Time Period: Industry & the Gilded Age (1878 - 1889)

Charleston Earthquake, 1886

On August 31, 1886, Charleston and surrounding towns suffered extensive damage from the largest earthquake to ever hit the southeast. The photographs in this collection show the aftermath of the earthquake shortly after it occurred. George LaGrange Cook, a prominent Charleston photographer created the series “Cook’s Earthquake Views of Charleston and Vicinity” which featured a …


Quick Access:
View Partner Collection Homepage / View in Discovery

Diamond Fields of South Africa: Memories, Mines, and Minerals

In the Early 1870s, one of the greatest diamond rushes began in South Africa after the discovery of a valuable diamond on the Orange River. This collection consists of five items that represent some of the earliest publications describing the diamond fields of South Africa. Published between 1870 and 1917, this collection of monographs, essays, …


Quick Access:
View Partner Collection Homepage / View in Discovery

David Wyatt Aiken Papers, 1849 – 1976

This collection contains letters and other materials surrounding the life of five-term U.S. congressman David Wyatt Aiken, who biographers have styled “South Carolina’s Militant Agrarian.” Born in 1828 in Winnsboro (Fairfield County, S.C.), Aiken served as a colonel in the Confederate Army and later went on to serve in the S.C. House of Representatives. He …


Quick Access:
View Partner Collection Homepage / View in Discovery

Craft and Crum Families 1780-2007

The collection of artifacts pertaining tot he Craft and Crum families of the Lowcountry includes a myriad of materials; photo albums, letters, account books, and land deeds. The Craft Family Photo Album includes images of Craft family members, famous abolitionists, and other family friends, many of international historical significance. Also included in the collection are legal …


Quick Access:
View Partner Collection Homepage / View in Discovery

Columbia, SC City Directories 1859 –

This searchable collection of Columbia City Directories from 1859 is an invaluable source for historians and genealogists. City directories offer an alphabetized listing of residents and businesses as well as a street-by-street listing of occupants.


Quick Access:
View Partner Collection Homepage / View in Discovery

Fairfield County History Collection

About The Winns of Fairfield County: Brothers William, Col. John, and General Richard Winn migrated from Fauquier County, Virginia to Fairfield County in the years just preceding the Revolutionary War. All three, along with several sons, fought for the Patriot’s cause with the local militias. In 1785 the brothers petitionedfor a charter and laid out the town …


Quick Access:
View Partner Collection Homepage / View in Discovery

Erskine College Photograph Collection

Late 19th and early 20th century photographic images of students and campus life at Erskine College in Due West, S.C. Erskine College was founded in 1839 by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.


Quick Access:
View Partner Collection Homepage / View in Discovery

Drayton Papers, 1701-2004

This collection contains diaries, travelogues, ledgers, correspondence, inventories, plats, sketches, architectural drawings of Charles Drayton III and others, relating mainly to affairs at Drayton Hall and other family plantations. Collection also includes artwork, reflections on eighteenth century literature, deeds, newspaper clippings and photographs.


Quick Access:
View Partner Collection Homepage / View in Discovery

Drayton Family Papers, 1837-1869

Papers consist of correspondence, writings, military records, accounts, plats, and other items. Included are the papers of James Shoolbred Drayton (1820-1867) and John Drayton (1831-1912).


Quick Access:
View Partner Collection Homepage / View in Discovery

Fall Line Collection

The Fall Line is a geographic region within South Carolina where the rivers are no longer navigable from the Low Country. This area, which stretches from Cheraw on the Pee Dee River to Hamburg (present day North Augusta) on the Savannah River, yielded experiences and material culture that were characteristic of its peoples. The goods …


Quick Access:
View Partner Collection Homepage / View in Discovery