Swamp Rabbit Trail History

The Swamp Rabbit Trail
A Tale of More Than 125 Years
Spanning Over Three Centuries
By Sandra E. Yúdice
Assistant to the County Administrator
County of Greenville, SC
February 2014
Table of Contents
Where is the Swamp Rabbit Trail Hopping? ................................................................................................. 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
The 19th Century: The Mid and Late 1800s ................................................................................................... 2
The Gestational Years: 1845-1887 ........................................................................................................ 2
The Birth: 1888...................................................................................................................................... 3
Developing During Childhood Years: The 1890s ................................................................................... 3
The 20th Century: The 1900s ......................................................................................................................... 3
Growing Pains of the Teenage Years: The 1900 and 1910 Decades ..................................................... 3
The Young Adult Years: Defining Its Identity from the 1920s to the 1940s ......................................... 4
Reaching Adulthood and Beginning to Decline: The 1950s and 1960s ................................................ 4
Ready for Retirement? The Senior Years, the 1970s and 1980s........................................................... 4
Will It Really Ever Retire? The 1990s .................................................................................................... 4
The 21st Century ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Retirement Is Not Quite There Yet: The 2000s ..................................................................................... 5
And They All Lived Happily Ever After: The 2010s and Beyond ............................................................ 6
Was it Worth Waiting More than 125 Years? Was the Investment Worthy? The Furman
University Swamp Rabbit Trail Impact Study ................................................................................................ 7
Furman University’s Impact Studies ..................................................................................................... 7
The Relationship Will Continue ............................................................................................................. 7
Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................. 9
The Swamp Rabbit Trail A Tale of
More Than 125 Years Spanning Over Three Centuries
Office of the Administrator
Joseph M. Kernell
County Administrator
(864) 467-7105
www.greenvillecounty.org
February 2014
Dear Greenville County Residents and Visitors:
It is with great pleasure that we present to you the history and tales of one of Greenville County’s
greatest assets, the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail (GHS-SRT). What you are about to
read is a story highlighting major details of the struggles and successes of the Swamp Rabbit in many
of its phases: as a concept, as an active and inactive railroad, as a dormant asset, as a transformative
figure, and as an economic development and tourism injecting destination.
As you will read in the pages ahead, you will find that during the mid-1840s, prominent Greenvillian
men gathered to examine and discuss “a report of ‘the practicability and expediency of constructing a
railway from this place (Greenville) to pass through the state to one of the upper terminals of the
Charleston Railroad…” Those prominent Greenvillians had no idea about the long term effects of their
actions, decisions, and the unintended consequences that such decisions would have in the future of
Greenville County. Because of theirs and others’ perseverance, determination, and diligence,
Greenville County now has this great asset that residents and visitors have enjoyed and will enjoy for
decades to come.
Current efforts are leading towards extending and expanding the Swamp Rabbit Trail from north to
south and from west to east. Under the County’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism
leadership, plans are to extend the trail to the North Carolina border and to the Laurens County
border to the south. Schools and communities want to be connected to the trail also; therefore,
efforts are also leading to expanding the trail to those places west to east. One example is the
connectivity that is being considered between the trail and the revitalized Poinsett District.
We welcome additional tales on the Swamp Rabbit, if you have one. If you would like to share them
with us please do not hesitate to contact Assistant to the County Administrator Sandra Yúdice at
[email protected]. We will include them gladly in The Swamp Rabbit Trail: A Tale of More
Than 125 Years Spanning Over Three Centuries for future generations to learn about it.
I hope you enjoy these tales!
Sincerely,
Joseph M. Kernell
County Administrator
The Swamp Rabbit Trail A Tale of
More Than 125 Years Spanning Over Three Centuries
Where is the Swamp Rabbit Trail Hopping?
1
The Swamp Rabbit Trail A Tale of
More Than 125 Years Spanning Over Three Centuries
Introduction
The history of the Greenville and Northern Railway (G&NR),
locally known as the Swamp Rabbit, is one filled of financial
struggles from the onset of the railway in the late 1880s. At
that time, no one knew what its fate would be more than
100 years later let alone that it would bring a community
st
together in the 21 Century. In 1984, Craig A. Myers
published A Short History – The Greenville and Northern
Railway, 1887-1984 and wrote, “The Greenville and
Northern’s future remains clouded, but the proper guidance
and expansion, it could survive.” Robert N. Daniel, in Mann
Batson’s book written in 2010, noted,
Looking backwards across the years, we think of
our little railroad, the Swamp Rabbit, with a
smile for its ambition to cross the big mountains.
