Santee Canal

(1) This canal, twenty-two miles in length, connects the Santee and Cooper Rivers. Chartered in 1786, construction was commenced in 1793, and completed in 1800, under the direction of Col. John Christian Senf, a native of Sweden, as Chief Engineer. The Canal was in operation until about 1850. (2)† The Santee Canal Company was chartered by act of March 22, 1786, organized the next day, with capital of £100,000 sterling, and the canal completed and opened to traffic from the Santee to the Cooper in 1800, being 22 miles, 20 feet wide at the bottom and 35 feet at the surface, 5 ½ feet deep, with 4 feet of water, capable of carrying boats of 22 tons burden.

It ceased operations in 1850. * Erected by the South Carolina Historical Commission, ca. 1929-1936. Originally there was a second Santee Canal marker located ½ mile North of intersection of Old U.S. Hwy. 52 & U.S. Hwy. 17-A. That second marker was replaced by marker 8-36 in 2005. †