None of us are sure how the re-branding of Facebook to Meta is going to affect us, personally or professionally, but as we take a "wait and see" approach, here are the posts that I put into the BDC's Facebook page during October. - gmc
October 1 - October provides a triple whammy for the BDC as it's Archives Month, Archaeology Month and Family History Month. You'll see posts about these three broad topics between now and Halloween.
MATERIALS MONDAY: LETTERS" POSTS
October 4 - Today's "Materials Monday" featured letter was a serendipitous find during a reference transaction. "Loose lips sink ships" - but so do "loose pen strokes" as this censored letter from Gaillard Pinckney to his buddy indicates. It is in the "Men and Women in World War II Scrapbooks," one of our 200-or so archival collections in the Research Room.
October 11 - "Materials Monday : Letters" In this case, the letter is one that I wrote to an anonymous donor as featured in a Connections post on 6 October 2010:
Dear Sir:Thank you.The only way that the Beaufort District Collection gets school annuals is through donations. As part of the relocation process, we added limited school annual holdings to the library's catalog in order that a person can readily see whether or not the BDC has the volume that he/she is hoping to see. It is particularly good to get pristine copies of annuals from former teachers at the schools such as those you left for us. (Student ones often are covered in personal messages written in all sorts of inks and markers that will eventually eat through the paper at some point in the future.) Rest assured that these Creek volumes will be treasured and held in trust for current and future residents and visitors of Beaufort County.Go to the SC LENDS catalog, search on "Battery Creek annuals," and you'll see that we've added your donations to our holdings.Thank you so much for dropping the volumes off at the Beaufort County Library.Sincerely,Grace Morris Cordial,Beaufort District Collection Manager,Historical Resources CoordinatorBeaufort County Library
My title has changed in the intervening years but the policy about what we collect here in the BDC has not: All things Beaufort District of permanent research value created between 15,000 BCE up to the splitting of the District with emphasis then on Beaufort County up to 50 years ago, as long as we can properly care for the material. Paper-based materials preferred.
October 18 - "Materials Monday: Letters" Colonel T.W. Higginson, the white officer in charge of the 1st South Carolina Volunteers wrote about the Combahee Raid in several letters to his loved ones. One gets the sense that Col. Higginson and Col. Shaw disapproved of the tactics of Col. James Montgomery.
He wrote repeatedly to his mother, Louisa Storrow Higginson, about the Combahee River Raid:
June 5, 1863 "Montgomery's raid was a most brilliant success, though I don't believe in burning private houses, as he does. Nearly 800 contraband!"June 10, 1863 "Montgomery's raid was a great success freeing 800 people in a day - now he has gone down the shore. Encamping at St. Simon's island. He is an unequalled guerilla, but he has no system. After all one must consume his share of red tape as of dirt, nor hv. [sic] I ever tried to cut it without having to tie it together again in the end. It takes a great deal of machinery to keep 900 men in good condition, let alone a larger number.June 19, 1863 "Montgomery's raids are dashing but his brigand practices I detest & condemn -- they will injure these people & make a reaction in the North. I never allowed such things save according to strictly military principles & it is perfectly easy to restrain the negroes; they are capable of heroic abstinence. I will have none but civilized warfare in my reg't, but the public may not discriminate."To his wife, Mary Channing Higginson, he wrote on June 19, 1863: "Montgomery's career is brilliant but I fear he will do great harm; his burning & pillaging I utterly detest & never allowed it except under strict military laws. It is perfectly unnecessary too with these troops. I heard Col. Shaw does not like it."
You can read more of his letters in The Complete Civil War Journal and Selected Letters of Thomas Wentworth Higginson edited by Christopher Looby (2000).
Don't forget to watch the "Historically Speaking" 3.1 lecture with Dr. Mollie Barnes to get a fuller sense "Reading between the Lines and Across Rivers."
October 25 - "Materials Monday: Letters" Sometimes letters discovered in archival processing end up being featured in Connections - and in local history programs. Learn more in the BDC's longest running blog.
FAMILY HISTORY MONTH RELATED POSTS
October 7 - Family History Month tip: Women can be hard to find, particularly their maiden names. Sometimes it helps to search for records that might list your female ancestor’s brother or father. Turn, especially, to wills and other probate records, as well as references to any in-laws in census entries when available. Just bear in mind that sometimes there are no wills and other probate records due to fire, natural disasters, warfare, etc.