But the sober fact is that Greenville (we) lost
tremendously because of that failure. Who
knows what great commercial opportunities
would have opened up if a good track could have
been completed and connections been made
between Greenville and the boundless west? (p.
184)
In July 1999 prior to RailTex of San Antonio, TX, completing
abandonment procedures, with proper guidance, vision from
community leaders, political will, and determination,
Greenville County Council created the Greenville County
Economic Development Corporation (GCEDC) to acquire the
right-of-way enabling its survival “[t]o facilitate, through rail
line ownership and/or rail corridor preservation, intermodal,
business commuter, shipping, and leisure traveler access to
Greater Greenville and its gateways….” (Greenville County
Economic Development Corporation, 2000).
Thus far, the Swamp Rabbit has beaten all the odds that
tested its quiet and sometimes not so quiet presence—i.e.,
financial, reorganizations, legal battles, and court orders to
be shut down—in the Greenville community over 125 years.
There may not be the little Swamp Rabbit train anymore
going up and down between Travelers Rest and Greenville
st
but its legacy will remain alive and well into the 21 Century
and, hopefully, beyond with great opportunities for local
businesses and the local economy along the Swamp Rabbit
Trail to thrive. Former Travelers Rest Mayor Mann Batson
(2010) wrote,
The [125+ years and counting] gestation period
has been lengthy. Delivery is ongoing. But the
due date for the Greenville Hospital System
Swamp Rabbit Trail is set for the May 7-9
weekend [2009]. When the baby finally arrives,
it will be a joyous day, but like a real child the
ten mile trail from Travelers Rest to Greenville
city limits is just the beginning. Nurturing this
child and watching it grow is next on the
agenda.” (p. 185)
And right he was! Who knew 125 years ago that the Swamp
Rabbit would now be—as it quietly lies down traversing
Greenville County from north to south—an invaluable asset
to the community that is being nurtured and taken care of in
st
the 21 Century? Public officials and community leaders
assisted with transforming its identity and destiny and now
the GHS-SRT has brought revitalization to the communities
along its path both in terms of their economy and health. As
the saying goes, “Things happen for a reason.” We may not
understand why they happen when they happen—
chartering a railroad in the 1800s that was destined to be in
so much trouble for so long—but fast forwarding to the
present and looking back at the past, we now understand
why they happened more than a century ago.
The 19th Century: The Mid and Late 1800s
The Gestational Years: 1845-1887
During the mid-1840s, prominent Greenvillian men gathered
to examine and discuss “a report of ‘the practicability and
expediency of constructing a railway from this place
(Greenville) to pass through the state to one of the upper
terminals of the Charleston Railroad, and collect such
information as citizens decide thereon” (Batson, 2010).
Many were the letters sent to the Editor of the Enterprise
and Mountaineer newspaper supporting the construction of
the railroad in the upper part of Greenville County. One
letter read,
Much enthusiasm exists in [sic] behalf of the
contemplated railroad across the mountains.
Many have already laid out the locations, with
depots, etc. and we have no doubt about scaling
the mountains at a grade that will astonish the
engineers themselves. ‘Let her roll,’ is the cry on
every hand. Travelers Rest, S. C. 2-4-1884 Felix
EM, 2-6-1884
Pseudonym (Batson, 2010, p. 13)
In March 1884, representatives from the towns of Bates,
Cleveland, Saluda, Paris Mountain, Glassy Mountain, Chick
Springs, Highland, and O’Neal held public meetings at
2
The Swamp Rabbit Trail A Tale of
More Than 125 Years Spanning Over Three Centuries
Marietta in February and at Tigerville. The conclusion at the
meeting in February was that, “The people present on this
occasion are of one mind in their desire to have a railroad
constructed over the mountains and express themselves
freely and even enthusiastically in advocacy of the measure”
(Batson, 2010). One of those present was Capt. L. I. Jennings
who “worked tirelessly to bring a railroad through the upper
part of Greenville County…” (Batson, 2010, p. 73).
