CHARLESTON, SC

June 2, 2012  Dateline:  Charleston, SC USA

Charleston, SC was the richest city in United States prior to the Civil War.  The largest portion of the population consisted of the slaves and their rich owners.  The very rich had plantations in the low country islands and came to Charleston to escape the heat and insects that harassed them in the summer on the plantations.  They built cottages that today are considered to be mansions.  Houses were built sideways on the streets so that their windows would face the open water which ensured that they would receive a breeze from the ocean.  That breeze did two things for them, first it cooled their houses and secondly it also kept the flying insects at bay.  The war sapped all of the economic wealth out of the city, thus from the cessation of armed hostility between the Union and the Confederacy until the 1940’s Charleston all but died.  There was no attraction to immigrants as there was in the northern cities of New York and Philadelphia so the city’s population stagnated while the north grew.  Someone decided that tourism would be a good business and the city could capitalize on its beautiful houses and all of the old buildings that remained after the Civil War.  In fact the City was so poor that in the late 1880s when it was hit by an earthquake buildings were repaired rather than being simply torn down.  Repair was cheaper at the time.  Now any structure that is at least 75 years old cannot be demolished and must be kept in good repair.

There are two groups of people in Charleston that live near the Battery;  S O Bs and S N O Bs.  The S O Bs live South Of Broad Street.  These are the very wealthiest people in Charleston.  The other group is those who live Slightly North Of Broad.  These people are not exactly poor but they are less wealthy than the SOBs. 

Every wonder where the name for the little delicious round fried ball of corn meal came from.  Since the kitchens were located outside of the main house and the slaves had to carry food from the outside kitchen to the main house, the master’s dogs would harass them.  They made these round balls and threw them to the dogs saying “Hush Puppy” and so the name stuck to the balls of fried corn meal.

Tomorrow we will be up early again to head for Georgetown, SC. The route will be 69 miles and will be out into the ocean.  I will enjoy that because I can run fast and don’t have to worry about shallow waters.