October 12 - Family History Tip: One of the best genealogical tools available is the "Atlas of Historical County Boundaries." It helps you follow jurisdictional changes over time—and, thus, what offices to consult for the records you need.
In the case of Beaufort District, there are close to 30 different configurations of jurisdictional boundaries from the mid-17th century to the present day. We have a printed copy of the book about South Carolina County boundaries inside the Research Room for those who prefer printed maps. Just remember to make an appointment at least several days in advance to come to the Research Room: 843-255-6468 ; bdc@bcgov.net
October 15 - A Monumental Feat Completed: After 83 years, FamilySearch has finished digitizing their 2.4 million rolls of microfilm! You can search the archive for free at FamilySearch.org (though you must register for an account).
October 23 - Family History Research Tip: Oh how I wish that Beaufort District was not a "burned county." That fact does indeed make it harder to locate long dead ancestors from this area. But there might be ways around the lack of property and probate records to information you need to locate. Think about what information was in the record you sought, and find other documents that include the same kinds of details whenever possible. A good place to start is to read a recently updated Connections blogpost about how to use state records in the Research Room and/or on the internet to help you learn more about ancestors who lived in South Carolina.
October 22 - The bane of a genealogist's existence: Ancestors with truly common names within a family and/or within a surname. Search for your John Smith using additional information, such as his birth year, middle name or spouse. Make notes about all the John Smiths in your ancestor’s area, so you can easily separate yours from the crowd.
Cassi unraveled which of the 7 George Cuthberts participated in a duel with which of the 3 John Verdiers mentioned in one of the Reeves Collection letters to the two most likely candidates using this process.
Watch "Duels in Beaufort District" with Neil Baxley, the Season 5 opening lecture in the Beaufort History Museum/Beaufort County Library series now showing on the Library's YouTube Channel for more information.
October 26 - Family Tree Magazine thinks that "brick walls" are sometimes due to inadequate consideration of alternate sources for the information you need to discover your ancestors. They even posted a flowchart suggesting how to adapt your research strategy.
October 27 - A long overdue updated "Genealogy Services Primer (2021)" is now on Connections.
October 30 - According to Arcadia Publishing: "Derived from the Greek word for “sleeping place,” the cemetery has long been associated with the world of the dead and featured in many scary stories. But cemeteries are also a place of memory and a link to the past—reminders of various settlement patterns, records of historic events, religions, lifestyles, and evidence of ethnic genealogy." Most cemeteries in what became the United States began on family land or attached to religious institutions.
Though there is no comprehensive list of all the cemeteries or persons buried in Beaufort County, the BDC does have some materials to help you locate your ancestor's final resting place.
ABOUT BDC MATERIALS, PROGRAMS, & SERVICES
October 1 - The American Library Association has long held principles and documents such as the "Library Bill of Rights" (1939) and the "Freedom to Read Statement" (1953) that help guide library workers to combat censorship of library materials. We keep these principles and statements in mind when someone posts a challenge to an item that is in our holdings.
You can see the Beaufort County Library Board of Trustees Challenged Materials policy and submission form posted on the Library's website.
October 2 - October is Archives Month. The first archival collection finding aid that I posted into the BDC's Links, Lists, and Finding Aid blog was the one for our own institution: The Beaufort County Library Finding Aid. The present-day BCL system has its roots in the circulating collection established by the Clover Club that became the Beaufort Township Library more than 100 years ago.
October 3 - We have some fabulous local history programs coming up! If you want to see the program before we make the link open to the general public on the Library's website, in Connections or here on the BDC's Facebook page, you'll need to either already be on the BDC's e-mail distribution list or you'll have to subscribe the the BDC's newsletter - like today! Just be sure to check the "Beaufort District Collection" box.
October 5 - One of the many behind the scenes tasks undertaken in the Research Room by BDC staff is creating reading suggestion lists and flyers. The latest in a long line of such promotional materials is "The History of Bluffton, SC" flyer and a re-working of "The History of Bluffton, SC: Selective Links & Materials" list on the WP blog.
October 8 - The portal to all things local history is the Beaufort District Collection's landing page on the Library's website. Explore what hides behind the 7 buttons along the bottom. I think that you'll be surprised by the quantity and quality of the local history content that we provide online.
October 9 - Happy 9th Birthday in the "new" St. Helena Branch Library! They're having a party today to celebrate. Details for the celebration are on the Library's Events calendar. But how did library services for island residents get from the trunk of Mrs. Wilhelmina Barnwell's car to the current architectural design award-winning structure? The BDC has a brief summary for you on Connections.
