The discussion sessions will be held on Feb. 27th, March 19th, and April 2nd, 16th and 30th Monday beginning at 6:30 p.m., in the Barrett Room at Spartanburg County Libraries Headquarters Building. These are all Monday nights.

Advance sign-up is required, and space is limited. Contact Steve Smith by e-mail at steves@infodepot.org or by phone at (864) 596-3500 ext. 1256 for more information.

Dr. Andrew Myers, associate professor of history at USC Upstate, will serve as our project scholar, and will moderate the discussions on the readings at each session. Reading selections include:

“March” by Geraldine Brooks (Penguin, 2006)
“Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam” by James McPherson (Oxford University Press, 2002)
“America’s War: Talking About the Civil War and Emancipation on Their 150th Anniversaries,” an anthology of speeches, diaries, memoirs, biography, and short stories, edited by national project scholar Edward L. Ayers and co-published by NEH and ALA.

Books will be available for participants’ use without cost.

Steve Smith

Coordinator, Local History Services and Collections

Spartanburg County Public Libraries
151 South Church Street
Spartanburg, SC 29306
(864)596-3500 ext. 1256
Fax: (864)596-3518

steves@infodepot.org

Chapman Cultural Center West Wing Conference Room
The Spartanburg History Hub is a network of individuals and organizations committed to Spartanburg County history and meets from 7-8 pm one Thursday each odd month except July. An expert speaker joins us to share from their experience and knowledge. This month, Dr. Carol Loar, Assoc. Professor of History at USC Upstate will present ‘Murder Takes the Angel Shape of Justice’: Rape, Reputation and Retribution in Spartanburg County.” It discusses the lynching of John J. Moore, who, in 1879, was arrested and charged with the rape and murder of a young woman before being taken from the custody of the sheriff and lynched. The talk explores the events leading up to the lynching as well as local, regional, and national interpretations of Moore’s death.

There is also time for networking. If you or your organization has a historic event or project, please plan to share during our opening networking time during the meeting. The History Hub is managed by the Spartanburg County Historical Association and you may send your email to us to be added to our electronic Spartanburg History Hub mailing list. scha@spartanburghistory.org
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Lunch & Learn Spartanburg: The Legacy of a Civil War Soldier
Friday, January 27, 2012, 12:30-1:30 pm; $5
Chapman Cultural Center West Wing Conference Room
Join the Regional History Museum for an hour each month to learn interesting pieces of Spartanburg’s history from various speakers. Bring your lunch and learn from experts! This month, Aliene Shields will share the legacy of a Civil War soldier – her great-grandfather Private Thomas M. Shields. She is the co-author with Mac Wyckoff of the book The Legacy of a Common Civil War Soldier Private Thomas Marion Shields: A Collection of 34 Letters 1861-1865. Private Shields was born in 1834 and grew up in the Fingerville area. This book shares letters among the family during the Civil War which depict the hardships and every day life of a Spartanburg family during the war.
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Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport: Past, Present & Future

Sunday, January 29, 2012, 3:00-5:00 pm; Free and Open to the Public

500 Ammons Road, Spartanburg

Join the Spartanburg County Historical Association at the recently renovated Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport. Airport Director Darwin Simpson will share an entertaining and informative perspective of the impressive history, expansive present, and optimistic future of the Airport and its impact on the Spartanburg community.

There will be refreshments and a brief, open business meeting.

CHESNEE, SC: On January 14 – 15, 2012, reenactors in Revolutionary War period clothing will bring the 18th century to life, and visitors can hear different perspectives about the American Revolution, as Cowpens National Battlefield presents traditional and new activities during the annual battle anniversary celebration. All activities are free and open to the public.

The event will kick off at 9:30 am on January 14 with an hour-long guided battlefield walk. The first 18th century weapons firing demonstration will be at 11:15, and the first 18th century cavalry demonstration will be at11:45.

At 10:00 am on January 14, SAR, DAR, and CAR chapters from around the country will have a wreath-laying ceremony at the 1932 US Monument in front of the Visitor Center. Afterwards, they will have a procession to the 1856 Washington Light Infantry Monument. In the past, this traditional portion of the event had been held in the afternoon. However, it has grown so much that the park moved it to the morning so that it will not be overshadowed by other event activities.

Authors will continue to give talks in the program tent, followed by book-signings in the Visitor Center. On Saturday, Spartanburg author, Sheila Ingle will give a dramatic performance entitled, A Scary Day for Kate Barry, based on her book, Courageous Kate, and will give a reading from her book, Fearless Martha, about Revolutionary War heroine Martha Bratton. On Sunday, Dr. Christine Swager will give a talk based on her book, Come to the Cow Pens; Joe Epley, will speak about of A Passel of Hate, about the Overmountain men, and the final featured author of the weekend will be Dr. Tony Zeiss, author of Backcountry Fury at 3:00 on Sunday. The authors will be available to sign books following their programs.

