Page 19 - Town Crier November 2016 Rev C

ISSUE NUMBER 161 NOVEMBER 2016
THE TOWN CRIER

A Slice of Local History
By Allison Daniel
A popular attraction in Oconee County are the Issaqueena Falls, located near the Stumphouse Mountain rail-
road tunnel. Both of these places are full of history and are sources of abounding folklore.
Issaqueena Falls is supposedly named after a Native American woman who fell in love with a white man and
later jumped from the falls. According to the legend, Issaqueena’s tribe was located near what is now Ninety-Six, South
Carolina and she fell in love with a man from the settlement located there. There is some debate as to who the man was.
Some versions say the man was an Oconee Brave while others say he was a silversmith named David Francis.
Regardless of who the man was, Issaqueena learned that her tribe was planning an attack on the settlement and
decided to ride and warn them before the attack could transpire. Along the way she named the landmarks she passed
by. Some of those names were Mile Creek, Eighteen Mile, Six Mile, and Ninety-Six mile, some of which still bare
those names. Assuming the legend is true, she actually was not far off on her counting since the distance from her start-
ing point to Ninety-Six is actually 92 miles.
After successfully warning the people of the settlement, Issaqueena and her lover married and lived in a hal-
lowed out tree, or Stumphouse, in what is now Stumphouse Mountain. However, Issaquenna’s tribe, still angered by
her betrayal, hunted them down in their new home. In an attempt to escape, Issaqueena ran to the top of the falls and
jumped. Her tribesmen thought she was dead, so abandoned their search.
Luckily, instead of plummeting into the water she landed safely on a ledge behind the falls and was able to
rejoin her husband. The two went to Alabama where they lived out the rest of their days together.
Most local historians agree that it is unlikely much, if any at all, of this story to be true but it has shaped the
area nonetheless. It appears that most of the legend is a combination and adaptation of a poem and essay detailing simi-
lar stories.
The Stumphouse Mountain railroad tunnel is another popular tourist spot, located near Issaqueena Falls. The
tunnel is 25 feet high, 17 feet wide and 1600 feet deep which extends deep into Stumphouse Mountain. Around mid-
way through the tunnel there is an airshaft which extends up to the surface.
Prior to the Civil War, Southerners desired a railroad that would connect the Midwest to Charleston and part of
the track would have to run through Stumphouse Mountain. The track would run through and over the tunnel to Ten-
nessee. Work began in 1852 and would have been completed around 1861 but the project was abandoned due to the
Civil War.
After the war there were efforts to revive the project but with little success. However, Clemson University’s
Department of Food Science determined that because of the mix of air temperature caused by the airshaft the tunnel
always has a feel of wetness and a constant cool breeze. The tunnel laid abandoned for over 80 years until 1940 when a
Clemson professor realized the tunnel had properties that were useful for curing bleu cheese mold. Clemson bought the
tunnel in 1951 in order to cure bleu cheese but eventually moved the operation elsewhere.
In 1970, the Pendleton Historical District Commission leased the tunnel and converted it into a tourist attrac-
tion. A rockslide in the 90s temporarily closed the area, but once safety inspec-
tions were completed, it was reopened and remains so to this day.
There are many hidden treasures in small towns and these two attractions
are perfect examples of local history being made.
Information courtesy of:
Allen Easler via alleneasler.com
Easler, Allen. "Issaqueena Falls & Tunnel Falls." Alleneasler.com. N.p., n.d.
Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
Kasie Strickland via The Easley Progress
Strickland, Kasie, E. "Legend of Issaqueena." The Easley Progress. The Easley
Progress News, 23 Oct. 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

Bio: My name is Allison Daniel and I am a sophomore English major at Clemson
University. Writing and sports are my passions, which is why I have found my
home at The Tiger Newspaper as Sports Editor. After I graduate, I plan to con-
tinue my work in journalism.

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