Prior to the actual construction of the railroad bed, two
were the companies chartered with its construction which
would run between Augusta, GA, and Knoxville, TN. They
included the Greenville & Port Royal Company (1882-1885)
and the Atlantic, Greenville & Western Railway Company
(1885-1887). The former was unable to raise much needed
capital funds to build it resulting in the company’s
reorganization. The latter one was commissioned to build
the line from Greenville going east to the Atlantic and west
to the North Carolina state line connecting it with rail lines
going to Tennessee. Circumstances at the time required
both companies to merge and, in 1887, the Carolina,
Knoxville & Western Railway Company (CK&W) was formed
(Runey, 1949; Rooney & Wade, 1977; Myers, 1984).
The Birth: 1888
The CK&W was chartered to build the railroad connecting
Augusta, GA, and Knoxville, TN, and the newly created
company proposed to build a 282-mile track. A telegram
sent in 1888 to the Knoxville Tribune on the proposed
$200,000 subscription to fund the construction of the
railroad read,
“To the Knoxville Tribune:
Greenville, S. C., Dec. 28, The City of Greenville
Today voted for the Carolina, Knoxville, and Western
Proposition by 2,300 majority.
The County is safe by 2,000.”
EM, 1-11-1888 (Batson, 2010, p. 25)
After raising the capital needed, construction began in 1888
and a 12-mile rail line was built between Greenville, SC, and
Hellams Crossing just north of Travelers Rest, SC. Operations
started in 1889 (Batson, 2010).
Developing During Childhood Years: The
1890s
In 1891, just two short years after the railroad began
operating, the CK&W Railroad Company bankrupted. The
court appointed H. C. Beattie as the receiver. The sentiment
at the time was that if the rail ended in a township, its
financial situation would improve. Therefore, the receiver
was authorized extending the railroad to Marietta, SC. In
1892, the railroad extended for about 15 miles from
Greenville to Marietta but it continued suffering from
revenue losses (Myers, 1984).
In August 1896, the railroad was sold and the new owners
applied to stop service and prepared to sell the railroad.
However, resilient local residents protested and took the
matter to the courts filing an injunction to remove the
tracks. In 1899, the court ordered to remove the rails and
removal work begun in Marietta. The rails and other
equipment and real state were sold to Charleston and
Western Carolina Railway for $28,000 (Myers, 1984; Batson,
2010).
The 20th Century: The 1900s
Growing Pains of the Teenage Years: The
1900 and 1910 Decades
In 1904, the railroad resurrected as the Greenville and
Knoxville Railway and service was restored to Marietta in
1906. The railroad reached River Falls (formerly Pott’s Cove)
in 1910 (Rooney & Wade, 1977; Myers, 1984; Batson, 2010).
By May 1912, the Greenville and Knoxville Railway had 13
stations along its path. The stations included Greenville,
Monaghan, White Oak, Montague, Altamont, Travelers Rest,
Phillips, Hellams, Bates, Marietta, Cleveland, River View, and
River Falls (Batson, 2010). Passengers took the Swamp
Rabbit to River Falls and stayed at the Valley View Hotel and
“resort area for rest, relaxation, and entertainment. They
swam in the Middle Saluda River, hike, hunt and went to
Caesar’s Head for the dances and other activities” (Batson,
2010, p. 90).
The railroad went under several receiverships and later
became the Greenville and Western in 1914. Changing
names did not help the railroad since, in 1917, was put in
receivership again due the bad conditions of the rail bed
“that life and property would be jeopardized if trains were
run and the cost of repairs was not available. Judge Johnson
authorized the receiver to discontinue the operation of the
trains” (Batson, 2010, p. 46).
Between 1917 and 1919, law suits were filed in courts who
ordered to resume operations and to shut the railroad again.
In May 1919, R. A. McTyre purchased the rail for $75,000
just to sell it again in August 1919 to W. H. Cook of Duluth,
MN, (Batson, 2010).