Additional programs in the tent include a genealogy workshop by DAR member, Darlene Dowdy, and a program on 18th century medical practices by living historian and former NPS employee, Eric Williams.

Tradition continues as reenactors tell the story of the battle on the Saturday evening lantern-lit walks. A favorite of visitors and reenactors, the improvisational walks, led by park staff, take approximately 30 minutes and depict what may have happened the night before the battle: militiamen looking for Morgan’s camp, British soldiers preparing for battle, cavalry discussing Tarleton, and Continentals going over battle plans. As participants in the walks, visitors will have the opportunity to “experience” the night before the battle, and are encouraged to interact with the reenactors. Park volunteers will serve free cookies and cider following the walks.

The park is continuing to set aside a special area where children of all ages can participate in colonial era activities such as making sachets, flags, whirligigs, and drums, writing with quill pens, and learning the von Steuben weapons drill. These activities will be available from 11:00 – 5:00 on Saturday and 10:00 – 3:00 on Sunday.

New this year will be the arrival of the Morgan’s March participants on Saturday rather than Sunday. First time participants will receive medals in the program tent at 2:00 on Saturday. Members of the Guilford Fife and Drum Corps will give concerts in the program tent and at the US Monument on both days and will play on the battlefield for Sunday’s 9:30 battlefield walk. At 10:30 on Sunday will be a Divine Service, or 18th century church service.

The park staff is excited to introduce new superintendent, John Slaughter in the program tent on January 14 at 4:00 pm. Superintendent Slaughter encourages everyone in the area to help celebrate the anniversary of this pivotal battle, “This is YOUR National Park! What happened here on this simple pasture-land gave all Carolinians, all Americans great confidence to take the fight all the way to victory. Our nation’s freedom was secured right here in YOUR backyard.”

Last but not least, Superintendent Slaughter is starting a new tradition at the event. Students from area schools were invited to participate in a t-shirt design contest. The shirts, which will be sold in the park’s book store, will be different every year. The winning design will make one student $100 richer through a generous donation from the park’s cooperating association, Eastern National. The public can purchase this limited edition shirt after the superintendent announces the winner at 4:00 on January 14.

Cowpens National Battlefield is located 10 miles west of Gaffney, SC, and 3 miles east of Chesnee, SC at the intersection of Highways 11, 110, and 221-A. Normal Visitor Center hours are 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily, closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.

For more information, call (864) 461-2828. Visit the Cowpens National Battlefield webpage at http://www.nps.gov/cowp/planyourvisit/231st-battle-anniversary-celebration.htm to see or print the detailed schedule.

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 395 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
Kathy McKay
Chief Ranger
Cowpens National Battlefield
864-461-2828

For more information:

Please check our events page regularly for special events. For additional information, please contact 864-596-3501 or email regionalmuseum@spartanburghistory.org.

Regional History Museum

The Spartanburg Regional History Museum has been in operation since 1961. The Museum recently relocated to the Chapman Cultural Center at 200 E. St. John Street on the second floor of the West Wing (also known as the Carlos Dupre Moseley building).

A group of local non-profit organizations is working together to win a series of $25,000 donations from the Chase Community Giving Program. Chase is running the giving program on the Facebook social networking platform. Chase has already donated over $15 million dollars toward charities nationwide, including $25,000 to Spartanburg Charter School during its Spring Program. The fall program benefits smaller non-profit groups (those with budgets under one million dollars per year).

The Chase Community giving program is designed as a contest. The top 100 charities receiving the most votes on Facebook will receive between $25,000 and $250,000 depending on their final ranking. Each voter participating in the contest receives ten votes (only one vote per organization is allowed). To date, six local charities have decided to pool their efforts in an effort to win at least $150,000 in total grant money. These charities include the Spartanburg Interfaith Hospitality Network (SPHIN), The Carpenter’s Table Food Pantry, The Haven Homeless Shelter, The Spartanburg County Historical Association, The Hub-City Farmers’ Market, Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve and Palmetto Hearts.

