5er Times: Modoc, SC...COE Campground and area...

Modoc, SC, located in McCormick County was named for the indigenous tribe of northern California, some of which had been captured after the Modoc War. The Modoc War (also known as the Lava Beds War) was an armed conflict between the Modoc tribe and the US Army in southern Oregon and northern California from 1872-1873. The Modoc War was the last of the Indian Wars to occur in California or Oregon. After the war, the Indians were first sent to the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) with a few sent to this area along the east bank of the Savannah River. By the 1930 census, there were no listings of any "Indians" in this area. This area was settled by Scotch-Irish, French Huguenot, and German farmers.

About 1850 gold was discovered where the now town of McCormick stands. The Dorn Gold Mine produced 1 million dollars of gold before drying up. Cyrus McCormick bought the Dorn land hoping to strike it rich. No gold found, he sold the land that became the town of McCormick. The mine later produced manganese until the 1930's. McCormick County and Town were named for the inventor Cyrus Hall McCormick. McCormick was known as "The Father of Modern Agriculture" with his invention of the 1831 horse-drawn reaper to harvest wheat. In time to come the horse-drawn reaper was replaced with today's combine to harvest grain. The combine uses 3 separate operations to harvest...reaping, threshing, and winnowing...into a single process. An easier life (if one can say this) for the farmer.

Nearby town of Clarks Hill was named after the Revolutionary War hero Elijah Clark, whose burial place is on the grounds of Georgia's Elijah Clark State Park on the western shore of the lake. Thurmond Dam and Lake was once named Clarks Hill Lake.

Modoc campground consists of two heavily wooded peninsulas on the J. Strom Thurmond Dam and Lake. The pine and hardwood forest is home to whitetail deer and turkeys. Here anglers fish for large mouth bass, bream, crappie, catfish, and striped bass. There are southern bald eagles and migratory birds with the Canadian Geese my favorites. Our nice spacious campsite is the best one (to us). We are enjoying the peaceful quiet as we listen to the songbirds and geese. An occasional squirrel and a firewood Lizzy are fun to watch, too. Several crows fly around daily cawing to one another.

J enjoys bike riding and skipping rocks while I walk as much as my knee allows.

Our campground Hosts are a fun couple. We have enjoyed their chat.

Our snowbird friends from various states are slowly venturing towards their homes. Several still have snow at their northern abodes.

Our snowbird winter has been interesting...learning how the "government" works.

Outdoor cooking is fun and yummy once the firewood is cut. Chicken breasts on the grill.

Blue Runner New Orleans Spicy Red beans with cut Little Smokies/garlic/red pepper flakes and rice with carrots. Broccoli florets was also added. J grilled pork chops for tonight's dinner. YUM!