charlestontibits

Did you Know...

1	Charleston County Tidbits
	1698_The first Provincial Library was established in Charleston by Commissary Thomas BRAY. He lead the path to raise 300 sterling ($16,000.00) for the purchase of books. To prevent the books from being stolen, lost or damaged, the assembly created the first library rules for any town in the English Colony. Before one could check out a book they had to leave a deposit of three times the book's value to ensure its safe return. Unfortunely, the rules were not enforced and the books in the Provincial and in the parish libraries(Christ Church, St. Thomas, St. James Santee, St. James Goose Creek and St. Paul's) disappeared. By the 1720's all libraries had ceased to exist with only the exception of Christ Church.
	1698-1699_A horrid year for the city with smallpox having claimed to between 200-300 deaths along with yellow fever contributing to "at least 160 deaths." A huge fire destorys one-third of the city. Mother nature contributed to the year with a hurricane that hits the coast in the autumn of 1699 and an earthquake that shoke the city.
	1718_In May, Blackbeard held the city hostage. He and his men captured a few of the city's leading citizens and demanded a ransom thst included among others things food and drugs.
	1720-1750_Malaria Epidemic...In Charleston, between the years of 1720 and 1750, there were 2883 burials with only 863 births. Between those sames years in Christ Church Parish eighty-six out of the one hundred children whose baptism was recorded had died before their twentieth birthdays.
	1730's_William BULL, was the first American to obtain a European Medical Degree, though he wasn't a practicing physician. He was the only one of the group that included Charleston County physicians: Thomas DALE, John LINING, Lionel CHALMERS and James KILLPATRICK.
	1735_When Governor Robert JOHNSON died in 1735, South Carolina held its first state funeral. Two companies of militias served as an honor guard, royal councillors were his pallbearers and members of the Commons House were official mourners. JOHNSON was interred near the alter of St. Philip's Church.
	1735_The first bookstore opened in Charleston County. It was opened in the city and owned by Eleazer PHILLIPS. Another was Robert WELLS, who owned "Great Stationary and Book Store on the Bay ", which was the largest of its kind south of Philadelphia.
	1737_Thomas HEYWARD, the founding father of one of the colony's wealthiest families, was a Hatmaker by profession, but by the time of his death in 1737 had acquired more than 500 acres and eighteen slaves.
	1739_Eliza LUCAS, planted indigo seeds her father had sent to her from his trip to Antigua and after five years of experimenting with it she produced seventeen pounds of dye. She shared her success with others and soon it was being called "Carolina Gold "...making many in Charleston County wealthy.
	1741_Henry MIDDLETON started work on his gardens at "Middleton Place "...they are now concidered the oldest landscaped gardens in America.
	1742_Charlestown had population of 6,800 and was ranked as the 4th largest city in America.
	1743_Thomas BOONE planted live oaks along the entrance to his plantation, "Boone Hall Plantation"...now one of the most famous moss-draped avenues in America. Many movies have been filmed on location at this plantation, including "North and South".
	1745_The three largest planters in St. James Goose Creek Parish was Henry IZARD, James KINLOCH, and Sarah WILKINSON MIDDLETON. The three averaged lending out close to $440,000.00 at interest.
	1746_One of the first "central cemeteries" in the colony was established on the outskirts of Charleston for the city's black residents.
	February 1747_It has been said that on this day it was so cold that the birds fell from the sky dead and in Governor GLEN's kitchen a jar containing water and a live eel froze solid, even though it was in a room heated by a fireplace.
	1760_Smallpox Epidemic...The disease broke out among the Cherokee Indians in December 1759, who in turn infexted members of Governor LYTTELTON's expeditionary force. The soldiers then brought it back to Charleston where the desease spread rapidly. The city's physicians, led by Dr. Alexander GARDEN, advocated inoculation, but still hundred of Charlestons residents died, many who had been inoculated.. TheSouth Carolina Gazette launched a campaign against inoculation and in May 1760, the Commons House forbide the practice. It was estimated that of the 8000 residents, 6000 contracted the decease and 730 died from it.
	1767_During the sickly months (August to November_accepted by colonist for many years) of 1767, Benjamin BACKHOUSE, a Charleston tavern keeper, died in August, his daughter, Eleanor, in September and his wife, Catherine, in October.
	1771_Daniel HEYWARD, son of Thomas HEYWARD (mentioned above), was considered "the greatest planter in the province".
	1774_The ten wealthiest men in America included nine from South Carolina...The wealthiest was Peter MANIGAULT, of St. James Goose Creek, Second was a New Englander, whose estate was worth less than half of MANIGAULTs. The remaining eight were Elijah POSTELL, of St. George Dorchester; Alexander PERONNEAU and John AINSLIE, both of Charleston; John CATTELL, of St. Andrew's; Benjamin WILLIAMSON, of St. Paul's; Richard CAPERS, of Christ Church; Dr. Archibald McNEIL, of St. George Dorchester and Christopher JENKINS, of St. John's Colleton.
	August 1775_Miles BREWTON and his wife, Mary IZARD BREWTON and their two children sailed for Philadelphia, only to have the ship lost at sea.
