Confederateland and South of the Border

The recent rediscovery of the wreck of the Confederate gunboat CSS Peedee (I've also seen it as Pee Dee) has gotten a lot of press. I came across an article that linked the gunboat's remains with two roadside attractions, one still exists, so will write about it here.

From the Dec. 28th Columbia (SC) Free Times.

The Peedee was destroyed by Confederates to prevent its being captured by Union forces. (If you'd like to read more, go to my Civil War blog http://sawtheelephant.blogspot.com)

The wreck would occasionally come to view during periods of low water in the Peedee River.

In 1954, a group of local businessmen destroyed most of what was left of the ship after spotting it when they brought in a bulldozer and made a roadway to the riverside and then attempted to drag it ashore for display at their planned roadside attraction to be called Confederateland near Marion, SC.

The Peedee broke into pieces with the effort and they grabbed whatever they could. A thirty-foot long piece of the stern was recovered along with the boiler, two engines and the propeller shafts.

They opened Confederateland and charged folks 25 cents to see the artifacts. No conservation was done and most of the items disintegrated over time. Obviously, Confederateland then closed.

The boiler somehow ended up on display at South of the Border, a really huge roadside attraction/tourist trap at I-95 on the NC/SC border. It eventually disappeared, most likely sold for salvage.

So Much for That. --RoadDog