Jocassee Journal Information and News about the Jocassee Gorges Spring/Summer 2004 Volume 5, Number 1 Jocassee Valley as it appeared prior to Lake Jocassee. The Whitewater River can be seen along the left side of the photo, and Attakulla Lodge, which offered bed and board in Jocassee Valley, is seen in the distant center. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Fletcher) Two books published on history of Jocassee The history of Jocassee Valley comes alive Fletcher spent the summers of her youth in Jocassee in two books recently published by women who grew up Valley. She is office manager of a Columbia architectural in the area before it was flooded by the Keowee-Toxaway firm and lives in Chapin with her husband, Dave. Project beginning in 1971. Hembree’s hard cover book chronicles the history of The two books are “Whippoorwill Farewell: Jocassee Jocassee Valley with 256 pages and 165 photographs. Remembered,” by Debbie Fletcher, and “Jocassee The photographs depict both the people who once lived Valley,” by Claudia Whitmire Hembree. Fletcher and there and also the scenery of the valley. Interspersed Hembree are cousins. among the photographs are excerpts of some 40 personal Both books are personal remembrances of Jocassee interviews as well as various items of historical research by Valley. Hembree was born and raised in Jocassee Valley Hembree. and lived there until 1957 when she left to attend Fletcher’s soft cover book of 151 pages tells of her Winthrop College. After graduation, she taught school in family’s life in the valley, of summer suppers of fried Greenville County and eventually retired from Dacusville chicken, corn bread and blackberry cobbler, and of the Middle School in Pickens County. She lives in Taylors people who spent their summers there. The homespun with her husband, Jim. book is filled with family photos. Continued on page 2 Camp Jocassee for Girls was located in Jocassee Valley on the banks of the Whitewater River from 1921 until 1970 (Jocassee Valley was flooded in 1971) . The camp moved to Lake Keowee beginning in 1971, but it ceased operation after the 1976 season. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Fletcher) Two books published on history of Jocassee Continued from page 1 Some area bookstores are now carrying the Jocassee Ordering Information books. They can also be ordered on-line or through the mail. The Web site for “Whippoorwill Farewell: Jocassee For “Whippoorwill Farewell: Jocassee Remembered” Remembered” is www.jocasseeremembered.com. To write to Debbie Fletcher, 109 Copperhill Lane, receive a brochure, write Debbie Fletcher, 109 Copperhill Columbia, SC 29229 or visit Lane, Columbia, SC 29229. www.jocasseeremembered.com The Web site for “Jocassee Valley” is www.jocasseevalley.com. To receive a brochure, write For “Jocassee Valley” write to Claudia W. Hembree, 19 Fernwood Drive, Taylors, SC Claudia W. Hembree, 19 Fernwood Drive, 29687-4919. Taylors, SC 29687-4919 or visit (Jocassee Journal will carry excerpts from both books in www.jocasseevalley.com. upcoming editions of the newsletter.) 2 Wildlife biologist Sam Stokes Sr. played an important role in protection of Jocassee Gorges. ‘Living legend’ wildlife biologist retires from state wildlife agency Sam Stokes Sr., a “living legend” where he remained until his recent retirement. For much among wildlife biologists in the Palmetto of his career, Stokes was the leader of the state’s Black Bear Project. State, recently retired from his position as the chief John Frampton, DNR director, said Stokes had a wildlife biologist in the S.C. Department of Natural tremendous positive impact on many Clemson University Resources’ mountain region. Stokes, a state wildlife students who went on to become DNR wildlife biologist for 41 years, played an integral role in the biologists, Frampton among them. protection of the Jim Timmerman Natural Resources “Sam also had a tremendous impact on natural Area at Jocassee Gorges. resources protection in South Carolina,” Frampton said. “Sam Stokes was truly a living legend,” said “The Jocassee Gorges land protection project was a Skip Still, wildlife biologist with the S.C. Department of result of his developing a relationship over the years with Natural Resources (DNR) stationed in Clemson. “His Duke Power and Crescent Resources. He was the leader abilities reached far beyond those it took to perform of the state’s Black Bear Project and research effort, and his job, but because of these abilities he made us all partnered with Duke and Clemson on some of the most better and he made the job better. Sam Stokes found important black bear research efforts in the state. He our strengths and let us run with them. Sam is a positive also developed a great partnership with the U.S. Forest person who