	1783_The city incorporated and established its first municipal government which inclued an intendant (major) and wardens (councilmen).
	1783_The city changed its name from CHARLESTOWN to CHARLESTON.
	1785_The General Assembly chartered the "College of Charleston", that makes it the oldest municipal college in the country today.
	1790_The State Capital moves from Charleston to Columbia, because the citizens in the "backcountry" complained of the difficulty in having to travel to Charleston for legal work. Columbia was more centralized in the state.
	1790_Property qualifications for holding public offices increased. In order to be a "Member of the House of Representatives", one had to own 500 acres, ten slaves,or have real estate holding valued 150 sterling ($11,000.00) free of debt; "State Senators" had to have holdings of 300 sterling($22,000.00) and "Governors" 1500 sterling($110,000.00)
	1808_The first bridge over the "Ashley River" was built. It was built large enough for the ease of travel of two carriages to pass and each side had path railed for walking across.
	1823_The association of "The Medical Society of South Carolina", established the "Medical College" in Charleston.
	1827_Edgar Allen POE, the famous writer, arrived for duty in November at "Fort Moultrie." He served for about 11 months leaving in December 1828. It is stated that during his stay he gathered material for many of his works, the most popular being "The Gold Bug."
	1830_Two groups within the state formed, each with a single agenda: the Union. "The Nullifiers ", known as the radicals, wanted to call a convention to nullify the tariff and let the rest of the nation know where SC stood Among their leaders were Robert J. TURNBULL, William HARPER, Robert Barnwell RHETT, Francis W. PICKENS, Gov. James HAMILTON, Jr., Henry L. PINCKNEY, James H. HAMMOND, Waddy THOMPSON, and Robert Y. HAYNE. "The Unionist ", opposed the rashness of the Nullifiers and argued that the best interest of the state would be to serve by working within the system. However the Unionist was less organized and could not always agree among themselves. Their leadership included: James L. PETIGRU, Joel R. POINSETT, William DRAYTON, Henry MIDDLETON, Daniel E. HUGER, John B. O'NEALL, and William J. GRAYSON. "The Nullifiers " swampped their opponents with 80 peercent of the seats in the house and 75 percent of those in the senate.
	1838_South Carolina Governor, James Lyde Wilson wrote "The Code of Honor ", which became the standard guide for southern dueling...which was more common in South Carolina than in any other southern state.
	August 25,1885_A hurricane, rated a 3 category with 125 mph winds and huge tidal surges, struck the city of Charleston. The storm either destoryed or damaged ninety percent of the homes in the city and killed 21 people. Property loss was set at two million dollars.
	August 31,1886_An earthquake registering 6.6 on the scale shook Charleston County. The city of Charleston, not having fully recovered from the hurricane a year earlier, saw about 2000 of its building destoryed and thousands more damaged. One hundred and ten lost their lives either in the rumble during the quake or from their injuries and deseases related to the disaster.
	No Date_Elizabeth KALTEISEN bequeathed in her will to her husband _one shilling sterling (2.72) only because the law stated that a wife must leave her husband something.
	No Date_The residents kept diaries, journals, plantation books, daybooks and letter books. They would include not only business, but local news and weather phenomena, such as hurricane of 1752 and the great freezes of 1740 and 1747 were written about. We know that Ann ASHBY MANIGAULT and Eliza Lucas PINCKNEY both kept journals. Robert PRINGLE and Henry LAURENS maintained letter books with copies of their business correspondence addressed to individuals throughtout the Atlantic world.
	No Date_When the yearly harvesting was complete, many planters and their families moved to Charleston where they maintained second homes. The social season for the elite began in November and continued until May.
	No Date_The marriage notice of Elizabeth IZARD, described her as a lady of great wealth worth "Thirty Thousand Pounds Sterling" ($2.6 million dollars)
	No Date_A woman in early colonial times could own a business and property of her own name only if she was "feme sole"(single, widowed or deeded the right to do so by her spouse)

Americas First...

1	Charleston County First
	1671_First Indigo plant planted in America.
	1698_First free library in America established in Charleston.
	1735_First Fire Insurance Company in America_"Friendly Society for the Mutual Insurance of Houses Against Fires".
	February 18, 1735_First Opera to be performed in America was in Charleston.
	1736_"Dock Street Theatre" in Charleston was first "theatre only" building in America.
	September 09,1739_First Slave Rebellion in America, Stono Area (abt. twenty miles from Charleston). Abt. 75 black and white South Carolinians were killed.
	1774_South Carolina Price Current, first business publication in America was printed in Charleston.
	1789_First Cotton Mill built on James Island.
	1822_First Fireproof Building in America was erected in Charleston by artitect, Robert MILLS.
	1830_The "Best Friend of Charleston ",was the first steam locomotive built in United States,to be used for regular railroad service.
	April 12, 1861_First shot fired in Civil War from Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.

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This page was last revised on 04/15/02