South Carolina from A to Z: Recent Episodes
Walter Edgar
Historian and author Walter Edgar mines the riches of the South Carolina Encyclopedia to bring you South Carolina from A to Z. South Carolina from A to Z is a production of South Carolina Public Radio in partnership with the University of South Carolina Press and SC Humanities.
“S” is for Shell, Arthur Lee, Jr. (b. 1946). Football player, coach. In 1989, Arthur Lee Shell, Jr., was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“S” is for Sheldon Church (Beaufort County). Moss-draped live oak trees shade the quiet burial ground that surrounds the ruined Sheldon Church of Prince William’s Parish.
“H” is for Holman, Clarence Hugh (1914-1981). Educator, author. Hugh Clarence Holman’s many honors culminated in his appointment as Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
“C” is for Chester County (581 square miles; 2020 population 32,294). Named for Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chester was one of seven counties created in 1785 from the old Camden Judicial District.
“P” is for Pinckney, Maria Henrietta (d. 1836). Writer. Pinckney is notable for writing a defense of nullification entitled The Quintessence of Long Speeches, Arranged as a Political Catechism.
“M” is for Middleton, Henry (1717-1784). Planter, politician, president of the Continental Congress.
“M” is for Middleton, Arthur (1742-1787). Legislator, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
“H” is for Hogs. Pork has been important to the diet and economy of South Carolina since colonial times.
“H” is for Holbrook, John Edwards (1794-1871). Physician, naturalist. Holbrook’s numerous publications and his research made him one of the greatest of the pioneering American naturalists.
“G” is for Greener, Richard (1844-1922). Teacher, diplomat. In 1873 Greener accepted a professorship at the University of South Carolina, becoming its first Black faculty member.
“D” is for Drayton, John (1766-1822). Governor, jurist, author. Although he had a distinguished political career, Drayton is most remembered for his achievements as a writer and a botanist.
“C” is for Cherokees. The Cherokees were one of the largest southeastern Native American nations with which South Carolina colonists had contact.
“B” is for Blackbeard (d. 1718). Pirate. Most commonly known today as Edward Teach, Blackbeard surfaced in Jamaica in mid-1717. In eighteen months he carved an extraordinarily successful career as a pirate, creating an indelible image of “the fiercest pirate of them all” and making him a global icon.
“W” is for Willington Academy. The Willington Academy of Doctor Moses Waddel, a log-constructed classical school for boys, was perhaps the most prestigious preparatory school in antebellum South Carolina.
“S” is for She-crab soup. She-crab soup is uniquely Charlestonian—a silky chowder with European heritage.
“S” is for Shaw Air Force Base. Established in 1941 on the outskirts of Sumter to train pilots for World War II, Shaw Air Force Base later evolved into a home for U.S. Air Force tactical units.
“R” is for Rogers, Frank Mandeville (1857-1945). Farmer, businessman. Frank Mandeville Rogers led a group of businessmen to found the state’s first bright leaf tobacco market in Florence in 1891.
“M” is for Miles, William Porcher (1822-1899). Educator, congressman. In 1880 Miles was named president of the South Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanics (the former South Carolina College).
“M” is for Mignot, Louis Rémy (1831-1870). Painter. Some scholars have maintained that Louis Rémy Mignot “was arguably the most accomplished southern-born painter of his generation.”
“L” is for Londonborough Township. By the time of the 1790 census, most of the original families were no longer listed, and the entire Londonborough community disappeared in the first decades of the nineteenth century.
“H” is for Hodges, James Hovis (b. 1956). Governor. Education was the centerpiece of Hodges’s term as governor.
“H” is for Hobkirk Hill, Battle of (April 25, 1781). The Battle of Hobkirk Hill, though in itself indecisive, marked the beginning of the British withdrawal from the interior of South Carolina.
“H” is for Hoagland, Jimmie Lee (b. 1940). Journalist. Jimmie Lee Hoagland was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2017.
“G” is for Greene, Nathanael (1742-1786). Soldier. As army commander Nathanael Greene never won a battle… but did win the war
“F” is for Furman University. The Furman Academy and Theological Institution, organized by the South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBC) opened its doors in 1827.
“D” is for Dozier, Therese Knecht (b. 1952). 1985 Teacher of the Year. From 1993 to 2001, Therese Knecht Dozier served as a senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley.
“C” is for Cherokee War (1776). The Cherokee War of 1776 was an early episode in the Revolutionary War.
“C” is for Cherokee War (1759-1761). The Cherokee War was partly a local, southeastern phase of the French and Indian War and partly the result of the Cherokees’ long-held resentments against abuses by English settlers.
“S” is for Sayers, Valerie (b. 1952). Author. In 1992, Valerie Sayers was the National Endowment for the Arts literature fellow.
"R” is for Rivers, Lucius Mendel (1905-1970). Congressman. In 1940, Rivers defeated the “Charleston Ring,” was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the First District, and was re-elected fifteen times with only minor opposition.
“P” is for Pickens, Andrew (1739-1817). Soldier, legislator, congressman. During the Revolutionary War Pickens became one of the most significant leaders of patriot forces in the backcountry.
“L” is for Lintheads. Cotton mill workers who played a critical role in the modernization of the South Carolina economy made the “linthead” epithet a badge of honor.
“S” is for Seneca (Oconee County; 2020 population 8,850). Founded in 1873, as Seneca City, the town’s name was taken from an earlier Indian village and the nearby Seneca River.
“R” is for Rock Hill Movement. Following the 1955 bus boycott in Montgomery and the 1960 lunch-counter sit-ins in Greensboro, African Americans in Rock Hill took the lead in energizing the civil rights movement in South Carolina.
“M” is for Mennonites. The Mennonites of South Carolina are a Protestant group descended from the Anabaptists of the Reformation.
“M” is for Medical University of South Carolina. At the request of the Medical Society of South Carolina, the General Assembly established the Medical College of South Carolina in 1823.
“C” is for Charleston Renaissance (ca. 1915-1940). The Charleston Renaissance was a multifaceted cultural renewal that took place in the years between World Wars I and II.
“C” is for Chattooga River. For most of its forty miles, the Chattooga forms the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina.
“G” is for Greeks. Greek immigrants began arriving in South Carolina at the turn of the twentieth century and they quickly found a niche as entrepreneurs within the service sector.
“F” is for Furman, Richard (1755-1825), Minister, educator. Furman greatly influenced the development of the Baptist denomination and was a founder and president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, the first statewide Baptist organization in the United States.
“C” is for Charleston Southern University. Charleston Southern University is a private, liberal arts university affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
“C” is for Charleston single house. The single house is the building form most closely associated with eighteenth century Charleston architecture.
“C” is for Charleston Riot (1919). The Charleston Riot of 1919 was the earliest major incident in a nationwide outbreak of racial violence that became known as the “Red Summer.”
“B” is for Black Codes (1865-1866). In 1865 with little directions coming from Washington and with the South in economic and social chaos, the former states of the Confederacy drew up “Black Codes” to clarify the standing of African Americans.
“W” is for Williamson, Andrew (ca. 1730-1786). Soldier. An ardent patriot, Williamson represented Ninety Six in the First and Second Provincial Congresses.
“T” is for Timrod, Henry (1828-1867). Poet, essayist. A native Charlestonian, Timrod—hedged by poverty, frail health, and the cataclysm of the Civil War—led a brief tubercular life.
“S” is for Saluda River. In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Greenville County, near the North Carolina/South Carolina state line, the North and South Saluda Rivers meet to form the Saluda River.
"R” is for Rice, John Andrew, Jr. (1888-1968). Educator, author. A prominent figure in American higher education, Rice was born in Lee County.
“P” is for Pee Dee River. The Pee Dee is a river system that drains northeastern South Carolina and central North Carolina.
“M” is for Mathews, John (1744-1802). Governor. On December 14, 1782, Governor John Mathews presided over the reoccupation of Charleston by American forces.
“S” is for Self, James Cuthbert (1876-1955). Textile manufacturer, philanthropist. In 1955 James Cuthbert Self received the national Horatio Alger Award.
“R” is for Rock Hill (York County; 2020 population 74,157). Rock Hill began in 1852 as a depot and watering station on the Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad—and it had a post office.
“M” is for Medical Society of South Carolina. The fourth oldest medical society in the United States, the Medical Society of South Carolina was founded in 1789.
“M” is for Medal of Honor recipients. Approved by the United States Congress in 1862, the Medal of Honor is America’s highest award for military valor. Thirty-two native South Carolinians have been awarded the medal for “conspicuous gallantry.”
“M” is for Means, John Hugh (1812-1862). Governor. As governor Means urged the state to prepare militarily for secession and possible armed conflict with the federal government.
“L” is for Local Government Act (1975). The Local Government Act of 1975, otherwise known as the Home Rule Act of 1975, was passed by the South Carolina General Assembly to implement the revised Article VIII of the state constitution adopted in 1973 and dealing with local government.
“H” is for Hispanics. Hispanics are among South Carolina’s oldest and most recent immigrant groups.
“G” is for Great Wagon Road. The Great Wagon Road stretched for almost eight hundred miles from Philadelphia west to Lancaster and York Pennsylvania, and thence south through the Shenandoah Valley into the Carolina backcountry.
“C” is for Carolina gold rice. Carolina gold rice is named for the magnificent golden color of the ripe plants in early autumn.
“S” is for Segregation. Segregation, the residential, political, and social isolation of African Americans was accomplished in South Carolina by a long and varying effort in the aftermath of emancipation and Reconstruction.
