Each year  plantations and town houses (most privately owned) are graciously shared with the public. A different group of homes is on tour each day.  As part of the tour of pre-Revolutionary and antebellum churches, town houses and plantations, visitors are invited to the Winyah Indigo Society Hall for tea each afternoon.

The dates for the 66th Annual Plantation Tours are March 22 and 23, 2013.

Estherville Plantation

I arrived at Estherville Plantation just as rain was threatening. The misty light was wonderful and imparted a fairy tale feel to the gardens.  It was one of the many times I wished I were a painter.  Or at least a better photographer who doesn’t rely on a blackberry to take all her photos.  Some of these may have been taken with my actual camera.  I tend to switch back and forth depending on battery charge.

Estherville has incredible wrap around marsh views.

The combination of azaleas and Spanish moss draped live oaks is breathtaking!

Add marsh view and my heart stops!

Photographs aren’t allowed inside the houses so all photos will be of the gardens.  The interior of the house is amazing with a screened in pool, big game trophies and lots of books. It’s beautiful and lived in and loved.

Here’s what the Plantation Tours brochure says about Estherville Plantation.

“On June 18, 1711, Winyah Barony, containing 12,000 acres, was granted to Landgrave Robert Daniel, who sold it the following day to the second Landgrave Thomas Smith.  Nothing is known of the history of his grant until 1732 when Landgrave Thomas Smith laid out a part of this barony as a second town.  From 1732 until his death in 1738, he tried to sell lots in the town, but was unsuccessful.  Georgetown was already growing, and two towns on Winyah Bay were not needed.  Subsequently, a portion of these lands came into the hands of Archibald Johnstone, who married Esther Allston in 1745.  It is she for whom the place is named.  Their great grandson Francis Withers Johnstone, planted Estherville in 1850, and records show that in that year he had ninety slaves who helped him harvest 300,000 pounds of rice.  Estherville remained in the Johnstone family until 1918.

Historically, Estherville is interesting as the probable site of the first experiment in tidal cultivation of rice.  Tidal fresh water presumably was brought from Minim Creek, a branch of the Santee River, through a large irrigation ditch or canal.  After the success of this experiment, this method of agriculture spread in all directions, vastly increasing the rice production potential of the South Carolina Coast.

The origianl house burned and the present dwelling was constructed on the old foundation in the early 1900′s.  Estherville is owned by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Lucas Lumpkin, Jr. and Captain & Mrs. R. Parker Lumpkin.”

After the tour through the house we came out to beautiful sunshine!

Butterflies also enjoyed the azaleas and sunshine!

And for the finale, a rainbow!

The South Carolina Low Country is home to an art form that is quite unique in the United States.  I’m referring to the woven sweet grass baskets made by people living along U.S. Highway 17, the “Ocean Highway,” north of Charleston.  Many of the basket weavers are descendants of slaves who brought their weaving skills from Africa.  The slaves made large woven baskets to hold their babies while they worked in the fields.

One weaver of whom we are quite familiar is Bea Coxum.  Bea lives in Mount Pleasant, across the Cooper River from Charleston.  I spent five years in Charleston and never bought a sweet grass basket.  My priorities were different then; centering on Scotch and women, in that order.  I remember seeing the basket stands along the highway, but the thought of buying one never crossed my mind.  Driving home after an all-nighter in Charleston required all the attention I could muster to keep the car centered on the two lane bridge between Mount Pleasant and Sullivan’s Island.  Once, I dozed off momentarily and almost wound up as crab bait.  No, sweet grass baskets were not on my A-list in 1967.

My wife and I visit Bea’s basket stand every year during our vacations to Pawleys Island.  Every day except Sunday, you can usually find Bea sitting at the Original Pawleys Island Hammock Shops where she spends the better part of the day in the heat and humidity selling her beautiful baskets.

Bea creates her baskets (build and assemble just don’t seem to fit) from sweet grass, pine needles, and palmetto fronds.  You can spot one of her baskets by the pattern and tightness of the weave.  Sometimes Bea travels as far south as Savannah to gather her materials.  This was the case last year when the Carolina Low Country was plagued by drought and wildfires. Unable to replenish her raw materials, Bea was really limited in what she could weave over the winter.  Bea was also ill, which further affected her productivity.  That probably explains why she had so few items on display when we stopped by to see her this year.

