This account book contains information relating to the domestic slave trade, compiled by, or for, Alonzo White, an auctioneer, broker, and commission agent in Charleston, SC. It includes lists of enslaved people, one list of agricultural goods, attached lists of enslaved people and calculations. Slave lists include amounts of money received from sales as well as the names, ages and other information related to the enslaved person's physical conditions, occupations, and skills. Sales listed are for the estate of Dr. J.W. Schmidt (plantation in St. Bartholomew's Parish, Colleton District and "city negroes"), J.I.H., W.P. Ingraham (Spring Hill and Benevento Plantations), Lieutenant Shubrick, the estate of Mrs. James Lowndes, J.W. Wilkinson, W.J. Grayson, S. Magwood, Charles Alston Jr., and Capt. D.N. Ingraham. Additional sales are for R. DeTreville, Col. J.P. Alston (of Waccamaw), W.M. Hunt, H.P. Walker, J. Motte Alston, Charles Kerrison, Chas. Bearing, Harmony [Plantation], the estate of Harriett Hamlin (Samuel H. Hamlin, administrator), A. & W. Middleton, the estate of W[illia]m S. Fenell, and J.L. Fabian.
This is the diary of Henry Ravenel (1729-1785); Ren?? Ravenel 1st (1762-1822); and Henry Ravenel (1790-1867) concerning the years 1731-1860. It covers subjects such as births and deaths of family and slaves; illness; finances; farming rice, corn and indigo; slavery; weather observations; the American Revolution; and building projects. A span of 54 blank pages in the middle of the document is represented by a single image. Further, the latter half of the document appears flipped 90 degrees in the original document but has been rotated for easier online viewing.
Receipt book belonging to Mary Motte Alston Pringle containing recipes, methods and remedies for food, housekeeping, and medicine from family, friends, articles and world travelers. Pringle often notes on effectiveness and provides personal anecdotes. Pages numbered 74 through 97 in Pringle's book are blank and therefore omitted. The table of contents can be found at the end of the book.
This is the order book associated with the 4th South Carolina Regiment, which was established in November 1775 and formed part of the U.S. Continental Army between June 18, 1776 and January 1, 1781, when it was disbanded following the British capture of Charleston. It also contains orders relating to the 1st and 2nd South Carolina Regiments from September 15, 1775 onward, beginning with the capture of Fort Johnson. It discusses the allocation of men and material to various fortifications around the Charleston area, including Fort Sullivan, Fort Johnson, and the Grand Battery. The book accompanied Captain Barnard Elliott (d. 1778), who was reassigned from the 2nd to the 4th Regiment in November, 1775. Considerable reference is made to war plans, military discipline, including courts-martial, and camp life.
This album consists of photographs taken at Pinehurst Tea Plantation located in Summerville, SC and owned by Professor Charles Upham Shepard Senior. The photographs depict the property, multiple tea gardens, tea processing, schools and other buildings located on the property, and tea plantation workers (including the African-American students who attended Pinehurst School).
This album consists of photographs on the subject of tea cultivation and life in Japan. The photographs in this album are hand-tinted color, albumen prints mounted on paper. All captions are from the album.
This is a photo album documenting a trip taken by a few members of the Agricultural Society of South Carolina on September 13-14, 1950 to North Carolina to consider whether coastal South Carolina could capitalize on the grape and wine industry as NC had so successfully done. The group visits an experiment station, inspects different vineyards, observes a harvest, and learns about varieties of muscadine grapes.
This photograph album documents a trip taken by members of the Agricultural Society of South Carolina from February 13, 1950 to February 18, 1950. The group visits ranches, reservations and an experiment station to observe Florida's growing beef-cattle industry.
This collection consists of select photographs from the 'Charleston County Pasture Tour, 1951' photograph album. The photographs depict walks through pastures, cattle, demonstrations, group photos and a shared meal.
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a slave auction of 106 slaves held at the slave mart on Chalmers Street being sold "under decree in equity" by Charleston Master in Equity James Tupper. This sale is advertised as taking place on January 31, 1860 on behalf of "Winthrop and Rose, Trustees Ex-parte". The broadside lists the names, ages, and, for some, previous experiences or health conditions of the slaves for sale.
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a slave auction of 235 slaves held at the slave mart on Chalmers Street on January 9th, 1860 by the Shingler Brothers. The slaves being sold were part of the estate of General James Gadsden. The broadside lists the names, ages, and, for some, previous experiences or health conditions of the slaves for sale.
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a sale by the Shingler brothers of 235 enslaved people, part of the estate of General James Gadsden, at 7 Broad Street on November 1, 1859. The broadside lists the name and age of each slave, and, in some instances, lists skills or health issues of individual slaves.
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a slave auction of 27 slaves held at the slave mart on Chalmers Street on January 13th, 1860 by the firm of Wilbur and Son. The advertisement describes the slaves as being accustomed to the cultivation of rice, cotton, and other provisions. The broadside lists the names, ages, and, for some, previous experiences of the slaves for sale.
Based on the inscription and date, it is likely that this sketchbook was the joint work of two brothers, Alexander Fraser (1750-1798) and Charles Fraser (1782-1860). Highlights of this sketchbook include some of Charles Fraser's earliest Lowcountry landscape scenes, and several theatrical views, some of which may be the work of his brother, Alexander.
