Research ties local families to history

BEECH ISLAND --- The journey of blacks who were slaves and freedmen on Aiken County plantations will be explored at a historical presentation at Redcliffe Plantation today.

The African-American Experience will be presented at the state historic site from 10 a.m. to noon, said park interpreter Elizabeth Laney.

For the past several months the staff at Redcliffe and several University of South Carolina Aiken students have researched the genealogical records of families who lived on Redcliffe, Kathwood, Cowden and Silver Bluff plantations between 1890 and 1975.

The genealogical documents, photographs and other historical items will be on display for the Crawford, Washington, Wigfall, DeWalt, Henley and Larke families, Ms. Laney said.

Several families achieved success after slavery. For example, Dennis Wigfall, a slave at Redcliffe, moved to Augusta and owned Dennis Wigfall and Co. grocery store on Broad Street in 1900, Ms. Laney said. The store later moved to Gwinnett Street, now Laney-Walker Boulevard.

Between 50 and 100 of the descendants of the families live in Aiken and Richmond counties, and some are expected to attend the event, Ms. Laney said.

"A lot of the time people don't know where to look for this information about their ancestors," she said. "This is for the descendants, but also for the public to see the rich history of African-Americans from slavery to the civil rights era."

Maggi Morehouse, an associate history professor at USC Aiken, said viewing the living space, clothing and photographs of blacks who lived at the plantations will bring the families and spectators who attend closer to their history. Dr. Morehouse has studied black culture for several years, she said.

"There will be white and black families that can connect their families back to the plantations," she said. "These discoveries make history so much more interesting. If we were just learning about presidents, hardly any of us would feel a part of history. This gives people a place in the American mosaic."

The exploration will be featured at the Redcliffe Plantation again in February, Ms. Laney said.

Reach Stephanie Toone at (803) 648-1395 ext. 110, or stephanie.toone@augustachronicle.com.