So, now I had an overview, a lay of the land…as it were. And I had already decided to narrow in on my block as a focal point. But first a few issues:

Research

When I was researching local history in St. Charles, MO, I was working in an old archive…so I could physically delve into the riches all around me. I was there as they were just beginning to painstakingly scan and enter those old documents into their computer. Before I left, they were beginning to upload some of those researchable documents onto their website.  

Charleston has evolved more spectacularly, like St. Louis has done also. There are magnificent libraries and archives where you have to go in and physically look up things with help and under direction. But now there is a world of information on the internet, just in time…because I have evolved into a person with less mobility. The Charleston County Library has graciously posted much of their historical research articles on their website, along with research tools accessed with a click. And that is just one source. The Holy City’s history is accessible…which was an added bonus because the COVID pandemic had closed most of the town when I arrived.

I will share all the things I found where and how.

“My Charleston”

Charleston has a very intimidating history for those who are first encountering it. So many Revolutionary Patriots and forts and first Congressmen and those who signed the Declaration of Independence and Continental movers and shakers…with the occasional woman. But…it has a dark side. I had determined upon moving here that I wanted no part of the Civil War…though I also soon discovered, it is hard to avoid for long… statues and plaques abound…

Charleston is rightly called one of the most beautiful cities in America and I love it. I am fortunate to live in the middle and can get to water on both sides…actually a 20–30-minute walk gets me there in three directions.

But actually, the richer side of town, the “South of Broad”, the oldest part of town at the tip end of the peninsula up to Broad Street and the magnificent buildings of the civic center area is, in its own way, actually segregated there.

I soon learned that my corner was different. While it has some nice homes in the neighborhood, in the beginning it was more an edge of the city limits kind of place, home to working man (and woman), mixed ethnically and racially…a mixed neighborhood…with oddly, a few major “oldest” churches who gravitated in their early days to the edges…and some cool early history…including one woman who was an original settler. So be prepared….

Chronology

Believe it or not, I have been dragging my feet on getting going because of an argument with myself that I must settle before I can begin: Do I start from today and go back in time or do I start at the beginning and come forward?

Both ideas had their appeal…until you realize you are doing a blog with definite ground rules, and you have to start typing somewhere. In the world of blogs, your first post is always going to be on the bottom with later ones appearing before it and the latest one is the one you will see first. So, the philosophical dilemma was taken out of my hands…readers can start with the current post and work down and back in time or scroll down to the first one and read chronologically up through time to the top.

So…the choice is yours and I am forging ahead before I change my mind.

Wonderful local talent

I have come to love the daily posts on Facebook by Larry Watkins as he takes photos around town of some of the beautiful homes, gardens, and churches and municipal buildings. While my neighborhood has some nice homes, they are not the same as the ones in other districts. There are many sites showcasing photos of Charleston, also, but Larry was the first one I discovered and still my favorite. Here is Larry Watkins FB address.

Larry Watkins | Facebook