The Swamp Rabbit became a movie star in 1917 when it was
feature in a movie filmed in Travelers Rest. The movie was
based “on the life of Sidney Allen, a Tennessee folk hero
who had gotten on the wrong side of the law and was
rescued by his family from a trial in a Tennessee court
house” (Batson, 2010, p. 140).
3
The Swamp Rabbit Trail A Tale of
More Than 125 Years Spanning Over Three Centuries
The Young Adult Years: Defining Its Identity
from the 1920s to the 1940s
In January 1920, the Baker Fentress Company —a timber
business— of Chicago purchased the railroad and for 37
years operated it thru a lumber company subsidiary (Saluda
Land and Lumber) shipping its product to Greenville for
distribution. The railroad became a subsidiary under the
Greenville & Northern Railway (G&NR). For a short period of
time the G&NR operated passenger excursions on weekends
and, until the 1950s, it provided mail and express services
(Batson, 2010). There are references of the railroad being
called the “Swamp Rabbit” as early as 1891 but no
references as to who named it (Batson, 2010).
The 1930s, presented challenges to the railroad again as the
financial crisis of the Great Depression developed and set in.
However, it again thrived during the years after the Great
Depression.
In the 1940s, the short-line had already defined its identity
and was recognized as,
“…one of the South’s quaintest and friendliest
short-lines. Around the city of Greenville and all
along its crooked and grassy right-of-way, the
Greenville & Northern Railway Company is
known always, and with affection, as the Swamp
Rabbit—the “l’il ole train that runs up to
Cleveland. Hardly anybody recognized it by its
dignified and rather austere corporate
designation. But everyone knew the little train
and many, especially the old folks, obviously
loved it. …the reason the line is known as the
Swamp Rabbit [is because] [f]or four or five
miles out of town, G&NR tracks are laid along a
marshy flat that is incredibly desolate, full of
reed and cattails.” (Runey, 1949)
In 1948, Saluda Land and Lumber sold the mill to Georgia
Pacific. Georgia Pacific continued the lumber shipping
business using the G&NR.
Reaching Adulthood and Beginning to
Decline: The 1950s and 1960s
By mid-1950s, the rail line began suffering financial loses one
more time. In 1957, short line entrepreneur Samuel M.
Pensley of Boston, MA, purchased the line, began building
warehouses, and modernized the railroad and its facilities
(Myers, 1984; Batson, 2010). The G&NR then became a
subsidiary of Pinsly Railroad Company (Williams, 2005). By
the end of the1950s, the railroad announced the formation
of the Berea District Industrial Park bringing financial success
and stability until the mid-1960s (Myers, 1984).
As new businesses opened along the G&NR line, old
customers also shut down operations and moved away from
the railway making the railroad unsustainable. In 1961, the
Georgia Pacific lumber business closed in Cleveland, SC, and
a four-mile stretch of railroad in the upper side of the line
was abandoned in 1963. This closing left only two products
using the railroad service, natural gas and waste fiberglass
rags (Myers, 1984).
In the mid-1960s, Slater Mill built a natural gas pipeline
taking away business from the railroad. Carloads were
severely cut to six by 1965. In the late 1960s, in an effort to
revive the railroad, a group of businessmen operated the
Swamp Rabbit tourist railroad between Marietta and
Cleveland, SC (Myers, 1984).
Ready for Retirement? The Senior Years, the
1970s and 1980s
By 1970, rail traffic stopped completely from the Slater Mill
and the railroad was abandoned between Cleveland and
Travelers Rest (Ruthven, 2007; Taylor, 2012). For the most
part, from the 1950s to the 1970s, the railroad was under
financial stress 50% of the time. During the 1980s, the
railroad traffic moved mostly waste and scrap from the
Berea Industrial Park businesses and railroad customers
(Myers, 1984).
Will It Really Ever Retire? The 1990s
In May 1997, the Surface Transportation Board (STB)
authorized the purchase of the line by the South Carolina
Central Railroad Inc. (Williams, 2005). RailTex of San
Antonio, TX, announced that its subsidiary, the South
Carolina Central Railroad (d/b/a Carolina Piedmont Division
or CPDR), had purchased approximately 11.8 miles of track
and assets from the Greenville and Northern Railway
(RailTex, Inc., 1997).
