July 2-8 and June 27th – Five More Librarie

One of the native rhododendrons that thrive in the south

On June 26^th I made my way to the South Carolina Department of History and Archives (SCDHA) only to find that it was closed on Mondays. I had checked the schedule beforehand, then somehow convinced myself I was mistaken, so I drove to the library and was delighted to find it was close to where I was camping had ample free parking. After looking at the visitor center exhibits I returned to the nearby Sesquicentennial Campground where I was staying and was content to process material and catch up on my blog for the remainder of the day.

The SCDHA was billed as the premier place to do South Carolina research, so I was keen to go back. When I returned early the following morning my first target was a single roll of microfilm that included typed versions of the handwritten wills I’d collected at the Abbeville Clerk’s office. I found most of what I already had plus some that I’d missed by going through the roll frame by frame. When I came to a familiar name I took photos of the projected image. This provided a less than ideal copy but my photos are legible and it took a lot less time. I collected 20 typed wills. The typing was done by the FDR-sponsored History Project program during the depression. Thank you President Roosevelt.

A portion of the Last Will of Benjamin Waller on the
 microfilm reader

One of the documents the library held was the Agriculture, Industry, and Social Statistics and Mortality Census for South Carolina 1850 – 1880.  This database provided detailed information on individual’s physical descriptions, where they lived, occupation and causes of death. I was eager to find my ancestors. The data was transcribed in clear script but it was written very small and was difficult to read. I found one entry for Christopher Brooks. I don’t have a Christopher in my database but copied it anyway in case I find one later and am able connect him to my family tree.

In their book collection I found another reference for Abbeville Marriages 1777-1852, printed summaries of the 1850 and 1860 Abbeville censuses, and a volume on the history of Abbeville with the romantic title “Abbeville County Southern Lifestyles Lost In Time” by Lester W. Ferguson.

Illustration from a book showing workers loading a hogshead
of tobacco on a ship

SCDHA is a library for serious researchers. They have ample staff available to answer questions and show patrons how to find documents. What I didn’t like about it was the emphasis on microfilm. I much prefer to look at books and their collection of books was small compared to other libraries I visited. 

Last Will of Edmund Gaines