History of the Reedy River
The Children's Garden
The Reedy is Greenville's river. Its flowing waters have nourished the city and its people for centuries, and its falls are the reason why Greenville is located where it is. But Greenville's people have not always been kind to the river, and now it is time to give something back.
The Reedy flows 75 miles from its headwaters in Travelers Rest through Greenville to Lake Greenwood. Pioneer Richard Pearis built an Indian trading post at the Reedy River Falls over 200 years ago. The city of Greenville grew up around the site of Pearis' trading post because the Reedy's waters could power machines that ground corn into grits and wove cotton into cloth. The Reedy River helped make Greenville the "Textile Capital of the World," when cotton factories lined its banks and streams.
But the Reedy also carried away Greenville's sewage and chemicals from its factories. Pollution threatened the health of the river, killing fish in its waters and hurting birds and wild animals that lived near the river. Today, this park is part of an effort to stop the pollution, to clean the Reedy, and to protect the river that gave life to Greenville.
Marker can be reached from Reedy View Drive.
Courtesy hmdb.org