Receipt book of Mrs. William Timmons (likely Isabella Darrell Timmons, 1771-1843) containing recipes for cakes, medicinal remedies, puddings, household cleaners, animal and bug repellents, cocktails, and wines among other things.
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a slave auction of 67 slaves held at Ryan's mart on Chalmers Street by Louis D. DeSaussure "by order of executor of the late Mr. and Mrs. W.M. Barnwell". The year is not given, but the advertisement lists the sale as taking place on Wednesday the 19th, and January is handwritten above the date. The broadside lists the names, ages, and, for some, previous experiences or health conditions of the slaves for sale. It also describes that the slaves are "accustomed to the culture of sea island cotton and provisions in Beaufort district".
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a slave auction of 102 slaves held at the slave mart on Chalmers Street on January 24th, 1860. The advertisement states that they are being sold "under decree in equity" as part of the case of Read, et al. Executors, vs Laurens, et al. James Tupper is listed as the Master in Equity directing the sale. The advertisement describes the slaves as being accustomed to rice and cotton cultivation. The broadside lists the names, ages, and previous experiences of the slaves for sale.
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a slave auction of 44 slaves from St. Johns Berkeley held at the slave mart on Chalmers Street by P.J. Porcher and Baya. The year is not given, but the broadside advertises that the sale will take place on Tuesday the 8th, and February is handwritten above the day given. The broadside lists the names, ages, and, for some, previous experiences or health conditions of the slaves for sale. It also describes that the slaves are accustomed to the cultivation of cotton and provisions in St. Johns Berkeley.
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a slave auction of 158 slaves held at the slave mart on Chalmers Street by Louis D. DeSaussure on March 13, 1860 by order of the executors of the estate of Thomas Bennett Lucas. The broadside lists the names, ages, and, for some, previous experiences or health conditions of the slaves for sale. It also describes that the slaves are "accustomed to working in a rice mill".
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a slave auction of 65 slaves held at the slave mart on Chalmers Street by James Tupper, Charleston Master in Equity. The year and month is not given, but the advertisement lists the sale as taking place on Tuesday, the 10th. The broadside lists the names, ages, and, for some, previous experiences or health conditions of the slaves for sale.
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a slave auction of 47 slaves from Christ Church Parish held at Ryan's Mart on Chalmers Street on January 21st, 1859 by P.J. Porcher and Baya. The broadside lists the names, ages, and, for some, previous experiences or health conditions of the slaves for sale. It also describes that the slaves are accustomed to the cultivation of long cotton and provisions.
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a slave auction of 65 held at the slave mart on Chalmers Street by Alonzo J. White on January 23rd, 1860. The broadside lists the names, ages, and, for some, previous experiences or health conditions of the slaves for sale. It also describes that the slaves are accustomed to the cultivation of cotton and provisions.
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a slave auction of 33 slaves held at the slave mart on Chalmers Street by P.J. Porcher and Baya on January 23rd, 1860. The broadside lists the names, ages, and, for some, previous experiences or health conditions of the slaves for sale. It also describes that the slaves are accustomed to the cultivation of cotton, rice, and provisions.
This broadside is one of 15 found in the Hutson Lee papers advertising sales of slaves in Charleston in 1859 and 1860. This broadside advertises a slave auction of 25 slaves held at the slave mart on Chalmers Street on January 10th, 1860 by P.J. Porcher and Baya. The broadside lists the names, ages, and, for some, previous experiences or health conditions of the slaves for sale. It also describes the slaves are accustomed to the cultivation of rice, cotton, and other provisions.
“Stories Collected from Slaves” by Leonarda J. Aimar is a bound volume of formerly enslaved people's stories. In her transcription, she attempted to capture the storytellers’ colloquial speech, now recognized as the Gullah language. The volume includes a list of addresses, occupations, and diseases of African Americans during their enslavement; an eye-witness account of the Battle of Secessionville on James Island during the Civil War in 1862; how enslaved people were returned to their slaveholders following the Revolutionary War; and an account of Sherman's march from Savannah, Georgia to Charleston, South Carolina during the Civil War. A formerly enslaved man, Sam, provides a detailed account of being a butler, coachman, and horse jockey. He also recounts how Union Army Major Robert Anderson took control of Fort Sumter and the events that transpired there on April 12, 1861. Other accounts include an enslaved man’s recollections of his time as a servant to a plantation overseer who sympathized with the Union during the Civil War and formerly enslaved man Jim Alston’s detailed eye-witness account of the 1876 Cainhoy Riot.
The Horlbeck Cash and Estimate Book, 1839-1849, was kept by members of the Horlbeck building and architectural business. The first half of the book is a cash book listing expenses and income. Expenses were for laborers described as white and "negroe", lime, bricks and "negro cloth." The second half of the book lists projected costs, lists of supplies, descriptions and occasional floor plans and drawings for structures to be built, repaired, and remodeled. Buildings include a dwelling house for a "Colored Man" and an Engine House.
