Fifteen Mind-Boggling Tales from the Palmetto State Several residents of Lee County have reported terrifying run-ins with a large beast known as Lizard Man. Is there really a seven-foot-tall scaly monster living near Scape Ore Swamp that tears apart cars, and even leaves teeth marks in fenders? If such a creature exists, why hasn¿t anyone been able to capture it, or at least take its picture? Could whatever caused the disappearance of Paleoindians living in South Carolina thousands of years ago have come from outer space? For years, archaeologists and anthropologists have been trying to decipher how an ancient civilization in Allendale County¿along with mammoths and mastodons¿seemingly vanished. Evidence of a comet explosion that ushered in the last Ice Age may have finally provided some clues. On a spring day in 1958, something fell out of the sky and left a gigantic crater in a field near Florence, blew out the windows of a nearby farm house, and partially destroyed a church. Although it was soon known that the cause of the explosion was a thirty-kiloton bomb accidentally dropped during a military training exercise, why did the government immediately take action to prevent anyone from seeing the site? And if there was no danger from radiation, why were locals barred from collecting debris? From the mysterious disappearance of daring young aviator Paul Redfern to rumors of hidden Confederate gold, South Carolina Myths and Legends makes history fun and pulls back the curtain on some of the state¿s most fascinating and compelling stories. Rachel Haynie has written about international and domestic travel as well as people, places, homes and art in South Carolina for three decades. She is the author of seven books, and her feature and news articles have appeared in national, regional, and statewide magazines. She lives in Columbia, South Carolina.