Re-cap of BDC Facebook Posts, August 2025

As per usual, most notices about events or schedule changes in the past at the time of this entry have been selectively edited or deleted. I decided to begin with the most recent posts of Facebook this time.-- gmc 

27 August - "Black History Note:" St. Helena Island was in the eye of the Great Sea Island hurricane - and killed many residents. All but 2 of the dead in Beaufort County were African Americans. The QR codes on the flyer link you to photographs, a list of the known dead here, and Rachel Mather's booklet of personal accounts of the storm and its aftermath. Caution: Some people may find the historical records and descriptions disturbing.

26 August - "Women's Equality Day" and "National Dog Day" AM - Today we celebrate the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution on August 26, 1920 and Women's Equality Day - though it is important to note that even with passage of the 19th Amendment some women in the United States were still unable to lawfully cast ballots. Abbie Holmes Christensen was the most prominent of local advocates for the right of women to cast ballots and to have their ballots counted. We have a vertical file of clippings on the topic of suffrage in the Research Room - though as one might suspect South Carolinians of the day were not particularly known for their support of extending the franchise to women. We have multiple copies of Monica Tetzlaff's biography of AHC to share through the Local History sections. The National Archives has more information about this critical document in the history of the United States posted online. PM -- On this "National Dog Day" and given the heat of this summer, I think that Rover has the right idea: I'd rather be hanging out on my porch, too. (This image is part of the Library's Donner Digital Collection hosted by the Lowcountry Digital Library.)

25 August - Today's "Uniquely BDC Materials Monday" highlights our holdings of the short-lived hyper-local newspaper, the Bluffton Eccentric. We have most - but not all - of the issues. And don't forget, there's only two weeks to the "History of Bluffton" with Michael Reynolds at Bluffton Branch Library. A late addition to our Fall 2025 local history schedule is the opening lecture for the "Historically Speaking" series we do with the Beaufort County Historical Society. Leah Roche will present "History on a Stick" about the historic markers along our streets and highways on Thursday, September 25 at Beaufort Branch Library.

23 August - New Deal Art in South Carolina: Government-Supported Images from the Great Depression is a catalog of an exhibit that ran at the South Carolina State Museum June 16 - October 14, 1990. What I found most interesting are the references to the Beaufort Fine Arts Association and its art gallery space called the Beaufort Civic Arts Center that was in the Beaufort Township Library's basement. Funding came from the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). The catalog contains citations of Beaufort Gazette articles about the local art scene. Beaufort related images included in the catalog are John "Tuscarora Jack" Barnwell, and photographs taken of the area by Walker Evans and Marion Post Wolcott. You have several options available for accessing this item. You can read it in the Research Room or you can download a copy from the State Library's digital library or borrow a copy through the SCLENDS consortium

22 August - Please pencil this upcoming program into your calendars: Barney Forsythe, PhD and Raul Galvan, PhD will provide some background information on the whys behind the construction of local landmark Fort Fremont on September 22. We recently posted a guide to library materials and other information about Fort Fremont in our BDCBCL: Links, Lists and Finding Aids blog on WordPress to guide your research.

21 August - One of the joys of being a librarian is looking at statistics (not). In July, 225 Local History items got checked out from the branch libraries and bookmobile. Customers of Hilton Head Branch were way in the lead with 77 check-outs; Beaufort had 42; Hilton Head Branch and Port Royal Branch tied with 34 check-outs each. Be sure to drop by the Branch Libraries to see all the stock that the BDC shares through the local history sections.

20 August - "Black History Note:" Sam Doyle (1906 - 1985) was a folk artist from St. Helena Island. He used cast-off materials at hand, like house paint, softened plywood and roofing tin, to paint his colorful and vibrant vision of Gullah life on the sea islands. The greater folk art world discovered his work in 1982. Let's honor him and his art during this "American Artist Appreciation Month."

19 August - It's World Photography Day when we celebrate the art, craft, science and history of photography. Here are some ways to honor the day:

1) The BDC has 5 photographic collections posted online through the good services of the Lowcountry Digital Library.

2) Book recommendation: Partners with the Sun by Harvey Teal discusses the history of photography in SC. The BDC has a copy but there are a few copies that can be borrowed via SCLENDS.

3) Peruse the 770s at your local public library for other books about photography.

4) Check out our coffee-table book recommendations.

5) Make a photo that shows your world today and share it with others.

