Stories of the Rich and Famous


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Aiken was a small, relatively obscure southern town until the arrival of an aristocratic New Orleans family with strong societal ties. And it didnt take long before there was a seasonal flood of winter visitorswith names like Hitchcock, Vanderbilt, Whitney, and Astor. This South Carolina town was drawing the countrys wealthiest and most powerful families, beginning in the 19th century and continuing on past World War II. Every fall they came by private railcar to play polo and golf, race thoroughbreds, and hunt fox. They held high tea, musicales, balls, and dinners, and every spring the Winter Colony migrated north again, leaving behind mansions and traditions that still resonate in Aiken 100 years later.Author David M. Tavernier has woven a fascinating collection of stories around the people and places of this era. Based on fact, fiction, and years of historical research, the stories of the Newport of the South are masterfully and vividly brought to life.




Aiken


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It seems unlikely that a place as far off the beaten track as Aiken, South Carolina, would become the preferred wintering location for the denizens of New York society. But from the late 1800s, the most recognized names in Americathe Vanderbilts, the Whitneys, and even the Rooseveltsbegan coming to this charming Southern city to escape the cold, relax among the oaks, and play. And play they did, establishing Aiken as an international polo capital and a premier place to ride, hunt, and golf. Aiken has so much history beyond the folks known as the winter colonists. Legends of the areas restorative powers date back to Native Americans. Aiken also boasts an amazing number of records, including the destination for the worlds longest railroad in 1833 and the second-oldest 18-hole golf course in the United States, the Palmetto Golf Club, built in 1892.




The Outlook


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The Rise of the New South


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Snow's Hand Book


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Official Catalogue


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House & Garden


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Lost Aiken County


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From a home to the fierce Westo tribe to a hub of the equestrian industry, Aiken County has had a huge influence on South Carolina. And some of the structures that mark that history have disappeared. More than two hundred years ago, the Horse Creek Chickasaw Squirrel King held couty near North Augusta. The first locomotive built for public transportation, the "Best Friend" from Charleston to Hamburg, first ran in the area. The home of noted businessman Richard Flint Howe hosted both the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and students of the University of South Carolina Aiken. William Gregg and the Graniteville Mill helped shape the textile industry in the state. Author Alexia Jones Helsley details the lost history of Aiken County.




Home and Abroad


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