Here are the quotes inscribed on the monument:

“I do not believe that the men who served in uniform in Vietnam have been given the credit they deserve. It was a difficult war against an unorthodox enemy.” Gen. Wm. C. Westmoreland

“Duty, honor, country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.” Gen. Douglas MacArthur

“In this column I want to tell you what the opening of the second front entailed, so that you can know and appreciate and forever be humbly grateful to those both dead and alive who did it for you.” Ernie Pyle

“Posterity: You will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.” John Quincy Adams

SCIWAY thanks Vincent Flores of Greer for this photo, taken in August 2012.

The Harmon family name is also still quite prominent around the county. The home was originally much larger, but was cut in half in the 1950s. This part remains on the original site, while the other half is located on North Lake Drive.

The house has remained in the Corley and Harmon families, although it was briefly owned by Senator Strom Thurmond. It was restored in 1994 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Corley.

SCIWAY thanks frequent contributor Ann Helms of Spartanburg for this great information and picture she took in 2009.

Owen Drug Co. offers a full pharmacy and – best of all – an old-fashioned soda fountain:

When you visit Owen Drug Company, you’re invited to step back in time for a refreshing break at our soda fountain. We have hand-dipped Mayfield ice cream in lots of flavors, fountain sodas, creamy milkshakes, candy and more.

Our soda fountain is one of the remaining few, and it’s the perfect place to sit, relax, and enjoy delicious refreshments. And don’t forget to glance up at the original tin ceiling for a feeling of real down home nostalgia

Batesburg-Leesville is located in the western portion of Lexington County. Until they united in 1993, Batesburg and Leesville were two separate towns. Over a period of decades, joint ventures between the two towns gradually pointed them in the direction of consolidation.

The history of Fort Granby predates the American Revolution. In 1765, Joseph Kershaw and James Chestnut of Fredericksburg (now Camden) opened a trading post and warehouse on the Congaree River in order to ship and receive goods from Charles Towne.

The British took control of this post during the war and turned it into a military fort called the “Post on the Congarees.” When the Americans captured the post, they renamed it Fort Granby. After the war, the building fell into the hands of private citizens. James Cayce inherited the old building and made his home there. It eventually came to be called Cayce House, and the City of Cayce was named in honor of him as well.

The land was eventually sold to the Weston and Brooker Quarry, and unfortunately the old home was allowed to deteriorate. The quarry now mines the area where Fort Granby once stood.

During the early 1900s, a local contractor named John Ellisor constructed a scale model of Fort Granby. Later, when the City of Cayce was considering building a museum, they were approached by Ellisor, who wanted to build the museum according to his model. They liked his idea, and Ellisor oversaw the construction of the museum.

Visit the museum’s website for hours and admission information.

SCIWAY thanks John Howell of Columbia for contributing these pictures and historical information. John tells us that the small door to the right of the chimney shown above may have been used as a portal to shoot from during times of war.

John also tells us that this table displayed in the museum (shown above) belonged to the Revolutionary War heroine Emily Geiger.

Finally, John tells us that the table shown above “belonged to Lord Cornwallis, commander of the British forces. He left it at Fort Granby, and it is on display at the Cayce Historical Museum on loan from the South Caroliniana Library.”

Boiled peanuts have a long history in South Carolina, dating all the way back to the Civil War, when Confederate soldiers used the legume as an important source of protein during food shortages.

The practice continued after the war and eventually spread throughout the state. Farming communities would gather in the fall and boil the unsold peanuts in a harvest celebration. This tradition is still prevalent in smaller towns such as Pelion, where they hold the annual South Carolina Peanut Party.

Special thanks to Guntis Sprenne of Pelion for sharing this photo.

The preserve is home to many prehistoric sandstone formations, including the Peachtree Rock pictured here. The formations originated millions of years ago, when oceans washed over the area leaving behind marine fossils, sand, and intertidal deposits.

The rock’s unique shape is a result of the softer sandstone on the bottom eroding at a much faster rate than the the upper section, which is strengthened by a layer of ironstone.

The preserve also harbors the Midlands’ only naturally-occurring waterfall!

Formerly known as George’s Pond, this property was purchased in 1934 by Murray Gibson and transformed into a popular recreational area. In addition to the diving platform pictured above, Gibson also added a pavilion, picnic tables, and rental cabins.

The park closed in 1972, but was reopened to the public in 2007 with several major additions including the Scenic Overlook, which provides a unique view of a waterfall rushing over an old gristmill.

The South Carolina Peanut Party attracts legume lovers from all over the state and includes carnival rides, live entertainment, a PB&J sandwich-eating contest, and more. Pelion farmers have been producing and harvesting peanuts for over 100 years, so its only fitting that this giant, cast-iron peanut serve as the town’s welcome sign!

Many thanks to Leonard Vaughan of Lexington for sharing this photo.

Lake Murray was created in 1930 when the Saluda Dam was built. It was named in honor of chief engineer William Murray and is owned by SCE&G. The lake provides electricity to the majority of South Carolina’s Midlands region. The largest part of Lake Murray is in Lexington County, but portions of it also stretch into Saluda, Newberry, and Richland counties.

Get more information about Lake Murray’s July 4th event.

A caboose, pictured here, was also restored and added to the site. More recently, the track bed, repair truck, and crossing sign were added.

Special thanks to Ann Helms of Spartanburg for submitting this picture she took in May 2011.