Within less than one year of the purchase, RailTex began
abandonment proceedings with the STB for two segments in
Greenville County. The segments included the G&NR (the
“northern segment”) and a 3.29 mile railroad segment (the
“CPDR or southern segment”) running between Highway 291
(Pleasantburg Drive) and just north of the General Electric
track in the southeastern part of the City of Greenville, SC
(Williams, 1997; Williams, 1998a). According to RailTex there
were no rail shippers on the northern line and, “prior to
1993, the northern segment was used by G&NR solely for
movements of rail equipment to and from repair and
storage facilities near milepost 0.0” (Williams, 1998b). CPDR
purchased the southern segment in 1990 and, by 1992,
according to CPDR there was only one shipper on the line
who used motor freight 95% of the time to meet its needs
(Williams, 1998b).
In early 1999, concerned citizens approached Greenville
County Council requesting assistance and proposing
alternatives to the disposition of the rail lines. Greenville
County Council had the forward thinking of forming the
Greenville County Economic Development Corporation
4
The Swamp Rabbit Trail A Tale of
More Than 125 Years Spanning Over Three Centuries
(GCEDC) to purchase the soon-to-be-abandoned railroad
rights-of-way from RailTex at a cost of $1.3 million, including
the entire northern segment from Downtown Greenville to
north of Travelers Rest and the 3.29-miles southern
segment. The South Carolina Department of Transportation
contributed $100,000 with a grant towards the purchase of
the lines. The mission of the GCEDC is:
Usually, retirement means a phase in life to slow down and
enjoy the pleasures that it brings. However, the Swamp
Rabbit, as resilient as it has been for over a century, did not
slow down and was very busy generating and growing
offsprings to become what it is today, a trail that is a
destination point which is recognized locally, regionally, and
nationally.
To facilitate, through rail line ownership and/or
rail corridor preservation, intermodal, business
commuter, shipping, and leisure traveler access
to Greater Greenville and its gateways. Our
highest priorities, in carrying out this mission,
are safety, citizenship, responsibility, and cost
effectiveness.
Additionally, the 3.29-mile southern rail line will also prove
to be an asset to the community later on. Currently, there
are discussions and efforts in the community to use the
right-of-way as a multimodal corridor facility that could
include a recreation trail, a bus rapid transit, personal rapid
transit, and stations along the way.
The 21st Century
Retirement Is Not Quite There Yet: The 2000s
Since the purchase, a series of setbacks —including lack of
funds and a law suit from a businessman who wanted rail
service restored on the G&NR line— precluded the GCEDC
from fulfilling its mission until the law suit was dismissed in
2004 (Williams, 2005). For many years, critics of the
purchasing decision looked at it as a waste of taxpayers’
funds. However, time showed that the decision, as bold as it
was in 1999, was a wise one just like the one made in the
1880s. The conversion of the right-of-way into a trail has
proven to be an asset for the community as the Furman
University economic impact studies later demonstrated
(Reed, 2012; Reed, 2013).
The mid-2000s were busy years for the rail lines. In
September 2004, the court dismissed the law suit and
ordered the GCEDC to just pay the plaintiff’s legal fees. In
spring 2005, Greenville County Detention Center’s inmates
and volunteers under the leadership of Judy Cromwell and
Carlton Owen cleared the railroad right-of-way from
Travelers to Greenville. In June 2005, the GCEDC filed a
petition with the STB requesting approval to rail bank the
lines: abandon the 11.8-miles segment between Downtown
Greenville and north of Travelers Rest and discontinue
service on the 3.29-miles segment between southeast
Greenville and what is now the Clemson University
International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR)
campus.
In October 2005, the STB, under a notice of interim trail use
(NITU), granted the abandonment and discontinuance
petitions under the Rails to Trails Act. The NITU authorized
the GCEDC to negotiate, within a period of 180 days, an
agreement with Upstate Forever for interim trail use on the
11.8-miles segment.
In February 2006, in response to Western Carolina Railway
Service Corporation’s (WCRSC) offer of financial assistance
(OFA) filed with the STB, the GCEDC Chairman Herman
“Butch” Kirven indicated to the WCRSC that its “offer of
approximately $46,000 is far too low. Based on our own
recent appraisals of the real estate and non-real estate
assets on the northern line, GCEDC believes that the
purchase price should not be less than $1,133,769…GCEDC
has an obligation to the public to accept only a full market
value price for the northern line” (Kirven, 2006).
