Winding through South Carolina's low country, the Cooper River is a reed-lined haven for sportfish and shorebirds. The waterway originates from Lake Moultrie in Berkeley County. From there it goes all the way to Charleston, where it joins the Ashley and the Wando to form that city's world-famous harbor. (Ever heard of Fort Sumter?)
The Cooper River takes its name from Anthony Ashley Cooper, a 17th century English gentleman. As time passed, it became a lifeline in the region's burgeoning rice trade. But the Cooper also bears the hallmarks of a much older chapter in South Carolina history.
If you ...
