FLORENCE - A bill to create a commission for a proposed heritage trail across the Pee Dee and Lowcountry was officially announced Monday in front of dignitaries from all across the state.
Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, the sponsor of the bill, made the announcement at Francis Marion University’s Ervin Dining Hall.
The proposed commission will work to establish a Francis Marion Tourism Trail that would be the first of its kind for the Pee Dee.
“I think this is one of the most noteworthy things to ever happen to our area,” Leatherman said. “I’m excited about this not only for our heritage, but this kind of thing will create jobs and bring more tourism to our area.”
The trail is expected to start at Fort Moultrie in Sullivans Island and follow U.S. 21 up through the Francis Marion National Forest, across the Black and Santee rivers, and past the site of the Battle of Black Mingo into the lower part of Williamsburg County.
|
The bill has been introduced into the Senate. Leatherman expects it to pass and move to the House at the latest next week.
Leatherman said he thinks Gov. Mark Sanford will strongly support the bill.
Many municipal officials in the Pee Dee back the bill, too.
“There’s a lot of opportunity for motels, restaurants and outfitters to set up shop in our town,” Johnsonville Mayor Steve Dukes said.
“We hope to work with the folks that are trying to develop this and make Johnsonville a focal point. We think there’s a lot of historical things that were happening right here in Johnsonville.”
Steven D. Smith, an archaeologist and expert on Revolutionary War Gen. Francis Marion, said he is thrilled at the possibility of a trail that would honor one of the heroes of the American Revolution.
“This will bring people into an economically depressed area that has a real national treasure,” he said. “My excitement is building an infrastructure in which we will have every opportunity to actually archaeologically locate these sites and know that there was a Francis Marion University but there was somebody behind the buildings’ name.”
Florence attorney Ben Zeigler formulated the project and said the investment into a trail of this magnitude would be a huge step forward economically for the region.
“The area of Marion’s campaigns are some of the most economically depressed in the state,” Zeigler said. “Trail visitors would spend money on fuel, food, lodging, as well as shopping in areas along the trail.”
Zeigler said there’s a great opportunity for motorists to leave Interstate 95 to drive along the trail and draw tourists up from Charleston for a day or overnight trip.
That pleases Robert T. Morgan, heritage resources manager for Francis Marion and Sumter national forests.
Morgan said the two forests attract a certain type of person, but with the installation of new trail, the forests would see a new crowd.
“There’s the kind of person who come to our forests right now that are the hunter, hiking or horseback-riding types,” Morgan said.
“We don’t get that many people who are the drive-through types, and someone who drives through a historical trail like the one that is proposed is a little different type of visitor than say somebody who would hike a trial.”
The formation of a commission would attract the public to visit sites such as Snow’s Island, a marsh island in Great Pee Dee River where some say the general camped.
Francis Marion was known for his daring raids on British troops during the Revolutionary War.
He got his nickname, the “Swamp Fox,” because he and his men would attack, then quickly retreat into the Pee Dee marshes. Let us know what you think of this story | Send us a letter to the editor