The Horlbeck Daybook, 1835-1837, was kept by members of the Horlbeck building and architectural business. Included in the daybook are lists of work done for clients such as remodeling, repair, or construction. Buildings worked on include the jail, St. Stephen's Chapel, the Fire Master's Department, and the Poor House. The descriptions include types of materials used and the number of Black and White employees working. Black employees consist of enslaved and freed persons.
Laval instructs Drayton to send duplicate drafts requesting the disbursement of the appropriation for Soldiers' Families. The initial drafts were signed by Drayton. The duplicates are instead to be signed by the Parish Chairman. Copy.
Frean cannot communicate with Major J.A. Leland regarding what Drayton is owed; he relates his good wishes regarding Drayton's forthcoming marriage to Louisa Elford.
The Robert F. W. Allston Journal is an 1864 journal which contains handwritten copies of two letters written by Governor Robert Francis Withers Allston. The letters are addressed to "Mr. Morse" discussing the selling of products and to "Mr. Yates" discussing money. The rest of the journal is filled with blank pages.
The Stoney Account Book, 1837-1838, and Plantation Daybook, 1852 is a bound volume kept by the Stoney family, possibly John Stafford Stoney, in which the first half of the book documents payments for shipping, freights, wharfage and commissions from GM Thompson, Wade Hampton II, William Cunningham, Robert E. Russell, Mary Hampton, Horace Osborne & Co., John Preston, and Nesbit Manufacturing Co. The second half of the book was written by a plantation overseer at Medway Plantation in which he documents the tasks performed by enslaved people and the slaves who missed work due to sickness. The names of the slaves are listed as: Abraham, Andrew, Beck, Bella, Bess, Binah, Bob, Brooke, Celia, Cesar, Charlot, Cily, Dido, Dinah/Old Dinah, Dolly, Edward, Elsey, Grace, Hector, Hercules, Jack, Jackey, Kate, Maully, Moses, Old Elley, Old Felix, Old Jerry, Peter, Philaskey, Philis, Pussy, Quash, Robert, Robin, Rosannah, Sam, and Samey.
The Horlbeck Ledger, 1839-1847, is a bound volume by members of the Horlbeck building and architectural business. The book records work done for clients White and Black employees and specifies the type of repair, remodeling or construction jobs and supplies. Black employees are comprised of enslaved persons and freed men and women.
Slaves at Drayton Hall and slaves working in town ("Town List"). Slaves are listed along with clothing allocation (in yards). Divided into "Men, Women & Children" categories. Plantation slaves also divided by field and "House servants".
Frean offers his condolences concerning the death of Charles Drayton, James' father; discusses his work as a surveyor and James' prospects for employment
Drayton's attorneys reveal a new lease for Drayton Hall has been agreed with a mining company from the North. They hope to remove the current lessee, F.H. Trenholm, as soon as possible. Fees are due for ejecting Moulton Emery and John Prentice (the first lesses).
The Paul De St. Julien Ravenel Estate Book, 1829-1841 is an estate account book kept by Henry Ravenel for the estate of Paul D. Ravenel with pages on money received, spent or payments paid, including payments for the hiring of enslaved people. The last few pages of the book are lists of slaves, referenced by first name, and the number of sheets given out.
The Kiawah Stock Account Book, 1877-1882, is kept by a member of the Vanderhorst Family for their estate Kiawah Plantation on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Entries include information on the numbers of livestock sold, list of expenses and marketing and account statements for the overseer Quash Stevens.
The Stoney Family Plantation Day Book, 1872 is a bound book kept by a member of the Stoney family recording payrolls, cash accounts and general accounts for laborers, formerly slaves and now freed persons, at Medway Plantation. The second half of the book is comprised of journal entries recording weather, work completed by laborers, conditions of the plantation crops, specifically rice, and visits from family and friends.
Note from Stohenthal accompanying an enclosure of $12.500 (in Confederate Depository Certificate), for Drayton's 108 cotton bales. Enclosure not found.
Handwritten poem by James Drayton about a conversation held in a prison between a father and his daughter during the reign of the English King Richard III
Kanapaux certifies that Isaac Norwood's wife, Mary and her two sons are "entitled to bounty of the Soldiers Relief Association". Calculations for relief on back.
Volume contains a chronological record (1855-1856) of the number of bushels, tolls, vessels on which the rice arrived, names of individuals (plantation owners), where the rice was stored (floor and "binn") and the marks used, the names of factors, the vessels on which rice was shipped, and other data. Mill accounts contain expenses for rice, drayage, coopers, carpenters, watchman, Negroes (hire), labor, salaries of various individuals, repairs, baskets and brooms, rice, cords of wood, poles, barrels, mill stones, wharf building, cart license, a butcher's bill, horses, insurance on rice, discount on a note, sales of rice, ironwork, sweep chimney, blacksmith work, and other expenses. Income is from cash received at mill, from various individuals for rice flour and rice, from freight and tolls on rice, from notes, and from other items. The Cannonsborough Mills, begun in 1825 by former Governor Thomas Bennett, included twenty-two pestles driven by steam and fourteen pestles run by tide power. Its property fronted Ashley River a third of a mile. In 1847 Bennett deeded the property to his son-in-law, Jonathan Lucas, III. The larger of the Cannonsborough mills burnt in February of 1860.
