Mystery of the U.S. 29 Milestones
During a brief pause in the persistent rains last Sunday, I ventured out to visit three milestones along U.S. 29 and S.C. 129. Rather than take the shorter, direct route to the milestones along current U.S. 29, I went through Greer, Duncan, and Lyman on the old route of U.S. 29, now Poinsett Street (S.C. 290), Spartanburg Road, and Old Spartanburg Highway to see what old country stores, service stations, and anything else I found interesting. While in Lyman, I stopped by the site of the Lyman Mill to see what was left. Turns out the answer is "not much" except this husk of a building. I took a detour off Old Spartanburg Highway into the mill village of Startex to visit the remains of the mill that closed in 1998. The two smoke stacks still remain... and also the mill office, but it's boarded up and for sale. The old truss bridge across the Middle Tyger River is now closed and has been replaced by the modern concrete bridge I stood on to take this p