“R” is for Robinson, Bernice Violanthe (1914-1994). Educator, civil rights activist. The workshops that Bernice Violanthe Robinson created helped transform the political and economic status of thousands of disenfranchised Blacks in the American South.
“P” is for Pike, John Martin (1840-1932). Clergyman, editor, publisher. In 1893 John Martin Pike became editor of The Way of Faith and through it exercised pivotal influence on the planting of Holiness and Pentecostal strains of Protestantism in South Carolina.
“M” is for McTyeire, Holland Nimmons (1824-1889). Clergyman. McTyeire was the author of a number of books including A Manual of Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and A History of Methodism.
“M” is for McSweeney, Miles Benjamin (1855-1909). Governor. In 1900 McSweeney won election as governor, but his tenure was disappointing.
“H” is for Hinton, James Miles (1891-1970). Clergyman, businessman, civil rights leader.
“G” is for Great Migration. During the 1910s and 1920s, hundreds of thousands of African Americans left the South for the urban centers of the Northeast and Midwest.
“F” is for Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina (1669-1698). Part constitution and part promotional tract, the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina comprised a much revised document that the Lords Proprietors devised to govern their New World province.
“E” is for Exchange Building (Charleston). One of the grandest and most significant public buildings constructed in colonial America, the Exchange and Customs House on East Bay was constructed by Peter and John Horlbeck between 1767 and 1771.
“C” is for Charleston Museum. Founded in 1773, the Charleston Museum is the oldest municipal museum in the United States.
“C” is for Charleston Library Society. The Charleston Library Society is the third-oldest institutional library in the United States.
“B” is for Billings, John Shaw (1898-1975). When he retired in 1954, Billings was the editorial director of all Time Inc. publications.
“W” is for Williams, Hanna English (d. 1722). Naturalist. Hannah English Williams was the first female in the British colonies to gather plant and animal specimens for scientific collections.
“S” is for Secessionville, Battle of (June 16, 1862). The Civil War may have produced larger engagements with heavier casualties, but the Battle of Secessionville remains one of South Carolina’s most important.
“S” is for Seabrook, Whitemarsh Benjamin (1793-1855). Governor. As a member of the most radical political factions in the state, Seabrook urged Carolinians to prepare for secession and the military defense of the state and its institutions.
"L" is for Lyles, Bissett, Carlisle & Wolff. At its peak in the 1960s, LBC&W employed more than 350 architects, engineers, planners and support staff in states across the Southeast.
"L" is for Lutherans. While Lutherans are the third largest Protestant denomination in the United States, their numbers have never been large in the South.
"L" is for Lebby, Nathaniel H. [1816-1880]. Nathaniel H. Lebby is best remembered for conceiving the world’s first hydraulic suction dredge—which would become the standard of modern dredging.
"H" is for Hover Scare (1887). Hiram E. Hover (often mis-spelled in the press as “Hoover”) formed the Co-operative Workers of America (CWA) in North Carolina. The goal of the CWA was to promote major labor reforms and establish cooperative stores.
"H" is for Hootie and the Blowfish. Founded in 1986, Hootie and the Blowfish emerged as the most popular rock band on the USC college scene in the 1980s and early 1990s.
“W” is for Westos. Carolina colonists learned of this powerful Native American Savannah River nation soon after arrival.
“C” is for Carolina bays. Carolina bays are elliptical, shallow depressions found on unconsolidated sediments of the coastal plain region of eastern North America from Maryland to Florida.
“S” is for Sea Islands. Scattered along the state’s approximately 185 miles of coastline, South Carolina’s Sea Islands shelter the mainland from storms and erosion.
“R” is for Robertson, Thomas James (1823-1897). U.S. senator. A native of Winnsboro, Robertson graduated from the South Carolina College.
“P” is for Piedmont. One of six landform regions in South Carolina the Piedmont is defined by high hills to the north that give way to rolling hills at the center of the state.
“M” is for McNair, Ronald Erwin (1950-1986). Astronaut. A native of Lake City, McNair earned a Ph.D. in physics from M.I.T. While at M.I.T. he specialized in quantum electronics and molecular spectroscopy, conducting significant work in the development of laser technology.
“H” is for Hilton Head Island (Beaufort County; 2020 population 37,661). Located in the southeast corner of the state Hilton Head Island is the largest of the islands that flank South Carolina’s Atlantic coast.
“H” is for Hillsborough Township. Located on the upper Savannah River in present-day McCormick County, Hillsborough Township was named for Wills Hill, viscount of Hillsborough and president of the British Board of Trade.
“H” is for Hill, Daniel Harvey (1821-1889). Soldier. A native of York District, Hill graduated from West Point and served in a series of important battles in the Mexican War.
“H” is for Hill, Daniel Harvey (1821-1889). Soldier. A native of York District, Hill graduated from West Point and served in a series of important battles in the Mexican War.
“F” is for Fuller, William Edward (1875-1958). Clergyman. Fuller became the new Colored Fire-Baptized Holiness Church's general overseer and its first bishop—a position he held until his death.
"D” is for Dorchester. In 1697 Congregationalists from Massachusetts settled on the north bank of the Ashley River and founded Dorchester as a market village twenty miles northwest of Charleston.
“C” is for Charleston County (919 square miles; 2020 population 417,981). About 1682, in the first blueprint for South Carolina as an English colony, there was no Charleston County.
“C” is for Charleston, Siege of (1863-1865). Though a continuous enemy presence off Charleston was maintained by the United States from May 1861—when the U.S. Navy established its blockade, Charleston did not find itself under continuous attack until July 1863.
“F” is for Fuller, William Edward (1875-1958). Clergyman. Fuller became the new Colored Fire-Baptized Holiness Church's general overseer and its first bishop—a position he held until his death.
“B” is for Big Thursday. For more than six decades the story of the lively football competition between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Clemson Tigers was the story of “Big Thursday,” the culmination of State Fair week.
“S” is for Scots. The 1707 Treaty of Union allowed Scots free access to the British Empire and large numbers made their way to the southern colonies.
“R” is for Robertson, Benjamin Franklin (1903-1943). Journalist. In 1941, Benjamin Franklin Robertson began work on Red Hills and Cotton: An Upcountry Memory, a celebration of Scots Irish folkways and the agrarian lifestyle—the work for which he is best remembered.
“W” is for Westos. Carolina colonists learned of this powerful Native American Savannah River nation soon after arrival.
“C” is for Carolina bays. Carolina bays are elliptical, shallow depressions found on unconsolidated sediments of the coastal plain region of eastern North America from Maryland to Florida.
“P” is for Pickens County (497 square miles; 2020 population 127,983). Located in South Carolina’s northwest corner, Pickens County is an area of lakes and mountains.
“M” is for McMillan, Claude Richelieu (1899-1961). Engineer, government official. McMillan’s tenure as chief highway commissioner was one of unparalleled growth.
“M” is for McLeod, Thomas Gordon (1868-1932). Governor. As governor, he signed the 6-0-1 Law, which guaranteed all children in South Carolina six months of schooling per year. H
“L” is for Littlejohn, Nina (1879-1963). Hospital administrator. Aware that African Americans did not have access to suitable medical care, Littlejohn created the John-Nina Hospital in 1913.
“H” is for Highway 301. The highway’s many nicknames are an indication that it was popular among tourists: “Tobacco Trail,” “Highway of Southern Hospitality,” “Tourist Highway,” “Shortest Route from Maine to Florida,” and “The Washington-Florida Short Route.”
“H” is for Highway 17. The modern route of Highway 17 extends from the North Carolina state line to Interstate 95 near Beaufort, closely following the route that Native Americans, early settlers, and even President George Washington traveled many years ago.
Gray, Wil Lou (1883-1984). Educator, public servant. Gray transcended race and class barriers by focusing her energy on the eradication of illiteracy through progressive educational program designed for adults.
“F” is for Frost, Susan Pringle (1873-1960). Preservationist, suffragist. Frost’s historic preservation initiatives contributed substantially to the movement that transformed the streets of Charleston and made it a national tourist attraction.
“E” is for Evans, Matilda Arabella (1872-1935). Physician. Matilda Arabella Evans’s walk-in clinics and hospitals were the first available for many Deep South Blacks.
“D” is for Doolittle Raiders. On April 18, 1942, eighty Americans and sixteen B-25 bombers carried out the first attack on the Japanese Islands following Pearl Harbor. The participants began training for the mission in Columbia.
“C” is for Charleston, Siege of (April-May 1780). The siege of Charleston marked the commencement of major British operations in the South during the Revolutionary War.
“C” is for Charleston (Charleston County; 2020 population 150,903). Charleston was the first permanent European settlement in Carolina, its first seat of government, and the most important city in the southern United States well into the nineteenth century.
“C” is for Charlesfort. A mid-sixteenth French outpost in Port Royal Sound, Charlesfort was the first French settlement in the present-day United States.
“B” is for Big Apple. This dance was born in the mid-1930s in a Black nightclub operated by a man named Fat Sam on Park Street in downtown Columbia, in what was once the House of Peace Synagogue.
“W” is for Wilkinson, Robert Shaw (1865-1932). College president. During the two decades that Wilkinson led the SC State, the college made the transition from essentially a primary and secondary school to a genuine college.
“M” is for McKissick, James Rion (1884-1944). Journalist, educator, university president.
“S” is for Schofield, Martha (1839-1916). Educator. A native of Pennsylvania, Schofield was reared in a Quaker household that was strongly anti-slavery.
