From a home to the fierce Westo tribe to a hub of the equestrian industry, Aiken County has had a huge influence on South Carolina. And some of the structures that mark that history have disappeared. More than two hundred years ago, the Horse Creek Chickasaw Squirrel King held court near North Augusta. The first locomotive built for public transportation, the "Best Friend" from Charleston to Hamburg, first ran in the area. The home of noted businessman Richard Flint Howe hosted both the Du...

Take a journey through the long and exciting history of North Carolina grapes and vines. The state's native grapes grew with a wild abandon that uniformly impressed early explorers. Wine production, however, is another story--one with peaks and valleys and switchbacks. Alexia Jones Helsley recounts a tale of promise that was long unfulfilled, of disappointments and success and of competing visions and grapes. These pages speak to those intrigued by the romance of the native muscadines, app...

Beaufort's long history of wickedness stretches back to 1562, when Captain Jean Ribaut built the ill-fated French outpost Charlesfort on Parris Island, eventually destroyed by mutiny and starvation. Colonial Beaufortonians were no strangers to thwarting the law, from the murder of Charles Purry to the priestly misbehavior of Reverend William Peaseley. The Revolutionary War brought civil strife to the area in the form of bands of outlaws, and the early Federal years were times for the "gent...

I could not ignore the tiny spark of hope that whispered to me that there might be someone with whom I could be vulnerable and real, and that this time they might just not let me down...This is the story of Alexia and her therapist Kim, and their three-year therapy journey to begin Alexia's path to recovery. Written from both perspectives, it is a powerful and revealing account of a therapist-client relationship.Together, the authors show the manifold challenges th...

Columbia sits on hills overlooking the Congaree, Saluda and Broad Rivers. The name evokes sanctuary and the American spirit. Its central location in the state makes it the meeting place of the Upstate and the Lowcountry. The all-American city sprang from wilderness, frame buildings and unpaved streets and valiantly responded to the challenges of change. The city was created by the legislature to be the capital and reflects the "ambitions and fortunes" of South Carolina. Columbia is a diver...

For many, Edisto is a little slice of heaven--live oaks festooned with Spanish moss, winding waterways and crashing surf. Yet the waterways were pathways for privateers, smugglers and gunboats. Marauders terrorized residents. Privateers made life uncertain during the War of 1812. John Wilson and Andrew Gillon dueled to the death on the sands of Edingsville. The Civil War brought repeated skirmishes between Union and Confederate scouting parties. Join historian Alexia Jones Helsley as she r...

Historically, Greenville County owes much to its natural advantages of scenery, location and abundant water, but it has also benefited from its colorful characters, such as Richard Pearis, Vardry McBee, Richard Furman and the Earle family. Hidden History of Greenville County details the personalities, places and events that have given Greenville its progressive, diverse environment. Join archivist and history professor Alexia Helsley as she explores some of these individuals and their cont...

Touted as one of America's most livable cities, Columbia has a history of independence and triumph. But that history also has a darker side, one that isn't told quite as often. The capital city's past is filled with salacious tales of debauchery, including a notorious pickpocket bold enough to victimize a mayor and a tradition of dueling that ruined lives over petty insults. From triple hangings at Potter's Field to the lure of ladies of the evening, Columbia has a history as famously hot ...

A vivid portrait of power, privilege, and peril in colonial Charleston. Eighteenth-century Charleston was a city built on water, wealth, and whispers—where the harbor brimmed with merchant ships and war vessels and status was measured in wharves, wine cellars, imported porcelain, and family names that could open every door. This is colonial Charleston at its peak: a thriving Atlantic port fueled by rice and indigo, shaped by transatlantic trade, and held together by tightly woven kinship n...

Mi A Talk (I Am Talking) is a poetry collection echoing the author's diverse life seasons. These verses, born from a passion for writing, provide insight and inspiration. Uniquely, this collection offers poetic utterances inviting relaxation and meditation.Order your copy of this one-of-a-kind book today!