️ and I’m sorry for nobody lost leave my land now or you all we just get it much worse than my people did 🔥that why white people dropping dead 💀 it’s pay back time 😡😡

[@JohnFichtner]

I wish the music wasn't so loud. It's difficult to understand what the guys are saying

[@melanatedlyunapologetic6040]

hmmmmmmmm never heard this version

[@lifewithcamille517]

This is terrible how enslaved people have been treated in life and death

[@lifewithcamille517]

No background music is necessary when discussing such a sensitive subject

[@Laythanthefortniteplayer]

I found a big brick in lake murray

[@Augustclover21]

I’m related to the Saltzer that settled there wonder if there graves are there!? 😮

[@user-zr2xt6hl7e]

How can you know this and be on this property at peace 🙏🏾, the History of America 🇺🇸 just got bigger

[@DavidWoods-rk8st]

Lake lainier is probably haunted

[@carylmccarley6765]

Graves at the bottom of the lake where people lived and swam and water-skier

[@illlyrical7976]

This was an Indian town. “Negro” “Colored” and “Black” were colonization classifications of American Indians. It’s time we remember who we are. Understand that this is your land and you have been lied to. Peace.

[@reggieross4125]

Facts!!

[@MrZw86]

sound like these lakes were made through genocide.

[@MrZw86]

my brother was telling me about the black native people

[@theweirdness321]

Yess!! Ppl keep tryna make it seem like im delusional or “stealing another minority culture” when we are that culture , we are one .

[@tyeballard71]

There's some truths left out i see..... who else lived there????? Tell all of it

[@yamaha115cc3]

I feel bad for America I feel more bad for myself that I have to live here 🤦

[@mrs.liabletuhpostanythang4224]

So disrespectful

[@breacobbs8862]

This was not lost it was hidden ! Do people actually hear themselves talk the title is misleading and let’s just tell the truth can’t hide it anymore

[@conniekepke7676]

Ya CAN'T hear cuz of tht music

[@pashiell2268]

This music is too loud

[@jocelyngardner5711]

😩😩😩 Ridiculous liar’s

[@fffghh1370]

A black town at that

[@stepbromlbb]

Sooo is lake Murray jocassee and lanier all haunted ?

[@sweetmichelle5987]

I think y’all mispronounced INDIGENOUS LAND... Many indigenous were classified as slaves during that era and have been reclassified and renamed several times over history. We know who we are.

[@hannacarter1352]

People poop 💩 in the water. I went once an 💩 floated by. Thank God I was in a boat...

[@thaafrikanmedicinewombman2096]

Black town destroyed and buried under water many were killed and ran out of the town and they’re exploring it 😢 wow

[@gannondorion2475]

What would it cost to remove the dam? If we found an alternative power source we could potentially move back lol.

[@authenticrebuilds9247]

go nuclear, still a body of water is usually needed for cooling, lake Keowee for example. Or do without electric heat and air

[@dragonart777]

and now all you see is outsiders from nyc and pa coming to fish.

[@VL1975]

We have enough and better fishing in PA. No need to come down to a man made lake in SC. lol

[@ceeburts]

They eating fish and people! Those fish are growing from human flesh! So anybody eating fish out that water is eating human flesh! Ain’t no way!

[@deborahrichie3023]

Please turn the music down, better yet turn it off. I can't understand what they are saying. What they are saying is probably interesting, the music doesn't make the video interesting at all!! Thank you.

[@glizzybenzin0105]

a black town so they flooded it and called it lexington changed to a white town

[@johnbeverly7236]

🍁

[@crowbaril903]

Everyone I know has had to sell their homes due to all the sewage

[@anubisentertainment4108]

Now it time for pay back it’s up on themselves right now and I will make sure our people get paid back in full ⚔️🗡😡it’s not a game I’m here on earth for this reason is to get Justice for our ancestors

[@mamiep01]

Let me know. My Great Grandfather was pushed out.

[@mrsfinale5221]

Report it right or not at all.

[@tiddablacksaav8634]

Black Europeans huh? I missed this part in school

[@leonwilliams6465]

Don’t believe everything you hear about towns like this !!!

[@mommylewslearningcorner8625]

Always lying 🤥

[@mamiep01]

Music is awful.

[@FUfon-gf5ph]

Thsts Appaling Greed breeds evil

[@elliottbradley6302]

Is it true that this town was predominately """Indian,Black communities...???!!!!....🙏🏽

[@WESDALLASTEXBOI]

No all black town was force to leave with no money

[@Badbostonbitch]

Evil

[@Helpingdaddyinprison]

But how did they flood them ?