South Carolina History Newsletter Podcast

In our SC History Podcast #7, I was so excited to interview author and South Carolina haunted history historian, Tally Johnson!

As we enter spoooooky season here in South Carolina, I hope you will enjoy Tally’s insights, local ghost stories, and haunted history! :)

Listen to this interview as a podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/south-carolina-history-newsletter-podcast/id1762233516

Subscribe to the SC History Newsletter: https://schistorynewsletter.substack.com/

Purchase Tally Johnson books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00LMJROIY

Tally Johnson's bio:

Mr. Johnson is a native South Carolinian and a graduate of Spartanburg Methodist College and Wofford College with degrees in history. He is the author of Ghosts of the South Carolina Upcountry, Ghosts of the South Carolina Midlands, Ghosts of the Pee Dee (all for The History Press) and Civil War Ghosts of South Carolina (for Prospective Press) and has short stories in Off the Beaten Path 3 and Tales from the Old Black Ambulance (for Prospective Press). He is also the author of a Southern Gothic short story collection, Creek Walking (for Falstaff Books). He is the winner of the Caldwell Sims Award for Excellence in Southern Folklore from the USC-Union Upcountry Literary Festival. He has collaborated with Valentine Wolfe, contributing narration for the track The Bloody Bonnet at Blue Hole for their album, Winternight Whisperings. He has also contributed narration for the track Alice on the album Carolina Folklore by Antler Hill. He is on the Roster of Approved Artists as an author, as well as the South Carolina School Librarians’ list of storytellers. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends, hiking, hammock camping, visiting historic sites, and reading. He has been a guest at ConGregate, ConCarolinas (also serving as Paranormal track manager for several years), Fandom Fest, MonsterCon, MystiCon, AtomaCon, Ret-Con, and Imaginarium, as well as a storyteller at several festivals, state parks, schools, and libraries all over South Carolina and the Southeast. He is currently Branch Manager at the Kershaw Branch of the Lancaster County (SC) Library.

Thank you, Tally!

This week, I was so excited to interview Professor Rhondda Robinson Thomas, the Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature at Clemson University, where she teaches, researches, and writes about early African American literature in the Department of English. In this interview, we discuss her work as the founder of the Call My Name, a crucial and inspiring project that seeks to research and document the stories, acknowledge the contributions, and honor the legacy of 7 generations of people of African descent in Clemson University's history.

Listen to this interview as a podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/south-carolina-history-newsletter-podcast/id1762233516

Subscribe to the SC History Newsletter: https://schistorynewsletter.substack.com/

Learn more & support the Call My Name project:https://callmyname.org/

And here are time stamped highlights of our interview, including a reader question:

4:55 - Professor Thomas discusses how when she first arrived at Clemson in 2007, slavery was not taught in the tours of John C. Calhoun’s Fort Hill Plantation House. Clemson is built on the plantation’s land. At the height of the plantation, there were 100 enslaved people working on the plantation.

7:11 - Professor Thomas outlines what the “Call My Name” project is and how it seeks to recover and share stories of the African American experience at Clemson from the very beginning when the land was still a plantation — to today.

10:06 - Professor Thomas describes what obstacles she has faced in her research for the Call My Name project

11:58 - Professor Thomas describes what has encouraged her and surprised her in her research for the Call My Name project

14:06 - READER QUESTION from David M.: "Did the University as an entity enslave people? Since there is now a list of names and possible connections to today’s descendants, is there an effort to offer “scholarships” to any of these individuals. Also is there any documentation on the lives [of the enslaved people] on campus - housing churches etc."

14:37 - Professor Thomas discusses the history of slavery at the Fort Hill plantation — and tells us about specific enslaved people whose stories she and her team have uncovered

21:27 - READER QUESTION from Randy B.: "Hello Professor Thomas! Do you have any records of slaves who served in the Confederate Army from Clemson University? Thanks!"

