Big Lake Cattle Mount

Big Lake Cattle Mount is significant for its association with the agricultural settlement of the Congaree Swamp and for its ability to yield information about settlement patterns in the region. Free-ranging livestock provided a significant source of food and income prior to the Civil War in the South Carolina backcountry. Settlers in the Congaree Swamp constructed cattle mounts to provide a place of refuge for hogs, cattle, and other grazing animals during the flood season. Farmers constructed many of the earthen structures in the swamp using slave labor. Big Lake Cattle Mount is a 75-by-35-by-2-foot rectangular earthen mound. The top of the mound is flat and covered with hardwood trees and other vegetation and the sides have an approximately 45-degree slope. Listed in the National Register November 25, 1996.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition, the Historic Agricultural Resources of Congaree Swamp National Monument, 1740-1900 includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

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