In September 2006, Upstate Forever requested the STB to
vacate the existing NITU and to issue one to the Greenville
County Recreation District (GCRD), which the STB approved
(Williams, 2006). In September 2006, the GCEDC and the
GCRD entered into a lease donation and operating
agreement on the 11.8-miles right-of-way with the purpose
of developing, maintaining and operating the trail.
Salvaging the rails began in 2007. Proceeds from the rail
salvaging assisted the GCEDC with paying legal fees to
defend the law suit that was dismissed in 2004, pay the
settlement, and the STB proceeding charges. Once the
salvage project was complete, the Swamp Rabbit Trail was
born and ready to go thru a transformation for the next few
years until its official opening in May 2009.
In the spring 2007, Upstate Forever facilitated the Swamp
Rabbit Forums with public meetings at Furman University
and Downtown Greenville. The goal was to develop
aesthetic and trail designs, a mission statement, and make
recommendations to name the trail based on the
community’s input. Community leaders from several public,
private, and non-profit organizations participated in the
forums including municipalities, Clemson University, local
chambers of commerce, GCEDC, Greenville County, GC
Emergency Management, law enforcement agencies, GC
School District, GCRD, GC Sheriff’s Office, GC Planning
Commission and others.
5
The Swamp Rabbit Trail A Tale of
More Than 125 Years Spanning Over Three Centuries
Realizing the transformative change the Swamp Rabbit Trail
would have on the Greenville community, the Greenville
Hospital System (GHS) –now the Greenville Health System-also joined the efforts to develop the trail by promoting the
health and wellness benefits of the trail and encouraging
people to live active and healthy lifestyles by using it. In
2007, GHS announced its commitment to sponsor the trail
by providing $100,000 each year for ten years to the GCRD
to assist with its development and marketing efforts (Houck,
2012), hence the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail name.
Officially, the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail debuted the weekend
of May 7-9, 2009, with its inaugural 5K Race with more than
2,000 people participating (Batson, 2010). Participation in
the now annual race grew to over 4,000 in 2012 with
runners coming from all over the Upstate SC, the Midlands
SC, the Grand Stand, and as far as Porter Ranch, California;
Sherwood Forest, Maryland; Marblehead, Massachusetts;
and other states (Carlson, 2012).
Under the leadership of the GCRD’s Director of Greenways
and Natural Historic Resources, Ty Houck, the SRT
conquered new territories. Plans are to extend and expand
the Swamp Rabbit Trail and “work with the municipalities to
build a continuous ribbon of trail that extends to the NC/SC
boarder and into Laurens County via downtown Fountain
Inn” to the south (Richardson, 2012). Currently, the GCRD is
working with property owners to extend the trail north of
Travelers Rest to the SC/NC border. It is worth noting that
the North Carolina’s Friends of Ecusta Trail group has
advocated connecting the future Ecusta Trail to the Swamp
Rabbit Trail at some point in the future at the states’ border.
With the purchase of the railroad right-of-way, an
abandoned rail car was also acquired on the G&NR. The car
must have been built around 1947 and operated by the
Southern Railway as some of its parts have that year and
name printed. Physically, the 65+ year-old railcar is in good
conditions and is currently being rehabilitated. In the early
2000s, upon request from the Whitewater Valley Railroad
Museum, the GCEDC donated the car to the museum for
restoration. However, attempts to dismantle and move the
railcar from its location failed due to the high cost of
removing suspected asbestos and lead paint from the car
and transportation costs to the museum. The car remained
on the right-of-way—during the salvaging process—but was
moved to its present location along the Swamp Rabbit Trail
at the intersection of Sulphur Springs Road and Pinsley Circle
in the Berea area.
