The Riverboat "Ruth" and the Causey House Connection

Riverboat Ruth and the Causey House Connection

"The Little Pee Dee Causeway is raised high above the slow moving dark water as a protection against spring floods which sometimes inundate the section. The bridge takes the place of Gallivant's Ferry, which was used until 1892 when a wooden span was built. On the eastern bank beneath cypress trees in the Ruth, an old river boat, now a rotting hulk of yellow primroses. Little here indicates the busy traffic of former times, when side wheelers and schooners plied between settlements to exchange manufactured goods for cotton and lumber products. Cooter, turtles, and alligators are the busiest inhabitants now, as they flop into the water for food or sun themselves on drifting logs. Occasionally a fisherman in his bateau slides out from the overhung banks." (sourced from Conway Historic Tour information)

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Capt. Coleman S. Causey & Julia E. Skipper Causey

by Ben Burroughs

The old brick mausoleum located in Lakeside Cemetery in Conway is the final resting place of Capt. and Mrs. Coleman S. Causey. Capt. Causey was born about 11 April 1852, the son of W. G. and Margaret W. Causey, and died on 22 August 1924. He was a riverboat captain and later operated a mercantile business and was innkeeper of the Kingston Hotel in downtown Conway . He married Julia E. Skipper on 9 May 1894. Julia was born on 5 Sept 1852 near the Little Pee Dee River in the Galivant's Ferry area and died on 22 Nov 1933. Julia ran a shop in downtown Conway where she made and sold hats. It was located approximately in the area where the Main Street Theater stands in 2006. Julia's parents were Abijah Hollingsworth Skipper (1821-1895) and Sarah Caroline Skipper, formerly Smith (1829-1912). Abijah served as sheriff of Horry County from 1868-1876(?) and her grandfather, Joel B. Skipper (1789-1876) served as Quorum (Justice of the Peace) for 24 years and as State Senator for several terms. The Causey's home is still standing (as of 2006) at 605 Laurel St. in Conway , South Carolina .

http://books.google.com/books?id=-dUfVeiy4yIC&lpg=PA130&ots=iVPbdzF-02&dq=Coleman%20S.%20Causey&pg=PA130#v=onepage&q=Coleman%20S.%20Causey&f=false

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Strange but True. . .
Julia A. Skipper was forty-two years old when she married steamboat
captain Coleman S. Causey. The captain died in 1924 and
was buried in an unmarked mausoleum near the entrance to
Lakeside Cemetery, Conway. His widow wrote specific instructions
regarding her funeral and burial shortly thereafter, which
turned out to be ten years later. The undertaker followed her
instructions to the letter. After the funeral, he placed the casket
in the mausoleum alongside her husband’s. When he was finished,
he threw the keys to the mausoleum inside and then
locked the door. Some old-timers still recall standing outside the
mausoleum looking inside to glimpse the keys.

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I think we found it

605 Laurel St, Conway SC

(#25 on Conway Historical house tour)

Causey House - Circa 1876.
For many years Coleman S. Causey, Captain of the riverboat Ruth, and his

wife, Miss Julia, one of the early milliners of the town, lived here.

This is atypical Greek Revival Cottage. (605 Laurel St.)

After a visit to the Conway Historical Museum and speaking with the folks there about the town, the historic tour of homes and the "live oak" tour we were stoked about one of the listings we found. It was an old house build in 1876 (or earlier) and was #25 of the 40 homes on the historic tour of homes in Conway. It was also within our budget. So we decided to see the property and made a return trip today (only 3 days after being in Conway last) to view the interior.

Well it was very quaint, needed some serious updating, but the "bones" were good. The following day we had a signed contract on the house.

My 3rd visit to Conway

My second time in Conway this month. Stayed another night at the Moore Farm B&B and dined at the Rivertown Bistro downtown. Nice upscale place to eat. Read JP's review on TripAdvisor.com. On this trip we decided to look for our second home. Since our criteria was met for the place (both geographically and type of town) my husband and I decided to make a move. The Piners at the B&B gave us the name of an agent at Ray Realty. Bill Bennett would be our agent and help us find our new "second home". We were looking for a property that was downtown, walking distance from everything and close to the river. We also would prefer a historic place. I'll know it when I see it.

My second visit to Conway

My husband and I wrapped up an uneventful work week in Charleston. We made our way back to Bennettsville via Conway, SC again (for another look).Going up I-95 one more time is monotonous to say the least. Hwy 17 is a good alternative. This time we stayed at one of the three B&Bs in the area. Selected for its smaller size and quaint atmosphere we couldn't have been more pleased. The Innkeepers Harry and Cathy Pinner at the Moore Farm House B&B were super hosts, we had a pleasant and restful stay, and breakfast was wonderful.

At this point we were getting excited at the prospects of finding a place to call home and to get away from our present location. JP and I had been looking for the past 2 years for a quaint historic town to purchase a 2nd home. This summer we explored the mountains. Taking us to Asheville and Hendersonville, NC. We spent the summer renting a place in Lake Lure, NC but ultimately decided the mountains were too far from family and friends. So now our focus will be coastal SC area between JP's kids and my family. Also we did not want to be too far from his parents in Laurinburg, NC.

Doing a Google search one evening my husband entered: "Top small town College towns." and we were shocked to find Conway, SC was 10th on the list. The list is featured on: http://www.epodunk.com/top10/colleges. Conway specifically on this page: http://www.epodunk.com/top10/colleges/conway.html.

As it turns out Coastal Carolina University is a rapidly growing college and is financially quite stable despite the economy. The town of Conway had recently seen a downtown revitalization of business, restaurants and shops. The River Walk Park was nicely put together and makes a fine attraction. So far so good.

Discovering Conway

On Wednesday, November 18, 2009, on a road trip back from Charleston, we trekked up the SC coast along Hwy 17N. We stopped and spent the night in Georgetown. Georgetown is an interesting place with its very cool Spanish moss draped live-oak trees on wide clean streets decorated with Antebellum and Victorian era mansions. However, when you first enter the city you cannot help but notice the abandoned steel mill on the right and the billowing smoke stacks from the paper mill on the left. Hummm? While I know Americans need industry, the industry appearance and the antebellum historical facade make poor bedfellows. That appearance detracts from the city and the fact that the steel mill is closed down plays havoc with the economy of the city. I suggest Georgetown hire some really innovative city planners.

The following day we passed through Litchfield and Murrells Inlet. Skipping Myrtle Beach as quick as possible and headed westward towards Conway. I wanted to visit the historic downtown district of Conway and had to convince my husband it was a worthwhile endeavour. I had heard some good things about Conway from Jim Roberson who grew up there. Jim is a friend of mine and Respiratory Therapist from MUSC. To our utter amazement and pleasant surprise, we discovered a little gem in that well thought out revitalized river town! The Waccamaw River Walk park was very nice and relaxing. We stopped by for drinks at Bernie's on the main drag and took in the Visitors Center & Live Theater building. This is a place that really caught our interest and we vowed to return.