Correspondence from Charles Drayton III., to Mr. Carlisle describing "an slight altercation" between Charles Drayton I., and Banastre Tarleton during the Revolutionary War
The Diary of Julius M. Bacot, 1886 contains daily diary entries discussing Julius Bacot's work as a lawyer, the weather, illness, and his social engagements with members of other Charleston families such as the Manigaults, Lowndes, Rhetts and Ravenels. Other entries talk about weddings, deaths, hunting trips, and property claims following the Civil War. The diary includes entries on the Protestant Episcopal Church Convention in which discussion formed around the admittance of African American ministers which was ultimately denied. Finally, Julius Bacot writes about the 1886 Charleston Earthquake in which he records the event as it happens and the damages, anxieties, aftershocks, and relief efforts following it.
The Estate General J.W. Allston in Account with A.W. Campbell, 1834-1857, is an account book kept for the estate of Joseph Waties Allston. The first half of the book records payments and bonds paid on behalf of J.W. Allston's estate by executor A.W. Campbell. The second half of the book records payments and bonds paid on behalf of the estate by executor Robert F.W. Allston. Payments include those for the hiring and purchasing of enslaved persons.
The Thomas Wright Bacot Jr. Estate Book is written by Robert Dewar Bacot between 1851-1854, following the death of Thomas W. Bacot in 1851. Acting as administrator for the estate, the book includes notices for demands against the estate, appraisals for items and belongings, including an enslaved woman named Nancy, and a written statement regarding the distribution of Thomas Bacot's shares to other members of the Bacot family.
Rebecca Bryan discusses memories of her life in Charleston. She mentions a contest between the fire departments, the Womens Exchange on King Street, Dixie Antique Shop, transportation as a young girl, several significant earthquakes and hurricanes, the history of her house at 110 Broad Street, the Battery as a child, her childhood schooling, the Charleston Exposition of 1901, and a story about the Charleston Light Dragoons. Audio with transcript and tape log.
When Pierre Manigault was a child, his grandfather Edward owned Rochelle Plantation. When his father Peter took over Rochelle’s management in Pierre’s high school years, Manigault was put to work cultivating a ten-acre rice field, giving him insight into the difficulties of this job. He recalled Herman “Duff” Holbrook, who went to work for his father as president of White Oak Forestry and manager of Rochelle. Holbrook was like another grandfather for Manigault, and a mentor with a vast fund of knowledge about wildlife and the Santee Delta. He worked with Holbrook for a number of summers and spring breaks. Manigault’s great-grandfather, Arthur, after discontinuing rice cultivation, purchased controlling interest in Charleston’s newspaper. His father Peter, when manager of the newspaper, invested in pine lands in the Delta for the raw materials necessary for newspaper, and set up White Oak Forestry, a subsidiary of Evening Post Industries. Conservation for wildlife habitat was a priority, and Peter Manigault’s conservation efforts including his leadership in establishing the first conservation easement in the Santee Delta by a private landowner. Manigault discussed the impact of the October 2015 floods on the Delta. He talked about his father’s good friend, Ted Turner, who purchased Kinloch Plantation next to Rochelle. They shared interests in media and yacht racing. Manigault reflected on the early Huguenot Manigaults who immigrated to America and the Santee Delta; he also imagined the transformation of the Delta from forest to rice fields. He considered the labor required for that massive undertaking, and the incredible craftsmanship of enslaved workers seen in such buildings as St. James Santee Church, and various Delta plantation houses. He described the significance of the Santee Delta as an internationally recognized conservation area. Manigault has followed in his father’s footsteps in working to conserve the Delta.
Pat Ferris was born in Greenwood Lake, NY, and lived in Virginia and New York until age nine when he moved to South Carolina. His grandmother had a modern house on South Island with electricity supplied by a generator. The family also had the old plantation house on Cat Island. His grandfather was William G. Ramsey, who worked for the DuPont Company. He became a senior engineer at DuPont, and his stock holdings became very valuable for the family. He came to South Carolina because of the Dupont’s interest in turpentine, and became aware of the excellent hunting opportunities. Living on Cat Island and South Island in his youth, Ferris felt it was “heaven”. He had a little dinghy he rowed around on Winyah Bay, and hunted ducks with a shotgun given to him at age 10 by his grandmother. She also gave him the job of killing snakes and alligators: the latter damaged the dikes. He received a nickel for each kill. Ferris learned to sail on a summer vacation to Nantucket Island. He and his brother would go along with a harbor pilot who guided ships into Georgetown. They signed on as cabin boys on a round trip from Brooklyn, NY, to Georgetown, SC, on the lumber schooner Annie C. Ross. Ferris also described a voyage with his brother and a friend in their teenage years in a catboat from Greenport, Long Island to South Carolina. Ferris went to boarding school, and would spend summers on South Island. Ferris attended the University of North Carolina (UNC) when WWII broke out, and he entered the Coast Guard. He patrolled first St. Helena Sound, and then off Charleston in private yachts. He helped a one-armed man pull a seine net on the edge of Winyah Bay. He knew Tom Yawkey, owner of the Boston Red Sox, and owner of the majority of Cat, South, and North Islands. He went on hunts with him on those properties and elsewhere. Cat Island Plantation continued to actively cultivate rice until 1941. With the damming of the Santee River by Santee Cooper, the influx of saltwater did considerable damage to the dikes, and the family received a $6000 settlement. Ferris described years of hunting on Cat island: deer, ducks, and turkeys. He described how Tom Yawkey set up the Yawkey Wildlife Center. Ferris returned to recounting his Coast Guard service, describing his transfer to the South Pacific after going through training at the Loran School. He was at Guam when the war ended, and returned to the US on the aircraft carrier Belleau Wood. He finished by telling a story when he and his brother were “bad boys’ during their childhood on Cat Island.
