The Best Friend of Charleston: The Story and What Is True

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The Best Friend of Charleston is a story from Charleston, Charleston County. Documented in the South Carolina Encyclopedia: the Best Friend of Charleston was the first locomotive built in the United States for public service, built in New York for the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company.

WhereCharlestonCharleston County, Lowcountry
KindHistorynot a ranking
Sources1named, linked below
CheckedOct 262026

Collected 0 of 21All legends

A story with a documented core.

No. 15 of 21

The Best Friend of Charleston

People tell of a little steam locomotive in 1830 that carried Charleston passengers faster than anyone had ever traveled, then blew itself up.

What The Record Shows

Documented in the South Carolina Encyclopedia: the Best Friend of Charleston was the first locomotive built in the United States for public service, built in New York for the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company. Its formal debut was Christmas Day 1830, pulling passenger cars from Charleston to Dorchester. In June 1831 a boiler explosion ended its service; it was rebuilt and renamed the Phoenix. The Encyclopedia does not use the phrase 'first scheduled passenger service'.

Sources: South Carolina Encyclopedia – Best Friend of Charleston.

A note: The explosion killed a fireman who was enslaved, per the Encyclopedia, and the company used enslaved labor on the line. Include that fact plainly or leave the explosion out.

FAQ

Is the story of The Best Friend of Charleston true?

Is this a legend?

It is a story with a documented core. The facts are listed on this page with their sources.

Where do these facts come from?

From the named sources listed on this page: South Carolina Encyclopedia – Best Friend of Charleston.

Sources

South Carolina Encyclopedia – Best Friend of Charleston

Read on October 26, 2026. Stories are for fun; the facts come from these sources. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “The Best Friend of Charleston”, itssouthcarolina.com/things-to-do/south-carolina-legends/best-friend-of-charleston/ (updated 2026-10-26). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.