“H” is for Hibernian Hall (Charleston). Designed by Philadelphia architect Thomas U. Walter, Hibernian Hall is among the most significant examples of Greek Revival in Charleston.
“G” is for Grave-site decoration. Grave-site decorations in many of South Carolina’s African American cemeteries originate from African traditions.
“F” is for Frogmore stew. Perhaps no dish better represents the essential simplicity of lowcountry cuisine than Frogmore stew.
“E” is for Evans, Josiah James (1786-1858). Jurist, U.S. senator. As an attorney Evans successfully defended the validity of Mason Lee’s will and testament in what became one of the most legendary cases in South Carolina legal history.
“W” is for Westos. Carolina colonists learned of this powerful Native American Savannah River nation soon after arrival.
“C” is for Carolina bays. Carolina bays are elliptical, shallow depressions found on unconsolidated sediments of the coastal plain region of eastern North America from Maryland to Florida.
“D” is for Donaldson, John Owen (1898-1930). Aviator. In 1951 Greenville Air Base was renamed to honor John Owen Donaldson.
“C” is for Charlesfort. A mid-sixteenth century French outpost in Port Royal Sound, Charlesfort was the first French settlement in the present-day United States.
“C” is for Chapman, Martha Marshall, II (b. 1949). Musician. Classified by many as a country-music artist, Martha Marshall Chapman,II, and her style nonetheless have been difficult to categorize.
“B” is for Bethune, Mary McLeod (1875-1955). Educator, social activist, government official.
“W” is for Wilkinson, Marion Birnie (1870-1956). Social reformer, Black women’s club leader.
“S” is for Scarborough, William Harrison (1812-1871). Painter. Examples of William Harrison Scarborough’s works can be found in museums around South Carolina.
“R” is for Rivers Bridge, Battle of (February 2-3, 1865). The battle marked the only major resistance to Sherman’s march through South Carolina.
“P” is for Pickens, Francis (1807-1869). Congressman, diplomat, governor. In 1860 Pickens was elected governor, four days before South Carolina seceded.
“M” is for McKaine, Osceola Enoch (1892-1955). Civil rights activist. In 1944, McKaine was the Progressive Democratic Party’s candidate for U.S. Senate—the first time since Reconstruction that a Black Carolinians had run for statewide office.
“M” is for McGuire, Frank Joseph (1913-1994). Basketball coach. In 1977 the Frank McGuire Arena in the Carolina Coliseum was named in his honor.
“W” is for Wilkinson, Eliza Yonge (b. 1757). Chronicler, letter writer. Wilkinson is remembered principally for her letters, twelve of which were edited from her original letterbook and published after her death.
"S” is for Sayre, Christopher Gadsden (1876-ca.1935). Architect. Sayre made a career out of designing public buildings throughout the Carolinas during the first three decades of the twentieth century.
“R” is for Rivers, Prince (ca. 1824-1887). Soldier, statesman. During the occupation of Beaufort by United States forces, Rivers joined the First South Carolina Volunteers, one of the first African American Union regiments.
“P” is for Pickens, Andrew, Jr., (1779-1838). Governor. At the urging of Governor Andrew Pickens, Jr., the legislature in 1818 appropriated the unprecedented sum of $1 million to implement a statewide program of roads and canals.
“M” is for McGowan, Clelia Peronneau (1865-1956). Civic leader. Born in Columbia, McGowan studied in Sweden with a pioneer in the woman’s movement in that country.
“L” is for Lister, Hovie Franklin (1926-2001). Musician. For more than half a century Hovie Lister was leader and pianist for the Statesman Quartet, one of the best-known and most significant exponents of southern gospel music.
“H” is for Heyward, Duncan Clinch (1864-1943). Governor. Espousing a progressive agenda, Clinch touted reforms to advance the “general welfare” of the state.
“G” is for Grace, John Patrick (1874-1940). Politician. John Grace was elected mayor of Charleston in 1911
“F” is for Freemasonry. Freemasonry in South Carolina dates to 1735 when the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England issued a warrant establishing the office of Provincial Grand Master in the colony of South Carolina.
“E” is for Evans, Emily Plume (d. 1942). Evans was a founding member of the South Carolina Equal Suffrage League, who was also active in efforts to improve working conditions for women and children in the state’s textile mills.
“D” is for Dock Street Theatre. Under the management of the city of Charleston, Dock Street Theatre has expanded its audience to become a fixture in the cultural affairs of the lowcountry.
“C” is for Chamberlain, Daniel Henry (1835-1907). Governor. In 1874 Chamberlain became the Republican candidate for governor and won the general election that fall.
“B” is for the Best Friend of Charleston. Commissioned by the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company, the Best Friend of Charleston was the first locomotive built in the United States for public service.
“A” is for Ayers, Sara Lee Harris Sanders (1919-2002). Native American potter. Ayers was born on the Catawba Indian Reservation near Rock Hill. She probably learned to make pottery from her grandmother, a full-blooded Catawba.
“W” is for Wilkes Fund Controversy. The Wilkes Fund Controversy generated a constitutional crisis that first polarized and then broke the back of royal government in colonial South Carolina.
“S” is for Sayers, Valerie (b. 1952). Author. In 1992, Valerie Sayers was the National Endowment for the Arts literature fellow.
"R” is for Rivers, Lucius Mendel (1905-1970). Congressman. In 1940, Rivers defeated the “Charleston Ring,” was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the First District, and was re-elected fifteen times with only minor opposition.
“P” is for Pickens, Andrew (1739-1817). Soldier, legislator, congressman. During the Revolutionary War Pickens became one of the most significant leaders of patriot forces in the backcountry.
“L” is for Lintheads. Cotton mill workers who played a critical role in the modernization of the South Carolina economy made the “linthead” epithet a badge of honor.
“H” is for Heyward, DuBose (1885-1940). Author. In 1925, Heyward published Porgy, a novel about African American life in Charleston. Revolutionary for its time, the book changed literary depictions of Blacks in the United States.
“G” is for Governor’s Mansion (Columbia). Until 1869 South Carolina never furnished its executive officer with a residence.
“F” is for Freeman, Grace Beacham (1916-2002). Poet. In 1985 Grace Beacham Freeman was appointed South Carolina’s poet laureate.
“E” is for Eutaw Springs, Battle of (September 8, 1781). The Battle of Eutaw Springs was the last major engagement in South Carolina between American and British forces during the Revolutionary War.
“D” is for Doby, Lawrence Edward (1923-2003). Baseball player. Doby was the first African American to play baseball in the American League and the second African American to manage a major-league team.
“C” is for Chalmers, Lionel (1715-1777). Physician, scientist. A native of Scotland, Chalmers studied medicine at one of the Scottish universities. He immigrated to Charleston in 1737.
“B” is for Bernardin, Joseph Louis (1928-1996). Catholic cardinal. Born in Columbia to Italian immigrant parents, Bernardin attended St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, and the Catholic University of America.
“A” is for Avery Normal Institute. Founded in 1865, the Avery Normal Institute was the first accredited secondary school for African Americans in Charleston.
“T” is for Tynte, Edward (d.1710). Governor. Tynte was from a Somerset, England, family that had recently risen to a baronetcy.
“S” is for Sayle, William (d.1671). Governor. Sayle served as governor of English colonies in both Bermuda and South Carolina.
“R” is for Rivers, John Minott (1903-1988). Broadcasting executive. In 1974 John Minott Rivers became the second person inducted into the Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
“L” is for Lining, John (1708-1760). Physician, scientist. A native of Scotland, Lining studied medicine in Scotland and probably at Leyden University in the Netherlands. He immigrated to Charleston in 1728
“H” is for Heyward, James (1764-1796) and Nathaniel Heyward (1766-1851). Rice planters.
“G” is for Gist, William Henry (1807-1874). Governor. An ardent secessionist, Gist was elected governor in 1858. As sectional tensions reached their climax in 1860, he did his best to hasten the final push to secession.
“F’ is for Fort Watson. Fort Watson, named for Colonel John Watson, was one of a series of supply depots between Charleston and Camden during the Revolutionary War.
“E” is for Elmore v. Rice (1947). In 1946 George Elmore, an African American who was eligible to vote in general elections, was denied the right to vote in the Democratic Party in Richland County.
“J” is for Jehu Jones (ca. 1769-1833). Free Black entrepreneur. Born into slavery, Jones was emancipated in 1798 and established himself as a successful tailor. He invested in real estate and purchased enslaved persons to assist with his business enterprises.
“H” is for Hawks, Esther Hill (1833-1906). Teacher, physician. A native of New Hampshire, Hawks was committed to women’s rights and abolition.
"G” is for Goose Creek Men. The Goose Creek Men were primarily English Barbadians who immigrated to South Carolina in the seventeenth century seeking land and economic advancement.
“F” is for Freed, Arthur (1894-1973). Film producer, songwriter. Freed became best known for his musicals with MGM as he helped to fashion and energize the studio’s popular musicals, including: Meet Me in St. Louis, Annie Get Your Gun, Singin’ in the Rain, An American in Paris, and GiGi.
“E” is for Esquerita (ca. 1935-1986). Musician. Born Eskew Reeder, Jr., in Greenville, Esquerita was among the wildest musical acts to grace the formative years of rock and roll.
“D” is for Dixon, Dorsey (1897-1968) and Howard Dixon (1903-1961). Musicians. The Dixon Brothers, popular in the mid-to-late 1930s, composed many original songs on diverse subjects, including the life and labors of textile mill workers.
