YOU HAVE MAIL!
Freezie, thanks for the Pass from your stash, and the $200 I collected as I passed Go...:)
Johnny Mac, you were supposed to issue the vital "ally-ally-in-come-free" call so I could safely enter the Finest Room!
Dixie and visualops, you did a wonderful job of getting a handle on so varied and complex state ours is, and of course Mama_Bear created the perfect border and background for it all.
Although I was reared in Florida, my mother saw to it my South Carolina heritage was conveyed, and all the things attendant thereunto, as a proper Southern girl. Through the records in her father's Bible (he was a minister, as was his father and father-in-law), I came to appreciate his lineage all the way back to the 1600's in the state, and before that in England and Scotland.
It was fascinating to read, too, of the French Huguenot forebears who fled oppression in Europe and settled around Georgetown, and of English Landgrave Thomas Smith, deeded a 48,000-acre grant from King George in 1691.
It was my understanding he was granted even more such landgraves, and was a successful merchant with a house on the river in Charles Town, as it was first named.
He was active in local politics (later becoming a Governor of the state), was the town surgeon, and a planter.
After the death of his wife, he married the widow of the Dutch builder of Medway Plantation west of the town, where much of the brick was made that built the city.
In 1968, I lived 6 miles from Medway, and visited there on a Spring Plantation Tour of the several counties in the area.
Another forebear, George Long, was in the first census of America (1790, I think it was) as having a plantation in Georgetown. Another one belonged to the Skinners near Murrell's Inlet, my grandfather's mother born on it. It later was incorporated with 3 other plantations to create Brookgreen Gardens, with the largest display of outdoor sculpture in America.
My grandfather lived all over the state with various church assignments, including Charleston (my mother was 17 there when WWI ended, and they all streamed out onto The Battery to celebrate) and Columbia.
In addition to visiting my relatives growing up, I lived later at Parris Island, Port Royal, Columbia, Myrtle Beach (taught school there the year my husband was in Southeast Asia), Hanahan (near Charleston) and here in Barnwell, near the Savannah River site on the west side.
I also spent 8 weeks at a summer camp in your end of the state, visualops, at Camp Jocassee, the summer I was 9.
Those who have not been to the state will perhaps benefit most from seeing the unique city of Charleston and environs (in particular, the lovely gardens), and perhaps the Hilton Head area.
Dixie and visualops can attest to the fact Charleston is a whole different world, with THE most courteous and polite and utterly charming men on the planet!! Walking along the downtown streets is an experience in itself, always yielding direct eye contact and smiles and glances and half-bows of respect...great for any woman to experience!
CAUTION - do not stop at South of The Border!!
LOL
Thanks for the additional information on SC through your eyes. Dixie, visualops and N.Theknow have me convinced that I need to visit South Carolina.
Someday I shall get back there. I have a niece in Charlotte who has been insisting that we come for a visit. Maybe we can do that and take a side-trip down to Charleston. I would love to see the historic parts of the city.
YOU HAVE MAIL!