How You Can Help
You can help the coalition of charities by simply “Liking” the Chase Community Giving program at: http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/ and casting your vote to determine this fall’s winners. The charities also have created a facebook event with easy voting instructions at http://tinyurl.com/votespartanburg

The Spartanburg History Hub is a network of individuals and organizations committed to Spartanburg County history. The History Hub is managed by the Spartanburg County Historical Association and meets one Thursday each odd month except July. Locations vary. 7:00-8:00 pm

This month…

Dr. Phillip Stone, Wofford College Archivist, will share the significance and historic interest of Spartanburg. Over the years, Spartanburg County has been featured in a number of different works of history. What have historians had to say about Spartanburg, and why has Spartanburg been a subject worth studying? We’ll talk about a few books that have featured some aspect of the county’s history and see if we can figure out if there’s something unique about this place.

If you or your organization has a historic event or project, please plan to share during our opening networking time during the meeting. You may also send your email to us to be added to our electronic Spartanburg History Hub mailing list. scha@spartanburghistory.org

Really, 28% credit card debt is better than their loans. Somehow they manage to get around the usury laws…. Always check the APR % on any loan you apply for!

I do have some on topic material coming up that I hope to get posted in the next couple of days. Thanks for indulging me in this off topic warning.

Celebrating the Seays: A Seay Family Reunion & Genealogy Day

October 15, 2011, 10:00-4:00
106 Darby Road, Spartanburg, SC; seayhouse@spartanburghistory.org or 864-596-3501
Donations encouraged. Picnics welcome!

All Seay descendants, cousins, and friends are invited to come on this special day to learn some genealogy research tips, meet family, and share stories and a picnic. At 1:00 pm, Debra Hutchins, Local History Librarian, will share tips and tricks for traditional and online genealogy research. Copies of the Seay & Related Families Genealogy will be available for purchase and to update for a 2nd edition. Drinks will also be available for purchase. Bring a picnic blanket or chairs to relax the day away at The Seay House, Spartanburg’s oldest home. Located at 106 Darby Road just off Crescent Avenue, this home showcases the dwelling of a local farmstead managed and maintained by three maiden Seay sisters in the late 1800s. If it’s rainy, we’ll step inside, so don’t let the weather stop you from joining us! This home showcases the dwelling of a local farmstead managed and maintained by three maiden Seay sisters in the late 1800s.

The Seay House is open by appointment year-round and on the 3rd Saturday of the summer months except July. The Seay House is one of 3 historic homes maintained by the Spartanburg County Historical Association.

Also on the 15th!

2011 Pacolet Indian Summer Festival – Saturday, October 15 in Pacolet, SC

Events run through the day from 9:30 AM until after 3PM.

In Columbia, a Lunch and Learn at the Archives and History Center:

Join us on Wednesday, October 19th

The program begins at noon at the Archives and History Center / 8301 Parklane Road / Columbia, SC

To Begin The World For Themselves: The Civil War on the Beaufort District Sea Islands
(The title comes from a quotation by Maj. Gen. Ormsby M. Mitchel, shortlived commander of the Department of the South, describing his hope that the freedmen at Mitchelville on Hilton Head would eventually be able to “with industrious habits, with religious instruction, with correct moral views and sentiments, with minds properly trained to self-dependence, they may elect their own homes if they so choose, and begin the world for themselves.)

Just bring yourself, your lunch, your colleagues and your friends for an educational and engaging experience!

Contact the SC Archives and History Foundation at 803-896-6124 or mmarshall@scdah.state.sc.us with questions or visit us online at www.palmettohistorysc.org.

Also in Columbia, the South Carolina Museum will be hosting the Fall Heritage Festival & Pickin’ Party
NOVEMBER 5, 2011
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
It’s the State Museum’s annual autumn tradition— the Fall Heritage Festival & Pickin’ Party! With mouth-watering barbecue on the menu, some of the best of South Carolina’s musical and traditional folk art talent and the national treasure that is topiary artist Pearl Fryar, guests will enjoy a day filled with fall activities for the whole family—plus a new evening event, Moonshine and Muscadines, highlighting more of South Carolina’s bountiful heritage.

Not an event, but a bit of news to pass along, the Charleston Chapter of the South Carolina Genealogical Society has a facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Charleston-Chapter-of-the-SC-Genealogical-Society/157992670952424

This special weekend kicks-off on Friday, September 30, from 6 – 9 p.m. at FestiFall Friday Night: A Colonial Celebration. This family-friendly evening features music, great food, and an opportunity to share your table with a Revolutionary War soldier who may tell you of the latest progress in America’s revolt against King George. Perhaps you’ll sit with a seamstress or carpenter who will share a few secrets of the trade. Most activities, including colonial dress up and silhouette cutting, are ongoing throughout the evening. From 6:30-7:30, “Charles Moore” will greet guests at his manor house then from 7:30-8:30, Revolutionary soldiers will welcome guests to the plantation cemetery. Yes, that’s after sunset! It’s an evening not to be missed and perfect for the whole family! For Friday evening, the cost is $25 for ages 16+, $10 for ages 5-15, and free for children 4 years and younger. Price includes the evening’s meal and a pass for each guest to FestiFall on Saturday or Sunday. Space is limited! Reserve by sending your name, contact info, number of people in your party, and a check payable to Spartanburg County Historical Association, PO Box 887, Spartanburg, SC 29304. You may also drop by the Spartanburg Regional History Museum in the Chapman Cultural Center at 200 East St. John Street in downtown Spartanburg to make your reservation. At the Regional History Museum, you can pay with check, Visa, or Mastercard.

