Helen Plum Library

Tragically, relatively little of this flourishing nation and its rich culture has survived. Its stories, however, live on today. In this priceless and engaging collection, native Cherokee and professional storyteller Lloyd Arneach recounts tales such as how the bear lost his long bushy tail and how the first strawberry came to be.

Kiawah Island, located on the picturesque South Carolina coast in the heart of the Lowcountry, has a well-deserved reputation as a world-renowned destination. With its pristine beaches, award-winning golf courses and spectacular resort, Kiawah beckons to thousands of visitors from across the globe each year. Kiawah's charm, however, goes far beyond its breathtaking natural beauty and vaunted destination status. Unknown to many, the history of this...

A fascinating new look at the infamous story of the Hatfields and the McCoys and their blood feud that began in 1865 with the murder of Harmon McCoy, a Union soldier, by a Confederate Hatfield relative

A good local history is an excellent and agreeable thing. It pleases on two counts. It satisfies the curiosity of the inhabitants of a region, whether newcomers or old settlers, especially if no adequate history had existed before. It dispels myths, corrects old wives' tales. And, if the history is first-rate, it goes beyond a factual account of persons and places, the particularities of a region, and shows the significance of these human happenings...

Drinking local harks back to the founding of Asheville in 1798. Whether it be moonshine or craft beer, the culture of local hooch is deeply ingrained in the mountain dwellers of Western North Carolina. Both residents and visitors alike enjoy Asheville's wealth of breweries, brewpubs, beer festivals, and dedicated retailers. That enthusiasm earned the city the coveted Beer City, USA title year after year and prompted West Coast beer giants Sierra Nevada,...

Habits of Industry provides a richly descriptive social, historical, and cultural account of the Carolina Piedmont -- the area between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Coastal Plain -- over the course of 150 years. By examining the social and religious culture of the region, Allen Tullos illuminates the lives of the working men and women whose "habits of industry" shaped their world. Tullos combines archival research with an extensive collection of...

I see the participatory nature of food in New Orleans as being in the dishes. My guess is that none of the fine chefs in town would accept the challenge of putting their gumbo against somebody's mother's gumbo. This article appears in the Summer 2012 issue of Southern Cultures. The full issue is also available as an ebook. Southern Cultures is published quarterly (spring, summer, fall, winter) by the University of North Carolina Press. The journal...

South Carolinians have long desired a route for water navigation from Columbia to Charleston. An early Santee Canal effort ended in failure by 1850, but interest was reignited in the twentieth century. Roosevelt and his New Deal provided the necessary hydroelectric power and a boost to the state s economy through the funding of a navigable route utilizing the Congaree, Santee and Cooper Rivers. This ambitious undertaking would become the largest land-clearing...

'There's no choosing. It isn't choice. Are you the daughter of somebody who was somebody who was somebody? And if you are, and you're not a heroin addict, you are there.'"This article appears in the Winter 2012 issue of Southern Cultures. The full issue is also available as an ebook.Southern Cultures is published quarterly (spring, summer, fall, winter) by the University of North Carolina Press. The journal is sponsored by the University of North...

Discover Florida, with its unique geography and exciting history-from ancient gold to modern real estate speculation-by journeying along its highways. Beginning with a chronology and succinct account of Florida's spectacular development, then an account of the rise of the major cities, “Florida History from the Highways” takes you throughout the state, pointing out the fascinating events that occurred at locations along the way. You'll travel...