Aiken


Book Description

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.




Stories of the Rich and Famous


Book Description

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.




The Outlook


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Snow's Hand Book


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Christian Union


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The Christian Union


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Town & Country


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Augusta and Aiken in Golf's Golden Age


Book Description

The game of golf got its start in the Southeastern United States in 1892 on four holes with sand greens at Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina. Within five years, Palmetto had expanded to eighteen holes and the first nine-hole course in neighboring Augusta, Georgia was designed at the Hotel Bon Air. For half a century, the Augusta-Aiken area flourished as the winter destination of choice for the rich, famous, and powerful in America. Presidents Taft, Harding, and Eisenhower vacationed here. Baseball great Ty Cobb bought a home in Augusta's quaint Summerville neighborhood. It was here that Bobby Jones began the improbable journey towards a Grand Slam, then built his dream golf course. By the turn of the century, winter tourism and grand resort hotels in the Augusta-Aiken area were well established. A favorable winter climate and easy rail access drew vacationers to Highland Park Hotel (1866), Willcox Hotel (1898), and Park in the Pines (1900) in Aiken; Hotel Bon Air (1890) and Partridge Inn (1913) in Augusta; and Hampton Terrace Hotel and Golf Club (1903) in North Augusta. Resorts in Florida and the growth of the air travel industry later coupled to mark the area's decline in winter tourism, but not before Augusta-Aiken's place in golf history was secure. In this unique volume, vintage images and accompanying text recall the unfo rgettable legends, the meticulously maintained courses, and all of the grandeur associated with the game.




Lost Aiken County


Book Description

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 court 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.