18 August - "Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday:" Were you aware that the BDC collects contemporary posters promoting current events? Given that it's American Artist Appreciation Month, here's one from 2023 celebrating artists working locally.

17 August - No "specials" this week in terms of local history programs. But Cassandra offered some advice on how to protect your personal collections in "Beating Heat and Humidity" that you may find helpful.

16 August - Even though the Library's Summer Reading Program has come and gone for 2025, you still have some time to participate in the AHA 2025 Reading Challenge. I offered some suggestions in a Connections post earlier this summer to help you out.

15 August - On August 10 I posted to Connections what may well have been the BDC's first annual report - mostly for myself as I often just see what hasn't gotten done rather than all that has been done but also for transparency. It's sometimes good to step back and look at the forest. IMNSHO Fiscal Year 2025 was a good one. I am proud of the quality and quantity of the work done by the BDC staff, docent cadre, and our honorary staff person Valerie Lesesne of the Library's Technical Services unit (i.e., the BDC crew) and the depth of the public support we get from you for our efforts to acquire, preserve and share Beaufort District’s long and storied history through a variety of formats, platforms, and ways. Thank you.

14 August - Read how Beaufort celebrated the end of World War II 80 years ago today in this clipping from the Beaufort Gazette (which was the only newspaper published in Beaufort County at the time). The Japanese military forces accepted defeat on August 14, 1945. Officials announced the surrender of Japan to the Allies on August 15, 1945. This notice appeared in the Beaufort Gazette issue of August 17. The official signing of surrender took place on September 2, 1945, officially ending World War II.

13 August - "Black History Note Wednesday:" Leigh Richmond Miner was an artist, photographer, and Director of Applied Art at the Hampton Institute who took some evocative photographs of St. Helena Island circa 1900. Rossa B. Cooley used his images to help fund-raise for Penn School. The glass plate negatives were discovered many years later on the campus, preserved, and published as "Face of An Island" in 1970. The BDC has several copies of the title to insure that one will always be available in the future. You can borrow Face of An Island from one of the Local History sections too.

12 August - You can celebrate "World Elephant Day" by reading tales about elephants and other creatures in Gullah folklore. In particular we recommend "De Rabbit an' de Elephant tushes," "Buh elephant an buh rooster," "Buh rabbit and buh elephunt," "Buh Rabbit fools B'Olifaum an Buh Whale" from Gullah Animal Tales from Daufuskie Island, South Carolina, Gullah Folktales from the Georgia Coast and Afro-American Folk Lore.

11 August - "Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday" - It's "Play in the Sand Day" - and this activity just so happened to get the highest number of votes in our most recent poll. It's many a person's favorite summertime activity. This is one of the more than 350 postcards in the Library's Arnsberger Postcard Digital Collection.

10 August - Though we have no "specials" this week, I thought that I'd share Sydney's latest selection for the BDC's registration station. Poet, Clover Club member and local resident Elizabeth Bannister Dowling composed "August in Beaufort" in commemoration of South Carolina's Tricentennial anniversary in 1970.

Dear winter residents, and moved Marines,

Who have not summered Beaufort's summers through,

To whom our eighth imperial month is new,

Here's what you'd find, in gluey dog-day scenes:

The dogwood blossoms -- gone; firedogs, firescreens,

Atticed, or basemented; a kind of dew

Stuck to our hands, and heads; the zinnias, true

Last heroes, withering, and all gray their greens.

But, you'd find more: an informality,

Warm, heat-engendered, sweeter than other times;

A shimmering laziness, a brave esprit

Rebounding from the haze, and laced with limes,

And, most of all, that famous, craved Cool Spell

In August -- lovelier than a Bay Point shell!

Included in A Patchwork of Poems by Edith Bannister Dowling, p. 31.

9 August - Book lovers, bookworms, and bibliophiles celebrate National Book Lovers Day today. What are you reading? [Answers included: Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon; Slave Counterpoint: Black Culture in Eighteenth Century Chesapeake and Lowcountry by Philip D. Morgan; Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis; Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch [This one is a series with lots and lots of installments]; Theo of Golden by Allen Levi; Party of Liars: A Novel by Kelsey Cox [This one I expected to be non-fiction about either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party but ...] ; and The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert J. Waldinger and Marc S. Schultz. Only one title related to local history, but that's okay. At least folks are reading books.]