Bea doesn’t sign her work.  People familiar with the art form immediately recognize one of Bea’s baskets.  So I was surprised when I saw one or two baskets at her stand that didn’t look like Bea’s handiwork.  We asked her about the differences in the baskets.  She said she is teaching her daughter how to weave.  It is a long apprenticeship.  Try to picture Van Gogh teaching someone how to paint the world as he saw it, or Ansel Adams explaining to an understudy how to capture the beauty and grandeur of the American West on black and white film.

Sweet grass basket-making is a dying art.  The younger generation doesn’t want to spend their mornings in the woods collecting materials, or their afternoons sitting in the sun selling baskets, or their humid evenings weaving items that may sell for less than $50 after the tourists whine about how expensive they are for things made of grass.  The younger generation can make more money working in an air-conditioned McDonald’s or Burger King.

circa 1836

Some of the most interesting and influential men in the history of South Carolina have been owners of Rice Hope Plantation.  colonial statesmen, inventors and businessmen have all felt an affinity for the pristine land that composes this serenely beautiful section of the Santee Delta.

The land composing Rice Hope was originally owned by Thomas Lynch who had emigrated from Ireland to South Carolina with his parents in the 1670′s, thus making the Lynches one of the founding first families of south Carolina.

Thomas Lynch, II.

Thomas Lynch Senior owned over ten thousand acres, which he acquired in various parcels.  The track that composes the present day Rice Hope was probably acquired from the brother of Thomas Lynch’s second wife, Sabina Vanderhorst.  Thomas purchased 390 acres from William Vanderhorst in 1756.

Thomas Senior’s land was passed down to his only son, Thomas Lynch II and ultimately to his grandson Thomas Lynch III. Thomas II and III are the famous father and son genealogical unit who were South Carolina’s delegates to the Continental Congress in Philadelpia and as such they were designated signers of The Declaration of Independance.  Only Thomas Lynch III actually signed, because his father had a stroke and died before he was able to append his signature.

Thomas Lynch, III. Signer of The Declaration of Independence

By various marriages,, divisions and absorption with neighboring plantations, Rice Hope then became the property of Francis Kinloch, who had inherited almost nineteen thousand acres from his father James Kinlock.  During his student years, studying abroad, Francis had become a close friend of Henry Laurens.  Because he was descended from minor Scottish nobility, Kinlock served as a member of the British House of Commons, as a representative from berkeley and Craven Counties.  Kinloch was an astute businessman and became a highly successful rice and indigo planter.

Chimney. all that remains of a steam powered rice mill (not at Rice Hope Plantation)

Like the Lynch family, Kinloch never used Rice Hope as his primary residence, but Kinloch’s probate inventory indicates that there was a small sparsely furnished building on the site at the time of his death in 26.  this “house” appears to have been more of a working plantation office, yet Huger family tradition maintains that Lafayette was entertained at Rice Hope inn 1777 as he traveled from the Huger home back to Charleston.

Francis Kinloch, II

Kinloch’s estate passed to two of his younger sons, Francis Junior and Cleland Kinloch.  Rice Hope was then sold to an English merchant named George Lockey and his working partner Edward Crook in South Carolina.  Lockey died in England, leaving a legacy to George Crook’s heirs, one of whom was his daughter, Mary Crook who had married Johnathan Lucas, a millwright from Cumberland, England.  Shortly after the American Revolution, Johnathan Lucas purchased part of Rice Hope Plantation for 26,000 pounds sterling.

Johnathan Lucas apparently never lived at rice Hope, but used the plantation as a laboratory for his experiments to improve rice milling.  Lucas utilized water mills driven by the tides and his son, Johnathan Lucas Junior designed and improved his father’s work using steam driven machinery that greatly accelerated the complicated process of hulling rice.  due to the Lucas’ inventions, South Carolina Became the center of america’s rice milling industry.  Two millstones are incorporated in the walkways at Rice Hope as reminders of the plantation’s heyday in rice production.

Rice Hope was transferred to Johnathan Lucas Junior’s son, Somons Lucas, who continued to run the rice plantation successfully, yet seemed to share little of his father’s or grandfather’s engineering interests.  Because of the care he lavished on the property,Simons Lucas is believed to have built the existing house circa 1836, after a fire destroyed the original building on the property.  Simons planted willow trees, roses, camellias, and added the beautiful ornamental pond.  It is known that he also maintained a greenhouse on the property.

Simons Lucas great-granddaughter married Frederick Wentworth Ford and

Ford acquired rice Hope and ran it as a successful rice producing plantation until 1908 when a rare flood tide destroyed most of the rice fields along the Santee Delta.  After unsuccessfully trying to restore the rice fields, Ford sold Rice Hope to New York banker William Beach in 1926 as a hunting preserve.

