Beneath the still waters of Lake Marion lies the ghost of a forest — and a town named Ferguson. Before the Santee River was dammed, the Santee River Cypress Lumber Company had already stripped much of the swamp bare, cutting and milling its centuries-old cypress. By the time the flood came, the forest that once sheltered the town was already gone.

This episode traces how the Santee Basin itself was transformed — not only socially but ecologically. Thousands of acres were cleared, burned, and drowned to make way for progress, yet pieces of that past remain: the stumps of Sparkleberry Swamp, the ghost forests along the coast, and the memories carried by the water. Through the words of historian Dr. Robert Hart, we follow the making of a waterscape — and reflect on what progress submerge.

Featured Voice

• Dr. Robert Hart, historian — on the environmental and coastal consequences of the Santee-Cooper Project

Credits Created, produced, and hosted by Lolita Rowe Original music by Sister Sai Website by Tiffany Messer Bass, with production support from Saira Raza

sound effects/field recordings from Freesound.com

S: Lake Waves 3.wav by Benboncan | License: Attribution 4.0

S: forest wind 1111AM 220617_0400.wav by klankbeeld | License: Attribution 4.0

S: Life underwater at Mamori.wav by laurent | License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0

S: Forest Birds Crow Wind by atks_ | License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0

Songs (all by Sister Sai)

- Ossabaw Sunrise (unreleased)

- Wanderer (from Extempore)

- Dandelion (from First Flight)

Archival Image: Cut-over land in the Santee-Cooper Basin.Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division,LC-USF34-043522-D [P&P], LOT 1533 (corresponding photographic print).Other Number: E 173.

Call to Action Visit madeincarolinapodcast.com for show notes and more stories waiting under the water. Share your reflections using #MadeInCarolinaPodcast or support the series on Buy Me a Coffee.

Next Episode Preview Next time, we follow the families who moved with the water — tracing how they rebuilt, remembered, and redefined home after the flood.