Gerald Alston was born at the Wedge Plantation, and at age four moved to Germantown. In his childhood, he, his brother, and friends would cut and split firewood, used for both cooking and heating. Like his father and grandfather, Gerald went to work for Herman “Duff” Holbrook, who taught him about plantation and wildlife habitat management. He recounted one incident when Holbrook had grabbed a rattlesnake by hand, and had Alston drive the truck while Holbrook held the rattlesnake and relocated it. Another memorable story was a canoe trip out to Six Mile, a property in the middle of the Delta. The trip took place the day before the arrival of Hurricane Hugo (1989). It was raining and rough on the water, and Holbrook wanted to protect the property by opening up a trunk. Alston was frightened, but successfully helped Holbrook with this mission; they arrived safely back on land. After Hugo there was extensive work to do on these lands. Holbrook purchased a backhoe that Alston ran for 25 years, operated now by his son. He recalled taking rides from Will Alston in a wagon trailed behind a tractor, going from Germantown to Hampton Plantation. Will Alston would stop by Gerald Alston’s grandmother, Ella Alston, and give him a ride back home. Alston also talked about visiting with Sue Alston in her later years. He remembered Archibald Rutledge as a friendly man. Alston recalled times when the mosquitoes and biting flies were “terrible”. He remembered a trip to Cat Island to purchase an old Pontiac just for the engine. He described an annual event put on by the South Santee community. Alston continues to enjoy his job with While Oak Forestry working for Mike Prevost, and having his sons, Errol and Gerald Jr., working with him.
Throughout the interview, world renowned painter and sculptor, William Halsey shares his views on art and the difficulties of being a contemporary artist in historic cities like Savannah and Charleston. He mentions studying under Elizabeth O’Neil Verner, attending the University of South Carolina, graduating from the Boston Museum School, living and painting in Mexico for two years on a fellowship from the Boston Museum School, as well as teaching at Telfair Academy and the College of Charleston. His wife, Mrs. Corrie Halsey, discusses her attendance at the University of South Carolina where she studied medical illustrating, her attendance at the Boston Museum School, and shares her experiences with juggling duties as both a mother and an artist. Audio with transcript and tape log.
John Laurens graduated from the Citadel in 1910. During World War I Laurens was stationed with the Charleston Light Dragoons in El Paso, Texas and later in France. In the interview, Laurens enumerates his siblings and discusses various occurrences in his life and in Charleston including family vacations on the Southern Railroad, a bath house that was once located at the end of Tradd Street, the Charleston Exposition of 1901, a tornado that took off the steeple of St. Philips Church and a fire at the Anderson Lumber Company once located on Broad Street. Audio with transcript.
Tom Waring discusses the history of Charleston, particularly the population growth in surrounding cities such as North Charleston in the first part of the twentieth century, its designation as the “Holy City,” poverty following the Civil War, the increase in employment during World War I, and the subsequent influx of newcomers to Charleston during World War II. Waring concludes the interview with a local Gullah Story. Hermina Waring discusses the legend behind her family’s silver service. Audio with transcript and tape log.
Dorothy Haskell Porcher Legge was a pioneer of historic preservation in Charleston. In this interview, Legge discusses her early efforts to restore homes on the peninsula and describes the restoration of her family’s residence at number 99 – 101 East Bay Street beginning in 1931. Legge worked privately and effectively to inspire the revitalization of this block of deteriorated eighteenth-century mercantile structures on East Bay Street which eventually came to be known as “Rainbow Row.” In the interview Legge also discusses growing up on Mulberry (on the Cooper River) and Bonny Hill (on the Combahee River) rice plantations and family history including the life of her mother’s grandfather, Rev. John Bachman. Audio with transcript and tape log.
First elected in 1970, Lonnie Hamilton was the first African American to serve on the Charleston County Council. In this interview Hamilton discusses teaching at Bonds Wilson High School in North Charleston, his decision to run for Charleston County Council, subsequent elections, and his daughter. Audio with transcript.
Mrs. Sparkman talks about several different ghost stories that are told about her house at 15 Legare Street in Charleston, South Carolina. Audio with transcript.
Harold Stone Reeves, a native Charlestonian and lifelong performer, discusses the many aspects of his life since his birth in 1892, including his longtime interest in Gullah, attending the University of South Carolina, his commission with the Charleston Light Dragoons during World War I, his involvement with the Society for the Preservation of Spirituals, and his role as the first manager of the of the Charleston Social Security Office. Audio with transcript and tape log.
