Pee Dee River
Portrait of Ithiel Town, Collection of Jeanne Cyriaque, n.d.
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In the mid-1820s, two important things happened in Cheraw, South Carolina. First, Horace King observed construction of the Pee Dee River Covered Bridge. Ithiel Town used a new truss design that Horace King studied and adopted.
Second, King met John Godwin. In 1830, John Godwin purchased Horace King as a slave. "Godwin recognized early on the natural abilities King possessed and provided him the platform to develop his skills and become an entrepreneur" (Cyriaque, Jean. Personal Interview. 8 January 2014). "This bridge was the model for King's lifework. For the next fifty years he replicated Town's lattice trusses over other southern rivers" (Lupold, John S. and French Jr., Thomas L. Bridging Deep South Rivers, 2004). "Taking responsibility to learn and maintain his skills as a builder was the source of all the rights and privileges King eventually enjoyed"
(Lupold, John S., Personal Interview, 18 May 2014). |
Great Pee Dee Bridge at Cheraw, ca. 1900, Courtesy of the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
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"Between 1830 and 1832 Horace King became John Godwin's slave, learned or perfected the craft of heavy timber frame construction, and, more importantly, began developing his unique relationship with his new master." - Lupold, John L. and French, Jr., Thomas L. Bridging Deep South Waters, 2004. |
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