The Beaufort County Historical Society

The Board Members of The Beaufort County Historical Society

Pamela Martin Ovens, President

Mary Lou Brewton, Vice President

Harry Chakides, Treasurer

Nancy Gilley, Recording Secretary

Linda Hoffman, Corresponding Secretary

Iva Roberts Welton, Past President

W. Thomas Logan, Board Member

Fran Heyward Marscher, Board Member

Mae Mendoza, Board Member

Julie Zachowski

H.H. 'Bubba' Von Harten, Board Member

Dot Gnann, Advisor

Ian Hill, Advisor

Larry Rowland, Ph.D., Advisor

Stephen Wise, Ph.D., Advisor

The Beaufort County Historical Society will celebrated its 72 Annual Meeting May 19, 2011 at noon at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, Meridian Road, Beaufort, SC. Dr. Gerald Schwartz will discussed his book, A Woman Doctor's Civil War: Esther Hill Hawks' Diary. A physician, a Northerner, a teacher, a school administrator, a suffragist and an abolitionist, Esther Hill Hawks was the antithesis of Southern womanhood. While most women of the 1860s stayed home, tending husband and house, Dr. Esther Hill Hawks came South to Beaufort to minister black Union troops and newly freed slaves as both a teacher and a doctor. She kept a diary and described the South. Her pen, honed to a fine point by her abolitionist views, missed nothing as she traveled through a hungry and ailing land. Remarkably frank, Esther Hill Hawks' story is one that is long overdue in the telling. Gerald Schwartz is a professor of history at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. A graduate of Mexico City College, Dr. Schwartz holds a Ph.D. from Washington State University.

Barry Sheehy and Cindy Wallace gave a stimulating talk about their book, Savannah, Immortal City. We were captivated by the tale and the photography in this wonderful book. They will release their Volume II next year and we have already booked them for another interesting event.

Author Janis Gleason had us in the palm of her hand when she came to speak about her relative from
Dawtaw Island, Kate Gleason. A large crowd enjoyed lunch and the talk that followed.

Laurence Busch gave an uplifting talk about his book, Steam Coffin, and sent this email regarding the book.
I take the liberty of informing you that STEAM COFFIN has been reviewed by the Canada-based International Journal of Maritime History:

"Busch's excellent biography of Captain Moses Rogers and his history of PS Savannah...is a commendable and distinguished contribution to the maritime historical literature...The author's narrative is made all the more interesting by his detailed research into the life of Captain Rogers, which provides a tremendous volume of previously unknown information."

The IJMH is the official journal of the International Maritime Economic History Association; the gentleman who wrote the review, William H. Flayhart III, is a professor emeritus at Delaware State University. The review appears on pages 394-395 of Volume XXII, Number 2. Please feel free to share this news with anyone you know who likes to learn about the previously unknown.

All the best,
John Laurence Busch

Iva Welton began studying the history of the house in 1981. She opened the house to the public in 1982 and then as Director of the Rose Hill Plantation House and Director of Public Relations guided a ten month rehabilitation of the house and had it placed on the National Register of Historic Places. She
shared her experiences with us on November 18, 2010.

Dave Smoot

Dave Smoot gave a great presentation on Medicine during the Civil War period on September 16, 2010. The event at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club was memorable and well attended.

Angela Mack, Executive Director and Chief Curator for the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, was the guest speaker for our 71st Annual Meeting on May 13, 2010 held at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club. She spoke on portraiture in the Lowcountry to a group of nearly 100 guests. She shared her intimate knowledge of the museum's collection with our members and guests. Her publications include Landscape of Slavery: The Plantation in American Art, Edward Hopper in Charleston, Henry Benbridge: Charleston Portrait Painter and the award winning In Pursuit of Refinement: Charlestonians Abroad.

Angela Mack, Executive Director

Dale Rosengarten, author of Grass Roots gave a magnificent overview of the history of the Sweetgrass Basket at Penn

Center on April 15, 2010. The success of this event was made more memorable by the presence of basket maker Nakia Wigfall.

Penelope Holme was our speaker at our last event held at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club on February 18, 2010. She spoke to over 100 guests sharing the history of the Elizabeth Barnwell Gough House. Ms. Holmes wrote a book about the history of the house for the owners and shared the history with the society. It was amazingly interesting and covered over 300 years.

Elizabeth Barnwell Gough House

Chairman Gullah Geechee Cultural Corridor Committee

Emory Campbell

Emory Campbell was the speaker for our October 8 meeting. Mr. Campbell spoke about growing up on Hilton Head Island. It was a very interesting and stimulating program. As Chairman of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, Mr. Campbell explained the purpose of the corridor and what an individual could do the help the project. He hopes to have the corridor, which runs from North Carolina to Florida, become part of our National Parks system.

David Lauderdale, columnist and editor for the Beaufort Gazette and The Island Packet, was the keynote speaker for the 70th Annual meeting. Mr. Lauderdale highlighted history in Beaufort County since 1939. The celebration included a cake and memorable guests. May 14, 2009.

David Lauderdale

David Lauderdale and President Iva Welton

Dr. Gerhard Spieler, Iva Welton and Linda Hoffman

Celebrating 70 years, BCHS

Iva Welton and Tom Barnwell

Fran Marscher, Mae Mendosa and Dr. Gerhard Spieler

February 12, 2009, The Beaufort County Historical Society celebrated Beaufort County in 1939. A panel, that included Eleanor Barnwell, Ph.D., Henry Chambers, Dot Gnann, Brantley Harvey, Jr., Lois Jenkins, Julian Levin and Bubba Von Harten recalled the history of Beaufort County in the 1930s. It was a most enjoyable event.

Celebrating 70 years, BCHS

Our Amazing Panel

Harold L. Cooler, author of "Chicora Chronicle" was the guest speaker on Thursday, November 13, 2008. Mr. Cooler returned to the Lowcountry for this very special event. The room was filled with other authors interested in Mr. Cooler's insight into the social and economic times of the 1920s & 1940s.

Harold Cooler & Gerhard Spieler

Harold Cooler & Fran Marsher

Dr. Larry Rowland & Mrs. Cooler

President, Iva Welton on left and Past President, Dot Gnann on right

Mary Lou Brewton

Peter Ovens and Beaufort author Mary Pinckney Powell

Dedication of Marker commemorating the Great Sea Island Storm of 1893 and the work of Clara Barton, dedicated to the memory of Bill Marscher, on the campus of Penn Center, St. Helena Island, May 1, 2008