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''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Migration Internal|Migration]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[US Migration Trails and Roads|Trails and Roads]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[ | ''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Migration Internal|Migration]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[US Migration Trails and Roads|Trails and Roads]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Fort_Moore-Charleston_Trail|Fort Moore-Charleston Trail]]'' | ||
[[Image:Fort Moore-Charleston Trail.png|border|right|380px]]The '''Fort Moore-Charleston Trail''' connected the colonial [[South Carolina|South Carolina]] seaport of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston,_South_Carolina Charleston] with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_Town,_South_Carolina Fort Moore] guarding trade on the South Carolina side of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_River Savannah River] across from [[Georgia]]'s subsequent colony of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusta,_Georgia Augusta]. Charleston was the largest European settlement in South Carolina, its capital, its main trade connection to Europe, on the [[King's Highway|King's Highway]], and the start of several other trails. In 1716 Fort Moore was completed at the site of an Indian village that became the important fur trading center of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_Town,_South_Carolina Savannah Town] (New Windsor Township after 1737), the primary pelt trading center with Charleston. The Fort-Moore-Charleston trail likely opened at that time. Many other trails also converged on this town just below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_line fall line], and later on the town of Augusta across the river in Georgia. The Fort Moore-Charleston Trail began in [[Charleston County, South Carolina]] and ended in [[Aiken County, South Carolina]]. The length of the trail was about 144 miles (232 km).<ref name="HBG">''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.'' (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 849. ({{FHL|1049485|item|disp=FHL Book 973 D27e 2002}}). [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50140092 WorldCat entry.]</ref> | [[Image:Fort Moore-Charleston Trail.png|border|right|380px]]The '''Fort Moore-Charleston Trail''' connected the colonial [[South Carolina|South Carolina]] seaport of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston,_South_Carolina Charleston] with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_Town,_South_Carolina Fort Moore] guarding trade on the South Carolina side of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_River Savannah River] across from [[Georgia]]'s subsequent colony of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusta,_Georgia Augusta]. Charleston was the largest European settlement in South Carolina, its capital, its main trade connection to Europe, on the [[King's Highway|King's Highway]], and the start of several other trails. In 1716 Fort Moore was completed at the site of an Indian village that became the important fur trading center of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_Town,_South_Carolina Savannah Town] (New Windsor Township after 1737), the primary pelt trading center with Charleston. The Fort-Moore-Charleston trail likely opened at that time. Many other trails also converged on this town just below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_line fall line], and later on the town of Augusta across the river in Georgia. The Fort Moore-Charleston Trail began in [[Charleston County, South Carolina]] and ended in [[Aiken County, South Carolina]]. The length of the trail was about 144 miles (232 km).<ref name="HBG">''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.'' (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 849. ({{FHL|1049485|item|disp=FHL Book 973 D27e 2002}}). [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50140092 WorldCat entry.]</ref> | ||
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The Westo Indians were the first known residents of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_Town,_South_Carolina Savannah Town], South Carolina, observed there as early as the 1670s. However, they were replaced by [[Shawnee Indians|Shawnee (Savannah) Indians]] because of a 1679-1680 trade war. This town became important to the South Carolina colony because it was a prosperous center for the western fur and deer skin trade. Pack trains of animal furs and skins arrived from the Appalachian (Blue Ridge) Mountains and beyond. Savannah Town was just below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_line fall line], the farthest upriver an ocean-going boat could reach. Iron and manufactured goods were traded for the pelts. Skins from Savannah Town were shipped by boat to Charleston and from there to Europe. In 1715-1716 South Carolina built and garrisoned [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_Town,_South_Carolina Fort Moore] on the Savannah River to protect this trade from attacks by hostile Indians, [[New Spain|Spanish]], or [[New France|French]], and presumably about this time opened the Fort Moore-Charleston Trail. In 1730 the area was incorporated as [[New Windsor Township, South Carolina|New Windsor]] Parish and Township. In 1737 about 200 [[Switzerland|Swiss]] from the Canton of Appenzell settled the area.<ref name="Aug">Wikipedia contributors, "Savannah Town, South Carolina," ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia'', http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Moore,_South_Carolina (accessed 12 April 2011).