Crime, Murder and Mayhem: Selected Links and Lists of Materials

This post introduces a few of the famous and infamous criminal acts and scandals in Beaufort District's past from colonial days into the 21st century.

James Edwin McTeer, Jr., 1903 – 1979: Selective List of Materials and Links

Beaufort County's longest serving Sheriff Ed McTeer Jr. was known as Beaufort's white witch doctor, "legendary lawman, author, spellbinder and raconteur." His law enforcement career included interactions with murderers, nudists, bootleggers and root doctors from 1926 through 1963, During World War II he was Commanding Officer of the 6th Naval District in charge of the Mounted Beach Patrol.

Lowcountry Plantations: A Selective List of Links and Materials

Plantations are a feature of the lowcountry landscape. Learn a bit about the history of these estates beginning in the 17th century up to the present day.

R. L. Johnson Medical Record Book, 1863–1864, 1867-1883 Finding Aid

Accession #: 2017.020 R.L. Johnson Medical Journal, [page 8]Beaufort District Collection Biographical Note: Richard Love Johnson (1841-1913) was born on January 8, 1841 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama to Rev. William Johnson an Episcopalian Minister originally from South Carolina and Flora Lee Love of Virginia. He married Isabella Mackay around 1864. Five of their children would survive …

Robert Smalls: War Hero, Public Servant, and a Man of Mark, 1839 – 1915

Robert Smalls may have been born into slavery but he escaped, became the first African-American war hero, became a public servant holding in the State legislature and Congress, acquired property, ran businesses, and advocated for progressive causes in the rough and tumble environment of the Reconstruction era. Learn more about his life story.

Sweetgrass Baskets in the Lowcountry

Though the traditions are ancient and rooted in Africa, sweetgrass baskets are a fairly recent development in our Sea Islander communities. Selling the crafted baskets to tourists only dates back to the 1930s. Read more about this craft and its history in the Lowcountry.

L.A. Hall Civil War Stereoscope Collection Finding Aid

Please note: Since Amanda Forbes came on staff in late June 2017, she has concentrated on organizing the archives portion of the Beaufort District Collection. She  finished an inventory begun by Ashley Sylva and has begun compiling Finding Aids to our holdings. We will place the Finding Aids in this blog as they are completed. …

Joe “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier, 1944-2011: A Selective List of Links & Materials

Joseph "Smokin' Joe" Frazier was born in Beaufort, S.C to Dolly Alston-Frazier and Rubin Frazier on January 12, 1944. He was one of the couple's twelve children. Growing up, Frazier worked on his family's ten acre farm in the Laurel Bay area as well as  Bellamy farm. Frazier would often rather put in a hard days …

Ghost Stories of Beaufort County, SC – Part 7: Haunting on Ribaut Road

Hauntings abound in Beaufort District and one hears of them through many means, including oral history interviews about living along Ribaut Road.

Mid-19th Century Medicine: A Selective List of Links and Materials

The mid-19th century is considered to be the formative years of what we now know as modern medicine. Scientific medicine was on the rise yet in the rural South, where most communities did not have a doctor on-hand, it was still necessary to have an understanding of treatments that could be found using plants and …

Praise Houses in Gullah Religion and Social Practices

According to the National Historic Register documentation for St. Helena Island, "One of the most significant influences on slave life here was religion, which was illustrated by the development and use of praise houses on the plantation. Praise houses were generally small frame houses, often an elder slave's cabin, in which the slaves held meetings, …