will not allow those around him to become Service, which is incredibly important for a whole host of negative. His positive attitude is contagious. He kept reasons.” an open-minded, progressive and most of all positive Brock Conrad, former DNR director of wildlife perspective that we should all learn to follow.” and freshwater fisheries, said Stokes’ “forty years with Stokes, a Pickens native, graduated in 1962 from the Department of Natural Resources is due to his love the University of Georgia with a degree in forestry with for the wildlife resource and for the mountain area where wildlife concentration. His first job with DNR (then he spent most of his life. His dedication and love for the S.C. Wildlife and Marine Resources Department) the job was instrumental in the protection of much of was in September 1963, when he was hired as a wildlife the mountain region including Jocassee Gorges as an biologist in Union. He came to Clemson in June 1965, outstanding wildlife and natural area.” 3 The area historically known as the Horsepasture is underneath Lake Jocassee, and is just out of view when looking north from Jumping Off Rock. Where in the world is the Horsepasture? By Dennis Chastain Jocassee and to the north by the North Carolina state It’s an amazing phenomenon. Every year several line. This is the same area variously known as the Jocassee thousand people pile into the pickup truck or other Gorges, the Franklin Gravely Wildlife Management Area means of four-wheeled conveyance and head for “the and the Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area. No Horsepasture.” Not one in a hundred has any idea where wonder so many people manage to get themselves lost the Horsepasture actually is—or rather, was. each year “back in the Horsepasture.” You can drive the entire length of the road that So, where in the world is the Horsepasture? Well, people call “the Horsepasture Road” till the cows come the correct answer is, it doesn’t exist. It exists only in the home, but you will never even get close to the true minds and memories of those few people whose ancestors Horsepasture. That road, the gravel road that bisects the once lived there or those who visited the area before Jocassee Gorges property, the one that turns off of US 1971, the year that Duke Power closed the gates on 178 at Laurel Valley Lodge with the green sign that says the Jocassee dam. The real Horsepasture is forevermore Horse Pasture Road, was constructed over a period of buried under about 40 feet of emerald green water in the years for logging purposes. Toxaway arm of Lake Jocassee. The real, historical Horsepasture road originated The real Horsepasture was a prominent in the Eastatoee Valley. It ran up what is now Mill Creek floodplain located at the point where the Toxaway Road, then along the stream bank of Cane Creek to a River, the Horsepasture River and Laurel Fork Creek all twisty, winding section of the Cane Creek Road known as merged. Today, the area is just out of view when looking the Katy Wind, up Bully Mountain to the modern Horse north from Jumping Off Rock. About the only way to Pasture Road near the Gantt Field. The Gantt Field is see the old historical Horsepasture, or where it used to the well-known campsite in a hemlock grove with the be, is by boat. The area can be located precisely by taking conspicuous jiffy-johnny. The road then crossed over the a boat to the mouth of the Laurel Fork arm of the lake ridge at the point where the Dockins Flat Road turns off and motoring slightly back toward the Toxaway River. the Horse Pasture Road near the Gantt Field, then down Any good topographic map of Lake Jocassee will clearly the Dockins Flat Road to the real Horsepasture. depict the area of the original floodplain. Interestingly, people will say that they are “back (Dennis Chastain is a Pickens County naturalist and in the Horsepasture” when they are just about anywhere outdoors writer who has been hunting, hiking and fishing in in the vast area bounded on the east by US 178, on the Jocassee Gorges for more than 30 years. Next issue: How the south by the Eastatoee Valley, on the west by Lake did the Horsepasture get its name?) 4 Predator beetles released in Jocassee To battle hemlock woolly adelgids About 2,500 predator beetles were Park in Virginia. The adelgids cannot fly and spread released May 7 in the Laurel Fork Creek drainage by the immature “crawler” life stage. These small area of Jocassee Gorges near the Foothills Trail in immature adelgids crawl, are blown in winds or are northern Pickens County. These insects feed on hemlock possibly spread by songbirds. By feeding on the internal woolly adelgids, which have been decimating Eastern portions of young twigs, the hemlock woolly adelgid hemlock populations along the East Coast.