</ref> | The Westo Indians were the first known residents of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_Town,_South_Carolina Savannah Town], South Carolina, observed there as early as the 1670s. However, they were replaced by [[Shawnee Indians|Shawnee (Savannah) Indians]] because of a 1679-1680 trade war. This town became important to the South Carolina colony because it was a prosperous center for the western fur and deer skin trade. Pack trains of animal furs and skins arrived from the Appalachian (Blue Ridge) Mountains and beyond. Savannah Town was just below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_line fall line], the farthest upriver an ocean-going boat could reach. Iron and manufactured goods were traded for the pelts. Skins from Savannah Town were shipped by boat to Charleston and from there to Europe. In 1715-1716 South Carolina built and garrisoned [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_Town,_South_Carolina Fort Moore] on the Savannah River to protect this trade from attacks by hostile Indians, [[New Spain|Spanish]], or [[New France|French]], and presumably about this time opened the Fort Moore-Charleston Trail. In 1730 the area was incorporated as [[New Windsor Township, South Carolina|New Windsor]] Parish and Township. In 1737 about 200 [[Switzerland|Swiss]] from the Canton of Appenzell settled the area.<ref name="Aug">Wikipedia contributors, "Savannah Town, South Carolina," ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia'', http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Moore,_South_Carolina (accessed 12 April 2011).</ref> | ||
As a western pelt trading center many Indian trails converged on this area. An old Indian trading trail called the [[Occaneechi Path]] stretched from the former Indian village at New Windsor toward Camden, South Carolina, then north to Charlotte, North Carolina, and beyond to Petersburg, Virginia. The [[Lower Creek Trading Path]] extended from Savannah Town/New Windsor into the mountains all the way to Clarksdale, Mississippi on the Mississippi River. The [[Cisca and St. Augustine Trail]] (or Nickajack Trail) connected the Cumberland River at Nashville, Tennessee to the Savannah River at New Windsor, South Carolina to St. Augustine, Florida on the Atlantic Ocean. | As a western pelt trading center, many Indian trails converged on this area. An old Indian trading trail called the [[Occaneechi Path]] stretched from the former Indian village at New Windsor toward Camden, South Carolina, then north to Charlotte, North Carolina, and beyond to Petersburg, Virginia. The [[Lower Creek Trading Path]] extended from Savannah Town/New Windsor into the mountains all the way to Clarksdale, Mississippi on the Mississippi River. The [[Cisca and St. Augustine Trail]] (or Nickajack Trail) connected the Cumberland River at Nashville, Tennessee to the Savannah River at New Windsor, South Carolina to St. Augustine, Florida on the Atlantic Ocean. | ||
Sometime around 1735 white settlers began using the Camden to New Windsor part of the Occaneechi Path as part of the overlapping [[Fall Line Road]]. Settlers from as far away as Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania may have started appearing in Aiken County via this route. Likewise, the [[Great Valley Road]] through Virginia to Tennessee had a south fork extension that partly overlapped the Occaneechi Path and Fall Line Road and may have brought settlers from as far away as Pennsylvania to Aiken County by about the 1740s. | Sometime around 1735 white settlers began using the Camden to New Windsor part of the Occaneechi Path as part of the overlapping [[Fall Line Road]]. Settlers from as far away as Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania may have started appearing in Aiken County via this route. Likewise, the [[Great Valley Road]] through Virginia to Tennessee had a south fork extension that partly overlapped the Occaneechi Path and Fall Line Road and may have brought settlers from as far away as Pennsylvania to Aiken County by about the 1740s. | ||
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In 1735 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Augusta,_Georgia Augusta, Georgia] was founded five miles upriver from Fort Moore by British colonists coming up the Savannah River from Savannah, Georgia. The citizens of Augusta did what they could to deflect the fur and skin trade from Savannah/New Windsor, South Carolina to their Georgia city and their seaport at Savannah, Georgia. In 1740 a ferry service began between the two rival towns of New Windsor and Augusta. However, New Windsor declined in importance. By 1765 the town was abandoned and Fort Moore was closed.<ref name="Aug" /> | In 1735 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Augusta,_Georgia Augusta, Georgia] was founded five miles upriver from Fort Moore by British colonists coming up the Savannah River from Savannah, Georgia. The citizens of Augusta did what they could to deflect the fur and skin trade from Savannah/New Windsor, South Carolina to their Georgia city and their seaport at Savannah, Georgia. In 1740 a ferry service began between the two rival towns of New Windsor and Augusta. However, New Windsor declined in importance. By 1765 the town was abandoned and Fort Moore was closed.<ref name="Aug" /> | ||
As roads developed in America settlers were attracted to nearby communities because the roads provided access to markets. They could sell their products at distant markets, and buy products made far away. If an ancestor settled near a road, you may be able to trace back to a place of origin on a connecting highway. | As roads developed in America settlers were attracted to nearby communities because the roads provided access to markets. They could sell their products at distant markets, and buy products made far away. If an ancestor settled near a road, you may be able to trace back to a place of origin on a connecting highway. | ||
=== Route === | === Route === | ||
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:*[[Augusta and Cherokee Trail]] about 1777 | :*[[Augusta and Cherokee Trail]] about 1777 | ||
'''Modern parallels.''' The modern roads that roughly match the old Fort Moore-Charleston Trail start in Charleston, South Carolina. From Charleston, take Interstate-26 northwest to Exit 187. Turn south on SC-27 toward Ridgeville. Turn west onto US-78 to the Barnwell-Aiken County border where the road forks left and becomes US-278 into Augusta, Georgia. | '''Modern parallels.''' The modern roads that roughly match the old Fort Moore-Charleston Trail start in Charleston, South Carolina. From Charleston, take Interstate-26 northwest to Exit 187. Turn south on SC-27 toward Ridgeville. Turn west onto US-78 to the Barnwell-Aiken County border where the road forks left and becomes US-278 into Augusta, Georgia. | ||
=== Settlers and Records === | === Settlers and Records === | ||