October 10 - We have two local history programs scheduled this month that you may want to put on your calendar.
Professor Barnes discusses Charlotte Forten and Harriet Tubman and what they were doing in June 1863 beginning on October 14th at 11 AM. See Connections for details.
Tuesday, October 19, we post the all virtual "Duels in Beaufort District" lecture by Neil Baxley.
October 11 - A corollary to this morning's "Letters" post: The BDC only collects school annuals for schools located within the boundaries of Beaufort County. We do not collect school annuals for Jasper County (established in 1912) nor Hampton County schools (established in 1878). All of the school annuals in the BDC's holdings are related to 20th century Beaufort County schools.
October 12 - One seldom knows how what we do as librarians affect others. Access to materials and programs can enhance many and sometimes in profound ways as it did for Mr. Gordon - who gave us permission to share his story with you all.
We love to hear how our library may have impacted someone's life in some way.Grace Cordial, Manager of the Library’s Beaufort District Collection, recently received feedback from library customer David Gordon on how the Beaufort County Library system changed the trajectory of his life. Mr. Gordon tells the story:“I well remember sitting at the breakfast table with my Dad in 2011 and seeing the notice in The Island Packet about Chris [Judge] giving his talk at the Library. As a result of that, I fulfilled my lifelong desire to do archaeology. I’ve worked at a number of sites, gotten a postgraduate certificate in archaeology from the University of Leicester, and become state President of the ASSC [Archaeology Society of South Carolina], all because of that event the Library hosted. Thanks to the Library!”Thank you, Mr. Gordon, for sharing your story with us! We are so happy you attended that archaeology program years ago.Speaking of archaeology, don't miss this year's Arkhaios Film Festival that starts today, October 11th! Details in the post below.
October 14 - Those who participated in the in-person and live streamed lecture got a real treat! As soon as I get the URL for the recording of "Reading Between Lines and Across Rivers" by Dr. Barnes I shall share it.
October 14 - Catch the live stream of "Reading between the Lines and Across Rivers: Charlotte Forten and Harriet Tubman, June 1863" with Dr. Mollie Barnes at 11 AM. (Link no longer active - gmc) Please copy and paste the address into your browser. This lecture will not be streaming over Facebook! You will be asked to enter your name before being admitted into the online waiting room. The waiting room opens at 10:30AM; the live stream is set to begin at 11 AM. Once capacity is reached the live stream will be closed.
Please note: USCB staff is in control of the technology - which means if something goes wrong you just might have to wait until we post the recording within a few days. This local history program is brought to you the Beaufort County Historical Society, the Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era and the Beaufort District Collection. It is the "Historically Speaking" season 3 opening lecture.
October 16 - October 16th is National Dictionary Day. The BDC has several - if you take the second definition as "a reference work on a particular subject, the items of which are typically arranged in alphabetical order" into account. Probably most apropos for a Family History Month related post is What Did They Mean by That?: A Dictionary of Historical Terms for Genealogists by Paul Drake (1998).
Due to the nature of genealogical and historical work, one is introduced to words and terms then in common or legal usage which make absolutely no sense to the average citizen of the 21st century. This dictionary "of more than 3000 words includes many occupations, descriptions of early furniture and foods, common medical terms and herbal remedies, and many expressions, once common, yet now all but forgotten."
"Geedunk" anyone? Yum! [According to the dictionary, geedunk is an old Navy term for candies, ice cream, confections and or sweets available to the shipboard crew.]
October 16 - On this International Archaeology Day, I call to your attention the hundreds of local archaeology related titles we have in our Research Room and the link (removed as no longer active- gmc) to the all virtual Arkhaois Archaeology Film Festival that ends tomorrow.
October 17 - The BDC has well over 150 archival collections in our Research Room. Be sure to schedule your Research Room visits in advance. Please call 843-255-6468 or email bdc@bcgov.net for assistance in setting up an appointment or if you need help with a local history question. Staff will try to respond to your call or email within 72 hours.
October 21 - Today, Oct. 21, just so happens to be Reptile Awareness Day. "Reptiles and Amphibians" is an episode of the County Channel's award-winning Coastal Kingdom series hosted by Tony Mills. Stream it online through YouTube or borrow DVDs from one of the BCL's Branch Libraries to become more locally reptile aware.
