This sleepy town in rural Florence County is known by the name Olanta. Prior to 1908, the area was called Beulah Crossroads, but the US Postal Service recognized and accepted Bethlehem as well, although Bethlehem was technically located a few miles south. Olanta was commissioned on February 7, 1908, and its municipal charter was issued June 1, 1908 with a population of 208. Thad Jerome Cottingham, born 1883 in Dillon, was the first and youngest intendant (or mayor) of Olanta, being just 24 at the time. When Olanta was formed, he was a cashier at a bank in nearby Kingstree. (Note that the charter gives the intendant’s surname as Cunningham, but multiple contemporary records show it was actually Cottingham.)
There is speculation on how the town came to be called Olanta, but the book The History of Olanta by Mrs. Mattie Bowers states “a prize of $5.00 was offered for the best name. Olanta was suggested by a Mr. T. J. Cottingham and the committee in charge accepted it.” Suggestions for its origin include both Olanta, Pennsylviania and a derivation of Atlanta, Georgia.
The railroad was laid through the town around 1905 by D.W. Alderman and Sons from Alcolu. The train remained active here until the 1930s with the tracks being pulled up around 1937. Records indicate telephone services may have been established when the community was still known as Beulah around 1906. Several businesses such as a store, tobacco warehouses, and two banks were established at this same time.
In Olanta’s early years, local police were responsible for refueling and trimming the wicks of Main Street’s corner lamps. Sometime later a Delco power plant came to the area, and by the late 1920s, the town had electricity. The town’s early years also saw the establishment of a spinning plant and a cotton plant.
Olanta is located along the South Carolina Tobacco Trail. Tobacco was an important crop in the state, and by 1908, two tobacco warehouses, known as Tucker’s and Gorman’s, had opened in town. Farmers would come from miles around to sell their prized crop. Olanta was also one of the state’s largest cotton producers for nearly 30 years.
Totaling an area of one square mile, Olanta had a population of 613 people in 2000. While the town may be small in stature, it is certainly rich in history. Local events, such as the Gator Festival, continue to engage the community.
The South Carolina Picture Project thanks Don Pigate for his helpful guide to Olanta’s history, based in part on a 1977 history written by Mrs. Mae M. Moore.
D.W. Alderman built a logging railroad to Durant in 1887. The company logged in Black River Swamp on the west side. He built other logging lines in “THE FORKS” section just west of Black River north of Pocataligo Swamp (near Manning). These were 5-foot gauge tracks with 3 locomotives and 20 cars working at Durant.
In 1892, they built across Black River and east to Sardinia. The general area was called Salem, which is not the Salem sawmill a mile north of Cades on the North Eastern (ACL) railroad. Salem sawmill was built by Tom Wilson who had a mill at Wilson’s Mill on the Central RR of SC just southeast of Manning. Later Wilson built the Wilson & Summerton westward in 1885.
Just to the west, Wilson’s tram connected with the Charleston, Sumter & Northern which ran north from the Santee River, but when he built across the CS&N tracks, their men tore the crossing up.
The Salem Sawmill line ran west to Springbank and to New Zion. Later it went to Gamble’s store. It was chartered by SC as #496 on December 24, 1890. Built as 5-foot, it was changed to Standard Gauge. It reached Gambles in 1900.
Wilson then built a tram road from Salem to Burnt Branch in Florence County. He then continued the line to Lynches River.
Mr. W.M. McElveen who had been at Sandy Grove, moved to “Near Hudson’s Mill” (1898).
A tour for 15 young ladies and gentlemen was run on April 20, 1903 over the Salem Railroad to Lynches river. Willie McElveen was Conductor on the train.
A year later, in 1904, a second tour ran from Salem Mills to Hebron, Burnt Branch, Central road, Allens Crossing, McKenzies, Steels Crossing, Jordans Avenue, Manning Road, and Hills to arrive at Lynches River. [CAN you place these locations on a map of that time?}
In 1905, D W Alderman & Sons had the Wilson crossing of the Alcolu railroad torn out. The Wilson logging train returning to Salem wrecked, and Wilson sued for $50,000, but was awarded only $1,000 by a Florence jury (November 29, 1905 jury verdict).
In 1910, Wilson cut back the Salem RR from Salem to Sandy Grove.
In 1912, this line had discontinued operations March 25, 1912 .
Meanwhile, Wilson renamed his Wilson Mill-Summerton-Sumter line to the “Northwestern RR Of SC” and built a new line up to Camden to connect with the Seaboard Air Line.
Alderman built from Sardinia to Beards in 1895. He passed Gambles Store on the north while Wilson’s tram was ended at the south side of the store.
Alderman built a branch north to Dials Bay and logged heavily there near Shiloh.
A little known logging line continued eastward to Gibbons, then along Horse Branch and over Douglas Swamp to Gibson. It then passed Bethlehem on the north and ran to Henderson.
A fire burned out the town of Bethlehem and folks moved to Beulah Crossroads and settled near Burnt Branch. (The post office used a Bethlehem cancel which confused things. ) Later this became Olanta.
Alderman chartered an Alcolu Railroad for passenger service and acquired the track from Alcolu to Durant and over to Coles. A new Alcolu line was built to Seloc (Coles spelled backwards) to avoid confusion with the Coles on the logging line just to the north. A major bridge project crossed Douglas Swamp and led to PaRoDa Junction where log lines were built south to Mouzon on Black River. Here the Alcolu turned north to run past Hudson’s Mill and on to Beulah (1904) . Beulah became Olanta in 1908.
Later the Alcolu was extended northeast to Kirby, then over Lynches River to Hams. Passenger service ran only to Kirby once or twice a week. A logging line extended north to Penial where it connected to the Iowa Lumber Company.
A 1911 map of Motts Township may be helpful in identifying the stops on Wilson’s tram to Lynches River.
Max was a BIG logging location working in Wood’s Mill Bay.
On February 24, 1905 Alderman had some men remove the Wilson crossing of his Alcolu Railroad. The Wilson train wrecked as it tried to cross the Alderman tracks. The location was on the land of Maggie Jones at Burnt Branch in Florence County.
CAN you identify this exact location??
I think much of this will be new to you. You are welcome to use it as you wish. I have a book-sized manuscript that would be a best seller in your area. Looking for a publisher.
Tom Fetters
One correction. Alderman & Sons’ had a logging line near Hudson’s Mill and Capt. Tom Wilson crossed the line to continue up to Lynches River. This logging line was built by Alderman & Sons’ Company and was NOT part of the nearby Alcolu Railroad which was a separate company of the Alderman family. The logging lines were used as long as there was timber and were pulled up or extended into new land as time passed. I need any news of any Alderman logging lines in Clarendon, Florence, and Sumter counties.