Beach acquired partners and eventually reassembled much of of the land that had been part of the original parcel composing rice Hope.  Beach significantly remodeled both entrances to the plantation house built by Simons Lucas.  The “new front” of Rice Hope reflected the transition between arriving at the plantation via road, by motorcar, versus the traditional approach via the river, by boat.  Beach also added electricity and embellished the house architecturally, using Federal-styled woodwork and mantles salvaged from houses in peninsular Charleston that had been demolished during The Depression.

In the mid-nineteen fifties, Rice Hope was acquired by Williams Furniture Corporation of Sumter, South Carolina, then sold to a group of investors who re-sold the plantation to the present owners in 1982.

Rice Hope has come full circle and is currently composed of 392 acres, planted to attract waterfowl and provide a wildlife habitat for a wide variety of animals. This gem of the South Carolina Lowcountry is now carefully protected by a group of six businessmen for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.  The property is owned by Billy Ingram, Lee Jones,, John Nichols, Mark Stucky, Ged Tiller and Craig Wardlaw.  Bruce Gallup, Plantation Manager.

Fins to the Left and Right located on the north end of Pawleys Island, one of the most sought after vacation spots in this country.  Pawleys Island, well known for its hammocks, is also one of the oldest beaches in the U. S.   Fins the the Left (part of a duplex, whose other unit is…you guessed it…Fins to the Right!) is one of the most popular oceanfront houses on the island.

There are heart pine floors throughout with whimsical hand painted murals in the bathrooms.

There is a wide screen porch with rocking chairs.

Dining is made more desirable by the long, rustic tables.

There are six  bedrooms and six and a half baths in each property. One elevator is available for both sides.  Ample Parking for at least ten cars.  This is your opportunity to own one or both sides of this fantastic ocean front home. With the ability to open doors and connect both units, rental possibilities expand to 13 bedrooms!  Now is the time, as most experts think that the market is at it’s bottom.  For you or as a summer rental, this property always delivers fun and relaxation.

You can find the property listed here.  290 Atlantic Avenue.  http://www.lachicotte.com/agent/jessamine-griffin  Or contact Jessamine Griffin at   (843)2404004.

The Lachicotte Company and Vintage Estates have decided to merge, and you can expect great things. Improved service quality and an increase in competitive pressure will benefit buyers and renters.  The Christie’s International Real Estate affiliation provides a marketing powerhouse driven by passion and values, a strong advantage for sellers and vacation home owners.

The combination of the local Lachicotte name with Vintage’s international recognition will provide extensive benefits for everyone. The Lachicotte name is deeply rooted in Pawleys Island for its establishment of the Hammock Shops in the 1930s, but it wasn’t until 1991 that Arthur “Doc” Lachicotte founded the self-named real estate venture, the Lachicotte Company.  The strong local name has led the way for 20 successful years as a real estate and vacation/long-term rental company.

Established in February of 2008, Vintage Estates Realty began with 5 agents in one small office in Pawleys Island. With over 25 agents now, they have expanded into Myrtle Beach.  Vintage Estate Realty also holds a strong position in the Commercial real estate market as #1 in Commercial sales in 2011 for Georgetown County. As the exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate for the Horry and Georgetown counties, Vintage Estates Realty has the backing and promotional power of one of the world’s top luxury brands.

Both Vintage Estates and the Lachicotte Company would like to thank their clients and customers for their support over the years and look forward to many successful years together!

viagra

I am hoping this article will raise the awareness and provide you with tips on how you, your families, and friends can protect these beautiful creatures.   Both my husband and I are members of the Myrtle Beach Chapter of CNPA.  We love turtles and are members of the South Carolina United Turtle Enthusiasts, S.C.U.T.E.  S.C.U.T.E. volunteers are dedicated to sea turtle conservation in Georgetown and Horry counties and are permitted by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, SCDNR, to protect and, if necessary, relocate turtle nests.

I retired to Pawleys Island in 2008 and he in 2010.   As a retirement presents, we purchased Nikon D90s. This camera is awesome.  When we were looking to retire and came to South Carolina, we saw that the Low Country had spectacular sunrises, sunsets, beaches, flora but most of all wildlife in every size and shape.  We were particularly amazed and in awe of the Loggerhead, Green, and Kemp Ridley Turtles.

