Stumphouse Tunnel Issaqueena Falls
The Origin of Stumphouse Tunnel
There are many theories of how Stumphouse Tunnel got its name, here are three:
Stumphouse Tunnel represents the failure to complete a railroad system from Charleston, South Carolina to Cincinnati, Ohio after the Civil War. One big reason for not completing it was because of financial difficulties they had and didn't continue. A main reason why they wanted to build the railroad was to make transportation easier and faster. The Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad Company was founded in 1837 by the citizens of Charleston and Cincinnati. The rail line was only completed to Anderson, Pendleton and West Union by the late 1850s, but Stumphouse Mountain was to be the stumbling block and before the company could recoup, the nation was divided and had gone to war.
In 1852 the original idea of crossing the mountains by rail was revived. The railroad would connect South Carolina's railway system to existing Midwestern railways systems. In this second attempt, the Blue Ridge Railroad Company was formed to complete a railway across the Blue Ridge Mountains from Anderson, South Carolina to Knoxville, Tennessee and later Cincinnati, Ohio. To cross the Blue Ridge Mountains would require 13 tunnels. Three of the tunnels would be in South Carolina.
The two other tunnels that were to be built with the Stumphouse Tunnel in South Carolina would make three in all. The Saddle Tunnel was never completed. The Middle Tunnel was completed but was closed by land slides, and the Stumphouse Tunnel was meant to be 5,863 ft., but in 1859 with only 4,363 ft. completed, the state refused to send more money.
The Stumphouse Tunnel was closed due to rock slides and then the tunnel and the park were turned over from the Pendleton District Commission to the city of Walhalla. Walhalla now operates the park and re-opened the tunnel in spring 2000.
The Stumphouse Tunnel is today used as a recreational site. Because the temperature is around 50 degrees and the humidity is about 85 percent year-round, a doctor at Clemson University decided to temporarily store and age blue cheese. The environment of the tunnel was later duplicated in the Clemson Agricultural Center and the cheese making was moved there.
Availability
Stumphouse Tunnel park is open daily, year-round except Christrmas Day or during inclement weather. The park hours are 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM. All vehicles and people must be out of the park by 5:00 PM. For information please call to reserve the shelter 864.638.4343.
There is no fee except for reserving the large picnic shelter for group outings.
Directions
Stumphouse tunnel is located on SC highway 28, six miles north of Walhalla, adjacent to the Sumter National Forest. After you turn off of Highway 28, continue down the narrow park road to the end. There is a parking area a the end of the road.
There are many theories of how Stumphouse Tunnel got its name, here are three:
- From a large popular tree stump that civil war bootleggers once used to store their liquor in when it rained.
- From the Cherokees when they saw a couple that lived nearby in a stump over which they put a roof. The Cherokees saw it and said, "Stumphouse." The mountain has been called that ever since.
- There is also the legend of Issaqueena, a Creek living among the Cherokee who warned settlers of a pending attack by the Cherokee. She and her boyfriend hid in a stump and when detected by the Cherokee, she leaped from the falls that now have her name.
Stumphouse Tunnel represents the failure to complete a railroad system from Charleston, South Carolina to Cincinnati, Ohio after the Civil War. One big reason for not completing it was because of financial difficulties they had and didn't continue. A main reason why they wanted to build the railroad was to make transportation easier and faster. The Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad Company was founded in 1837 by the citizens of Charleston and Cincinnati. The rail line was only completed to Anderson, Pendleton and West Union by the late 1850s, but Stumphouse Mountain was to be the stumbling block and before the company could recoup, the nation was divided and had gone to war.
In 1852 the original idea of crossing the mountains by rail was revived. The railroad would connect South Carolina's railway system to existing Midwestern railways systems. In this second attempt, the Blue Ridge Railroad Company was formed to complete a railway across the Blue Ridge Mountains from Anderson, South Carolina to Knoxville, Tennessee and later Cincinnati, Ohio. To cross the Blue Ridge Mountains would require 13 tunnels. Three of the tunnels would be in South Carolina.
The two other tunnels that were to be built with the Stumphouse Tunnel in South Carolina would make three in all. The Saddle Tunnel was never completed. The Middle Tunnel was completed but was closed by land slides, and the Stumphouse Tunnel was meant to be 5,863 ft., but in 1859 with only 4,363 ft. completed, the state refused to send more money.
The Stumphouse Tunnel was closed due to rock slides and then the tunnel and the park were turned over from the Pendleton District Commission to the city of Walhalla. Walhalla now operates the park and re-opened the tunnel in spring 2000.
The Stumphouse Tunnel is today used as a recreational site. Because the temperature is around 50 degrees and the humidity is about 85 percent year-round, a doctor at Clemson University decided to temporarily store and age blue cheese. The environment of the tunnel was later duplicated in the Clemson Agricultural Center and the cheese making was moved there.
Availability
Stumphouse Tunnel park is open daily, year-round except Christrmas Day or during inclement weather. The park hours are 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM. All vehicles and people must be out of the park by 5:00 PM. For information please call to reserve the shelter 864.638.4343.
There is no fee except for reserving the large picnic shelter for group outings.
Directions
Stumphouse tunnel is located on SC highway 28, six miles north of Walhalla, adjacent to the Sumter National Forest. After you turn off of Highway 28, continue down the narrow park road to the end. There is a parking area a the end of the road.