Unit Title:
Lake Murray Dam construction photographs, ca. 1927-1930
Accumulation:
ca. 1927-1930
Created:
ca. 1927-1930
Creator:
Private Papers. Bostain, Addison, Sr.
Physical Description:
145.61 MB (85 digital files)
Language:
English
Biography or History:
Addison Bostain, Sr. was born in 1886 in the state of Georgia. His parents were William J. Bostain and Adeline Jones. Bostain married Bertha Sexton in 1913. Bostain worked on various construction projects in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and North Carolina before working on the Lake Murray Dam in South Carolina from 1927 to 1930. During the project, a portion of the dam collapsed and damaged the powerhouse and surrounding area, although Bostain and his employees managed to escape unharmed. After building the dam, Bostain retired from construction and opened a grocery store in Chapin, South Carolina in 1930. Bostain died in 1963 and was buried at Mt. Horeb Cemetery in Chapin, South Carolina.
Custodial History:
unspecified
Acquisition Information:
none
Scope and Content:
This series consits of photographs and research material on the Lake Murray Dam construction project during 1927-1930. Research material includes the history of Addison Bostain, Sr., the construction of the dam, and the dam burst incident. Photographs include the excuvation and filling of Lake Murray, the work detail of various workers, and the construction of various parts of the dam that include the spillway gates, powerhouse, and intake towers. Scans of selected photographs are available digitally. By the early 1900s, a named Thomas Clay Williams drafted a hydroelectric power proposal on the Saluda, Santee, and Cooper rivers. The Saluda River proposal reached an engineer named William Spencer Murray in New York in 1923. Murray traveled to South Carolina to survey the area and made plans for three dams in South Carolina, including one site on the Saluda River. The Federal Power Commission granted a license to the Lexington Water Power Company for the construction of the dam in 1927. Sometime after the start of the construction to the end of the project in 1930, a portion of the dam collapsed on the site and caused damages to the still constructing powerhouse. The dam was completed in 1930. A backup dam was suggested following an earthquake at Lake Murray and was completed in 2005.
Appraisal Information:
unspecified
Accruals:
no
Arrangement:
Series arranged by subject.
Conditions Governing Access:
none
Conditions Governing Use:
none
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements:
none
Other Finding Aid:
none
Location of Originals:
South Carolina Department of Archives and History, 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223
Alternative Form Available:
none
Related Material:
none
Bibliography:
none
Other Descriptive Data:
none
Processing Information:
none