“W” is for Wigg, James (born ca. 1850). Legislator. Wigg was born an enslaved person in Beaufort County.
“T” is for Tuscarora War (1711-1713). In the first decade of the eighteenth century the Tuscaroras, an Iroquoian tribe, inhabited eastern North Carolina in fifteen towns with 1,200 warriors and a population of about 4,800 people.
“S” is for Saxe-Gotha Township. Originally laid out in 1733 as Congaree Township, Saxe-Gotha Township was located southwest of the confluence of the Broad and Saluda Rivers.
“R” is for Ripley, Clements (1892-1954) and Katharine Ball Ripley (1898-1955). Between 1923 and 1953 Clements Ripley and Katharine Ball Ripley published ten books—including novels and memoirs—and dozens of short stories and nonfiction pieces.
“P” is for Phoenix Riot. The Phoenix Riot is best understood as an exaggerated example of the everyday violence that faced late nineteenth-century African Americans in South Carolina.
“M” is for McCray, Carrie Allen (1913-2008). Poet, author. McCray did not start to think of herself as a professional writer until she was seventy-three—about the same time she took up residence in Columbia.
“L” is for Lindo, Moses (d. 1774). Indigo promoter, entrepreneur. Lindo was a major force in turning South Carolina’s fledgling indigo trade into the region’s second-leading agricultural industry in the middle years of the eighteenth century.
“H” is for Hemphill, Robert Witherspoon, Sr. (1915-1983). Congressman, jurist. A native of Chester, Hemphill graduated from the University of South Carolina and its law school.
“G” is for Gonzales, William Elliott (1866-1937). Editor. Born in Charleston, Gonzales is best known as the editor of the State newspaper and was the youngest of the three Gonzales brothers to run the publication.
“F” is for Free persons of color. Also known as free Blacks, free persons of color occupied an anomalous position in the race-based slave society of antebellum South Carolina.
“E” is for Erskine College. In 1836 the General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church organized an academy in Due West.
“D” is for Dixie Hummingbirds. Started in 1928 by twelve-year-old James Davis and neighborhood friends Bonnie Gipson, Jr., Fred Owens, and Barney Parks, the gospel quartet—and later quintet (with the addition of Ira Tucker)—influenced scores of gospel, soul, and rock and roll artists.
“C” is for Cattle ranching. Cow pens, cattle drives, and open range herding were important features of the agricultural landscape of colonial South Carolina.
“B” is for Benton, Brook (1931-1988). Musician. In 1950 Benton recorded “It’s Just a Matter of time,” the first of twenty-three Top Forty hits in the next five years.
“A” is for Atzjar (or achar). A bright ochre mixed pickle, this recipe is one of the world’s oldest, and its path to South Carolina was along the international spice and slave trade routes.
“W” is for Whitten, Benjamin Otis (1886-1970). Physician. When Whitten retired in 1965, Whitten Village (as the facility was called) had a resident population of more than 2,500.
“S” is for Sawyer, Frederick Adolphus (1822-1891). U. S. senator. After leaving the Senate, Frederick Adolphus Sawyer remained in government for many years, serving in the U.S. Treasury Department, the Coast Survey, and the War Department.
"H” is for Hembel, Caroline Etheridge (1918-2001). Pioneer aviator. In 1939 Hembel became the first female pilot in the Southeast to receive her pilot’s license.
“G” is for Gonzales, Narciso Gener (1858-1903). Editor. In 1903 Narciso Gener Gonzales was gunned down in broad daylight on the corner of Main and Gervais Streets in Columbia by the state’s lieutenant governor.
“E” is for Ensor, Joshua Fulton (1834-1907). In 1870 Ensor was appointed superintendent of the South Carolina Lunatic Asylum.
“D” is for Dispensary. In 1892 South Carolina adopted the dispensary system which gave the state a monopoly on the sale of liquor.
“C” is for Catholics. In 1716 the South Carolina Assembly banned Catholic and Irish immigration for fear they would collaborate with Spanish Catholics in Florida.
"H" is for Horry County (1,134 square miles, 2010 population, 270, 516). Horry is the largest and easternmost of South Carolina’s forty-six counties, forming a wedge between North Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean.
"C" is for Cleveland, Georgia Allen (1851-1914). Writer, activist. Georgia Allen Cleveland and her husband were noted for their generosity and charity in the Spartanburg community. Both played leading roles in the founding of Converse College
"C" is for Clemson University Extension Service. The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 created the Cooperative Extension Service. The act ended the rivalry between state agricultural commissioners and land grant colleges over the administration of extension work.
“T” is for Toumey, Michael (1805-1857). In 1844 Toumey was appointed “State Geological Surveyor for South Carolina.
“S” is for Sawyer, Benjamin Mack (1890-1940). Public official. During Benjamin Mack Sawyer’s tenure, the miles of roadways in the state doubled and two out of three of those miles were paved.
“R” is for Ring shout. During the era of enslavement as Africans from various ethnic groups joined together in the ring shout, it became an important mechanism through which a new common African American identity was formed.
“P” is for Peurifoy, John Emil (1907-1955). Diplomat “Jack” Peurifoy gained a reputation during his tenure for being a dedicated “Cold Warrior.”
“M” is for McCottry, Catherine Mae McKee (1921-2018). Physician. Throughout her career Catherine Mae McKee McCottry emphasized public health education, especially for sickle-cell anemia which affects primarily Black persons.
“L” is for Lieber, Oscar Montgomery (1830-1862). Geologist. The General Assembly elected Lieber “Geological, Mineralogical, and Agricultural Surveyor” of the state. In his position, Lieber produced four annual reports entitled Report on the Survey of South Carolina.
“W” is for Welsh. Settlers of Welsh descent played an important role in the settling of South Carolina backcountry in the 1730s and 1740s.
"S” is for St. Stephen’s Parish. Established in 1754, St. Stephen’s Parish was located on the south side of the Santee River in modern Berkeley County.
“R” is for Regulators. The Regulators were backcountry settlers who banded together in 1767 in response to a crime wave that swept their region in the aftermath of the disruptive war with the Cherokee Indians (1759-1761).
"G” is for Gonzales, Ambrose Elliott (1857-1926). Journalist, businessman. Under the leadership of Gonzales, the State staked out its position as South Carolina’s leading progressive chronicle of the early twentieth century.
“F” is for Frazier, Joseph William (1944-2011). Boxer. Frazier was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1980.
“E” is for English, Alexander (b. 1954). Basketball player. By the end of his career in Denver in 1990, English had become the most prolific scorer of the 1980s.
“C” is for Catesby, Mark (1682-1749). Naturalist, artist. Catesby's richly illustrated The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands was the first extensively illustrated work on the natural history of any region of North America.
“B” is for Bennett, John (1865-1956). Author, artist. A native of Ohio, Bennett published his first and most famous work Master Skylark in 1897.
“A” is for Atlantic Beach (Horry County; 2020 population 310). A historically Black beach community, Atlantic Beach is located fifteen miles north of Myrtle beach.
“T” is for Tukey, Richard Ellery (1918-1979). Civic leader. Richard Tukey helped transform the Upcountry's economy by international recruitment, by expansion away from textiles, and by taking a decidedly global outlook on economic development.
“S” is for Savannah River. The headwaters of the Savannah River originate in the mountains near the border where the states of South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina meet.
“P” is for Petroglyphs. In the 1990s a survey by the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at UofSC listed some forty-seven petroglyph sites, thirty-three portable carvings, and three pictographs.
“J” is for Just, Ernest Everett (1883-1941). Marine biologist. Ernest Everett received international recognition of his work and publications—especially in Europe — but could not find work as a scientist in the U.S.
“F” is for Fraser, Charles (1782-1860). Miniature portraitist, painter. Charles Fraser achieved national and international recognition as a miniature portraitist during his lifetime.
“R” is for Riley, Joseph P., Jr., Legislator, mayor of Charleston. In 1975 he was elected to the first of ten terms as mayor of Charleston.
“P” is for Petigru, James Luis (1789-1863). Lawyer, politician. Petigru remained a staunch Unionist until his death.
“M” is for McCord, Louisa Susanna Cheves (1810-1879). Essayist, poet. McCord’s essays were well received and praised by her male contemporaries and were reflective of the dominant opinions of South Carolina’s elite in the decades prior to the Civil War.
“L” is for Liberian exodus. The return of the Democratic Party to power in South Carolina in 1876, and the violence that accompanied it, raised anxiety among African Americans in the state and interest in the possibility of emigration.
“J” is for Judson, Mary Camilla (1828-1920). Educator. Judson taught nearly every subject in the college curriculum and started the first club for women in Greenville where girls wrote papers and debated topics.
“H” is for Hayne Paul Hamilton (1830-1886). Poet, educator, essayist. Hayne was one of the few in the post-Reconstruction South, respected in academia as a refined poet and cultured man of letters.
“G” is for Godbold, Lucile Ellerbe (1900-1981). Olympic athlete, educator. At the Olympics, in Paris, Godbold competed in six events helping the US team to a second place finish.
“F” is for Fox, William Price (1926-2015). Author. William Price Fox’s novels Moonshine Light, Moonshine Bright; Ruby Red; Dixiana Moon; and Wild Blue Yonder give full range to his talents for depiction of southern humor.
“E” is for Emancipation Day. The tradition of marking the end of slavery with Emancipation Day celebrations began in South Carolina on January 1, 1863.
“B” is for Benbridge, Henry (1743-1812). Artist. When Charleston fell to the British, Benbridge was imprisoned in St. Augustine for his revolutionary fervor.
