Williamsburg County, South Carolina - Chapter 17: Roads and Ferries from 1788 Until 1830, 1923

Chapter 17: Roads and Ferries from 1788 Until 1830

The road from the Lower Bridge on Black River to Lenud's Ferry on the Santee was made a public highway in 1788. Captain William Frierson, Gavin Witherspoon, Esq., Peter Lequeux, and Abraham Per ret were appointed commissioners to lay out this highway.

Murray's Ferry over the Santee was held by Joseph Murray and his son, James Murray, until 1786, when it became vested in the heirs of Adam McDonald for a term of fourteen years. In 1789, Samuel Matthews, Needham Lee, Henry Mouzon, John Robinson, and Dr. John Graham were appointed to make and keep in repair the road from Lynch's Creek to Murray's Ferry already es¬ tablished. In 1792, a ferry was established on Black Mingo Creek at the plantation of James Baxter, and he was authorized to receive fees for ferriage for a term of fourteen years.

In 1795, the road from Effingham Saw Mills to the King's Tree Meeting House on Black River was made a public highway. Captain John Fulton, Hugh Reed, Needham Lee were appointed commissioners and em¬ powered to call out all the male inhabitants who resided within six miles of the said road but for no longer term than twelve days in the year. In 1795, the road from Lenud's Ferry on the Santee River to Potato Ferry on Black River was established. Edward Thomas, Thomas Boone, and Theodore Gourdin were appointed commis¬ sioners and were empowered to keep the same road in good order and repair by the labor of all male inhabitants from the age of sixteen to fifty years, and with all the male slaves from the age of sixteen to fifty years residing within ten miles of the road.

In 1796, Murray's Ferry and Skrine's Ferry were vested in Theodore Gourdin, Esq., for a term of fourteen years. In 1798, Samuel Jenkins, Zachariah Owens, and Shadrack Simons were appointed commissioners for keeping in repair the road leading from Black Mingo to Britton's Ferry on the Pee Dee. In 1798, Peter Mouzon, Sr., James Burgess, Robert Frierson, and Henry Mouzon, Sr., were appointed commissioners on the north side of Black River, and James Campbell, William Buford, and Isaac Keels were appointed commissioners on the south side of Black River, to clean and keep in repair the present road lead¬ ing down the south side of Lynch's Creek to Pudding Swamp on Black River, and to continue the same to Mouzon's landing on Black River, thence over Mouzon's Bridge, the most direct course toward Santee so as to fall into the road leading from Benbow's Ferry on Black River to Murray's Ferry on the Santee.

In 1799, James Blackmon, Josias Dupre, and John McClary were appointed commissioners to re-establish a road leading from Kingstree to Cooper's Ferry on the north side of Black River. In 1799, a public road was laid out from Brewington Lake on the south branch of Black River to Gamble's muster field on McGirt's Swamp and thence to Murray's Ferry on the Santee. William Taylor, John Conyers, James Campbell, William Nelson, Isaac Keels, and Theodore Gourdin were appointed com¬ missioners for the said road. Allison's Ferry was vested in John Allison in 1798.

The commissioners then composing the several boards in the District of Williamsburg were convened at the house of Samuel Snowden on the first Monday in April, 1801, to proceed further with the discharge of their duties. Witherspoon's Ferry on Lynch's Creek was vested in John Witherspoon in 1801. A ferry on Black River at the landing, or the ferry commonly known by the name of North's Ferry, was established in 1803. That on the northeast side of the river was vested in Martha Brockinton and the southeast side of the river in James Cooper for a term of fourteen years. A toll bridge across Black River known as Mouzon's Bridge was vested in Henry Mouzon for a term of seven years from 1805. He was allowed to charge 500 for every man and horse; 6*40 for every horse and chair or cart and horse; 37*40 for every hogshead of tobacco ; 12%0 for every head of cattle, sheep, goats, or hogs; and 20 for every led horse or foot passen¬ ger.

In 1806, the commissioners of the roads for Winyaw and Williamsburg were ordered to lay out and cause to be cleared a road from the road from the Williams¬ burg Court House to Potato Ferry across the parish line to William Rowell's plantation and from thence to Gapway road. That same way or ferry was established across Black River where the road crossed it and the ferry vested in William Rowell for a term of fourteen years. Samuel Commander and William Rowell were the commissioners for this road.

