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Category: Rambling

Gimme Shelter

Posted on May 1, 2025May 3, 2025 By Tom 2 Comments on Gimme Shelter
History and Genealogy, Local, Rambling

A spiritu fomicationis,Domine, hibera nos.From the lightning and the tempest,O Lord, deliver us.From the scourge of the earthquake,O Lord, deliver us.From plague, famine, and war,O Lord, deliver us. From the place of ground zero,O Lord, deliver us.From the rain of the cobalt,O Lord, deliver us.From the rain of the strontium,O Lord, deliver us.From the fall … Read More “Gimme Shelter” »

From Kingsbury to Stoneboro – Rambling in Lancaster County

Posted on April 28, 2025April 28, 2025 By Tom 1 Comment on From Kingsbury to Stoneboro – Rambling in Lancaster County
History and Genealogy, Rambling

One of the ghost towns I’ve wanted to explore is Kingsbury, in Lancaster County, South Carolina.  Located on the Catawba River, Kingsbury started out as a ferry town.  It appears on the 1825 Lancaster District Map in Robert Mills’s Atlas of South Carolina. In the late 1700s Andrew McIlwaine chartered a ferry across the Catawba … Read More “From Kingsbury to Stoneboro – Rambling in Lancaster County” »

Slabtown, Equality, and the Thalian Web – MLK 2025

Posted on January 22, 2025January 22, 2025 By Tom 3 Comments on Slabtown, Equality, and the Thalian Web – MLK 2025
History and Genealogy, Local, Rambling

As usual, fellow explorer Alan Russell and I planned to a ramble on MLK Day, as we do each year. We brainstormed several options, and decided to head to upper Anderson County to the community of Slabtown. I had actually visited these sites back in 2021 with the intention of writing a blog post about … Read More “Slabtown, Equality, and the Thalian Web – MLK 2025” »

Seeking Shelton

Posted on December 19, 2024December 19, 2024 By Tom No Comments on Seeking Shelton
History and Genealogy, Photography, Rambling

With all the chaos post-Helene I haven’t had much of a chance to get out and explore. I’ve been working on scripts for season 2 of Carolina Ghost Towns, which will include an episode on the ghost town of Shelton in Fairfield County. It had been awhile since I had visited, so I thought it … Read More “Seeking Shelton” »

Return to Newry

Posted on April 28, 2024May 5, 2024 By Tom 3 Comments on Return to Newry
Paddling, Rambling

Several weeks ago I did a solo kayaking trip from Lawrence Bridge on Lake Hartwell up to the mill village of Newry. I’d done this trip before back in 2010, but thought it was high time I made a return. In those 12 years there have been many changes. The old abandoned textile mill at … Read More “Return to Newry” »

MLK Ramble 2024 – Mayesville and Salem Black River Church

Posted on January 23, 2024January 24, 2024 By Tom 1 Comment on MLK Ramble 2024 – Mayesville and Salem Black River Church
History and Genealogy, Rambling

Each year I try to do a photo expedition on the MLK holiday. This tradition got started years ago when I was still working in the schools. MLK was an unexpected Monday off and I hated to waste it. I’ve been retired for quite a long time now, but I still try to do an … Read More “MLK Ramble 2024 – Mayesville and Salem Black River Church” »

The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble

Posted on January 19, 2023January 19, 2023 By Tom 1 Comment on The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble
History and Genealogy, Rambling

Every year Alan Russell and I do some sort of ramble or exploration on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. This tradition started when both of us were in education and had a rare winter Monday that we didn’t have to work. This year we invited my brother, Houston, and Dwight Moffitt to come along … Read More “The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble” »

Wilkinsville and a Mystery Church

Posted on May 19, 2022May 20, 2022 By Tom 5 Comments on Wilkinsville and a Mystery Church
History and Genealogy, Rambling

This blog post has been an amazing journey and has taken several weeks to complete. It has involved lots of people and diving down lots of research rabbit holes. I was able to piece together some answers, but I still have lots of questions. Since this is going to be a multi-page post I thought … Read More “Wilkinsville and a Mystery Church” »

W. L. England’s Wholesale Groceries

Posted on January 31, 2022January 31, 2022 By Tom No Comments on W. L. England’s Wholesale Groceries
History and Genealogy, Rambling

I felt like I had been cooped up for far too long. Two weekends in a row I never left the house and I was starting to get cabin fever. I posted the following on Facebook: I think today I’m going to toss a banjo, camera, and metal detector in the car and just see … Read More “W. L. England’s Wholesale Groceries” »

Calhoun County MLK Day Ramble

Posted on January 22, 2022January 23, 2022 By Tom 1 Comment on Calhoun County MLK Day Ramble
Photography, Rambling

Alan Russell and I usually do a photo trek on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As educators we usually had the day off and it made for a great mid-winter escape. Now that we’re both retired we can go pretty much any day we want, but we still try to stick to our annual tradition. … Read More “Calhoun County MLK Day Ramble” »

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