"Bridges" of Beaufort District

The March WordPress word prompt was "Bridge." Since I also write a WordPress blog for the BDC, I immediately got an image of volume 3 of the History of Beaufort County, South Carolina by Dr. Larry Rowland. I love the image on the cover with a late model 1950's car heading across the new Lady's Island bridge connecting to downtown Beaufort. I usually tell customers about this series, referring to it as The Bible for Beaufort District history. 

One of my favorite items in the collection is the Metal Truss Highway Bridge Inventory (1981). We are the only library in SCLENDS to have a copy of this title. 

I also am rather fond of A Study of pre-1951 non-metal truss highway bridges of South Carolina for the South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation : June 1993 by Rudolph E. Elling. 

Next thought about the word "bridge:" The sequence of vertical files that the BDC has on various bridges within the County. 

Bridges

Bridges - Battery Creek Bridge

Bridges -- Broad River Bridge  

Bridges - Combahee River Bridge

Bridges -- Hilton Head Island Bridges

Bridges -- Savannah River Bridge

Bridges -- Whale Branch Bridge

Bridges -- Lady's Island Bridges

Bridges -- St. Helena Island - Hunting Island Bridges       

And while we're on the subject of bridges:  The BDC has the only copy of a uniquely local study of Records of Public Transportation in Beaufort County by Charles Barnum (1967) that begins at the beginning with ferries in the colonial era and works its way through transportation "services provided by people for other people as a regular business." He writes of the first known bridge between Lady's Island and St. Helena Island. It is shown on a map dated 1825. It would take another 100 years to build a bridge from Port Royal Island to Lady's Island (close to the position of the Woods Bridge today). 

More thoughts: All the current discussion about what the State is going to do with a 2nd replacement bridge to Hilton Head Island.... which leads me to think of the Dedication of the James F. Byrnes toll bridge and the following images from Beaufort Scrapbook, 1944 - 1959:  

Another thought! Bridges Preparatory School, a relatively recent charter school in Northern Beaufort County. We have a vertical file for it - and many other schools extant and extinct. 

Yet another thought about the prompt word "bridge:" As I am nearing retirement and trying to prepare the BDC for as easy a transition to a successor caretaker as possible, I am trying to bridge the gap between what needs to be done versus what realistically can be done by one person with a lot of responsibilities and tasks to try to complete within a 40 hour work week . Though Teddy Roosevelt is often credited for saying "Do what you can with what you have where you are," he didn't say it.  (That honor belongs to Squire Bill Widener of Virginia) . Nevertheless, I have written the quote across my "PROJECTS BEFORE RETIREMENT" White Board in my messy office as a reminder that all I can do is do what is possible given the limitations and restraints of working in the Library for the County Council.  I guess that we'll be able to judge how well the Library bridges the gap between my stewardship of the BDC and the new steward of the BDC only after I retire. 

As always, please set up an appointment to come into the Research Room to review any of the items I mentioned above in my brainstorming about "bridges" in relation to Beaufort District and this collection of local history and archival materials. Please allow up to 72 hours for a response as I remain the only employee of the BDC at this time: bdc@bcgov.net or 843-255-6468.