And They All Lived Happily Ever After: The
2010s and Beyond
In May 2010, the City of Greenville completed the Swamp
Rabbit Trail Connector at Willard Street. It consists of a 53’
long steel and timber bridge across the Reedy River that
connects the City of Greenville’s portion of the trail to the
original Swamp Rabbit Trail developed, built, and maintained
by the GCRD to the northwest of the city. The Swamp Rabbit
Trail is now 14 miles long, connecting Travelers Rest to
Downtown Greenville and south through Falls Park,
Cleveland Park to the Caine Halter Family YMCA and
Greenville Technical College (City of Greenville, 2012).
In May 2011, the GCEDC transferred the right-of-way where
the Swamp Rabbit Trail lays to Greenville County. The GC
Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department continues
operating and maintaining the trail. The trail’s fully
developed plans call for extending the Swamp Rabbit Trail
from the SC/NC border in north Greenville County all the
way south to the Greenville/Laurens county line running
thru the Lake Conestee Nature Park, the Golden Strip area,
and Fountain Inn.
On August 20, 2011, the City of Fountain Inn inaugurated the
0.5 mile section of the Swamp Rabbit Trail in the southern
part of the county. This section of the SRT is considered “the
launching point for the southern part of the trail that will
eventually work its way through the Golden Strip and
connect to the northern section of the trail” (Greenville
County Recreation District, 2011). Greenville County Parks,
Recreation, and Tourism Department Director Gene Smith
said,
“…The popularity of the Swamp Rabbit is proof
that people in our community want safe walking
and biking paths. This is just the start of us being
able to provide this opportunity for more people
as we continue to implement the Greenville
County Greenway Master Plan of 2009”
(Greenville County Recreation District, 2011).
City of Fountain Inn Mayor Gary Long said,
We are confident that we will be able to work
with the other municipalities and county to get
this trail connected to the other parts of the
Swamp Rabbit Trail. I know the citizens of
Fountain Inn are looking forward to using this
section of the trail as a safe and convenient way
to get around our city. It will be exciting to
watch the progress as we work from the south
to one day being able to walk or ride our way to
downtown Greenville and into Travelers Rest.
(Greenville County Recreation District, 2011)
It was noticeable the work on the trail along Cleveland
Street in the City of Greenville at the Greenville Technical
College, Barton Campus, in early 2012. Running along
Cleveland Street between South Pleasantburg Drive and
Faris Road, the 0.8 trail extension of the Swamp Rabbit
opened on June 5, 2012, to the public (Foley, 2012). This
section of the Swamp Rabbit Trail opened “as Greenville
Tech turns fifty and represents the same type of vision that
allowed the state’s technical college system to open in the
sixties…’We are pleased to be part of the Swamp Rabbit Trail
system,’ said Dr. Keith Miller, president of Greenville Tech.
6
The Swamp Rabbit Trail A Tale of
More Than 125 Years Spanning Over Three Centuries
‘We salute the visionaries who now are transforming our
community with this path to fitness and fun’” (The Travelers
Rest Tribune, 2012).
On September 5, 2012, Greenville County and GCRD officials
presented the All Aboard Railcar Restoration Project to the
Leadership Greenville Class 39 (LG 39). The group selected it
as one of its class project. The goal is to make the Sulphur
Springs Road, Pinsley Circle, and the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail
intersection a destination point and the gateway to the
Berea community. LG 39 coordinated efforts with the
Planning Division’s revitalization efforts in this area of the
Berea community to create the Swamp Rabbit Station in
2013-2014. LG 39 raised funds to restore the railcar and
convert the site into a handicap accessible pocket park with
a food truck parking area that will serve trail users and Berea
area residents. Additionally, in 2013, local philanthropist
David Wilkerson donated to Greenville County a minilocomotive that will be placed in front of the restored
railcar. The mini-locomotive will be a place for children to
climb on and have fun. There are no amenities such as the
proposed restoration and conversion of the railcar into a
community pocket park along the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail in
the Berea area. This project will be an excellent addition to
the trail because it would not only create a place of pride for
the Berea community but could potentially spur further
economic development opportunities. The restoration
project is considered a high impact project and could be a
catalyst for further improvements in that area and along the
GHS-SRT.
