Winter 1997

The Darlington Flag Newsletter

  Darlington District Agricultural Society, Minute Book One, 1846 – 1880.  1996 marked the 150^th anniversary of the founding of the Darlington Agricultural Society.  To commemorate its founding, the society has published a photographic copy of the original minute book.  One of the major goals of the society was to ... “obtain the most correct and practical information on...” various agricultural subjects for its members.  Reports were presented to its members on a wide variety of subjects including corn and peas, cotton, potatoes, wheat, oats and rye, rice, cattle, hogs, horses and mules, plantation tools, machinery, compost manure, and outbuildings.  One of the more interesting aspects of this photographic copy is the signatures of the charter members.  The effects of the War Between the States can also be seen in these minutes.  Between August 1862 and August 1865, no annual meetings were held.  One of the primary subjects addressed during the August 1865 meeting was ... “the new relation of labor now necessary to the cultivation of our farms.”  This meeting was filled with speeches and resolutions of former soldiers of the late Confederacy.  Those in attendance felt it was necessary that ... “all landowners should adhere to some rules which will for them constant labor which is necessary for the cultivation of Cotton & to their laborers contentment & justice.”  These pages surely give us insight into the changes that occurred in the agricultural system that existed in Darlington District, SC before and after the War Between the States.  If you are seeking to put a human face on your Darlington County ancestor, then these minutes can surely assist you.  Nearly fifty different surnames were represented in the charter membership of this organization.  100 pages, published 1996. Price: $12.00 plus $4.00 shipping for first book and $1.50 for each additional book.

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