Longtime Charleston preservationist, Elizabeth Jenkins “Liz” Young, was born April 7, 1919 on Edisto Island. In this interview she conveys her love for Charleston and emphasizes the importance of its preservation, gives a brief lesson on the Gullah dialect, and discusses St. Michaels Church. Young also talks about Federal Memorial Day versus Confederate Memorial Day, a holiday designated to memorialize the soldiers lost in the Civil War, which she calls the “War Of Northern Aggression.” Audio with transcript and tape log.
Bill Mace grew up in Johnsonville, SC, and fished on the Lynches and Pee Dee Rivers. He learned to fish from his father, and to hunt from his grandfathers. On a fourteen-foot boat he and his brother continued to venture further on fishing, hunting, and camping trips down river to Sandy Island and Georgetown. During high school Mace worked at a wool mill, but wanted to find a job in the outdoors. After high school he went to school in Anderson for a year, considered transferring to Clemson for parks and recreation, but instead came back to Georgetown and went to work at a textile plant. Mace went to a meeting with the director of the South Carolina Game and Fish Division who encouraged him to get an associate degree in wildlife management. He attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Georgia, and was offered a job at Santee Coastal Reserve (SCR) by Tommy Strange in 1976. Among other tasks, Mace managed former rice fields. He took over as manager when Strange retired, and worked there for 21 years. Mace discussed brackish water management in the 24,000-acre SCR, and the constant work to repair and replace water-control structures. Mace imagined the Santee Delta before it was cleared for rice fields, and the enormous labor involved in building the rice field dikes, constructed by enslaved workers. Mace also discussed the hunts of the Santee Gun Club members, including many attempts to navigate in thick fog. Some of his work included law enforcement, and he talked about several episodes where people tried to steal old bricks from historic structures in SCR. In his 21 years at SCR there was only one episode of an accidental shooting on a hunt, and through a heroic effort by one of the guides the victim survived. SCR had significant damage from Hurricane Hugo (1989), and of many issues it took half a year to rebuild the dikes. Mace reviewed many of the conservation protections in place on the Delta’s public and private lands. He retired from the state in 2010, and went back to work as manager of Annandale Plantation, a tract of private lands (around 3500 acres) owned by Dan Ray on the north side of the Santee Rivers. He is doing similar work to what he did at SCR in managing rice fields for waterfowl. Mace lives nearby, and though he once thought of retiring to the North Carolina coast, he now can’t imagine living anywhere else. He also touched on the seasonal challenges of mosquitoes in the Delta.
Over the course of two interviews delivered in August and September of 2013, Senator Arthur Ravenel discusses his memories of growing up in Charleston and his many personal and professional accomplishments.
Phil Wilkinson was born in Denver, Colorado, and his family moved around due to his father’s occupation as an army engineer. He moved to the Lowcountry early in his childhood, and at age 12 his family purchased Hopsewee Plantation on the North Santee River. Most of his childhood activities were in the woods or on the river. His father gave him a dory, and he and his older brother explored all around the Santee Delta including to Cedar Island for overnight stays. He learned to hunt and fish from an older black man, Daddy Ben, who lived in a cabin at Hopsewee. In his high school years he had a summer job building the new bridge over the North Santee River. Wilkinson went to USC for undergraduate studies, starting in engineering and shifting to business administration. After college he worked at Cat Island doing construction work, and the owner of the property, an ornithologist, suggested he consider a biological career. After a meeting with Jim Webb, director of the state wildlife department, he went on to get a masters degree from Auburn. Webb offered him a job at a newly acquired state property, Dirleton Plantation. During his time at Dirleton Wilkinson met Tom Yawkey, owner of South Island plantation. He recruited Wilkinson to work for him on his properties doing wildlife management, with a primary focus on waterfowl by managing impoundments and their plant ecology. He hunted quail often with Yawkey. Wilkinson imagined the Santee Delta when the virgin forest still existed, and considered the changes after the damming of the Santee River. Wilkinson gave his own perspective on dealing with biting insects. He told two stories of personal adventures in the Delta: the “Pine Top” story, and another about discovering alligator poachers. After his employment with Tom Yawkey ended, he worked for the state on endangered species, and began a long period of study of alligators, primarily on South Island. Wilkinson reflected on potential threats to the Santee Delta, and the significant conservation efforts. He compared the labor of transforming the Delta into rice fields to the building of several pyramids. He finished up by reading a poem he authored entitled “Daddy Ben”.