In 2007, we saw our first Loggerhead turtle hatching and were astonished at how precious they were and that they are on the endangered species list.  We couldn’t wait to live in Pawleys full time and become active members in S.C.U.T.E.

Sea turtles have many natural hazards such as sharks, fish, birds, ghost crabs and erosion of nests, but they have faced these hazards for millions of years and have adapted to them. However, in the last few decades, man has added unnatural hazards such as buildings and seawalls on the dunes and beaches; illumination of the beach and coastal areas; firework ruminants, plastics, and fishing line littering the beach; tractors being driven on the beaches to manicure them; children leaving their deep dug holes unfilled; and adults leaving tents and chairs overnight; and people disturbing sea turtles as they nest at night.  Therefore, it is important to know that artificial lighting can be hazardous to a mother sea turtle and the hatchlings when they are born.  S.C.U.T.E. continues to work to control beachfront lighting, which disorients nesting female turtles and hatchlings. When loggerhead hatchlings emerge from the shell, they are attracted to the blue and green wavelengths of light, which are naturally reflected off the ocean through celestial light. They use this natural light cue to navigate from the nest towards the ocean.  If an artificial light source on the beach is brighter than the natural light, the hatchlings will head towards this artificial source. The hatchlings become disoriented and crawl away from the ocean towards the brightest light and become more susceptible to nocturnal predators and desiccation.  While crawling the wrong way on the beach, hatchlings exhaust valuable, limited energy needed to swim offshore.  Hatchlings need energy once they reach the ocean to swim towards floating Sargassum seaweed found as far as 60 miles offshore. They use the seaweed as camouflage to protect them from predators.  The seaweed is also home to small crustaceans that loggerhead hatchlings eat to replenish their energy. Thanks in part to the efforts of S.C.U.T.E., Georgetown County and the town of Pawleys Island have passed ordinances to limit beachfront lighting along their beaches. Beachfront lighting has been minimized in some areas of Horry County as well.

During their nesting season, May-October, as S.C.U.T.E. volunteers, we walk the beach early just before daybreak and look for tracks and remove debris.   We discovered turtle tracks that avoided firework debris in order to lay her nest.  This type of debris needs to be picked up from the beach.  On another day we discovered tracks and unfortunately, the mother laid her eggs below the high tide line and the nest had to be relocated which consisted of 120 eggs. After relocating the nest, we place mesh fencing to protect the nest from predators.  We monitored this particular nest during the incubation period approximately 55-60 days.  We were surprised that on the 57 day, there was a depression in the nest area.  Approximately 20 minutes later the hatchlings emerged which was truly amazing.  We were able to count 110 of them as they were racing for the ocean and all that remained were their prints.  As a photographer and a turtle lover it is extremely important that you never use a flash when shooting the hatchlings at night.  For great shots use a tripod and the proper settings to capture these truly magnificent endangered species with harming them.

Three days later we conducted an inventory in the early evening as the sun was setting and were blessed with 5 other hatchlings.  Inventories are a controlled setting with trained volunteers to dig up the nest and allow the weaker turtles a chance to survive.  The trained volunteers will place the hatchlings that are still alive in a container and then release them. Locals and tourists attend these inventories.  S.C.U.T.E. members educate the attendees about the Do’s and Don’t’s during turtle season.   I donate my time on several Saturdays, passing out postcards to children asking them to be sworn deputies.  They take an oath to fill in the holes they dig or see and to remind Mom and Dad to pick-up after themselves by not leaving firework debris, tents, and chairs on the beach overnight.

The South Carolina Aquarium has a turtle hospital, which aids sick and injured sea turtles through its sea Turtle Rescue Program.  Once the injured turtles are nursed back to health the hospital personnel release the turtles to go home.

So please …

• fill in holes that are dug in the sand so that the mothers and hatchlings don’t fall in and expend their energy trying to climb out of the hole
• turn off lights or close the draperies if visiting, vacationing, or living full time on the beach so that the hatchlings aren’t disoriented
• don’t leave tents, chairs, toys out where the mother or the hatchlings can become tangled
• pick up litter so that mothers and hatchlings aren’t injured or have any barriers in reaching their home

If you are interested in obtaining more information, please visit the S.C.U.T.E. Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/SCUTE/36320641283 or www.Seaturtle.org.

You may visit my site at www.mariadelaney.com to see other images of these beautiful creatures or ask any questions regarding turtles. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the turtle photos, cards, and giclées go to support the adoption of a rescue turtle(s) at the South Carolina Turtle Hospital.

