History Hour: The Rumbling Mountain of 1874

This event airs live and will be recorded. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for general admission. In 1874 the mountains at the eastern edge of the Hickory Nut Gorge began to thunder and shake. Many locals supposedly panicked, thinking the world was ending or a volcano was set to erupt. The commotion continued for the next month and news spread throughout the country. Geologist Warren DuPre of Wofford College in Spartanburg embarked on a journey in mid-March “to allay, if possible, the fears of the inhabitants” and interacted with many spectating residents and journalists during his investigation.