“J” is for Jones and Lee. Edward Culliatt Jones (1822-1902) and Francis D. Lee (1826-1885) were a leading force in South Carolina architecture in the 1850s.
“F” is for Forty-Acre Rock (Lancaster County). Forty-Acre Rock harbors one of the most diverse plant habitats in the Piedmont of South Carolina.
“C” is for Cashwell, Gaston Barnabus (1862-1916). Clergyman. Popularly known as the “apostle of Pentecost in the South,” Cashwell was instrumental in bringing the Pentecostal message to South Carolina in the early twentieth century.
“A” is for Ashley River Road. The Ashley River Road is one of the oldest roads in South Carolina.
This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Christina Abrams about sickle cell disease in the adolescent years.
The first television station to go on the air in South Carolina was WCOS-TV in April 1953.
"S" is for Santee River. The 143 mile long Santee River is formed by the confluence of the con and watery rivers.
"P" is for Perry, Maddie Elmina (1868 to 1957). Healing Evangelist, a native of Oconee County.
"M" is from McClennan, Alonzo Clifton (1855 to 1912). Physician hospital administrator, a native of Columbia. McClennan was the second African-American admitted to the US Naval Academy.
“J” is for Jehu Jones (ca. 1769-1833). Free Black entrepreneur. Born into slavery, Jones was emancipated in 1798 and established himself as a successful tailor. He invested in real estate and purchased enslaved persons to assist with his business enterprises.
“G” is for Gist, William Henry (1807-1874). Governor. An ardent secessionist, Gist was elected governor in 1858. As sectional tensions reached their climax in 1860, he did his best to hasten the final push to secession.
“F’ is for Fort Watson. Fort Watson, named for Colonel John Watson, was one of a series of supply depots between Charleston and Camden during the Revolutionary War.
“E” is for Elmore v. Rice (1947). In 1946 George Elmore, an African American who was eligible to vote in general elections, was denied the right to vote in the Democratic Party in Richland County.
“W” is for White, Josh (1914-1969). Musician. A native of Greenville, White was a sophisticated guitarist and singer, Broadway actor, and favorite of the New York City folk music and leftist political scenes of the 1940s.
“A” is for Ashley River. Emerging from the Wassamasaw and Cypress Swamps in Berkeley and Dorchester Counties, the Ashley River runs only about sixty miles before flowing into Charleston harbor. Despite ist short length, the river transitions through three separate types of riverine ecosystems.
“D” is for Dial, Nathaniel Barksdale (1862-1940) U.S. senator. Influenced by the New South movement, Dial became an advocate for improving the region’s economy by building financial institutions, developing energy resources, and industrialization.
“C” is for Cash, Wilbur Joseph (1900-1941). Author. Cash’s masterpiece and only work, The Mind of the South sought to dispel myths of the “Old South” by tracing the pervasive influence of racism on southern history and culture. Joseph Wilbur Cash died six months later.
“T” is for Travis, William Barret (1809-1836). Soldier. William Travis died at the Alamo on March 6, 1836.
“S” is for Santee Canal. A canal to connect the Santee and Cooper Rivers had been conceived as early as 1770, but the Revolutionary War intervened, and the plans were postponed.
“M” is for McColl, Hugh Leon, Jr. (b. 1935). Bank executive. Banking is a family tradition for McColl. His great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and brothers were all bankers.
“L” is for Lever, Asbury Francis (1875-1940). Congressman. Lever’s role in the passage of several important pieces of legislation that made him a major figure in pre-New Deal federal agricultural policy.
“F” is for Fort Sumter. Named after South Carolina Revolutionary War hero, Thomas Sumter, construction began on Fort Sumter in 1829.
“D” is for Deveaux, Andrew IV (1758-1812). Loyalist. With the outbreak of the American Revolution, Deveaux formed a band of Loyalist ruffians that disrupted patriot meetings in Beaufort.
“B” is for Beaufort (Beaufort County, 2020 population 12, 917). Beaufort is the second-oldest town in South Carolina and was named for Henry Somerset, the second duke of Beaufort.
“S” is for Santa Elena. Founded in 1566 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilé on present-day Parris Island, Santa Elena was the northernmost settlement in the Spanish province of La Florida.
“P” is for Perry, James Margrave (1894-1964). Attorney. “Miss Jim” Perry was the first woman admitted to the South Carolina Bar and a distinguished lawyer and civic leader for forty years.
“M” is for McBee, Vardry (1775-1864). Industrialist. By 1860 Vardry McBee was the largest landholder in Greenville District.
“L” is for Lettered Olive. State shell. The lettered olive was declared the official state shell in 1984.
“J” is for Johnston, Henrietta de Beaulieu Dering (ca. 1674-1729). Portrait painter. Pastels by Henrietta Dering Johnston are housed in private collections and museums in Ireland and the United States.
“H” is for Hash. Hearty meals have been cooked in large, cast-iron pots since the Middle Ages. Variations are endless. In South Carolina, hash takes the place of honor held by Brunswick stew in other southern states.
"G” is for Gilman, Samuel Foster (1791-1858). Clergyman. Samuel Foster Gillman’s tireless efforts helped establish Unitarianism as a viable religion in South Carolina and the American South.
“F” is for Fort San Felipe. Built is 1566, Fort San Felipe was the first fort that Spaniards constructed in the town of Santa Elena on present-day Parris Island.
“E” is for Ellison, William (ca. 1790-1861). Free Black entrepreneur. Ellison manufactured his own “Ellison Gin,” selling them to customers as far west as Mississippi.
“C” is for Carroll, Richard (1860-1929). Clergyman. Born in Barnwell District, Carroll rose from being enslaved to be one of the most influential African Americans in South Carolina in the early twentieth century.
“A” is for Ansel, Martin Frederick (1850-1945). Governor. During his second term he oversaw the creation of the South Carolina Office of Public Health and the State Department of Insurance.
“W” is for White, Edward Brickell (1806-1882). Architect. In the twenty years prior to the Civil War, Edward Brickell White was South Carolina’s pre-eminent architect.
“S” is for Sandhills. The Sandhills are gently rolling hills that form the uppermost portion of the coastal plain in South Carolina.
“R” is for Richardson, James Burchell (1770-1836). Governor. Richardson became the first backcountry resident—indeed the first non-Charlestonian—to hold the office.
“P” is for Perry, Benjamin Franklin (1805-1886). Journalist, governor. One of antebellum South Carolina’s preeminent Unionist political leaders, Perry was born in what is now Oconee County.
“M” is for Mays, Benjamin Elijah (1894-1984). Civil rights activist, writer, college president. Born in what is now Greenwood County, Mays—from early childhood—had an insatiable desire for education.
“J” is for Johnson, William Woodward (1931-2017). Banker. Johnson rose to chairman of the executive committee of Bank of America and was a director of the corporation.
“H” is for Hartsville (Darlington County; 2020 population 7,562). Hartsville owes its existence to Captain Thomas Hart of Society Hill, who purchased much of the original town site in 1812.
“G” is for Gillman, Caroline Howard (1794-1888). In the mid-nineteenth century Caroline Howard Gillman was a well-loved and prolific writer.
“F” is for Fort Prince George. Fort Prince George was constructed in 1753 on the east bank of the Keowee River near the Cherokee village of the same name.
“E” is for Ellison, Lilllian (1923-2007). Professional wrestler. Known to the world as the “Fabulous Mooloah,” Ellison was born in Tookiedoo, South Carolina.
“C” is for Carolina Wren. State bird. The Carolina Wren became South Carolina’s official state bird on April 2, 1948.
“B” is for the Beacon Drive-In. In 1946 John B. White opened the Beacon Drive-In restaurant on the outskirts of Spartanburg.
"A” is for Andrews (Georgetown and Williamsburg Counties; 2020 population 2,574). In 1909 the communities of Harpers and Rosemary merged to create the town of Andrews.
You’ve probably heard of NFTs, non-fungible tokens that are usually in the form of digital art. But you may not know that our state is now home to a museum dedicated entirely to NFTs. Robert Matheson is an artist and director of the NFT Museum in Newberry, SC.
“W” is for White, Benjamin Franklin (1800-1879). Composer, author. In 1844 White published The Sacred Harp, a shaped note singing book.
Towne founded Penn School in 1862 that was the first facility providing African Americans with a secondary education. Eventually it served as a normal school, training Black teachers to serve throughout South Carolina.
“S” is for Sanders, Dorinda (Dori) Watsee (b. 1934) Farmer, novelist. Sanders was born in Filbert, in York County. Although she had moved to Maryland in the 1950s, she returned home every year during the growing season helping her family on their two hundred acre peach farm.
“P” is for Penn Center. Located on St. Helena Island in Beaufort County, Penn Center, Inc., originated as the Penn Normal School. It was established by northern missionaries, an effort to educate formerly enslaved Africans and prepare them for life after slavery.
“M” is for Maybank, Burnet Rhett (1899-1954). Mayor of Charleston, governor, U.S. senator.
“L” is for Leigh, Sir Egerton (ca. 1732-1781). Lawyer, jurist, councillor. Leigh immigrated to South Carolina in 1753 with his father, the newly--appointed chief justice of the colony.
“J” is for Johnson, William Henry (1901-1970). Painter. William Henry Johnson’s work can be found in museums across the country.
“P” is for partisans. After the fall of Charleston in May 1780, bands of partisans, or irregular soldiers, sprang up to fight royal control of South Carolina during the Revolutionary War.
