Musings From Calhoun: Working the Land Central To Our History
Hugh O’Quinn talking with a neighbor in Old Town Bluffton. (Photo courtesy Paul Tollefson)
Note from Tim: We could not be more excited to have Babbie Guscio on board as our first official columnist. I always loved Babbie’s columns in The Bluffton Packet and when I first dreamed up this concept of Lowcountry Chronicle, Babbie was one of the first people I spoke it out loud to. And she said, “Well, now it’s not just a dream. It’s out there. Go make it real.”
Babbie has had a five-decade love affair with Bluffton and it shows in every event and project she tackles, including her center of inspiration at The Store on Calhoun – which I like to think as a physical manifestation of the magic that flows through her brain.
We thank Bill Herbkersman for underwriting this column each and every week in 2023. He is the first official member of our Founders Hall of Fame. More on that to come, but we need folks like Bill that believe in spreading good news to help us in our mission. Email me at lowchron@gmail.com if you’d like to be part of the Hall of Fame roster.
Without further ado, we give you Musings from Calhoun.
DISPATCH 2:
Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in 1867 to a pioneering family. The family spent most of Laura's childhood traveling between Wisconsin, Kansas, Minnesota and South Dakota. When I was little, I was enamored with her books in which she told so beautifully the story of their lives. One of my favorite books is “Little House On The Prairie”. It is so charming.
Laura did not start writing until 1932 at the request of her daughter who urged her mother to tell her story. Her books have been translated into 40 languages and continue to be very popular. I think the nine-book series would make a marvelous present for a child. You can even get a book of paper dolls and another that details crafts of the period.
I mention this because somewhere along the way we have lost something important: The past. This, I think, is one of the reasons people have become so interested in the history of Bluffton and want to know more about it.
When we first moved to Bluffton, we knew this was where we wanted to be. There were only 700 people who lived here. All of the houses in Old Town had fabulous people living in them. There was a fantastic mix of families who were born here and had great tales to tell about growing up in the village as most called it.
Mr. Kiss Beach and his wife, Miss Vivian, lived across from my store on Lawrence Street. Mr. Kiss had a wonderful garden full of all sorts of vegetables he tended every day. He also had a beautiful flock of chickens that were turned out each morning to roam all over the yard.
The chickens had nothing to fear so they foraged in the garden, happily clucking all day until – as if by magic – they went back into their hen house.
One of the little buildings on the property was a small house built around a trailer that intrigued me. Family members lived there for a while it and was rented out to others periodically.
Michael Hahn now has his real estate office in the Beach's house but nonetheless, when I close my eyes, I still see the chickens and Mr. Beach in his garden.
Mr. Hugh O'Quinn lived on May River Road on the corner of Wharf Street with his wife, Miss Inez. Mr. Hugh had a wonderful old tractor that was put to work every spring readying his side yard for a beautiful vegetable garden he planted every year. The garden was gorgeous, filled with rows of corn, beans, squash and tomatoes. It was magical.
Mr. Hugh had a very wry sense of humor and loved telling stories about some of Bluffton's finest. I asked him several times to drive his ancient truck in the Christmas Parade and he had the time of his life, oblivious to whatever crazy thing I had riding in the back.
I think that might have been because he wore old wire-rimmed glasses with the thickest lenses I have ever seen. Steve Kiser now has his real estate office in Mr. Hugh's house, but to me, it still belongs to Mr. Hugh.
Bluffton at one time was a very agrarian community. There were farms all around the area that grew all manner of things.
Migrant farm workers arrived each spring to pick vegetables, tomatoes, beans, squash, asparagus and daffodils. Oysters were picked and shipped by the truckload to points North.
The Ulmers had a very big farm near Buckingham where they grew immense fields of vegetables. After their fields were picked by workers for the offloads, they would let Bluffton people come to the fields to help themselves. It was lots of fun.
I have had a garden and discovered I was not blessed with a green thumb. I have always admired people who actually grew enough food to feed their families all winter. We used to have a cannery in Pritchardville that was in constant use. It is no longer in operation.
There is one fabulous tomato grower you will get to meet at The Bluffton Flower show, Bubba Crosby. I call him Mr. Tomato.
Bubba has a delightful farm on which he grows those delicious tomatoes each year. Bubba is now joined by his son, Ricky, who helps with the tilling and planting. Each summer Bubba greets tomato lovers at his stand as soon as the word gets out that they are ripe.
They also sell delicious collards in the winter. Saturday, March 4 is going to be called "Bubba Crosby Day " in honor of him and the wonderful life he lives and shares with his family.
The Bluffton Flower Show will be at The Heyward House and Martin Family Park from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. There will be judged flower arrangements and flower-related items for sale.
If you want to join the fun, stop by The Store or email thestoresc@gmail.com.
That’s also the email to give me tips or ideas for future columns.
