Balloon Landing, 1861

Balloon Landing, 1861 (HMFUO)

Location: Jonesville, SC 29353 Union County
Buy South Carolina State flags at!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at!

N 34° 50.025', W 81° 34.776'

  • 0 check ins
  • 1 favorites
On April 20, 1861, only days after the Civil War began at Fort Sumter, scientist and aeronaut T.S.C. Lowe (1832-1913) landed the Enterprise, a large gas balloon, on a nearby farm. Lowe was on a test flight in preparation for a trans-Atlantic attempt. Southeasterly currents had carried him 800-900 miles by air from Cincinnati to Union District in less than nine hours.

Many locals assumed that Lowe was a Yankee spy, and it was difficult for him to convince them that he was not. He was taken to Union and spent the night there under guard. Taken to Columbia, he was allowed to return north by train after several gentlemen vouched for his reputation as a scientist. Lowe later founded and directed a balloon corps in the U.S. Army in Virginia 1861-1863.
Series This marker is part of the South Carolina: Union County Historical Society series
Marker Number44-16
Year Placed2009
Placed ByUnion County Historical Society
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, October 3rd, 2014 at 1:31am PDT -07:00
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 447003 N 3854759
Decimal Degrees34.83375000, -81.57960000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 34° 50.025', W 81° 34.776'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds34° 50' 1.50" N, 81° 34' 46.56" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)864
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 695-699 Pea Ridge Hwy, Jonesville SC 29353, US


Check Ins  check in   |    all


Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. This marker needs at least one picture.
  7. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  8. Is the marker in the median?