The Anson County Writers’ club recently donated a copy of The Yadkin-Pee Dee River Atlas to the Anson County Historical Society. ACWC president Kaye Ratliffe made the presentation to Tommy Allen, president of the ACHS.
The atlas contains detailed maps and information about the river’s 200-mile stretch from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the South Carolina line, including its two navigable branches, the South Yadkin River and Hitchcock Creek.
W.E. Trout III, who compiled the atlas with John Hair, and Nancy R. Trout, said, “Our examination of these rivers was a voyage of discovery, searching at low water for signs of human activity. This 110-page illustrated atlas includes annotated maps as well as a history of navigation. It has special sections on Native American fish traps, on Pee Dee River fish wheels; on Judge Archibald DeBow Murphey and his attempt to make the river navigable in the early 1800s; on the railway network which developed in the region; and on the work of the Corps of Engineers, who made still-navigable stone sluices (never used) intended for boats descending the river, carrying goods to the railway crossing. The river explorer can still see signs of all this and more.”
Pictures and information about the outdoor drama, “A Ripple in the River,” that was written by the ACWC and produced at the Helen Goodman Amphitheater on the Polkton campus of South Piedmont Community College for 10 years, are included in the atlas.
“The drama was based on the research we did on the canal in Old Sneedsboro,” said Sandy Bruney, an ACWC member. “Bill Troutman saw references to the drama and contacted us for more information. When the atlas was published, the club ordered a copy and decided it would be a good addition to the historical society’s library so that it would be available to everyone interested in early river navigation.”
The Anson County Historical Society is located on East Wade Street in Wadesboro.