21:56 - Professor Thomas discusses the practice of Confederate soldiers taking their slaves as their personal cooks into war

22:54 - READER QUESTION from Gabriel N.: "How easy (or hard) is it for someone who has grown up in this area - and as far as they know, parents were also born and raised in this area, to try to trace their lineage to their slave ancestors and really, in her experience, what is the curiosity level of local people to find out?"

23:14 - Professor Thomas discusses her research into the genealogy of the enslaved people who worked at Fort Hill plantation and outreach to these families today

27:48 - Professor Thomas discusses top 3 “eureka” moments in her research, including learning about Issy, an enslaved girl, who tried to set fire to John C. Calhoun’s plantation home.

35:58 - Professor Thomas describes evidence of convict labor in buildings on the Clemson campus today

44:36 - Professor Thomas discusses how the Black experience has changed at Clemson over the years and the impact of the Call My Name project

49:00 - Professor Thomas discusses the play she is writing about the Call My Name project and the impressive team who is helping her bring it to life

53:29 - Kate walks Professor Thomas through the “Carolina Questionnaire!”

55:55 - Professor Thomas shares that she believes South Carolina is “the epicenter of American History” and Kate agrees!

1:01:48 - Professor Thomas describes how people can get involved and support the work she is doing with the Call My Name project

1:03:35 - Farewells & good byes!

Here is Professor Thomas's bio:

Rhondda Robinson Thomas is the Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature at Clemson University where she teaches, researches, and writes about early African American literature in the Department of English. She has published Call My Name, Clemson: Documenting the Black Experience in an American University Community, which received honorable mention in the National Council on Public History’s 2021 book awards and co-edited The South Carolina Roots of African American Thought. Thomas is the faculty director of the award-winning Call My Name Project, for which she has received a fellowship, grants, and gifts through the Clemson University Foundation. She is writing a new play in collaboration with the Tectonic Theater Project, developing a NEH-funded traveling museum exhibit, and producing an eight-part video series based on research for Call My Name and co-directing the SC Upstate Black Heritage Trail project. In 2021, Thomas was Clemson University’s Researcher of the Year and recipient of the Class of '39 award, the highest honor given to Clemson faculty for service to the university, community, and/or nation. Currently, she serves as the Coordinator of Research and Community Engagement for Clemson University’s Cemetery Historic Preservation Project, chair of the Advisory Committee for Clemson's Memorial for Black Laborers project, and as a member on the South Carolina State Board of Review for the National Register of Historic Places.

Thank you, Professor Thomas!

This week, I was so excited to interview Brian Hicks, journalist at the Post & Courier and distinguished author — for Podcast #5 of the SC History Newsletter! Brian has written the 2 definitive books on the H.L.Hunley Confederate submarine: "Raising the Hunley" and "Sea of Darkness" and the Hunley was our topic of conversation for this interview! It is a fascinating subject and I hope you enjoy!

Subscribe to the SC History Newsletter: https://schistorynewsletter.substack.com/

Watch this interview on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay1tVrxj8nk

Here is Brian’s bio: Brian Hicks is a metro columnist for the Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, and the author or coauthor of 10 books. He has written about Southern history and politics for more than 25 years, including turns as a statehouse newspaper correspondent in three states. Hicks’ journalism has appeared in national and international publications since 1986. His work has been featured on National Public Radio, Discovery Channel, CBS Sunday Morning, and in National Geographic and Smithsonian magazines. He has won more than 30 journalism awards, including the Society of Professional Journalists’ Green Eyeshade Award for humorous commentary and the South Carolina Press Association’s award for Journalist of the Year. Hicks has followed the story of the H. L. Hunley since 1998 and has had more access to the submarine and the people who discovered and recovered it than any other writer. A native of Tennessee, he lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

And here are time stamped highlights of our interview, including a reader question:

4:53: Brian gives us an overview of the historical significance of the Hunley Confederate submarine

7:27: Brian discusses the only known painting of the Hunley and its remarkable accuracy

11:09: Brian discusses the man who financed the project and for whom the submarine was named, Horace Hunley

13:43: Brian talks about the insanely small dimensions of the first submarines - claustrophobic indeed!