8 August - AM - "Finding Aid Friday:" The BDC has archival collections from all sorts of organizations, including some dedicated to the arts. The Beaufort Art Association was established in 1957 to promote and support the visual arts and local artists. In 2019 the association donated their archives to the Library. Let the Finding Aid be your guide to determine whether or not you'd like to set up an appointment to review the collection's contents: bdc@bcgov.net; 843-255-6468. PM - Pencil this BDC local history program at Bluffton Branch with Michael Reynolds about the history of Bluffton into your calendars for next month.

7 August - We're celebrating National Lighthouse Day this afternoon.

6 August - "Black History Note:" Because it’s American Artist Appreciation Month, learn about the art of Garden’s Corner Native son, Jonathan Green. The Library has lots of books for you to borrow – or you can visit the Research Room to see our BDC vertical file on this important lowcountry artist. Appointments are strongly encouraged – to make sure that someone will be here to assist you: bdc@bcgov.net; 843-255-6468.

5 August - How the BDC cooperated with Summer Reading Program 2025 in June and July: I started off being somewhat discouraged by the theme "Color Our World" but Sydney decided that the display would be "'Color Our World' with History" which started us on the path to make our contribution fuller than I originally expected:

• The BDC held two "color" themed local history programs: one about the true-blue friendship of James Monroe and General Lafayette on July 2nd and colorful local public art projects on July 28th. Attendance was a bit above what we expected from a summertime local history program.
• Staff researched and wrote 9 Connections articles about "colorful" topics and formats in the Research Room - some of which were linked to Facebook posts.
• I uploaded 32 "color" related posts on Facebook.
• Cassandra researched and wrote a Finding Aid for the "Cows on Vacation" photographic prints.

4 August - "Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday" features the book that Ted Panayotoff wrote. The Beaufort County Library system has all 9 copies of Up Here: The Hunting Island Lighthouse and Lightkeepers within the SCLENDS consortium of 20 county libraries and the State Library that have agreed to share resources and circulating materials.

3 August - The week in the BDC, we have two "specials" [both of which have now passed].

2 August - It's National Coloring Book Day - and the BDC has some! We just don't let you color in them.

1 August - The monthly overview.

What to Expect in August 2025

It's hard to believe that we are now in the 8th month of the year 2025. 

Traditionally, August is hot and muggy - and often comes with a tropical system or two. In fact as I was updating my "Hurricanes of Beaufort District's Past" talk for the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy, I was repeatedly struck by how often the date of one of the storms impacting here fell into the final week of August. That happened in 1813, 1881, 1885, 1893, 1898, 1911 and 1952. I see a pattern. Do you? 

I have my fingers - and toes and legs -- crossed that I will be able to retire without having to do a hurricane disaster recovery effort to save as much of the BDC's materials as possible. We're as ready as we can be; but I'd really rather not have to put that training into use. 

As of this writing there are no scheduled closures of the Library system during August. But - and it's a big but -- we are entering the most active phase of Hurricane Season so be sure to monitor weather conditions. Any changes to the Library's schedule will be posted in a red banner along each and every page of the Library's website. 

Update: 9:30 AM - Unfortunately the West Point cadets working on the Fort Fremont Digital Project experienced travel delays so they had to cancel their visit to the Research Room this afternoon. We'll have to save the presentation we made for them about customary special collection and archival protocols and a brief tour of some of the BDC’s Fort Fremont related resources during their visit for another time. As of this writing, the Panel Discussion scheduled for Sunday, August 3, is still "on." 

The BDC is "On the Road" a lot during August. We hope that you can join us for: 

Sunday, August 3, 2025 – Panel Discussion about Fort Fremont Findings by West Point Cadets with Dr. James Shinn as moderator. This rare-for-the-BDC Sunday event is brought to you by the Friends of Fort Fremont, United States Military Academy, the Beaufort County Historical Society and the BDC. Meet us at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Port Royal at 3 PM. 

Thursday, August 7, 2025 –In honor of National Lighthouse Day, local author Ted Panayotoff will share his book about the Hunting Island Lighthouse at St. Helena Branch Library at 2 PM.

Wednesday, August 27, 2025 - "In the Eye of the Storm” will feature personal accounts left behind by the survivors of the Hurricane of 1893. Session 1 is at Hilton Head Branch Library at 1 PM.  Hilton Head has a big meeting space and can seat up to 120 people. One does not need to register for Session 1.  

Thursday, August 28, 2025 – I will repeat “In the Eye of the Storm” at Port Royal Branch Library at 5 PM – but because of the small size of the Port Royal Branch Library, folks should register to attend. Registration will open August 14, 2025.