Stephanie Waldron grew up in Kenya on a farm in a house built by her father with no electricity. Later, her mother married Dr. Richard Dominick, who periodically visited Kenya. He was an avid hunter, hunting ducks on Long Island and big game in Kenya. During his visits to Africa they went on safaris, to photograph rather than to hunt. During his youth, Dominick traveled with his family to Coosawhatchie, SC, and developed a love for South Carolina. When he retired from his career as an ophthalmologist, he purchased the Wedge Plantation on the Santee Delta to pursue his lifelong passion of collecting moths. Waldron moved with her mother and siblings during her adolescence to the Wedge. Dominick supervised the renovation of the main house, and built a laboratory for his moth studies called the Bug House. This building also contained a darkroom for color photography development. A steady stream of visitors, scientists and collectors, came to the Wedge. The family had horses, and her stepbrother and stepsister rode often. The family bred thoroughbred racehorses, and Waldron worked with the horses. She reflected on times of the year when deerflies and mosquitoes were rampant. Dr. Dominick died in 1976, and her mother stayed at Wedge another ten years. She described the Wedge property, and recalled trips out to Cedar and Islands. The University of South Carolina purchased Wedge, and it became an institute for the study of mosquito-borne diseases. Waldron stayed on for a while before pursuing her career in film and landscaping. Students came to Wedge, and Waldron ran the kitchen and cooked on her assigned days. Waldron recalled childhood activities from Wedge with her step-siblings. Dr. Dominick had decided at age 40 to no longer hunt, and just observe wildlife. Waldron laughed about locals having trouble understanding her dialect (British). Waldron imagined the amount of labor, and the engineering required, to build all the rice fields in the Santee Delta. She recalled her first time catching shrimp with a seine net at Santee Coastal Reserve with Bill Mace. She expressed her good fortune to have lived for many years in the Santee Delta.
Mike Prevost grew up in Georgetown, SC, and his interest in the outdoors developed in his summers spent at Pawley’s Island. He became an avid duck hunter, and his experiences in rice fields inspired his career in coastal habitat ecology. Prevost received his BS from the University of Georgia (UGA) in 1973, and afterward was employed for three years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the Georgia coast. He returned to UGA for a Masters, studying under Dr. Sydney Johnson, and did his thesis fieldwork at Kinloch Plantation in the Santee Delta on brackish marsh waterfowl foods. Prevost received mentoring from Kinloch’s manager, Kenny Williams, as well as from Phil Wilkinson. After completing his degree, he was employed by SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) working on mosquito control, particularly on understanding the ecology of the mosquito and source reduction. Prevost moved on to employment with SC Wildlife Marine Resources Department (SCMRD) with a focus on waterfowl habitat. The range of his work was from Savannah to Georgetown, and he spent much of his time in the Santee Delta. The work in the outdoors provided a number of challenges: biting insects, equipment issues, and the need to often improvise. Part of his time with SCMRD included working at Bear Island in Colleton County, and during that time the concept of the ACE Basin Project evolved. Prevost became a coordinator for the ACE Basin Task Force. After the ACE Basin Project he went to work full time for The Nature Conservancy as the project director for the Sewee To Santee landscape. In 2010, Prevost had the opportunity to go to work for White Oak Forestry Corporation, a subsidiary of Evening Post Industries. White Oak Forestry consists of 17,000 acres in the lower Santee Delta, and was established by Peter Manigault, a visionary conservationist who was the first landowner to place a conservation easement on private land in the Santee Delta. Prevost followed Duff Holbrook as president and manager of White Oak Forestry, and he told two stories about experiences with Holbrook out in the Delta at Six Mile Island. He reflected on the Delta from hundreds of years ago, the changes created by the development of rice culture, and by the Santee Cooper project that reduced the Santee River flow by 90 percent. Prevost recalled some notable people from the Delta, including William Garrett and Ben Willy Richardson. Of threats to the Delta he identified changing climate and sea level rise. Prevost discussed the high significance of the Santee Delta on a number of levels.
William Garrett grew up on Blake Plantation, part of the Santee Gun Club. His parents were George and Celia Garrett; his father was a trunk minder. During his youth Garrett helped his family grow rice. He had four sisters and four brothers. The family did not have electricity so he cut wood for heating and cooking, and pumped water. Garrett told a story about swimming with his brother Moses toward a log in the South Santee River that turned out to be a large alligator. When he was a young guide for the Gun Club the manager allowed his brother and him to go over to Murphy Island to hunt cattle. He started working for the Santee Gun Club at age 18 or 19 for a salary of $2.50 per week. His main responsibility was to take care of the Santee Gun Club members he was guiding, and get them back safely after the day’s hunt. These hunts took place in blinds on the mainland (the Cape) and on Murphy and Cedar Islands. He recalled a young overconfident guide on his first day stating he could find his way back. When the young guide and his member were long overdue, the manager sent Garrett to find them. Garrett recalled going with his uncle to Murphy Island to get turtle eggs during his childhood. He recalled cattle lined up along the beach at night to get away from the mosquitoes. Garrett said he got used to the mosquitoes. He mentioned the names of some of the Gun Club members, and recalled taking Peter Matthiessen, the son of one of the members, goose hunting on Murphy one evening. Garrett was very worried about potential changes when the Gun Club was transferred to the state of South Carolina. He remembered walking four miles from his home on Blake Plantation to court his wife in South Santee. They were married in 1946. Part of his work for the Gun Club and the state was to build trunks, water control structures, and place them in the dikes. Garrett related his experience in South Santee during Hurricane Hugo. He shared three stories of accidental shootings at the Gun Club. Garrett mentioned changes in fishing after the Santee River was dammed and some of his fishing experiences. He also commented on race relations in the area.
Clark recalls what Johns Island was like when she became a teacher at the Promise Land School in 1916. Topics of discussion include transportation, the houses and living conditions on Johns Island, the importance of the Angel Oak tree to African Americans living on Johns Island, and the changes in the Angel Oak from 1916 to 1980.