In 1803, Ezekial Pickens, Theodore Gourdin, and J. B. Richardson were appointed a committee to revise the general road laws in the State and to report at the next session what amendments in the road laws were neces¬ sary.

In 1809, Captain William Graham, Needham Lee, and Robert Cade, in the District of Williamsburg, were ap¬ pointed commissioners to erect a bridge over Lynch's Creek at the place called Effingham Mills at the joint expense of the inhabitants of Darlington and Williams¬ burg Districts.

In 1811, the road leading from the causeway at and passing through Black Mingo or Willtown was discon¬ tinued as a public road and the road passing over Black Mingo Creek at the old ferry below Black Mingo or Willtown was re-established as a public road. The com- missioners of the districts of Williamsburg and of Winyaw were authorized to build a good and sufficient bridge over Black Mingo Creek at the old Black Mingo ferry.

It was provided that said bridge be so constructed as to leave and afford a full and sufficient passage above and below said bridge to all rafts and unmasted boats, flats, or other craft. All male inhabitants from sixteen to fifty years residing not exceeding ten miles from Black Mingo and who made use of said creek to send produce to market and who were not liable or compelled by law to work on any other water course were liable to work on the same. John James, James McConnell, Loveless Gasque, John Dozier, Francis Greene, John Bossard, and Aaron Gasque were appointed commission¬ ers to effect this ordinance.

In 1813, a new road was laid out five hundred eight yards from the junction formed by the Indiantown road and the post road from Witherspoon's Ferry on Lynch's Creek, the road leading by Loveless Gasque's plan¬ tation in the most direct way from the said State road to the Black Mingo bridge where the old ferry was established. This road was laid out at the expense of Thomas Williams, Sr., of Williamsburg. In 1813, James M. Grier, Nathan Gasque, Loveless Gasque, John Dozier, Benjamin Britton, and David Wilson, Jr., were appointed commissioners for the purpose of erecting and building a bridge over Black Mingo Creek.

In 1815, Witherspoon's Ferry over Lynch's Creek was vested "in J. D. Witherspoon, executor of John Wither¬ spoon, deceased, for a term of fourteen years in trust for and having the sole use and benefit of the incorporated Presbyterian Church at Aimwell on the Pee Dee River,

Roads And Ferries, 1788 Until 1830 211

In 1818, Mouzon's bridge over Black River was estab¬ lished as a toll bridge and vested in Samuel R. Mouzon for a term of seven years, and he was allowed to demand and receive the same rates of toll as were allowed at Lowry's bridge on the same river. In 1818, the ferry at the Episcopal Church on Black River heretofore vested in William Avant was then vested in John Avant, the owner of the land on the south side of the river, and J ohn J. Greene, the owner of the land on the north side.

In 1819, a dispute between Thomas McConnell and John Dozier respecting the old road leading across Black Mingo Creek at Willtown had arisen. The Legislature of that year appointed John Gotea, Jr., on the part of Thomas McConnell, and Hugh McCutehen, on the part of John Dozier, to make a survey of this road and a plat of the same which they should return to the board of commissioners of roads of Williamsburg District. This board was required to report to the next Legislature the propriety or impropriety of opening said road by the said Thomas McConnell's.

In 1820, Loveless Gasque, Matthew Allen, and William Small, on the part of Georgetown District, and John Gordon, Sr., John Dozier, and Benjamin Britton, on the part of Williamsburg District, were appointed commis¬ sioners to have repaired the bridge over Black Mingo Creek.

A public ferry was established on Black River Swamp at Kingstree in 1822. Such ferry was vested in the com¬ missioners of roads for Williamsburg District for a term of ten years. The following rates were established : for every wagon or other fourwheeled carriage, 500; for every cart or chair, 250; for every man and horse, 20; for every head of hogs, sheep, goats, and turkeys, 10; for

In 1822, William Frierson, Ebenezer Gibson, Robert Frierson, Sr., William Montgomery, John B. McCJary, William Camlin, Jr., Henry Miller, John Hawkins, Robert Lester, and Isaac Nelson, Jr., were appointed a board of commissioners to open and improve the naviga¬ tion of Black River from Benbow's Ferry to North's Ferry and all the male inhabitants between the ages of sixteen and fifty living within six miles of the said river were required to work on the same under the direction of these commissioners six days in the year and no more.

In 1828, the old road in Williamsburg District called the Samuel James' road, from an old field opposite to William Brown's to its intersection with the main road near William Cooper's plantation in Indiantown, was re-established as a public road and kept in repair.