You can make a real difference in the life of a child by supporting the Tony Dorsett AMIKids  Georgetown Kids First Golf Tournament.  Tony Dorsett is excited to team up with you at the great event which benefits the  kids of AMIKids Georgetown, SC; a non-profit organization committed to giving disadvantaged kids a second chance.

Community leaders will be joined with celebrities for the event on May 18th and 19th at the beautiful True Blue Golf Course in Pawleys Island, SC.  Mark your calendars and join us for two days of fun at one of America’s greatest courses.

The field will be limited to 36 teams and will be sold on a first come first sold basis. It is not open to the general public.  Each team will consist of 4 members plus  a celebrity and will receive some great gifts. Each team will be required to have a 30 handicap minimum, not including your celebrity.  The format will be Captain’s Choice (scramble) and shotgun start.   Prizes will be given to the top 3 teams, longest drive and closest to the pin.

Entry fee is $4000 ($1000 each player) by April 2nd.  A nonrefundable deposit of 50% ($2000) is required to reserve a team by deadline.

Each player will receive a Players Gift Pack, a framed 8″x11″ team photo , 2 tickets to the Player’s Pairing Party and Auction, and 2 tickets to the Awards Party.

Call or email Shirley Reilly at 843.237.2094 (sreilly@lachicotte.com)  for more information, to reserve your spot, or for help with travel arrangements.  This event is not open to the public.

This will truly be an event to remember!

Several years ago, an astonishing find was uncovered at the Kaminski House Museum. This find is still talked about today; in fact it is one of the favorite stories told by the docents at the Museum. This astonishing find was just a simple, but elegant broach.

In 1996, the Museum received a grant from the Institute of Museum Services to hire a Registrar, a temporary position. A registrar’s job is to catalog the artifacts in a museum. This means numbering and writing a description of an artifact for inventory purposes. In 1997, Michelle Parks, the registrar at the Museum was cataloging the artifacts in Julia Kaminski’s Bedroom, specifically the dressing table located in that room. In order to catalog this dressing table correctly, Michelle had to take the skirting off of the table and when she did, pinned to the underside of the skirting was a dusty broach. Michelle dusted it off, examined it and concluded that is had to be just a piece of costume jewelry that Mrs. Kaminski had hidden behind the skirting.

This broach was in the Museum for about a week. The staff at the time enjoyed wearing it, and wondered where it came from. Finally, Michelle brought it down to the jewelers to have it cleaned. While she was at the store, she called up the then Director of the Museum, Ralph Calhoun, and told him that they might have a problem with the broach. As it turned out, this broach was made up of 13 old mine cut diamonds, each being a different karat weight totaling 13 karats with the biggest diamond being 2.55 karats. To top it off, the diamonds were set in 14-karat white gold. The problem was, what would the Museum do with such a beautiful and one of a kind piece?

The Kaminski House Museum kept the broach; it had no choice. When Julia Kaminski died in 1972, she left her house, the contents and the grounds to the City of Georgetown to be a Museum in honor of her late husband, Harold and his mother, Rose. Her will is very specific about how her gift to the City was to be used and who the governing body should be. It also states that if the City of Georgetown wanted to sell any piece from the collection, the proceeds from the sale would go to the Seeing Eye Dog Foundation. This means that the Kaminski House Museum had to think about how to secure the broach since it could not sell it.

Today, “the pin”, as it is called, is in a secure place and only comes out for very special occasions. When it does come out in public it is well guarded by Georgetown’s finest.

This broach brought up another question. Where did it come from? When the broach was first found there were all sorts of stories about how Julia Kaminski attained the broach. All of the stories, although juicy, were not true. The broach, like most of the antiques in the Museum, came from Julia’s mother-in-law, Rose Kaminski.

When this story is told during the tours of the Kaminski House Museum, the next question that is usually asked is how did the Kaminskis acquire their money to afford such jewelry and antiques? The answer to this question is simple: the American way, through hard work.

It all started with Harold Kaminski’s father, Heiman Kaminski. Heiman Kaminski was born in Posen, Prussia, which is now Poland, in 1839. He emigrated from Prussia in 1854 to Charleston where he worked in a mercantile house. During the Civil War, Heiman served in the Confederate Army. After the War ended Heiman came to Georgetown and started working in a local hardware store. In 1867, Heiman started the H. Kaminski and Company Hardware Store. This store was very successful and expanded into dry goods. He later was able to expand his holdings into about five other businesses, including a shipping company.

