SCIWAY thanks Shirley Radabaugh of Aiken for this picture taken in December 2012.

SCIWAY thanks Michael Enloe of Aiken for this information and picture taken in May 2012.

Learn more about the Savannah River Site.

SCIWAY thanks Steven Faucette of Williamston for these pictures he took in 2012.

The Aiken Training Track was built by horseman Fred H. Post in the 1940s. Its level ground, sandy soil, and close proximity to Hitchcock Woods (one of the largest urban forests in America) make it an exceptional training center for its size. The track is used for flat racing, and it surrounds what is said to be the oldest known polo field in the country.

The popular Aiken Triple Crown, which is held each spring, features flat racing, steeplechase racing, and polo. The flat racing portion of the event is held here. Over the years, the course has been home to 39 champions, and many trainers consider it integral to their success.

SCIWAY thanks frequent contributor Larry Gleason for these beautiful pictures he took in March 2012.

To learn more about the Aiken Training Track, be sure to visit its website.

This stable is eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately, its eastern end is badly damaged. If it continues to deteriorate, the building’s structural integrity will be endangered. Thankfully, Friends of the Gaston Livery Stable is working to repair it so it will be around for at least another century!

Once the stable has been fully restored, there are plans to use it as a living history museum. As the group’s president, Coleen Reed, notes, “Aiken takes great pride in its uniqueness. Our heritage sets us apart from other communities. The equine, transportation, agricultural, and Winter Colony history are all combined in this structure.”

SCIWAY thanks D.S. Owens of Aiken for this great information and picture he took in December 2011.

See a picture of the Abbeville Livery Stable, another brick barn located in Abbeville.

It is believed that the Palmetto Golf Club is the oldest, continually operating eighteen hole golf course in the Southeast that is still in its original location. Palmetto Golf Club could also be the second oldest golf club in the United States as well.

Many professional golfers and famous people have played at the Palmetto Gold Club over the years, such as Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Ben Crenshaw, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, and Presidents Eisenhower and Taft to just name a few!

SCIWAY thanks Larry Gleason of Aiken for submitting this picture in April 2011.

Get more information about the Palmetto Golf Club.

“Dad! Come look at this!” called Jason Martin’s kids from the backyard one afternoon. His eyes followed their fingers pointing upward and there he saw this billowy cloud mass that looked, for all the world, like his home state rising in the sky above his house.

Grabbing his camera, Jason quickly snapped a few pictures before the heavenly Palmetto State could float away – or worse, vanish into thin air!

Thanks Jason, for sharing your picture of this rare sight with us at SCIWAY.

Silver Bluff is a Discovery Stop along the SC National Heritage Corridor. Archaeological digs within the sanctuary are investigating the site of a mid-1700s Indian trading post established by George Galphin.

There is an educational center at Silver Bluff sanctuary open to the public that focuses on environmental education, and is great for school groups.

Many thanks to frequent SCIWAY contributor Larry Gleason of Aiken for contributing this picture. He writes: “Many people have heard of Silver Bluff on the SC side of the Savannah River and certainly know all the namesakes like Silver Bluff Road and Silver Buff High School, but not many have actually seen the Silver Bluffs. The foundation of the old trading post is nearby in the woods to the right. The location got its name Silver Bluff because early travelers on the Savannah River routinely saw the bluffs when sunlight reflected off the mica in the sand at an angle which gave the bluffs a silver appearance.”

After the Civil War, Aiken became a favored destination for wealthy Northerners who enjoyed the respite from harsh winters. During this period, known as the Winter Colony Era, seasonal visitors established horse farms and embarked on the equestrian traditions Aiken is known for today.

Lovely parks, tree-lined boulevards (such as South Boundary), grand churches, and gracious homes also became enduring legacies of the the Winter Colony Era.