Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday
November 20: "Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday:" Clarence B. Moore (1852-1936) was a wealthy amateur archaeologist from Philadelphia who crisscrossed the rivers of the southeast each year in his steam-powered paddleboat, the Gopher, excavating sites near the shores in states ranging from Alabama to Tennessee. He was in Beaufort District in 1897 and 1898 exploring archaeological sites and uncovering artifacts of Native American culture. His original notebooks and personal papers are housed at Cornell University.
The BDC has a first edition of Moore's Certain Aboriginal Mounds of the Coast of South Carolina (1898) and a first edition of the Journal of The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia volume 11 (1897) courtesy of the Beaufort Township Library. Volume 11 contains Moore's work about his discoveries in Georgia, South Carolina, along the Savannah and Altamaha rivers, Alabama, and in Florida along with articles by Marquis de Nadaillac, Edward D. Cope, Henry C. Mercer, and Dr. R. W. Shufeldt (1897). Though if asked, I would bring the volumes from our storage stacks out to a researcher, their condition is not great as the paper has become quite brittle and shattered. Therefore, even inside the Research Room I would insist that customers access the digital copies of these items through the HathiTrust website at and through the Internet Archive.
You can also borrow copies of The Georgia and South Carolina Expeditions of Clarence Bloomfield Moore (1998) from other parts of the SCLENDS consortium.
November 27: "Uniquely BDC:" Take a break from all your online shopping to explore the BDC's list of links and materials about Native Americans of the Lowcountry.
December 4: "Uniquely BDC" Materials Monday: In honor of our next local history program, I want to highlight the "Men and Women of Beaufort during World War II" scrapbooks we have in our archives. These two scrapbooks contain materials from an album originally started in 1945 by former Beaufort Township Librarians Mabel Runnette and Isabelle Clift. Lee Stevenson, a library volunteer, rediscovered, reformatted and enhanced the original album with additional donations from the community from 1993 to 1995. The clippings are dated between 1941 and 1993, with most of the clippings dating between 1942 and 1945. Volume 2 contains photocopied clippings from the Beaufort Gazette, Beaufort News, Beaufort Times, and Penn School Annual Report of 1942-1943. The Finding Aid is posted online.
Local History Program Related Posts:
November 21: 16 days to our next local history program.
December 5: The Chronicling America website of historic American newspapers is changing. Check out the guide to its latest iteration. Might I suggest that given our upcoming local history program "The Bush Brothers at Pearl Harbor ... and Beyond" with Mary Dorsey that one might search on "Pearl Harbor" in the weeks following December 7, 1941 to see the contemporary coverage of that "day that will live in infamy."
December 6: [Black History Note Wednesday] Post 207 of the American Legion is named in memory of a local Black sailor killed during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Come learn about the Bush Family with Mary Dorsey tomorrow afternoon at Beaufort Branch Library. It's free; No registration required.
December 11: "Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday": World War II is still on my mind because of the "Bush Brothers" local history program last week. We are the only part of the SCLENDS consortium to hold Artie M. Heape: A Lowcountry Man and His Life by Arlene Heape Hull (2011). Ours came directly from the author. Heape was born in Early Branch, Hampton County but moved to Beaufort at age 12 in 1907. He fought in three wars. He saw action in France and in Russia before being discharged for the first time from the Army. He would serve again reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel in World War II. From 1946 - 1948, he was the Chief of Police for the city of Beaufort. In 1948 he rejoined the Army for the third time serving in the Philippines, the Korean War, and Texas. He resigned from the Army in 1955 and returned to Beaufort where he lived out the rest of his 95 years. We'd be happy to let you read it in our Research Room. Contact us bdc@bcgov.net or 843-255-6468 to make the arrangements.
December 7 & 8 - I posted photos from the "Bush Brothers" program.
Black History Note Wednesdays:
November 22: "Black History Note:" The Gullah Connection Trail: A Proposal for the US National Park Service was a James Madison University Honors Program project led by Prof. Joseph Opala. Their goal was that the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Resource Study would simply be a starting point to explore their historical concept that the Gullah people of the Carolinas and Georgia were the center of a great chain of migration stretching back to West Africa and then forward to Florida, the Bahamas, Oklahoma, Texas and Mexico. Under their proposal, three sites would be hubs to explore their concept: The Charles Pinckney National Historic Site near Charleston; The Penn Center on St. Helena Island; and The Seminole National Museum of Wewoka, OK where new exhibits could illuminate the Black Seminole diaspora. If accepted as proposed the Gullah Connection Trail would consist of 37 Gullah-related sties in 6 states and 6 foreign countries. Their plan was modeled on the Underground Railroad Network across the US and Canada.
This title also happens to be an "Uniquely BDC" offering within the SCLENDS consortium.
Reminder: When the BDC closes tonight, staff won't return until Monday, November 27th. Other units of the Library will re-open for business on Saturday, November 25th.