Also in 2013 and under the leadership of GCEDC’s Chairman
Fred Payne, discussions began to take shape to develop the
3.29-miles southern segment of the railroad between
Pleasantburg Drive and Middle Laurel Creek at CU-ICAR. The
GCEDC Board of Directors has discussed the potential of
connecting this segment to Mauldin, Simpsonville, and
Fountain Inn to Laurens County and Charleston, SC, via the
privately owned freight railroad right-of-way. Preliminary
discussions indicate that the segment could be converted
into a multi-modal transportation corridor that potentially
could include a trail, bus rapid transit, light rail, and/or
personal rapid transit systems. The GCEDC and Upstate
Forever are forming a collaborative partnership that could
include other stakeholders such as the County and City of
Greenville, local foundations, and other public and private
organizations. These efforts are also leading to the
recapturing of the abandoned rail corridor between
Pleasantburg Drive and the Laurens Road/Washington Street
intersection. Meetings have been held with commercial
property owners who are receptive to the idea of developing
the abandoned corridor into a trail to connect the southern
segment corridor to the GHS-SRT at Cleveland Park in the
City of Greenville.
Eventually and with “proper guidance and expansion”
(Myers, 1984), the Swamp Rabbit Trail will find its way from
Fountain Inn up north to connect with the existing trail in
the City of Greenville. All it needs to do is captivate and
enamor communities and neighborhoods with its charming
personality to enter into a relationship.
For new
communities entering this marriage, it would be a great deal
as the initial couples, namely Travelers Rest and the City of
Greenville, would serve as models to continue a long and
lasting relationship with the Swamp Rabbit Trail, hopefully,
for centuries to come.
Was it Worth Waiting More than 125 Years? Was the Investment Worthy?
The Furman University Swamp Rabbit Trail Impact Study
Furman University’s Impact Studies
businesses.
Furman University is conducting a three year impact study of
the Swamp Rabbit Trail. The first study began in the summer
of 2010 and has shown that “approximately 359,314 users
would be observed on the GHS SRT (based on daily
observations for Year 1” (Reed, 2012, p. v). The second year
study results were released in spring 2013 and showed an
estimate of 403,323 people using the trail.
The Relationship Will Continue
On the trail’s impact on business, the study results showed
that, in year 1, most businesses had “increases in
sales/revenue ranging from 30% to as high as 85%” and, in
year 2, businesses’ revenue increased “as high as 100%”
(Reed, 2013, p. 39). The studies indicated also that
businesses have opened, relocated, and renovated buildings
on properties adjacent to the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail so
that trail users have access from the trail to the
The marriage between the Swamp Rabbit Trail and the
communities it touches along its path will continue
producing offsprings as spurs are built to connect
communities to the Swamp Rabbit Trail. It is impressive the
economic development that the Swamp Rabbit Trail has
brought along its length from Travelers Rest to Downtown
Greenville.
For example, bicycle shops have been
established as well as coffee and outdoor shops and grocery
stores. New housing developments are being considered
and/or underway.
The Swamp Rabbit Trail is a high impact local success story
that is improving the communities it traverses from north to
south. The City of Travelers Rest has capitalized on the
7
The Swamp Rabbit Trail A Tale of
More Than 125 Years Spanning Over Three Centuries
portion of the trail that runs thru its rehabilitated and
modern downtown as it has become a well-used community
asset and a tourist destination point. Café@William’s
Hardware in Travelers Rest has indicated that 70% of their
business comes from the trail on weekends. Bike shops have
seen a three-fold increase in bike sales and trail-centered
businesses like Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery have
occupied long abandoned derelict warehouse spaces.
Bottlecap Creative House is another success entrepreneurial
story and it is adjacent to the trail in Travelers Rest.
Bottlecap’s partner Kevin Keigley noted, “If you’re on the
trail, you’re set up to grow” (Davis, 2012)
Unknowingly, the Swamp Rabbit married Greenville County’s
communities more than a century ago and it is here to stay
via a recreational trail. People will enjoy the GHS Swamp
Rabbit Trail and its offsprings for many years to come as day
or weekend long activities are programmed around the trail
or simply because they want to be on, by, and/or a part of it.
For information on the various activities programmed for
your
enjoyment
on
the
trail
just
go
to
http://greenvillerec.com/swamprabbit.
8
The Swamp Rabbit Trail A Tale of
More Than 125 Years Spanning Over Three Centuries
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