18:37: Brian talks about how the Hunley was tested and the many men who died in the process

25:21: Brian talks about how the Hunley captivated him in the first place

29:30: Brian talks about his 3 top “eureka” moments in writing the history of the Hunley

37:26: READER QUESTION: From Alyssa in Camden, SC: What was the most significant challenge in submarine creation that hindered the development of early submarines?

40:49: Brian talks about the chain of events that led to the Hunley sinking the USS Housatonic and the mystery of why and how the Hunley sank

50:27: Brian talks about the forensics of understanding what happened to the Hunley and impact of the scientists and archaeologists

54:36: Brian talks about the discovery of the Hunley and how it was raised from the ocean

1:05:35: Kate takes Brian through the “Carolina Questionnaire”!

1:07:19: Brian discusses the Hunley Museum and how the Hunley is currently being displayed and preserved for the public

1:12:57: Farewells & good byes!

Thank you, Brian!

This week, I was so excited to interview John Sherrer, Director of Preservation, at Historic Columbia for Podcast #4 of the SC History Newsletter!

Here is the mission of Historic Columbia:

We share the complex history of Columbia and Richland County through historic preservation advocacy, innovative educational programs, and strategic partnerships.

Website: https://www.historiccolumbia.org/about-hcDonate: https://www.historiccolumbia.org/support/donateTickets for house tours: https://www.historiccolumbia.org/tours/house-toursHistoric Columbia Events: https://www.historiccolumbia.org/tours/house-tours

Here is John’s bio:

A Columbia native, author, and historian, John Sherrer has worked at Historic Columbia since 1996. As Director of Preservation, John heads the organization's historic preservation advocacy efforts involving research and programming, management of a 16-property easement portfolio, and historic tax credit fee-for-service projects. John holds degrees from Clemson (BA, MA: English) and the University of South Carolina (MA: Public History) and management certificates from McKissick Museum and the Southeastern Museum Conference's Jekyll Island Management Institute. John has served on the boards of the Columbia Development Corporation, the Columbia Design League, and the South Carolina Federation of Museums. A Leadership Columbia Class of 2014 alumnus, John recently was nominated as a 2023 Ambassador for ExperienceColumbiaSC.  

Other ways to digest this interview:

Read the transcript of the interview:

If you would like to READ the interview, you can toggle to the transcript of the episode above at our SC History Newsletter Substack page.

Watch/listen on YouTube:

If you would like to watch this interview, John also takes us through some beautiful images, and you can watch on YouTube here:

Time stamped highlights from the interview:

And here are time stamped highlights of our interview, including reader questions:

3:38 - John introduces himself, Historic Columbia, and describes his role as Director of Historic Preservation

9:36 - John describes the transformation of the Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens

25:16 - John describes working to establish the South Carolina Fall Line Consortium in 2002, which encouraged museums in the Columbia, Richland County, and Lexington County areas to make connections between their respective collections

30:41 - John talks about working with the community to establish the Columbia Historic Commercial District

32:25: READER QUESTION: From Rick in Greer, SC: Are there certain pieces of the history of Columbia that are beyond preservation that maybe only have been written about? If you could wave your preservation magic wand to bring those back to life, what would you focus on?

38:45: John talks about the impact of Sherman’s march on Columbia, SC’s history and landscape

49:38: John gives us lodging, dining, and activity recommendations for the “perfect long weekend itinerary” for history lovers visiting Columbia

65:59: Kate takes John through our “Carolina Questionnaire”!

76:27: John talks about how you can support Historic Columbia’s efforts

78:05: Farewells & good byes!

Thank you, John!

This week, I was honored to interview Virginia Theerman, Curator of Historic Textiles, at the Charleston Museum for Podcast #3 of the SC History Newsletter!