Two of the local history programs will impact our Research Room schedule this month as staff will have to be other places delivering services. Accordingly, the BDC will close at Noon on Thursday, August 7th so that we can present the Lighthouse program at St. Helena Branch Library. Because traveling to and from Hilton Head Branch requires more time, the Research Room will be closed  beginning at 10:45 AM on Wednesday, August 27th. 

The Fort Fremont panel discussion is on a Sunday - which shouldn't affect the public facing Research Room schedule. Nor should session 2 of "In the Eye of the Storm" as it starts at 5 pm. The Port Royal Branch is only a few miles away from the BDC's Research Room. It has a very small meeting room so there won't be a lot of room arrangement. Thus, I'll leave my staff to woman the Research Room while I set up, deliver, and put everything back to rights at Port Royal Branch on August 28th.

Local history programs are mere flashes in a pan whereas preservation of historic materials is meant to last for a century. When I started offering Local History programs, I intentionally designed them to highlight and complement resources we make available through the Library's special local history collection and archives unit in hopes that the unit's reputation within the community at large and with potential researchers would be raised. That goal has been a constant throughout my career here. It will remain my goal until I turn in my County badge. 

While I like to coordinate local history programs, doing so takes up a lot of time. Sometimes I have to remind myself and others that the primary responsibility of the BDC is to acquire, protect and share resources related to the long and storied history of Beaufort District's people, places, events and themes so that researchers can find useful materials inside our facility. BDC staff  do our best to practice good stewardship, describe and prepare materials for use by humans, and support historical investigations into the past inside the Research Room - and coordinate local history programs of the highest quality to highlight those materials when possible. We would love to tell you more about how to do research in our facility. Please reach out to us: bdc@bcgov.net; 843-255-6468 to discuss.

"Tide of Death" coming to Hilton Head Branch Library

I hope to see you at what may well be the very last time I ever do this presentation for the Library system. Even though the foundation and much of the material remains quite similar to the first time I did this talk more than a decade ago, I always have found something "new" to add in each time I give it. Join me South of the Broad for a reprise of a discussion of the most consequential weather event to strike Beaufort District. 

"Tide of Death: The Sea Island Hurricane of 1893" with Grace Cordial

Tuesday, August 22, 2023 

BDC@ Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Road 

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

First Come; First Seated | Note: Seating begins at 12:30 PM 

Heads up: All units of the Beaufort County Library system will be closed Monday, September 4, 2023 for Labor Day. 

"Tide of Death" (version 2021) ends soon

Watch it - and send your questions to me at gracec@bcgov.net - before we take it down at the end of this month. (We want to clear the air space for our upcoming October 2021 programs). 

Hurricane Preparedness Week, May 4 - May 8, 2020

Even as we deal with one crisis that is turning out to be perhaps longer than originally expected, this is coastal South Carolina and June will be here sooner than we expect. With June comes Hurricane Season 2020 that won't be officially over until November 30, 2020. If you're like me, I used up some of my 2019 Hurricane Season emergency stockpile in response to COVID-19 mitigation efforts. This week is a good time to take inventory and begin re-stocking for the next hurricane. (Odds are, though, you won't find much toilet paper, disinfectant wipes, or paper towels.) Here's some advice that Beaufort County Administration sent out to all those signed up for their e-blast list. Hurricane Preparedness Week Begins: Be Prepared and Stay Informed Hurricane Preparedness week begins today, May 4, and runs through Friday, May 8. During the next few days, Beaufort County residents are encouraged to set aside some time to review their emergency plans for the upcoming hurricane season, which lasts from June 1 to November 30. Disasters can strike without warning and leave whole neighborhoods flooded and without power and water. Some emergencies can confine residents to their homes for days or even force them to evacuate the area. As such, it is important to be ready. A few basics for planning include: • Have at least three days of water and nonperishable foods on hand. • Create an emergency supplies kit for both family members and any household pets. Visit ready.gov for emergency items to be included. • Gather copies of important documents, including health records, easily accessible. For documents to keep handy, click here. • Learn about hurricane evacuation zones and their vulnerability to storm surge on South Carolina’s coast with an interactive map. • Download SC Emergency Manager (the official app of SCEMD). Using this app, coastal residents can determine their evacuation zone based on their phone's location or by entering a physical address. Get the free app via the Apple App Store or Google Play. • Sign up for updates from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office here or text your ZIP code to 888777. • Sign up for updates from Beaufort County government here. • Follow Beaufort County government’s Facebook page here. To sign up for news from Beaufort County Administration, click here. To unsubscribe, click here. Beaufort County | Post Office Drawer 1228 | Beaufort, SC 29901 Watch and Listen | Email Us | Call Us | Meet County Council | Get Involved

