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YOU ARE INVITED
Join us for Two Programs this Fall

October 2 at 3 p.m.
Historical Marker dedication and program
at Tiller's Ferry community,
crossroads site Bethune Road (SC 341) and
Old Stagecoach Road from Camden

(At left, front of old store that was Tiller's Ferry post office)

History of the Tiller's Ferry community pre-dates the Revolution and includes Civil War invasions.
The ferry was the major early crossing over the Lynches River into Kershaw County.

November 6 at 3 p.m.
In the auditorium at Camden High School,
Ehrenclou Road, Camden, S.C.

Richard Kirkland--Angel or Hoax?
Hear historian Mac Wyckoff on the provocative topic
and view a dynamic new film documentary on Kirkland's deed

(At left, Sgt. Richard Rowland Kirkland, 2nd S.C.)

Richard Kirkland, a Confederate sergeant from Kershaw County, is remembered for risking  his life
during the Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., to take water to wounded and dying enemy soldiers.

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Keeping Up With Our Recent Big Project
A History of Kershaw County, South Carolina

The new book A History of Kershaw County, South Carolina, written by Joan A. Inabinet and L. Glen Inabinet for the Kershaw County Historical Society and published by USC Press, has received very favorable response since the Society introduced it to the public with a much-enjoyed launch party Jan. 16, 2011. The authors have also given talks from its pages to numerous groups, and have appeared as radio guests on Walter Edgar's Journal. The South Carolina Book Festival May 14 and 15, 2011, featured the book with two panel presentations and book signings by the authors.

A History of Kershaw County, South Carolina

by Joan A. Inabinet and L. Glen Inabinet
for the Kershaw County Historical Society

Hardbound, with dust jacket, over 700 pages
of text, illustrations, and extensive index

Published by the University of South Carolina Press

Click here to order your book from us.
Our price per regular edition book $50 , plus shipping if required

In Kershaw County the book is also sold at  the Camden Archives,  Historic Camden, the Elgin Town Hall, and at various local vendors.
The book is also available from our publisher, USC Press, as well as
from other book and online sources.

Click here for other Society publications.

NOW AVAILABLE  a numbered limited Special Edition (only 100 copies printed) of A History of Kershaw County

Navy leather binding with gold lettering.  Numbered and autographed on special page insert.
King Hagler (Haiglar) image on cover. A distinctive companion to vintage Historic Camden volumes.

Available only through the Society. Special Edition, $100,  plus shipping if required

Click here to order your Special Edition book from us.

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Recent Honors
 

Award for A History of Kershaw County

At the 2011 Landmark Conference in Walterboro, S.C.,  Mike Scoggins, president of the Confederation of South Carolina Local Historical Societies, presents authors Joan and Glen Inabinet the Society's Merit Award for the recently published A History of Kershaw County.

Be sure to get your copy--a book you and your children will enjoy and use for years

A Regular Newspaper Column for the Society

The Society's regular column "Yesteryear" in the Chronicle-Independent garnered well-earned recognition for its author-editor Harvey S. Teal from the City of Camden. The 2010 Camden Media Award stated, "Harvey has played a major role in preservingboth the physical and written Historical Heritage of Camden and Kershaw County."

Follow Harvey's column in the Camden, S.C., Chronicle-Independent.
 

An audience of about 75 persons on May 16, 2010, enjoyed the comfortable seating of the beautiful chapel at Camden Military Academy in Camden during the informative and entertaining lecture by Dr. Gilbert S. Guinn on the Southern Aviation School that had operated at that site during World War II.  Specifically, Dr. Guinn focused on the training of British pilots there as part of the Arnold Scheme, topic of a book he authored on the subject. Afterwards, the audience enjoyed refreshments and walked on the airport field to inspect a restored vintage Stearman airplane such as had been used there for training during World War II.
 

Guest Speaker:  Gilbert S. Guinn, Author of
The Arnold Scheme

Gilbert S. Guinn of Greenwood, Emeritus Professor at Lander University and a contributor of the Guinn Collection to Cooper Library, USC, was born and grew up near Woodward Field in Camden. Here the Southern Aviation School operated from 1941-1943. Its traces are still observed at  Camden Military Academy where we will meet and at the Camden Airport. Dr.Guinn's 2007 The Arnold Scheme, includes details about SAS at Camden.

The Arnold Scheme is available from online vendors and may be previewed at Google Books.

More Resources on the Topic

Read here Aviation Special Issue, Fred Ogburn's extensive articles on the Southern Aviation School that appeared as "A Kershaw County Historical Society Special Issue" in the April 28, 2010, Kershaw County Current, with thanks for the PDF provided us by that publication.

Snapshots of World War II training in Camden may be viewed on the webpage journal of SAS British flying cadet Anthony Johnstone.  Although the text at this site includes his journal throughout the war, all photographs were taken at Camden.

More snapshots of training in Camden may be viewed on the webpage devoted to the webpage story of SAS British flying cadet Allan Gent. His son would appreciate any identifications or further information that can be provided. The page also links to a copy of a 1941 publication of Goggles  by the UK cadets, including personal signatures of the some of them.

Built in 1932, Camden Airport hanger used by the Southern
Aviation School. SC Archives and History Center photo.