Virginia Theerman, Curator of Historic Textiles at The Charleston Museum, holds a Bachelor of Science Dual Degree in Art History and Design & Merchandising, as well as a Master of Arts from Fashion Institute of Technology in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, and Museum Practice. With prior experience at the Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art, she joined The Charleston Museum in April of 2020. Theerman cares for a collection of approximately 10,000 costume and textile objects, and her work encompasses the realms of traditional curatorship, as well as exhibition design and public programming. Her recent research subjects include testing for arsenic content in textile dyes, and the Rana Plaza Factory disaster of 2013.

You can listen to the interview above, but also note that Virginia also takes us through a beautiful online presentation with images, that you can watch on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjCMmoPYo38

Subscribe to the SC History Newsletter here: https://schistorynewsletter.substack.com/

And here are time stamped sections of our interview, including reader questions:

* 3:02 — Kate introduces Virginia Theerman, Curator of Historic Textiles at the Charleston Museum

* 6:29 — Virginia Theerman discusses her role

* 11:23 — Virginia describes how historic textiles arrive in their collection

* 12:28 — Virginia discusses “unicorn” textile acquisitions for the museum

* 15:20 — Virginia describes her top 3 most exciting projects she has worked on as the Curator of Historic Textiles at the Charleston Museum

* 19:54 — Virginia talks about the “gem” of the textile collection, the “Robe a la Francaise” worn by SC Founding mother Eliza Lucas Pinckney

* 25:33 — Virginia talks about the life and legacy of Eliza Lucas Pinckney

* 37:18 — Reader Question #1 from Alan P. from Raleigh, NC! “I’m curious as to how people typically dressed in Antebellum days. Was a dress like the one you highlight used only for certain events (balls, etc), and how formal was life day to day for this monied (but rural) class? How many outfits - dresses, etc, might one possess on a plantation, and where were they purchased? Charleston?”

* 38:00 — Virginia answers Alan’s question

* 47:14 — Virginia discusses how clothing in the 18th century was repurposes in various interesting ways

* 49:40 — Virginia describes what it would have been like to go to a dressmaker’s shop in colonial times

* 52:51 — Virginia discusses the importance of clothing as a part of our identity

* 54:13 — Virginia discusses her career path from Drexel University, to the Fashion Institiute of Technology, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, and how she ended up at the Charleston Museum!

* 63:04 — Virginia shares the exhibition that originally inspired her to work with historic textiles

* 69:32 — Virginia discusses her upcoming exhibit at the Charleston Museum “Lovely & Lethal: Killer Fashions from the collection”

* 77:24 — Virginia describes a very sad but “breakthrough” moment when she realized she was handling the apron of an enslaved child

* 84:29 — Virginia describes what she hopes people take away from their experience at the Charleston Museum

* 86:27 — Reader question #2 from Randall F. in Greenville, SC! “What is a unique textile that you feel contains the greatest historical significance in the Lowcountry?

* 86:43 — Virginia gives her answer to Randall’s question above and discusses a prominent African American dress designer in Charleston, Madam Seba

* 90:04 — Virginia discusses a historic quilt that depicts everyday life in Charleston in the early 19th century

* 96:18– We do our “Carolina Questionnaire” with Virginia Theerman

* 108:26: Thank you & farewells!

This week, I was honored to interview Trish Smith (Director of Preservation and Archives) and Luke Pecoraro (Director of Archaeology and Collections) at Drayton Hall for our Podcast #2 of the SC History Newsletter!

Drayton Hall is a U.S. National Historic Landmark and 18th century plantation house and property located on the Ashley River about 15 miles northwest of Charleston. From Drayton Hall’s website: “For more than 250 years, Drayton Hall has stood witness to the American South. Among the best and most complete examples of Southern colonial life open to the public today, the property holds a vital educational responsibility. It is also an active archaeological site with an extensive museum collection of rare 18th- and 19th-century objects and artifacts.”

From its Revolutionary War history to insights into the lives and legacy of the enslaved workers of the plantation, in our interview, Trish and Luke share their research, stories, and more as we delve into the historical and cultural significance of Drayton Hall — a true historical gem of South Carolina and the United States. I hope you enjoy our interview.