In the late 1800’s the country was in the mist of a major recession, especially in the south. Along with this recession, Georgetown County was suffering the beginning of the loss of the rice culture that had made this county extremely wealthy. It is believed that Heiman Kaminski would extend credit to these one-time wealthy rice planters excepting furniture for payment of the supplies they needed. This is how the Kaminskis amassed such a fine collection of priceless antiques and incredible wealth.

The only way to see these antiques and to hear many more stories about the Kaminskis, is to take a tour. The Kaminski House Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM the guided tours are $10.00 per person. Call for tour times. The Kaminski House Museum is located at 1003 Front Street in historic Georgetown. For more information call toll free 843-546-7706.

Historians agree South Carolina’s rice economy was the product of Anglo-American
entrepreneurship coupled with African-American know-how and labor. Simply put, the coastal
rice economy could not have survived without the knowledge of rice culture that African slaves
brought with them from rice-growing regions of coastal West Africa.
In his book, Black Majority, historian Peter Wood marvels: “Literally hundreds of black
immigrants were more familiar with the planting, hoeing, processing, and cooking of rice than
were the European settlers who purchased them.”
Almost as quickly as tidal rice became profitable, planters recognized the agricultural skill in
West African slaves. They showed great preference in buying these slaves. As one Charleston
slave merchant, Henry Laurens, remarked “Slaves from the River Gambia are preferr’d to all
others.”
Rice slavery on the South Carolina coast was truly a remarkable institution. Slaves brought their
own skills for rice cultivations that, as Peter Woods notes, differed very little from their methods
in Africa. “When New World slaves planted rice in the spring by pressing a hole with the heel
and covering the seeds with the foot, the motion used was demonstrably similar to that employed
in West Africa. In summer, when Carolina blacks moved through the rice fields in a row, hoeing
in unison to work songs, the pattern of cultivation was not one imposed by European owners but
rather one retained from West African forebears.
Peter Wood further notes that even the wide sweet grass baskets used in the fall to separate the
grain from the chaff were “a purely African design.” The design has changed little while
generations of African Americans have passed down the craft.

Even more unique to rice slavery was the “task system.” Rice slaves negotiated with their
overseer through a “driver” slave. Once the driver and overseer agreed on a reasonable amount
of work for a given week, the slaves set out on the task. After completing the work, any
remaining time belonged to the slaves. During this period, they were free to work their own
gardens, fish, and some even hunted wild game – though hunting was very rare. In contrast,
cotton plantations employed the “gang system” with no concept of free time.
The pens adjacent to the slave cabins indicate slaves kept their own livestock. Fossil evidence
from swine found around the slave cabins further suggests that Hopsewee’s slave population
supplemented their diet by raising their own animals.

Rice slavery was unique in two particular ways: the African influence and the task system. The
task system and slave’s own skills encouraged a degree of responsibility among slaves in
managing rice cultivation. This air of autonomy is further reflected in expressions of West
African culture. For example, the high roof with cypress shakes closely follows the high thatched
African style. The pattern follows the African tradition and serves a practical function by
reducing heat in the summer months.Slave’s responsibility for rice production is further expressed by those with important positions.
Head driver slaves negotiated the slaves’ weekly work and served as a foreman on work crews.
Other slaves were given the important responsibility of “trunkmaster.” Trunkmasters oversaw the
in and out tidal flow of water in the marshy rice fields. Proper control of water flow during the
growing season was essential to successful crops. Improper trunkminding could lead to salt water
in the fields, which would ruin the crop.

Freedman’s Bureau contracts between former slaves and masters in the post-Civil War period
kept many of the same arrangements as they had during slavery. Furthermore, these
arrangements provide an idea about slave life and labor expectations on a Santee Rice plantation.
Contracts, for example, included arrangements for handing out farming implements. As during
slavery, planters kept a close watch on their farming tools. Slaves sometimes purposefully lost or
destroyed tools as a means of “passive” resistance.
For more on these topics see:
Coclanis, Peter A. “Rice,” in The South Carolina Encyclopedia. Ed. Walter Edgar. Columbia: University of South
Carolina Press, 2006.
Littlefield, Daniel C. Rice and Slaves: Ethnicity and the Slave Trade in Colonial South Carolina. Urbana and
Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1981.
Wood, Peter. Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 through the Stono Rebellion. New
York: Knopf, 1974.
Thanks to David Dangerfield, Southern Studies Graduate Student, College of Charleston

And thanks to www.Hopsewee.com!