Following Friday’s special evening, FestiFall at Walnut Grove Plantation takes place on Saturday, October 2 from 10:00 – 5:00 and on Sunday, October 3 from 10:00 – 4:00. Each day features a re-enactment of the skirmish between Cunningham’s Loyalists and Barry’s Patriots. This reenactment occurs at Noon on Saturday and at 1:30 on Sunday. Throughout the two-day living history festival, over 200 reenactors will camp at Walnut Grove and demonstrate 18th century battle tactics, weapons firing, cavalry tactics and military drills as well as dozens of colonial era crafts and trades. You can see the blacksmith working at his forge and a cooper making barrels as well as broom making, basket making, cooking, gunsmithing, woodworking and much more. Kids can dip their own candles, try their hand at weaving, and play colonial games. Free parking is available on site. Admission is $9 for adults, $5 for ages 6-17, and free for ages 5 and under.

FestiFall at Walnut Grove Plantation is presented by the Spartanburg County Historical Association and is sponsored by Abbott Farms, Dave Edwards Toyota, Nancy Rainey Crowley, Waterstone Retail, Southeastern Printing, and a Spartanburg County Accommodations Tax Grant.

To get to FestiFall and Walnut Grove Plantation,

From I-26: Take Exit 28 and turn onto Highway 221N towards Spartanburg; go a few hundred feet and turn right onto Stillhouse Road (between Waffle House and Hot Spot). At the end of Stillhouse Road, turn right onto Otts Shoals Road. The plantation is about .2 mile on the right. Altogether, it is about 2 miles from the interstate exit.

From Spartanburg: Take Church Street toward Woodruff for approximately nine miles. Just before the intersection of I-26 and Highway 221, turn left onto Stillhouse Road (between Hot Spot and Waffle House). At the end of Stillhouse Road, turn right onto Otts Shoals Road. The plantation is about .2 mile on the right.

Brown & white directional signs and event banners will help direct you to the plantation. Walnut Grove is located at 1200 Otts Shoals Road, Roebuck, SC.

Walnut Grove Plantation tells the stories of the free and enslaved people who settled South Carolina and the rest of Britain’s American colonies who fought for independence, and who, in the end, built a new nation. Charles & Mary Moore established Walnut Grove on a 550-acre land grant about 1765. The Scots-Irish immigrants raised ten children in the house they built and lived in for 40 years. Mr. Moore relied on a dozen enslaved African Americans and his own large family to work his sizable farm. During the American Revolution, the Moore family, including eldest daughter Kate Moore Barry, actively supported the Patriot cause and militia even mustered at Walnut Grove. Loyalist William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham killed 3 Patriot soldiers sheltered at the plantation in 1781.

Walnut Grove is open to the public and offers hourly guided tours of the site’s 250-year-old buildings. Additionally, regular programs examine Colonial & Revolutionary Era history and often feature reenactors portraying people of the time. The site’s hours are from 11am-5pm, Tuesdays-Saturdays and 2pm-5pm on Sundays from April through October and from 11am-5pm, Saturdays only, in November & March. The site is closed for the winter in December, January, and February. Groups of 10 or more people from schools, churches, scout troops, senior citizen groups, and other community organizations can schedule special tours and activities in advance, year-round and even during our winter closure.

Walnut Grove Plantation is operated by the Spartanburg County Historical Association which explores and preserves our region’s history by collecting and sharing the stories and artifacts of the people who shaped that history. In addition to Walnut Grove, the Historical Association operates the Spartanburg Regional History Museum, the Seay House, and Historic Price House. SCHA activities and events are supported in part by The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg and its donors, the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives funding from The National Endowment for the Arts, the City and County of Spartanburg, and by corporate and individual partners.

For more information, call 864-576-6546 or visit our website at spartanburghistory.org. You can like us on Facebook at facebook.com/spartanburghistory, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/sptbghistory, or see photos from past FestiFalls and other events on Flickr at flickr.com/spartanburghistory.