For the first time, we also included reader questions and “Rapid Fire SC Trivia” for our guests. I look forward to continuing these segments in future interviews.

Note that you can toggle to the transcript of the episode above, and here are some time-stamped highlights of our interview below:

* 1:54 — Welcome & Introduction

* 2:51 — Trish Smith & Luke Pecoraro Introductions/Biographies

* 5:50 — Trish Smith describes her role at Drayton Hall as Director of Preservation & Archives

* 8:09 — Luke Pecoraro describes his role at Drayton Hall as Director of Archaeology and Collections

* 11:48 — Trish and Luke describe the historical significance of Drayton Hall to South Carolina History

* 19:03 — Luke Pecoraro describes efforts to locate the Drayton Hall slave barracks

* 22:33 — Trish Smith describes the legacy of Charlotta Drayton and how the property remains so well preserved to this day

* 26:12 — Trish and Luke describe the most exciting projects they have worked on at Drayton Hall

* 35:38 — Reader Question #1 from Doug K. from Columbia, SC! “Are the Drayton Hall archives available for public research?”

* 39:02 — Discussion of descendants of enslaved workers at Drayton Hall and future reunion

* 40:49 — Reader question #2 from Katheryn D. in Clinton, NY! “What is the evolving conversation, about how to represent the multiple points of view of the many tiers of plantation dwellers and experiences, especially when it comes to the experiences of the enslaved workers who lived and worked at Drayton Hall. How do those stories get represented in tours and the sites literature, and even in the gift shop, etc.?

* 51:03 — Discussion of the number of enslaved workers at Drayton Hall and the vast Drayton Family empire

* 53:57 — Reader Question #3 from Randall in Greenville, SC! “If you could recreate an experience in its original form, any part of Drayton Hall, physical or temporal, what would you recreate?” [Trish Smith’s answer]

* 55:00 — The amazing story of the 1765 watercolor of Drayton Hall

* 59:00 — What ever happened to the Drayton Hall Colonnade?

* 1:00:00 — Discussion of the Drayton Hall flanker buildings

* 1:03:28 — Reader Question #3 from Randall in Greenville, SC! “If you could recreate an experience in its original form, any part of Drayton Hall, physical or temporal, what would you recreate?” [Luke Pecoraro’s answer]

* 1:06:27 — Reader Question #3 from Alan P. in Raleigh, NC! “What advice would you give to a young person interested in a career and historic preservation?”

* 1:09:51 – Rapid Fire SC Trivia answers with Trish Smith!

* 1:14:11 – Rapid Fire SC Trivia answers with Luke Pecoraro!

* 1:20:42: How can we support the mission of Drayton Hall and the important work Trish & Luke are doing?

* 1:22:38: Thank you & farewells!

I also want to include some key visuals below that we discuss in the interview:

I was thrilled to interview author Alan Piercy on his new book "A Gamecock Odyssey: University of South Carolina Sports in the Independent Era"!

As we get excited for football season ahead, join me as I interview author Alan Piercy about the history of University of South Carolina Sports through his new book “A Gamecock Odyssey.” Alan was one of the earliest supporters of the SC History Newsletter, and I was so excited to finally meet him (albeit digitally)! In our interview, we discussed the many fascinating elements & eras of USC Sports – from the early days, to the modernization of the university’s sports complexes, to why USC left the ACC and how it got to the SEC conference, iconic mascots and coaches, the history of fan traditions, and so much more. Enjoy!

Are you a subscriber to the SC History Newsletter? If not, please join us at: https://schistorynewsletter.substack.com/

You can also watch this interview on YouTube at our SC History Newsletter page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOJGgy0C77k&t=8s

Additional helpful links: 

Purchase Alan's book here on Amazon, or preferably at your local bookshop: https://a.co/d/eErMsds

Subscribe to Alan's South x Southeast USC Sports Newsletter on Substack: https://southbysoutheast.substack.com/