In years gone by, Buford’s Ferry Highway (US 301) was the major road from Columbia to Savannah, running right through Ulmer and Allendale.
Many motels, gas stations, and small groceries prospered along the route. Then along came I-26 and I-95 and overnight the commerce along this route dried up. The filling station-grocery pictured here, located in uptown Ulmer, is of a style typical of the 1940s.
As the sign indicates, it has been closed for a while, and its gas pumps have been removed. The single pump island is intact except for some wildflowers which have pushed through cracks in the cement. Although its highway commerce is gone, Ulmer has been around for many years and from all indications, its industrial and agricultural production are still going strong.
Many thanks to frequent SCIWAY contributor Lamar Nix of Seabrook, who submitted this picture and much of the information. Thanks, Lamar!