Despite a cold rain, over 65 persons were at the  Robert Mills Courthouse in Camden  Jan. 24, 2010, to hear the moderated panel discussion "The Homefront Is the Battlefront," the first part of a two-part "BRITS INVADE CAMDEN" presentation. Moderated by Charles Baxley, the panel included Joanna Craig, Glen Inabinet, John Miller, Jim Piecuch, and David Reuwer.  Information about several of these panelists

The Homefront Is the Battlefront
Domestic life during the Revolution

 
Inside the Robert Mills Courthouse, above,
scenes by Claude Buckley depict local
battle actions during the Revolution.


Recent re-enactors at Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site
(above) depict roles of civilians, as well as military participants.

Panelist John Miller, (below) points to a Revolutionary Camden map,
discussed by panelists (row 2) and the audience (rows 3 amd 4).

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A Ceramic History of S.C.
A Kershaw County Focus

On a part of the old campus, a memorial to Mather is a familiar site
on Campbell Street, Camden, a location on the State Archives’
list of African-American Historical Sites. The school took root
from missionary efforts to educate children of former slaves.

More Mather information is on the Boylan-Haven-Mather Academy Alumni Association webpage.

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Lovely Spring weather added to the pleasures of Society members who joined us in going
BACK TO Boykin, SC March 22, 2009, to continue touring the historic rural community.

"BACK TO Historic Boykin" Spring Tour

Actress Chris Weatherhead enthralls tour-goers at the Terraces
in her noted role as Civil War diarist Mary Boykin Chesnut,
who spent part of her childhood in the lovely plantation home.

High, wide porches offered expansive views of the Terraces'  famous grounds.

A stroll on the grounds of Millway reawakens rural memories.

Sam Dennis fills old Swift Creek Baptist Church
with the full-toned notes of traditional spiritual singing.
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Society members filled the pews at historic Ebenezer Methodist Church in Lugoff  for our Feb. 15, 2009, program on an extensive nineteenth-century public works system that the State of South Carolina built on the west bank of the Wateree River.

The Wateree Canal

A large group enjoyed a lovely day in Boykin, SC, on our Fall Tour Nov. 9, 2008.
Sites included
Deer Hope Lodge, home to Boykin Hunt Club
Boykin Grist Mill, with demonstration
Pear Tree
Old Stockton Schoolhouse
Swift Creek Church
Battle of Boykin, Civil War skirmish site

Historic Boykin Fall Tour


Tille and Baynard Boykin share information about the 1865 battle
 commemorated by the marker behind them.

Inside Swift Creek Baptist Church, Alice Boykin describes its restoration.


Seen through the window of restored Stockton School, groups
outside are engaged in conversation with Boykin area residents.

Jamie Guy tells old hunting stories at Deer Hope Lodge,
grounds of the Boykin Hunt Club.

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An audience of 200 filled the auditorium and gallery at the
Kershaw County Fine Arts Center, Camden, Oct. 26, 2008,
for our first program of this new term of office.

The PROGRAM and ART EXHIBIT Preview, was presented in
in cooperation with the Kershaw County Fine Arts Center

The Life and Art of
Kershaw County Native Jak Smyrl

Sketch above by Jak Smyrl is used by permission from
his book Random Rimes, copyright 2007.

Featured Speaker was Cartoonist Robert Ariail 
 

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A very interested audience of 50 to 60 at the Robert Mills Courthouse
 May 19,2008, heard Val Green discuss his extensive research.

John Lawson's Explorations
of the Catawba Path, 1700-1701


The Catawba Path is traveled in part today by anyone
who uses Broad Street in Camden, where appropriately
the weathervane effigy of Catawba chief "King Haiglar"
tops the historic town tower. (Image from mid-1900s)

Program & tour photos Details here
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 Despite rainy interruptions April 27, 2008, a cheerful crowd of about 50
followed our tour to the end, attentive to lively explanations by our guide

Archaeology & Walking Tour
of Battle of Hobkirk's Hill site



Program Details here
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Our March 2, 2008, program attracted 200 visitors!
Beginning at the Bethune Woman's Club with a short talk, display, and refreshments,
the program included a tour with local experts speaking at various sites
and a map-brochure created especially for this program!

Tour of Bethune, SC

Early nineteenth century swimmers at Big Spring mineral-springs resort in Bethune

Program and 1907 photo Details here

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The Society attracted attention at its booth at the SC Book Festival in Columbia Feb. 23-24.We enjoyed our first time to be part of this popular annual event,
beloved by readers and antique book-collectors. We are looking
forward to next year.  Plan to join us at the next annual Festival!


Ben Shreiner and Charles Baxley, manning the Historical Society's booth at the SC Book Festival, greet one of the customers to the event, Liz Campbell, also of Kershaw County.
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Our Jan.13, 2008, program at the Robert Mills Courthouse was
well-attended, enjoyed by audience and panelists, and
moderated by Don Terrell on the subject :

Pre-Revolutionary History
in Kershaw County


Some of the finer pre-Revolutionary area homes did not differ much from
the 1812 Drakeford House moved to the Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site.
(1970 view)
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The Elgin Centennial was observed in 2008!

We enjoyed our Oct. 2007 program Old Blaney to New Elgin
Thanks to the Elgin Centennial Committee, our hosts

Where Blaney began—A telegraph operator sits in the Western Union window of the Seaboard train depot at Blaney (today Elgin) in the early 1900s.

Thanks so much to Barbie Russ  for this image of her great granduncle Elihu Meares, an early 1900s telegraph operator who traveled in the employ of the Seaboard Air Line Railway. The Blaney depot building, moved to Stephen Campbell Road, now serves as Goff Feed & Tack.