October 19 - Settling matters of honor included following the rules with sometimes deadly consequences. Neil Baxley tells all about the duels fought in Beaufort District and/or those in which Beaufort District residents fought during the 18th and 19th centuries. This all virtual local history program co-sponsored by the BDC and the Beaufort History Museum is now showing on the Library’s YouTube Channel.
October 19 - IMIO (which I use for "In My Informed Opinion") The best candidates for digitization are archival collections of finite size and high interest that would suffer badly with frequent handling. Thus the BDC has created 8 digital collections from our holdings over the past 17 years. See the list - and some of the many treasures - that the Lowcountry Digital Library maintains for us on the internet. (Looking ahead there are 3 more in the pipeline.)
October 20 - Dr. Mollie Barnes posed and answered this research question: “Where was Charlotte Forten and what was she thinking while Harriet Tubman planned and executed the Combahee River Raid?” in her lecture a few days ago. Dr. Barnes explains their relationship and the paper trail. [Watch the recording for a limited time.]
October 24 - The BDC has two local history programs running right now: "Reading between the Lines and Across Rivers" with Mollie Barnes and "Duels in Beaufort District" with Neil Baxley and an Author Book Talk coming up as a Live Stream in November
October 26 - Pencil this into your calendars: The BDC's first ever Live Streamed Author Book Talk with Dr. Eric Plaag will happen on Monday, November 15 at 2 pm. URL to be provided closer to the date.
October 29 - Work on the Online Obituary Index proceeds. Beloved docent Kathy just got done identifying and indexing 657 obituaries from the microfilms we have of the 1986 "Beaufort Gazette." Search for your dead in our Online Obituary Index - a long-term volunteer project here at the Library that predates my tenure by at least 8 to 10 years.
BLACK HISTORY NOTE POSTS
October 20 - "Black History Note" Wednesday: Want to know more about Charlotte Forten who was featured in the "Historically Speaking" 3.1 lecture by Dr. Mollie Barnes last week? Check out one (or more) of these materials.
October 13 - "Black History Note:" Ancestry Library Edition has the complete "Freedmen's Bureau" records posted online! This is a very, very big deal for anyone interested in African American genealogy. More in Connections.
October 27 - "Black History Note:" Learn more about the largest slave raid that Harriet Tubman made - and it was done in Beaufort District and neighboring Colleton District in June 1863.
JUST BECAUSE ... POSTS
October 13 - South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Heritage Trust Program was created to conserve those natural features and cultural resources that are quickly disappearing as South Carolina’s population increases in size. There are 10 DNR Heritage Preserves in Beaufort County, among which is the Green Shell Enclosure on Hilton Head Island and Fort Frederick in Port Royal.
October 21 - Drop! Cover! Hold On! The Great Southeast Shake Out is happening now!
October 21 - Believe it or not, we are located in an active seismic zone. The 1886 Charleston earthquake rattled most of the East Coast, killed about 100 people, and caused much damage all along the coastal plain of South Carolina - including some here in Beaufort County. There's lots of earthquake preparedness resources on the Shakeout.org website for you to up your survivorship ante.
October 22 - Our sister institution, the Historic Beaufort Foundation, is holding its annual Fall Festival of Homes & Gardens Tour this afternoon, tomorrow, and Sunday. Details and fees are on their website. JSYK: We have a vertical file in the Research Room about the history and leadership of HISTORIC BEAUFORT FOUNDATION since 1970.
October 28 - The South Carolina Historical Society is offering a $ tour of some of Beaufort's churches along with lectures by Beaufort's own: Dr. Larry Rowland; Dr. Stephen Wise; and Dr. John McCardle. Details are on the SCHS website. JSYK: The BDC has a 3-foot wide drawer full of nothing but clippings about area churches, VF CHURCHES- ALL SAINTS CHAPEL to CHURCHES - ZION CHAPEL. There are about another 50 or so files about these religious organizations in between.
October 29 - Lots of people are getting excited about the Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale, the Pat Conroy Literary Festival, and the Meet the Authors events next week.
The Library will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 25-26 for the Thanksgiving holidays. Those Library units normally open on Saturdays will be open on Saturday, November 27th.
Due to the day of the week on which Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day fall and County observances of same, the Library will be closed from Thursday, December 23, 2021 through December 27, 2021 for the Christmas holidays and again on Friday, December 31, 2021. The Library Board of Trustees will decide at their meeting this afternoon if some parts of the Library will be open on Saturday, January 1, 2022.
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