Imagine creating a wonderful, quiet life in the countryside, only to have to pick up and move everything you own because of hydrogen bomb production. That’s what happened to the once-booming Ellenton in the 1950s. This shady waterfront town along South Carolina’s scenic Savannah River was abruptly evacuated to make way for a nuclear weapons facility. Residents were reluctantly displaced, and the original site became a ghost town absorbed by the Savannah River Plant area.
Expanding railroad access in the early 1870s made the original site a desirable place for a new community. After land was cleared and streets were built, this new, up-and-coming agricultural center was affectionately named after Mary Ellen Dunbar, the daughter of the man who donated land for the town. The original settlement, mostly populated by farmers developing areas for easier access to commerce and transportation, was conveniently close to the South Carolina and Georgia state border. As the site thrived with increased access to railroads and the settlement became more established, the town received its incorporation in 1880.
Fast forward to 1950, with Harry S. Truman as president and the specter of World War III on the horizon. Ellenton residents received word that the government would be building a hydrogen bomb production facility and would need that land in the interest of public safety. The site was the ideal location for the plant, since its proximity to the river would provide a steady water supply to the reactors. Unfortunately, the town had an already-established agricultural industry, so moving to a completely different area posed quite the dilemma after 70 years of thriving in this successful farming community. Residents were upset about the displacement but felt conflicted, since they felt it was in the interest of national advancement.
Aftermath of a forced relocation
Relocating came as a shock, since this was the first time the government had appropriated land from residents to build such a facility. Some residents were moved to a nearby site established as New Ellenton, and some went to the town of Jackson. Life went on, but not without the emotional trauma and physical hardships that accompanied uprooting one’s life and moving to a different town after having worked so hard, not to mention that the government reportedly underpaid residents for land and resources. Although there were other South Carolina towns with friendly, vibrant communities, it just wasn’t the same…