“O” is for Orangeburg Massacre (February 8, 1968). On the night of February 8, 1968, police gunfire left three young men dying and twenty-seven wounded on the campus of South Carolina State College in Orangeburg.
“T” is for Timrod, Henry (1828-1867). Poet, essayist. A native Charlestonian, Timrod—hedged by poverty, frail health, and the cataclysm of the Civil War—led a brief tubercular life.
“S” is for Saluda River. In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Greenville County, near the North Carolina/South Carolina state line, the North and South Saluda Rivers meet to form the Saluda River.
"R” is for Rice, John Andrew, Jr. (1888-1968). Educator, author. A prominent figure in American higher education, Rice was born in Lee County.
“P” is for Pee Dee River. The Pee Dee is a river system that drains northeastern South Carolina and central North Carolina.
“M” is for Mathews, John (1744-1802). Governor. On December 14, 1782, Governor John Mathews presided over the reoccupation of Charleston by American forces.
"E" is for Ebenezer Colony. Founded in 1734, Ebenezer is twenty-five miles up the Savannah River on the Georgia side. This unique settlement of Lutheran refugees from Salzburg, Austria, was included in the Lutheran Synod of South Carolina until 1860.
“C” is for Charismatics. Charismatics are mainline Christians who speak in tongues and practice such gifts of the Holy Spirit as prophecy and healing.
“C” is for “Carolina.” State song. South Carolina’s oldest official state song is “Carolina,” with words by Henry Timrod set to music by Anne Curtis Burgess.
“C” is for Christian-Jewish Congress of South Carolina. The organization was formed in 1976 as the state’s first organization to foster dialogue and cooperation between Christians and Jews.
"B" is for the Bank of the State of South Carolina. The General Assembly chartered the Bank of the State of South Carolina in 1812—giving it the power to circulate currency and to act as the fiscal agent of the state.
“U” is for the University of South Carolina. The institution was originally chartered as South Carolina College in 1801 and opened in 1805. During Reconstruction, the college became a university and was the only Southern university to be integrated.
"S" is for South Carolina-North Carolina border. In 1735 the two colonies appointed a joint boundary commission.
"P" is for Prehistoric South Carolina. During the last Ice Age human groups may have made their way to what became South Carolina as early as 18,000 years ago—but a time frame of 13,000 years ago is widely accepted by archaeologists.
“M” is for Medical University of South Carolina. At the request of the Medical Society of South Carolina, the General Assembly established the Medical College of South Carolina. It opened in 1824 as a private institution.
“H” is for Hart, Oliver (1723-1795). Clergyman. A native of Pennsylvania, Hart was one of the most influential religious, social, and political leaders of the pre-Revolutionary War South.
“G” is for Gillon, Alexander (1741-1794). Congressman, merchant, naval officer, legislator.
“F” is for Fort Moultrie. This was the site of the June 28, 1776 American victory in the Revolutionary War.
“E” is for Ellis, Mary Gordon (1890-1934). Legislator. A native of Williamsburg County, Ellis graduated from Winthrop. In 1924 she was elected superintendent of education for Jasper County.
“B” is for Beach music. Beach music, as it is known in the South, originated in the coastal Carolinas in the years following World War II.
“A” is for Anderson Motor Car Company. In 1915 John Gary Anderson, owner of the Rock Hill Buggy Company, realized that the era of horse-drawn transportation was coming to an end.
“W” is for Whipper, William J. (d. 1907). Legislator. Whipper was one of the most influential African American politicians in South Carolina’s Reconstruction government.
“S” is for San Miguel de Gualdape. Founded in September 1526 by Lucas Vásquez de Allyón, San Miguel de Gualdape was the first Spanish town in the territory of the present-day United States.
“R” is for Richards, John Gardiner, Jr. (1864-1941). Governor. A native of Kershaw County, Richards was an early supporter of Pitchfork Ben Tillman.
“P” is for Pendleton (Anderson County; 2020 population 3,499). The town of Pendleton was created in 1790 as the seat of Pendleton County.
Fort Motte was the plantation home of Rebecca Motte that was fortified by the British during the Revolutionary War.
“M” is for Marlboro County (480 square miles; 2020 population 26,376). Marlboro County was formed in 1785 and named for John Churchill, the duke of Marlboro.
“J” is for John’s Island Presbyterian Church. The John’s Island Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest Presbyterian congregations in South Carolina.
“D” is for Dent, Frederick Bailey (1922-2019). Textile executive, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, diplomat.
“C” is for Carolina parakeet. Now extinct, the Carolina parakeet (Conuropsis carolinenis) was a dove-sized (about thirty-five centimeters long) bird with a bright green body, yellow head, and orange face.
“B” is for Battery Wagner. Battery Wagner was the principal fortification on Morris Island during the Civil War.
This plant native to North America is not good for anything! It’s poisonous, each seed covered with barbed stickers.
“L” is for Legaré, Hugh Swinton (1797-1843). Legislator, U.S., attorney general, writer, intellectual.
“F” is for Fort Mill (York County; 2020 population 24,521). Although White settlers did not arrive in the area until the late 1750s, the region was already populated by Indigenous people.
“J” is for Johns, Jasper (b. 1930). Artist. Jasper Johns is a pivotal figure of twentieth-century American art, occupying a critical position that mediates Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Minimalism.
“G” is for Georgetown County (815 square miles; 2020 population 63,404). Named in honor of King George III, Georgetown County lies in the fertile plain surrounding Winyah Bay.
“F” is for Flat Nose. Flat Nose, a bulldog owned by Barney Odom of the small community of Doversville in Darlington County, became a national sensation in the late 1980s—known for his ability to climb pine trees.
“E” is for Eight Box Law [1882]. The Eight Box Law of 1882 was an election law designed to ensure white supremacy in South Carolina without violating the Fifteenth Amendment—which barred states from depriving their citizens of the vote on the basis of race.
Barnwell District, now Barnwell County, was created in 1798 from the area formerly known as Winton County.
“A” is for Allen Brothers Milling Company. Allen Brothers Milling Company is one of Columbia’s most celebrated landmarks.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Joey Von Nessen, research economist at the University of SC Darla Moore School of Business Division of Research.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Joey Von Nessen, research economist at the University of SC Darla Moore School of Business Division of Research.
"C” is for Carolina I-house. The I-house is an architectural term first coined in the 1930s to describe the house type identified in the “I” states of Indiana, Illinois, ad Iowa.
“B” is for Batesburg-Leesville. Batesburg-Leesville (Lexington County; 2020 population 5,251).
Many live event venues continue to struggle to bring back their pre-pandemic crowds. Our next guest’s facility in the Midlands is taking steps to remedy that situation. Mike Switzer interviews Nate Terracio, director of the Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia, SC.
“R” is for Rice trunks. Rice trunks are wooden sluices installed in “banks” or dikes of rice fields for irrigation and flood control.
“P” is for Pellagra. During the first three decades of the twentieth century, pellagra once posed a threat to hundreds of thousands of Southerners. Though death claimed only about three percent of the cases, the ravages of the disease were horrible.
“S” is for St. Thomas and St. Denis Parish. Located on the peninsula formed by the Cooper and Wando Rivers in modern Berkeley County, St. Thomas and St. Denis were created by the Church Act of 1706 and constitute colonial South Carolina’s only parish within a parish.
“R” is for Reno, Donald Wesley (1927-1984). Musician. A native of Spartanburg, Don Reno probably ranks second only to Earl Scruggs in prestige among bluegrass banjo pickers
“P” is for Payne, Daniel Alexander (1811-1893). Educator, clergyman. In 1865 Daniel Alexander Payne returned to South Carolina to preside over the establishment of the South Carolina Conference of the AME Church.
If you’re looking for ways to save on your annual income tax bill, it’s not too late. Which is why, at this time of year, we like to check in with one of our resident financial advisors to get their tips. Mike Switzer interviews Jeff Wildes, a certified financial planner in Georgetown, SC.
“N” is for Noble, Patrick (ca. 1787-1840). Governor. Patrick Noble advocated public resistance to the expansion of federal power, which he deemed “highly dangerous, and subversive of our excellent frame of Government.”
“M” is for Marlboro County (480 square miles; 2020 population 26,376). Marlboro County was formed in 1785 and named for John Churchill, the duke of Marlboro.
“O” is for Orangeburgh Township was riginally entitled “Edisto,” but was renamed by its German-speaking Swiss inhabitants.
"N" is for Nicholson, Francis [1655-1728]. Governor. Before he made his career as a colonial administrator, Nicholson was a soldier. He served as lieutenant governor of New York, Virginia, and Maryland and as governor of Virginia. Returning to England he worked with the Board of Trade on issues of imperial defense and economic policy. In 1710, he led colonial troops that recaptured Nova Scotia for Great Britain. In 1720 he became the first royally appointed governor of South Carolina. His administration was somewhat contentious, but he was successful in preserving the viability of the colony. The Lords Proprietors—in an attempt to regain control of the colony—mounted a vicious personal attack on Nicholson. Francis Nicholson returned to England to defend himself and, in the process helped promote the cause of South Carolina’s justification for rebelling against the proprietors.
“C” is for Can-Am Days. Can-Am Days is the abbreviated name for the annual Canadian-American Days festival in the Myrtle Beach area.
“J” is for Johnson, Robert (ca. 1676-1735). Governor. Born in England, Johnson was the son of proprietary governor Sir Nathaniel Johnson.
“G” is for Gibson, Althea (1927-2003). Tennis champion. Born in Silver (Clarendon County), Gibson was the daughter of sharecroppers.