Kenny Williams was born December 20, 1942. He grew up in Georgetown, SC in a lower middle class family. He learned fishing, hunting, and wildlife ethics from his father and uncles. He received an undergraduate degree from Wofford College, and a masters degree in wildlife biology from Auburn. While at Auburn, he applied for employment at Kinloch Plantation, owned by the Dupont family, and began work there after graduation. He learned about plantation management from the manager, Richard Stanland, and replaced him as manager when Stanland retired. The work at Kinloch included farming, use of water control structures, and managing rice fields for migratory waterfowl. The labor, working with a few employess, was often hard and challenging. Kinloch had a clubhouse where the family entertained friends and guests during the winter season, and his related responsibilities were directing the daily duck hunts and other wildlife hunts. While manager he was married and had two sons who grew up there. Williams had a "great" cook, Irene Rivens, who worked and cooked for him. The Duponts decided to sell Kinloch, which was purchased by Ted Turner; Williams discussed this transition. The biting insects of the Santee Delta were seasonally a most difficult challenge, and he recounted dealing with the worst times. Williams imagined what the Santee Delta was like when it was a virgin gum and cypress forest, and the effort required to build the rice fields. He commented on changes for the Santee Delta’s black population. Speaking about the conservation of the Santee Delta, he discussed his work as a consultant in land management for wildlife, and a regional biologist for Ducks Unlimited. He recalled a summer job while still at Auburn as a biological technician in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, and a close encounter with a cottonmouth on Bulls Island. Williams also reflected on changes in the Santee Delta as a result of the damming of the Santee River, and decreasing waterfowl populations. Williams discussed the significance of the Santee Delta.
Jane Wineglass was born in 1927, and grew up in the South Santee community at Collins Creek. She was the youngest of fifteen children, and a self-described tomboy. Her mother, Eve (maiden name Manigault) Green, was born on Murphy Island; her father was Sambo Green. Her mother worked as a cook at the Wedge Plantation, and walked to and from work. When her mother became disabled, Wineglass took over as cook and eventually worked for a new owner, Dr. Richard Dominick. He hosted an annual event in the South Santee community. Wineglass also played at the Wedge during her childhood: beside her mother working there she had a number of family members living there. The Dominicks had a home in London, and took Wineglass there for six weeks. She went along as cook, but for her it was a "glorious" vacation. After Dominick died and the Wedge was purchased by the University of South Carolina, she went to work for a while at the Santee Gun Club. Wineglass recalled her father and his work as a carpenter: repairing homes, building homes, building trunks for controlling water, and generally doing "neat" work. In dealing with mosquitoes, she would break off branches from a shrub to beat them off. Though Wineglass was raised in a large family, she had only one child, a son, who died from being "heartbroken". She still has grandchildren in NC who occasionally visit. Wineglass recalled her parents growing rice in a low spot on their property. Her father used a wagon to go to work, pulled by an oxen named Pete. The animal was given to the family by the government to use for plowing their garden. Since her childhood, Wineglass has attended the same church, Greater Mount Zion AME Church. She became one of their local ministers. She reflects on the tragedy at Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston. She regularly attends Sunday school, Sunday service, an evening service at another church in Awendaw, and a Tuesday evening prayer meeting. Of her fourteen siblings, only one, William Green, is still alive. The most important aspect of the Santee Delta for Wineglass: it is home, and the best place for her to be.
Henrietta Smalls was born in Germantown SC on October 24, 1925 to Mary and Isaiah Robinson. She moved to Shulerville and Mauss Swamp before returning to Germantown. According to Smalls, life was rough: there was no electricity or running water, and there was little opportunity for employment. Her mother planted a garden and cooked on wood fires; the family also had cows, hogs, and chickens. Smalls helped out by gathering firewood, pumping water from a well, and washing clothes. Walking was a necessity without a car. She married Peter Smalls; he served in the Army in the Pacific in World War II, and afterward worked for many years at the Naval Shipyard. Before she married, Smalls worked at Hampton Plantation a couple days a week in the flower gardens. She had four children, and after they were all in school she went to work in Charleston at National Linen. Smalls’ godmother was Sue Alston, known as the Angel of Hampton Plantation. She spent much time with Alston at her home in Germantown, and described her as the mother of the community. Smalls went to her church – Howard AME – and attended prayer meetings at her home. She has continued to plant a garden, and greens are her favorite. Smalls talked about Hurricane Hugo, and the recent flooding. After the family got a car, Smalls helped out members of the Germantown community, taking people shopping, to the doctor, and on other business. She reflected on changes in her community.
This is a Sandy Island plantation journal written inside of The South Carolina and Georgia Almanac for the year 1792. The plantation journal documents the planting of crops (rice, corns, and potatoes), the maintenance of ditches and drains, slave records, complications with the hiring of an overseer, livestock, and business relations with Laurel Hill Plantation.
The Mouzon Plat Book surveys lands held by various individuals and families in Craven County [now in parts of Berkeley, Charleston, Georgetown, and Williamsburg counties], Colleton County and Berkeley County in South Carolina. Plats are drawn in pencil and ink. Book includes an index at the beginning and at the end are two pages of accounts and also lands to be resurveyed for the estate of Henry Mouzon Jr.
