Beaufort District Collection Connections Blog

March, 2011

March 31, 1933: CCC
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Congress established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) on March 31, 1933. the CCC offered conservation-related jobs to unemployed Americans during the Great Depression. One of the dozens of New Deal programs created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to fight the Depression, the CCC put thousands of unemployed young men to work on useful public projects, including my maternal grandfather. By the time the CCC ended in 1942, more than 2 million men had served, making it one of the most successful government training and employment projects in history.

New Programs on Jackpot
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Former Beaufort Gazette reporter, Jason Ryan, has penned his first non-fiction, full length book which comes out on April 20th. Simply entitled Jackpot (with quite interesting cover art) but enticingly subtitled High Times, High Seas, and the Sting that Launched the War on Drugs, Ryan's book is getting solid reviews.

Some of the newcomers among us may not be aware of "Operation Jackpot" and the role that some Beaufort and Hilton Head Island area residents played in it. In fact, we've had a BDC vertical file on the topic for quite some time.

Tillie Maude O'Dell, Beaufort girl, Broadway actress
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When families die out in a particular community, contributions of native sons (and daughters) get lost to time. An example for us to rectify this National Women's History Month is the life story of Maude O'Dell (spelling varies), a woman of considerable stage presence and enduring historical mystery.

Doing a little research leaves me with more questions than answers but with additional information to share with you.

BDC@ The Branches is underway...
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We had a very engaged audience last night in Beaufort Branch for Sandy Dimke's "Photos for Future Generations," the opening salvo of the Spring 2011 BDC@ The Branches series. Sandy was great! Thanks to all who came to learn how to take and archive interesting photographs for their descendants.

Upcoming programs in the Spring 2011 BDC@ The Branches Program Series are:

Hints for Using ALE Today
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Some aspect of Ancestry Library Edition (ALE) is updated virtually every day. A search done in the morning may not get the same results as that same search done in the evening. That’s why a good family history researcher should periodically run the same people searches at least every 3 to 6 months, just in case something new got posted.

Q: How do you find out what has been added, updated, or is in line to be compiled into ALE?

National Women's History Month online resources
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Here in the Beaufort District Collection we do our best to tie-in with local and national events. We are but a small cog, but we do participate in national efforts whenever possible.

Reminder: Dimke on Photographs Wednesday
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Reminder - Photos for the Future with Sandy Dimke

Rosie O'Donnell Tracks Down Her Irish Roots
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In honor of St. Patrick's Day, today's post refers to the NBC series "Who Do You Think You Are?" about researching family history - with an emphasis on Irish heritage.

The BDC Genealogically Speaking...
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Although the major focus of the Beaufort District Collection is on the history, culture, and environment of our area, we provide limited assistance to customers whose primary interest is in tracking their family history.

Occasionally, we do talks on South Carolina genealogical topics. For example, on December 7, 2010, staff presented a session on "Federal Censuses, 1840 - 1910," for the Beaufort Chapter, South Carolina Genealogy Society. Contact us for the PDF or WORD version of the presentation.

Heads Up: Schedule Change in Force
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The BDC Research Room is closed for lunch, Noon to 1 pm, March 8 - 25. (We have to comply with Federal labor laws you know!)

Regular hours of operation will resume Monday, March 28th.

SC DISCUS highlights Women's History Month
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DISCUS – which stands for Digital Information for South Carolina USers – provides free access to an electronic library that’s available 24/7. DISCUS provides a variety of organized resources, called databases, for individuals of all ages, educational levels and interests. The databases include:

Old Plantation, John Rose, and Beaufort District
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This watercolor owned by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is described as "the best-known surviving 18th century depiction of slaves in America." It has been widely reproduced in publications and educational texts for more than 50 years. But its artist and its history was unknown -- until now

Carolina Stories highlights Sam Doyle Tonight!
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Carolina Stories: Uncommon Folk spotlights six self-taught South Carolina folk artists and their unique, sometimes quirky, creations. Artisans featured are L.C. Carson, Johnnie Simmons, Ernest Lee, Maxie McConnell Eades, Margaret Robbins, and Sam Doyle, the St. Helena folk artist whose "Stepping Out" painting is to the left.

Countdown to "Photos for Future Generations" - 2 weeks
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Beaufort District Collection presents

Sandy Dimke on "Photos for Future Generations" Wed., Mar. 23rd in the Beaufort Branch Library 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The goal is to learn how to take photos now that will still be interesting in 100 years!

Don't Forget: BDC Research Room Closed For Lunch
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As you are likely aware the BDC Research Room is usually open Mondays through Fridays 10 am until 5 pm. But sometimes we have to make adjustments to comply with federal labor laws for hourly employees. Well, sometimes starts today!

The BDC Research Room is closed for lunch, Noon to 1 pm, March 8 - 25. (We have to comply with Federal labor laws you know!)

Regular hours of operation will resume Monday, March 28th.

Please Participate in National Library Week
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National Library Week is fast approaching.

The Beaufort County Library, in cooperation with the County Channel, will give our customers the opportunity to share their perceptions of how well (or not) the Beaufort County Library has met its responsibility to provide our community with materials, programs, and services which educate, entertain, and improve one's life. The end result will be a documentary about the Library and how well (or not) it meets community needs.

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