“F” is for Fort Johnson. Located on Charleston Harbor, Fort Johnson was constructed on the northeast point of James Island in 1708.
“C” is for Carolina gold rice. Carolina gold rice is named for the magnificent golden color of the ripe plants in early autumn.
“T” is for Timrod, Henry (1828-1867). Poet, essayist. A native Charlestonian, Timrod—hedged by poverty, frail health, and the cataclysm of the Civil War—led a brief tubercular life.
“S” is for Saluda River. In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Greenville County, near the North Carolina/South Carolina state line, the North and South Saluda Rivers meet to form the Saluda River.
"R” is for Rice, John Andrew, Jr. (1888-1968). Educator, author. A prominent figure in American higher education, Rice was born in Lee County.
“P” is for Pee Dee River. The Pee Dee is a river system that drains northeastern South Carolina and central North Carolina.
“M” is for Mathews, John (1744-1802). Governor. On December 14, 1782, Governor John Mathews presided over the reoccupation of Charleston by American forces.
“H” is for Harleston, Edwin Augustus (1882-1931). Artist, civil rights leader, businessman.
“F” is for Fort Jackson. Established in 1917 as the Sixth National Army Cantonment and named for President Andrew Jackson, this post in Richland County was originally called Camp Jackson.
Oak apple or oak gall is the common name for a large, round, vaguely apple-like gall commonly found on many species of oak. Oak apples range in size from 2 to 4 centimetres (1 to 2 in) in diameter and are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of certain kinds of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult female wasp lays single eggs in developing leaf buds. The wasp larvae feed on the gall tissue resulting from their secretions, which modify the oak bud into the gall, a structure that protects the developing larvae until they undergo metamorphosis into adults.
“D” is for DeLaine, Joseph Armstrong (1898-1974). Clergyman, civil rights activist. For his actions, Joseph Armstrong DeLaine was forced to flee his native state and never returned.
“C” is for Carolina Black Corps. During the latter years of the Revolutionary War in South Carolina, British commanders used African American enslaved persons, freemen, and refugees in a variety of military capacities.
“B” is for Baruch, Bernard Mannes (1870-1965). Speculator, financier, presidential adviser.
“A” is for Alston, Joseph (ca. 1778-1816). Governor. Joseph Alston’s administration was one of the most discordant in the history of the state because of several impolitic actions he took.
"S" is for South Carolina Medical Association. In 1814, members of the Medical Society of South Carolina—largely a Charleston organization—founded the South Carolina Medical Association (SCMA) in an effort to organize physicians across the state.
"S" is for South Carolina Highway Patrol. Operating under the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, the South Carolina Highway Patrol is a law enforcement organization that concentrates on traffic violations.
"S" is for South Carolina-Georgia Border. On June 29, 1977, an altercation between Georgia law enforcement officers and a South Carolina shrimp boat captain attracted national attention and rekindled a controversy that would not be resolved until 1990.
On April 12, 1944, South Carolina governor Olin D. Johnston called a special session of the General Assembly and urged the legislators to repeal all primary laws from the statute books—in order to maintain white supremacy in the state’s primaries.
"S" is for South Carolina Public Radio. South Carolina Public Radio (SCPR) originated as South Carolina Educational Television-Radio and began broadcasting in 1972 when WEPR (90.1) Greenville signed on the air.
“W” is for Westos. Carolina colonists learned of this powerful Native American Savannah River nation soon after arrival.
“C” is for Carolina bays. Carolina bays are elliptical, shallow depressions found on unconsolidated sediments of the coastal plain region of eastern North America from Maryland to Florida.
“D” is for Delany, Martin Robinson (1812-1885). Soldier, army officer, Freedman’s Bureau official
“D” is for DeSoto’s exploration of South Carolina (1540). Hernando DeSoto’s exploration of present-day South Carolina (April and May 1540) began in May 1539 at Tampa Bay and ended in 1543 in Mexico.
“D” is for DeSoto’s exploration of South Carolina (1540). Hernando DeSoto’s exploration of present-day South Carolina (April and May 1540) began in May 1539 at Tampa Bay and ended in 1543 in Mexico.
“C” is for “Carolina.” State song. South Carolina’s oldest official state song is “Carolina,” with words by Henry Timrod set to music by Anne Curtis Burgess.
“C” is for “Carolina.” State song. South Carolina’s oldest official state song is “Carolina,” with words by Henry Timrod set to music by Anne Curtis Burgess.
“A” is for Allston, Robert Francis Withers (1801-1864). Legislator, governor, rice planter.
“A” is for Allston, Robert Francis Withers (1801-1864). Legislator, governor, rice planter.
“P” is for Peachtree Rock (Lexington County). Peachtree Rock is the namesake of a 305-acre South Carolina Nature Conservancy preserve located on the Sandhills of Lexington County.
“P” is for Peachtree Rock (Lexington County). Peachtree Rock is the namesake of a 305-acre South Carolina Nature Conservancy preserve located on the Sandhills of Lexington County.
“N” is for North Greenville University. North Greenville University traces its roots to the founding of North Greenville High School in 1892.
“N” is for North Greenville University. North Greenville University traces its roots to the founding of North Greenville High School in 1892.
“H” is for Happyville. Happyville was a short-lived agricultural colony settled in 1905 near Montmorenci in Aiken County by Jewish immigrants from Russia.
“E” is for Ellenton Riot (September 1876). The Ellenton Riot was one of the many racial clashes that occurred in the tense atmosphere of the 1876 gubernatorial campaign.
“L” is for Lee, Robert Greene (1886-1978). Clergyman. Lee was born in York County and baptized (1898) and ordained (1910) in the Fort Mill Baptist Church.
“J” is for Johnson, Harriet Catherine Frazier (1889-1972). Legislator, state 4-H Club leader.
“H” is for Hanging Rock, Battle of (August 6, 1780). After the capitulation of Charleston in May 1780, the British moved quickly to gain a foothold in the South Carolina backcountry. Hanging Rock (named for a large boulder perched on a knob) was one of several outposts situated to protect the main British base at Camden.
“F” is for Floyd, Carlisle Sessions (1926-2021). Composer. Born in Latta, Floyd studied piano at Converse College and at Syracuse University.
“E” is for Elfe, Thomas (ca. 1719-1775). Cabinetmaker. Elfe is the individual most often associated with the pre-Revolutionary cabinetmaking industry in Charleston due to the survival of one of his account books.
"B” is for barrier islands. Barrier islands are so named because they shield the mainland (as well as inland Sea Islands) from damage caused by sea storms.
"S" is for Swansea Veneer and Basket Works. Founded in 1914 by Washington Bartow Rast, the Swansea Veneer and Basket Works was an expansion of Rast’s veneer mill that he had started in 1896. Initially the factory made banana drums, barrels, furniture, and fine veneers.
"S" is for Sullivan's Island, Battle of (June 28, 1776). The Battle of Sullivan’s Island was the first major patriot victory in the Revolutionary War.
"S" is for Sugarloaf Mountain (Chesterfield County). Sugarloaf Mountain is an erosional remnant located in the Sand Hills State Forest within the upper coastal plain.
“R” is for Revolution of 1719. A popular, almost bloodless coup, the Revolution of 1719 ended proprietary rule in South Carolina.
“M” is for Maroons. Historically, maroons have been described as “bands of fugitive slaves living independently from society.” Maroon communities in the West Indies and Latin America are well documented. Less well-known are those in what is now South Carolina.
“J” is for Johnson, David (1782-1855). Jurist, governor. A native of Virginia, Johnson’s family moved to South Carolina in 1789 and settled in Chester District. In 1810 he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. He was elected a circuit court judge in 1815. In 1824 he was elevated to the Court of Appeals, serving as the presiding judge from 1830 to 1835. When the court ruled the state’s militia test oath law unconstitutional, the legislature abolished the court. Johnson was transferred to the Court of Equity and Court of Appeals in Equity, serving as chief judge until 1846. In 1846 he was unanimously elected governor. A Unionist for much of his career, David Johnson later supported the right of secession but opposed separate state action on the part of South Carolina.
“M” is for Marlboro County (480 square miles; 2020 population 26,376). Marlboro County was formed in 1785 and named for John Churchill, the duke of Marlboro.
“J” is for John’s Island Presbyterian Church. The John’s Island Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest Presbyterian congregations in South Carolina.
“H” is for Hanahan (Berkeley and Charleston Counties; 2020 population 25, 743). Hanahan is an incorporated city of about twelve square miles in the lower part of Berkeley County, with a small portion in Charleston County.
“G” is for German Friendly Society. Oldest of all German male social organizations in Charleston, the German Friendly Society was founded in 1766 by sixteen German men.
“F” is for Florence (Florence County; 2020 population 38,525). In the 1850s Florence emerged around the intersection of three railroads: the Wilmington and Manchester, the Northeastern, and the Cheraw and Darlington.
“E” is for Election Act (1716). This act ended the tradition, begun in 1692, of holding all elections for the Commons House of Assembly in Charleston.
“D” is for De Brahm, William Gerard (1718-1799). Military engineer, surveyor, cartographer.
“A” is for Allen University. Allen University had its origins in Payne Institute, a school established at Cokesbury by the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1870.
"F” is for Figg, Robert McCormick, Jr. (1901-1991). Lawyer, public servant, legal educator.
Edgefield County was created in 1785 from the southern portion of the backcountry judicial district of Ninety Six.