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This email was sent to gracec@bcgov.net on behalf of: Beaufort County, SC · PO Drawer 1228 · Beaufort, SC 29901

Sea Island Hurricane Program August 28, 2019

Learn about what really happened in Beaufort County when a devastating hurricane hit 126 years ago. Beaufort District Collection Manager, Grace Cordial features special collections and archival materials about the great Sea Island Hurricane of 1893. And for those who've attended in the past, Cordial has some new testimonies and documents to share.

The program is free and seating is first come, first served. Doors will open at 5:05 PM.

Looking ahead: All units of the Beaufort County Library will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2019 for Labor Day. Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, September 3rd.

Hurricanes, Bootlegging, and Hospitals

79 years ago the unnamed hurricane of August 11, 1940 had this area in a tizzy. 

According to A History of Storms of the South Carolina Coast by Laylon Jordan (South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, 1940), that hurricane was the "first severe hurricane to strike the South Carolina coast directly in 30 years." When it made landfall near Beaufort, winds were clocked at 105 miles per hour and the entire South Carolina coastal region suffered through a 13-foot storm surge. Total property losses were estimated at $10 million; the death tally was 34. 200 homes were destroyed and at least 1000 houses sustained damage. However the Beaufort Gazette newspaper stated in its August 15, 1940 issue that "the greatest loss to the community is that suffered by the age old lovely oak trees."

10 of the 34 people killed by this storm died in Beaufort County. 9 of the 10 victims were African-American. According to their death certificates, each person drowned. Based on evidence in the 1940 Census- available through the Library's subscription to Ancestry Library Edition -- the Gardner Family of St. Helena Island experienced the worst tragedy arising out of the Hurricane of 1940. Six members of the family died: Ethel, Melka, Frankie, William, Arthur and Marion. The eldest person was 24 years old and the youngest was only a baby. A Civilian Conservation Corp member working on Hunting Island, Ashley Allen, a white young man, got caught by the rising tide and did not survive. Edward Robinson, one of the sons of Stepney Robinson (AKA "Dr. Buzzard"), and Joe L. Williams also died.

At some point, I hope to craft a lecture about the Hurricane of 1940 similar to the one I do about the Great Sea Island Storm of 1893. And speaking of the 1893 hurricane, I'm doing an updated version of my lecture about the biggest, baddest storm to strike Beaufort District to date. All are welcomed to attend on August 28th. It's a first come, first seated presentation.

Another first come, first seated presentation occurs on this Thursday. We also hope that you'll be able to attend Neil Baxley's presentation entitled "Bootlegging in Beaufort and Beyond".

In case you'd like to pencil more local history programs into your calendar, we have two programs scheduled for September:

"Sorrow by the Sea: Civil War Hospitals in Beaufort" with Dave Smoot
Sept. 11, 2019, BDC@ Beaufort Branch, 5:30 PM

"Sorrow by the Sea" is the story of the medical side of the Civil War in Beaufort. First come; first seated. No registration.

"Indigo" with Peggy Pickett
 Sept. 17, 2019, BHM/BCL series @ Beaufort Branch, 2:00 PM

Pickett will explore the history of the production and processing of indigo in mid-18th century South Carolina. Registration for this lecture will open 2 weeks in advance of the program. https://beauforthistorymuseum.wildapricot.org/event-3463469


And don't forget! The Research Room has adjusted hours on Tuesday, August 13th due to an anticipated staff shortage. Research hours will be 9 AM to Noon and 1 PM to 5 PM on that date.

BDC Reaches Out with Program and Events

We are getting off to a slower start than usual in 2019. Not to worry, though, because we have 3 community outreach events and 2 library based programs between January 31 and February 28 for you to attend. Some are free while some require advance registration and payment of a fee to our partners. We cover onomatology, African American history, genealogy, archaeology and lots of disasters in these offerings:

Correct Mispronunciations of Some South Carolina Names with Grace Cordial | Thurs., January 31, 2019 | BDC@ Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island | 3 PM | $ Registration and fee required by CDM https://www.coastaldiscovery.org/event-registration/?ee=12625 The session will be closed when capacity is reached.

