Lake Murray, as she would become, was named after William S. Murray, an engineer hired by the Lexington Power and Gas Company (now Dominion Energy), who was hired to build a hydro power station to provide electricity to the growing city of Columbia.  

 

Until the late 1920s, the land surrounding the Saluda River consisted of farmland, forest, and, of course, homes for the families that had worked the land for generations.

 

As we all recall from Social Studies class, Eminent Domain allowed the purchase of about 100,000 acres at $15 to $45 per acre. (Imagine that price!)

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There were no “towns,” as the Internet might lead you to believe.  There were, however, a few schools, churches, small “communities,” and around 190 cemeteries.  The deal included moving the homes and even the graves of over 2000 people.  Remember that not everyone chose to move their loved ones, which means there are hundreds of grave stones under Lake Murray and even on several of the islands.

 

Once the land was acquired, it came to the clearing, which was a thing in itself.  2,000 men were paid $.25 a day to clear the 65,000 acres that would become Lake Murray.  When the dam was done, it would become the world’s largest earthen hydropower station.

 

What was not “earthen” were the towers, which still stand and are used today.  Each of these iconic creations stands over 200 feet tall. The four “smaller ones” are 16 feet in diameter and draw water from the bottom of the Lake, pushing it under the dam to the turbines, which spin and generate electricity.

 

The dam, with a construction cost of $20 million at the time ($37 million today), was built in three sections and is 1.5 miles long.  On December 1, 1930, the first 10,000 kilowatts were generated, and the rest, as they say, is history.  

 

Speaking of history, the Lake also played a significant role in World War II, serving as a training ground for the 17th Bombardment Group aviators, including the legendary Doolittle’s Raiders, who delivered a decisive blow to the Japanese early in the War.

 

Nowadays, one of the primary targets of these training missions, Bomb Island, has become a sanctuary for Purple Martins, which provides stunning evening shows for about six weeks.

With over 48,000 acres, touting 650 miles of shore, Lake Murray truly is the Jewel of South Carolina.

 

Book your own private Lake Murray History Tour with Captain Tyler Ryan today!