“The Track Too Tough to Tame,” “The Lady in Black.” These two titles provide some indication of the respect and awe NASCAR drivers and fans have for Darlington Raceway.
"C" is for Camp Meetings. These outdoor services of worship held for a week or longer were characterized by the encampment of the participants. Camp meetings were not only religious in nature, but were also major social events in a predominantly rural culture.
“G” is for Georgetown (Georgetown County; 2020 population 8,664). Located at the confluence of the Sampit River and Winyah bay, Georgetown was founded in 1729 and is the third oldest town in South Carolina.
"E" is for Edwards, James Burrows [1927-2014] Governor, U.S. Secretary of Energy, college president. After graduating from the College of Charleston and the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Edwards established a dental practice in Charleston. Active in Republican Party politics, he was elected to the South Carolina senate in 1972. In 1974 he won the party's nomination for governor and became the first Republican governor of South Carolina in the twentieth century. Among his many accomplishments was the landmark Education Finance Act. After serving as Ronald Reagan's Secretary of Energy, Edwards returned home to become president of the Medical University of South Carolina. Under his leadership, MUSC thrived and research funding increased tenfold. When James Burrows Edwards retired in 1999 he was one of the best-known and most-respected public figures in modern South Carolina—a genuine elder statesman.
“S” is for St. Thomas and St. Denis Parish. Located on the peninsula formed by the Cooper and Wando Rivers in modern Berkeley County, St. Thomas and St. Denis were created by the Church Act of 1706 and constitute colonial South Carolina’s only parish within a parish.
“R” is for Reno, Donald Wesley (1927-1984). Musician. A native of Spartanburg, Don Reno probably ranks second only to Earl Scruggs in prestige among bluegrass banjo pickers
“P” is for Payne, Daniel Alexander (1811-1893). Educator, clergyman. In 1865 Daniel Alexander Payne returned to South Carolina to preside over the establishment of the South Carolina Conference of the AME Church.
“N” is for Noble, Patrick (ca. 1787-1840). Governor. An ardent proponent of states’ rights, Patrick Noble advocated public resistance to the expansion of federal power, which he deemed “highly dangerous, and subversive of our excellent frame of Government.”
“M” is for Marlboro County (480 square miles; 2020 population 26,376). Marlboro County was formed in 1785 and named for John Churchill, the duke of Marlboro.
“J” is for John’s Island Presbyterian Church. The John’s Island Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest Presbyterian congregations in South Carolina.
Children’s athletic footwear is a multi-billion dollar business. And after becoming a finalist in a college entrepreneurship contest in Boston, our next guest is hoping to capture some of that business. Mike Switzer interviews Jeff Goff, founder of Natur Athletics Shoe Company in Indian Land, SC.
“G” is for German Friendly Society. Oldest of all German male social organizations in Charleston, the German Friendly Society was founded in 1766 by sixteen German men.
Many businesses hire interns during the summertime. And that’s usually a win-win situation for both sides: the intern gains some valuable work experience and the business could gain a quality long-term hire. But our next guest says many workers and companies remain confused about whether or not interns are required to be paid. Mike Switzer interviews Katie Busbee, an employment lawyer with Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd in Greenville, SC.
"Q" is for Quakers. The Society of Friends [more commonly known as Quakers] has had a fragmented history in South Carolina.
"P" is for Pacific Mills. Pacific Mills began in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1850. In 1915, in order to expand its operations it purchased four mills on the outskirts of Columbia.
For performers, just about everything the composer writes, with the exception of the notes themselves, is a matter of interpretation
“O” is for Ocean Forest Hotel. In 1930, one of the state's most elegant hotels opened its doors at Myrtle Beach.
“N” is for Nairne, Thomas (d. 1715). Indian agent. A native of Scotland, Nairne was in South Carolina by 1695.
"S" is for Smith, Thomas (ca. 1648-1694) Governor. Born in England, Smith immigrated with his family to Carolina in 1683—likely as a member of the great Dissenter migration to the province in the 1680s.
“E” is for Edisto River. Rising in the coastal plain, the Edisto is one of the longest free-flowing black-water rivers in North America.
As you are probably aware, many employers are still struggling to find qualified employees and that extends even to our business: the business of journalism. Some media companies are telling us that college graduates are just not as interested in this field as they once were, for a variety of reasons. And that’s why we’re checking in with our next guest. Mike Switzer interviews Andrea Hickerson, director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
“D” is for David. The Confederate torpedo boat David was a small, steam-driven surface vessel armed with a pole-mounted charge called a spar torpedo.
“C” is for Camp Wadsworth. This site in Spartanburg County was one of sixteen chosen nationally as a U.S. Army training camp in the summer of 1917.
South Carolina barbecue is slowly cooked, hand-pulled, or shredded pork that is flavored with a tangy sauce and usually served with side dishes such as rice, hash, Cole slaw, sweet pickles, white bread, and iced tea.
Barnwell District, now Barnwell County, was created in 1798 from the area formerly known as Winton County.
“W” is for Welsh. Settlers of Welsh descent played an important role in the settling of South Carolina backcountry in the 1730s and 1740s.
"S” is for St. Stephen’s Parish. Established in 1754, St. Stephen’s Parish was located on the south side of the Santee River in modern Berkeley County.
“R” is for Regulators. The Regulators were backcountry settlers who banded together in 1767 in response to a crime wave that swept their region in the aftermath of the disruptive war with the Cherokee Indians (1759-1761).
“R” is for Regulators. The Regulators were backcountry settlers who banded together in 1767 in response to a crime wave that swept their region in the aftermath of the disruptive war with the Cherokee Indians (1759-1761).
“N” is for Ninety Six, Battles of (1775, 1781). Situated in the South Carolina backcountry at the crossroads of important trade routes, Ninety Six was a newly established courthouse town on the eve of the Revolutionary War.
“M” is for Market Hall (Charleston). Completed in 1841, Market Hall was one of several monumental buildings that arose along Meeting Street in Charleston during the 1830s and 1840s.
“L” is for Lebby, Nathaniel H. (1816-1880). Inventor. Born in Charleston, Lebby conceived of the mechanism for the world’s first hydraulic suction dredge, which became the standard method of modern dredging.
“K” is for Kyrle, Sir Richard (d. 1684). Governor. Born in Ireland, Kyrle was knighted and received a landgraveship in Carolina—which entitled him to twelve thousand acres in the fledgling colony. He was commissioned governor on April 28, 1684.
“J” is for Johns, Jasper (b. 1930). Artist. Jasper Johns is a pivotal figure of twentieth-century American art, occupying a critical position that mediates Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Minimalism.
“G” is for Georgetown County (815 square miles; 2020 population 63,404). Named in honor of King George III, Georgetown County lies in the fertile plain surrounding Winyah Bay.
“F” is for Flat Nose. Flat Nose, a bulldog owned by Barney Odom of the small community of Doversville in Darlington County, became a national sensation in the late 1980s—known for his ability to climb pine trees.
“E” is for Eight Box Law. The Eight Box Law of 1882 was an election law to ensure White supremacy in South Carolina without violating the Fifteenth Amendment of the US Constitution.
“C” is for Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1932 as a wintering ground for migrating waterfowl.
“W” is for Wayside Hospitals. Wayside hospitals were formed across South Carolina during the Civil War as means to care for sick and wounded Confederate soldiers travelling throughout the state.
"S” is for St. Philip’s Parish. St. Philip’s Parish was one of the ten original parishes created by the Church Act of 1706.
“N” is for Niernsee, John Randolph (1823-1885) and Frank McHenry Niernsee (1849-1899). Architects.
“J” is for Joggling boards. Simple in design, a joggling board consists of one plank, or seat, supported by stands at each end.
“C” is for Can-Am Days. Can-Am Days is the abbreviated name for the annual Canadian-American Days festival in the Myrtle Beach area.
“S” is for St. Philip’s Church (Charleston). Located at 146 Church Street, St. Philip’s was the first English church established in South Carolina.
“R” is for Red dots. A phenomenon that piques the curiosity of both visitors and lifelong residents: why do South Carolina liquor stores display red dots?
“P” is for Patterson, John James (1830-1912). U.S. senator. Paterson became known by the nickname “Honest John”—honest because if he promised a bribe, he always paid it.
“O” is for Orangeburgh Township was riginally entitled “Edisto,” but was renamed by its German-speaking Swiss inhabitants.
“G” is for Georgetown (Georgetown County; 2020 population 8,664). Located at the confluence of the Sampit River and Winyah bay, Georgetown was founded in 1729 and is the third oldest town in South Carolina.
“F” is for Fishing Creek, Battle of (August 18, 1780). Coming on the heels of the defeat at Camden, the rout of Thomas Sumter’s force at Fishing Creek marked the low point of the patriot cause in South Carolina.
“E” is for Edwards, James Burrows (1927-2014). Governor, US Secretary of Energy, college president.
“D” is for Davis, Gary (1896-1972). Musician. A native of Laurens, Davis was a highly accomplished and innovative guitarist who influenced numerous blues and folk musicians.
The Edgefield Advertiser began publication in February 1836, making it the oldest newspaper in South Carolina to publish continuously under the same nameplate.
Darlington County was created in 1785, out of the southern third of the colonial-era judicial district of Cheraws.
“C” is for Camp Croft. This United States Army Training Center, located on 22,000 acres southeast of Spartanburg, was established in December 1940 and named for Major General Edward Croft, a Greenville native.
“B” is for Barnwell (Barnwell County; 2020 population 4,159). Originally located on the old Stage Coach Road from Charleston to Augusta, Barnwell was first called Red Hill.