Freedmen's Bureau Records with Toni Carrier, Executive Director, Center for Family History, International African American Museum | Sat., February 2, 2019 | BDC@ St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road | 1 PM - 3 PM. To register for the workshop: https://www.gullahgeecheecorridor.org/calendar/ or telephone: (843) 818-4587 email: info@gullahgeecheecorridor.org


In 2019, BCHS and BHM are celebrating 80 years of preserving history in Beaufort County. The lecture will be held in the Tabernacle Baptist Church with a reception and book sale in the Tabernacle Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. The Beaufort District Collection will project a slideshow of items from its holdings about William J Whipper, Jonathan Jasper Wright, the Beaufort County Historical Society and the Beaufort Museum during the reception. 

Professor Burke

 
W. J. Whipper and J. J. Wright: Beaufort's and South Carolina's First Civil Rights Lawyers presented by Prof. W. Lewis Burke in cooperation with the Beaufort County Historical Society, Beaufort History Museum & Tabernacle Baptist Church | Thurs., February 7, 2019 | BDC@ Tabernacle Baptist Church, 901 Craven Street, Beaufort | 6:00 - 7:30 PM | $ Registration is required: https://beauforthistorymuseum.wildapricot.org/event-3119022



Shell Middens of the Lowcountry with Jeff Sherard, Archaeologist, Brockington & Associates | Wed., February 20, 2019 | BDC@ Beaufort Branch Library, First Floor, 311 Scott Street | 2 PM
First come; first seated; No registration

Hurricanes in Beaufort District's Past with Grace Cordial | Wed., February 27, 2019 | BDC@ Palmetto Bluff Conservancy Classroom, 659 Old Moreland Road, Bluffton | Noon to 1 PM
Free and open to the general public

The Library system will be closed on Monday, January 21, 2019 to observe Martin Luther King, Jr. day. Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

Florence made me do it ...

 

South Carolina's Governor Henry McMaster has called for a mandatory evacuation of Beaufort County beginning at noon on Tuesday, September 11th. By order of the County government, Beaufort County Library was closed at conclusion of business today until further notice.

Both of the local history programs scheduled for this week will be re-scheduled.

"Altamaha and the Yamasee Indians" originally set for Tuesday, September 11th is postponed.

"Correct Mispronunciations of Some South Carolina Names" originally set for Thursday, September 14th is postponed.

Please monitor the Library's  website at www.beaufortcountylibrary.org for the date of re-opening.

Please take care and be safe.

Hurricane Quasquicentennial

Remembering the Dead 125 Years Later

To commemorate the 125th Anniversary of Sea Island Hurricane, please read a past Connections post about the "Most Devastating Natural Disaster" to ever befall Beaufort District and visit our Wordpress blog post to reflect on some of the names of the deceased from the Hurricane of 1893.

The names of most of those who died remain unknown as Beaufort County Coroner records are incomplete. The stories in the documents that do still exist are harrowing. Here H. J. Middleton describes what happened to his family when the Tide of Death roared ashore: 

  

Transcription of the images above 

 

State Of South Carolina

Beaufort County

The State vs. the dead bodies of the Will Middleton, Catherine Middleton & Carolina, C. Middleton, H.J. Middleton being duly sworn deposes and says:

I live in Lands End, Beaufort County. On the night of Aug. 27th, 1893, we were visited by a cyclone and tidal wave.  Deceased are my wife and children. The wind blew a gale.  We were all right at that time but as soon as I saw the water get near the house, we made for a tree with the children but the waves were so great and the tide was so strong that we could not help ourselves. I had two of the children under my arms. I found the water getting too deep and worse. I was compelled to turn them loose. I found the children and all on the next evening. If I had not turned them loose, I would have drowned myself.

HJ X (his mark) Middleton

Sworn to before me this 29th day of Aug. A.D. 1893 Jack Freeman, Dep. Coroner

[Beaufort County] County Coroner Inquisition Books vol. 2: 1888 – 1893, pp. 244-245.

By the way, the lecture about the Sea Island Hurricane scheduled for Coastal Discovery Museum on September 26th is completely full. We are trying to work out an additional date for a reprise of the presentation.

Looking ahead: What does the Coroner do? Learn more during Lecture #4 of Season 3 of the joint Beaufort History Museum / Beaufort County Library local history series in April 2019. Registration will open on the Beaufort History Museum's website approximately 2 weeks ahead of the lecture date.