Hell Hole Swamp is a

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

in northeastern

Berkeley County, South Carolina Berkeley County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 229,861. Its county seat is Moncks Corner. After two previous incarnations of Berkeley County, the current county was created in 1882. Be ...

famous for its unique name. It is located entirely within the

Francis Marion National Forest The Francis Marion National Forest is located north of Charleston, South Carolina. It is named for revolutionary war hero Francis Marion, who was known to the British as the Swamp Fox. It lies entirely within the Middle Atlantic coastal forests ...

and contains , all of which is designated as a

wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

Origin

The name dates back to at least 1757, appearing on a map of the South Carolina and Georgia coastline. In 1761, on March 3, James Colladon received a grant of 500 acres on Hell Hole Swamp. The origin of the name Hell Hole Swamp is unknown, although there are a couple of theories. One account says that the swamp got its name during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

from Colonel

Banastre Tarleton Sir Banastre Tarleton, 1st Baronet, GCB (21 August 175415 January 1833) was a British general and politician. He is best known as the lieutenant colonel leading the British Legion at the end of the American Revolution. He later served in Portug ...

because the British had great difficulty finding the elusive General

Francis Marion Brigadier-General Francis Marion ( 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the Swamp Fox, was an American military officer, planter and politician who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. During the Ameri ...

. Another explanation is that it was named for being a repository for bootleggers during the Prohibition. Both theories are proved false because they are predated by the 1773 James Cook Map of South Carolina which locates the Hell Hole Swamp.

Hell Hole Swamp Festival

The Hell Hole Swamp Festival takes place during the first weekend in May at Jamestown, on the northern edge of the swamp. It is a typical Southern festival complete with a cocoa spitting contest, arm wrestling, beauty contests and much more. One unique event of the festival is the Hell Hole Gator Trot 10k, colloquially called the Redneck Run. It began in 1976 and is one of the oldest road races in South Carolina.

Hell Hole Swamp Gang

A group of native sons of Berkeley County boasted of their membership in the illustrious Hell Hole Swamp Gang. They were 1st congressional district

Representative Representative may refer to: Politics * Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people * House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities * Legislator, som ...

L. Mendel Rivers,

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

Robert Evander McNair Robert Evander McNair Sr. (December 14, 1923November 17, 2007) was the 108th governor of South Carolina, a Democrat, who served from 1965 to 1971. Early life and education McNair was born in Cades, a town in Williamsburg County, South Carolin ...

state Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Rembert Dennis, and Columbia mayor Lester Bates. Rivers was especially proud of the uniqueness of being born in this remote area and would tell reporters that he was "from Gumville. It's near Hell Hole Swamp. If you don't know where it is, look it up."Rivers, p. 15

Notes

References

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External links

USC Origin of Hell Hole Swamp

Hell Hole Gator Trot

Francis Marion Wilderness Areas

{{Protected areas of South Carolina Protected areas of Berkeley County, South Carolina IUCN Category Ib Swamps of South Carolina Wilderness areas of South Carolina Landforms of Berkeley County, South Carolina