November 29: "Black History Note:" The Indian Slave Trade: The Rise of the English Empire in the American South, 1670 - 1717 by Alan Gallay (Yale University Press, 2002) won the Bancroft Prize in American History. He examines enslavement as practiced in the Southeast: first using Native Americans, and after the Yamasee War, Africans. For the first 50 years in South Carolina's colonial history, enslaved Native Americans were the labor base. This changed around the time of the Indian uprising known as the Yamasee War. Africans became the preferred labor force in South Carolina.
He writes how "The specter of Native Americans uniting with African Americans against Europeans haunted South Carolina and Louisiana colonials. The elite of both colonies worked strenuously to keep Indians and Africans apart and mutually hostile, and to do so, they sought to impose their racial ideology on them .... In spite of these and other actions taken by British and French leaders to prevent positive interactions among Indians and Africans, the blacks had numerous occasions to forge relationships outside of those proscribed by the Europeans." (p. 345)
It's a fascinating book - and supplemental readings about the period and the practices of enslavement can be found on this flyer of materials about Dr. Henry Woodward and the Proprietary Era in South Carolina.
December 13: Ready or not, here they come -- the dreaded (or perhaps long awaited) annual Christmas letter from your relatives and friends. I am sure that those who were on Ervena Faulkner's Christmas list enjoyed receiving her Christmas Letters: An African American Story, 1968 - 2003. Check a copy out from the Local History section at your BCL branch library.
Just Because posts:
November 20: Dr. James Shinn brought members of his upper level history classes to the Research Room for a behind-the-scenes tour on Monday, November 6th. [We posted over 40 images of the class visit.]
November 28: The US Mint is asking for input about commemorative coins for our nation's Semiquincentennial in 2026. I'm a little disappointed that the DeSaussure Gold Eagle isn't among the choices, but there are indeed some interesting numismatic designs among the options. Participate. Note: The survey closes on December 3, 2023.
Two DeSaussure brothers, Henry and Daniel built up Coosawhatchie as a trading post in the 1740s. Their father, Henri, was the Huguenot immigrant via Switzerland to America, who owned a 312-acre plantation on Hilton Head Island by 1730. Henri's grandson William Henry DeSaussure was a significant political figure in South Carolina. His house in Beaufort, now gone, became the fabled Gold Eagle Tavern in the 1930s in homage to his directorship of the US Mint.
By the way, the correct mispronunciation of the family name in South Carolina is either DES-suh-soe or DES-suh-SOHR.
November 30: A sobering report that I found cited in the American Association for State and Local History weekly e-newsletter: "Does Anyone Notice Local History When There is No Local News?" As the local history librarian and archivist, I tend to take a longer range view of things as I appreciate how local newspapers serve as a vital resources for future historians and genealogists. It's why we provide as many Beaufort County based local newspapers in the Research Room for customers to use as is practical given preservation issues, digital access through other sources, microfilm equipment and formats and collecting and boxing up some currently published newspapers.
December 1: December Overview: Things usually quiet down for the BDC between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day - and I tend to take off some personal leave over the course of the period. This year seems to be no exception. Accordingly, you will see less Monday and Wednesday posts later this month.
The only program on our agenda is about a local man who was killed at Pearl Harbor - to be held, appropriately I think, Thursday, December 7th.
Please note: The Library's holiday schedule will impact Research Room appointment availability. Contact us for details. As a reminder: we are unable to take same-day or walk-in appointments at this time.
December 12: 
I am so excited that I can bring one of my grandchildren to see the model trains at Beaufort Branch later this week! He lives far, far away and is coming to visit me for Christmas.
December 14: In honor of perennially popular Beaufort Branch's Model Train exhibit, here's a "Very Brief History of Railroads in Beaufort District" that I wrote a few years ago. Those Bitly links take you to more information and to photographs of the Yemassee Depot circa 1900 - 1910. (The Beaufort Railroaders have done this display for the Beaufort Branch Library for a very impressive 30 years now - so long that I'd bet that some of those who came in the earliest years just might be bringing their own children - or grandchildren! - now.)
Holidays:
November 16: Wonder if these fowl are getting nervous that Thanksgiving Day is only a week away? This images is from the BCL's Donner Collection.
November 23: We are so thankful for our customers, our docents, our colleagues, our donors, our program co-sponsors, the Friends of the Beaufort Library and our Library Board of Trustees. Enjoy your holidays. Jalen and I will!
December 10: There's still some time for you to set up a Research Appointment before we break for the holidays. Contact us: bdc@bcgov.net or 843-255-6468 to make the necessary arrangements. (PSST: Don't forget to drop by to see the model trains downstairs in the Beaufort Branch, Tuesday through Saturday.)
A notice: I am taking some personal leave this holiday season. Jalen will be in the Research Room Mondays - Fridays except for scheduled holidays to assist those interested in coming to the Research Room or those who have scheduled appointments. Please contact him at 843-255-6468 or email bdc@bcgov.net to request help or an appointment.
Jalen and I wish you all the best of the holiday season!
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