This idyllic scene in the Batesburg-Leesville vicinity shows rural structures along Chinquapin Creek. The creek begins in Monetta and then merges with Lightwood Knot Creek in Lexington County to form the north fork of the Edisto River. It forms the geographical line between Lexington County and Aiken County. The land surrounding the creek was granted to James Harrison of Craven County, North Carolina in 1773 in return for his service in the Revolutionary War. He likely named the area for the Chinquapin Creek near his North Carolina home. The name Chinquapin refers to a variety of trees and shrubs.
Reflections on Chinquapin Creek
Contributor Ann Helms, who sent the above photo, shares, “Chinquapin Creek sits right over the line on South Carolina Highway 391, with an old store and a few barns nearby. This was a scenic surprise for me after taking 391 on a whim.”
I live in Samaria right outside of Batesburg. I have been taking my 10-year-old son to spots on this creek and we have caught bluegills, pumpkin seed and/or redbreast and small catfish, a few turtles, and a carp. Some were worth eating, but in honor of my son, all fish and wildlife are catch and release.
My grandmother, Elizabeth Whittle Shealy, took us right there in that picture! She called it Flat Rock and said it was a popular picnicking place when she was a young girl in the late 1880s I would say. Even my dad W. Leon Shealy remembers going there to cool off on Sunday afternoons with the family and a light supper. He does remember the water being faster and maybe more plentiful at that time (before Lake Murray was built).
What great information! Would you mind if we added it higher up on the page, to your credit, under the reflections section?
My grandfather Nolan Adams was born and raised near there. He used to swim there. He passed away in 1997; shortly before his death, he took me to his old homestead. It was a simple one or maybe two-bedroom cabin with a barn and a pond.