South Carolina from A to Z

“G” is for Gist, William Henry (1807-1874). Governor. An ardent secessionist, Gist was elected governor in 1858. As sectional tensions reached their climax in 1860, he did his best to hasten the final push to secession.

“F’ is for Fort Watson. Fort Watson, named for Colonel John Watson, was one of a series of supply depots between Charleston and Camden during the Revolutionary War.

“E” is for Elmore v. Rice (1947). In 1946 George Elmore, an African American who was eligible to vote in general elections, was denied the right to vote in the Democratic Party in Richland County.

“W” is for White, Josh (1914-1969). Musician. A native of Greenville, White was a sophisticated guitarist and singer, Broadway actor, and favorite of the New York City folk music and leftist political scenes of the 1940s.

“A” is for Ashley River. Emerging from the Wassamasaw and Cypress Swamps in Berkeley and Dorchester Counties, the Ashley River runs only about sixty miles before flowing into Charleston harbor. Despite its short length, the river transitions through three separate types of riverine ecosystems.

“D” is for Dial, Nathaniel Barksdale (1862-1940) U.S. senator. Influenced by the New South movement, Dial became an advocate for improving the region’s economy by building financial institutions, developing energy resources, and industrialization.

“C” is for Cash, Wilbur Joseph (1900-1941). Author. Cash’s masterpiece and only work, The Mind of the South sought to dispel myths of the “Old South” by tracing the pervasive influence of racism on southern history and culture. Joseph Wilbur Cash died six months later.

“B” is for Beaufort County (587 square miles; 2020 population: 195,656).

“T” is for Travis, William Barret (1809-1836). Soldier. William Travis died at the Alamo on March 6, 1836.

“S” is for Santee Canal. A canal to connect the Santee and Cooper Rivers had been conceived as early as 1770, but the Revolutionary War intervened, and the plans were postponed.

“R” is for Richardson, John Peter, III (1831-1899). Governor.

“P” is for Perry, Matthew J. Jr. (1921-2011). Lawyer, jurist, civil rights activist.

“M” is for McColl, Hugh Leon, Jr. (b. 1935). Bank executive. Banking is a family tradition for McColl. His great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and brothers were all bankers.

“L” is for Lever, Asbury Francis (1875-1940). Congressman. Lever’s role in the passage of several important pieces of legislation that made him a major figure in pre-New Deal federal agricultural policy.

“J” is for Johnston, Oiln DeWitt Talmadge (1896-1995). Governor, U.S. senator.

“H” is for Haskell, Alexander Cheves (1839-1910). Soldier, legislator, businessman.

“G” is for Girardeau, John LaFayette (1825-1898). Clergyman, educator.

“F” is for Fort Sumter. Named after South Carolina Revolutionary War hero, Thomas Sumter, construction began on Fort Sumter in 1829.

“E” is for Elmore, Franklin Harper (1799-1850). Congressman, banker, U.S. senator.

“D” is for Deveaux, Andrew IV (1758-1812). Loyalist. With the outbreak of the American Revolution, Deveaux formed a band of Loyalist ruffians that disrupted patriot meetings in Beaufort.

“C” is for Casey, Claude (1912-1999). Musician, songwriter.

“B” is for Beaufort (Beaufort County, 2020 population 12, 917). Beaufort is the second-oldest town in South Carolina and was named for Henry Somerset, the second duke of Beaufort.

“A” is for Archdale, John (1642-1717). Proprietor, governor.

“W” is for White, John Blake (1781-1859). Playwright, painter.

“S” is for Santa Elena. Founded in 1566 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilé on present-day Parris Island, Santa Elena was the northernmost settlement in the Spanish province of La Florida.