#63: Darlington Raceway, SC's first "Publick Library," and a symposium on the 1st South Carolina Volunteers of African Descent
For South Carolina history lovers far and wide! Enjoy weekly SC history and upcoming SC historical events
Welcome to the first 100 days of the South Carolina History Newsletter! My name is Kate Fowler and I live in Greenville, SC. I have a 9-5 job in marketing, and outside of work, have a deep love of history. I started this newsletter as a passion project to learn more about our beautiful state and build a community of fellow SC history lovers along the way! To establish a foundation for the newsletter and to grow my expertise on a wide variety of South Carolina historical topics, this past February I challenged myself to post 100 newsletters in 100 days. After this coming May 20th, the newsletter will become weekly. Thank you for joining the journey!
Dear reader,
Welcome to Newsletter #63 of The South Carolina History Newsletter! I’m so happy you’re here.
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Yours truly,
Kate
(Writing from Greenville, SC)
➳ Featured SC History Event
Please enjoy our featured SC History Event below, and click here to visit my SC History Events Calendar that organizes all the upcoming SC history events I have discovered. Please let me know if you’d like to add an event to the calendar! Reply to this email or send me a note at schistorynewsletter@gmail.com.
Saturday, April 20th, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm | “History Symposium: Breathing Democracy into spaces: 1st South Carolina Volunteers of African Descent” | USCB Center for the Arts | Charleston, SC | FREE Event
“Share in a day of discovery and learning! Teachers, scholars, and historians will present lessons and share the inspirational stories that illuminate the legacy of the 1st regiment of soldiers of African descent whose contributions and impact during the Civil War paved the way for thousands of other Black men to take up arms to secure freedom for themselves, their families, their communities, and the nation. All events are FREE and open to everyone! Presented by the University of South Carolina Beaufort’s, (USCB) Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era. Sponsored by a McCausland grant from the College of Arts and Sciences University of South Carolina, Columbia. For more information please visit our website: https://www.uscb.edu/isre. For updates LIKE and FOLLOW @ISREmeaningoffreedom on Facebook and @isre_meaning_of_freedom on Instagram.”
➳ SC History Fun Facts
I.
Did you know that the Darlington Raceway in Darlington, SC is the 2nd oldest NASCAR track in the country and was known as “The Track Too Tough to Tame”?
Listen to this section in the mini audio voiceover below!
Darlington Raceway is the second oldest track in all of NASCAR and the oldest of all superspeedways. The developers broke ground for the track in 1949 and hosted the raceway’s first race in 1950.
The idea and funding to build a venue in Darlington came from two retired drivers: Harold Brasington and Bill France. It was Brasington who approached France to partner together after seeing the success of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bill France is known for founding and managing NASCAR.
According to Harold Brasington III, his grandfather traveled the Midwest during the early 1930s, driving in 40- to 50-lap events. “There wasn’t any stock-car racing yet,” Harold III said in 2019. “These guys were weekend warriors racing their D-I-Y cars for a small purse that may or may not be headed out of town with the shady promoters who often took off with the money while the race was still under way.”
Harold Sr. told a group of writers in the 1990s, “When I was up there at Indianapolis and saw that crowd of people, I figured if they could draw 200,000 people to watch Indy cars there, we could get lots of people to watch a different kind of race in the South.”
Harold Sr.’s dream was to create a 500-mile asphalt race in Darlington, SC.
While WWII thwarted his initial plans, when the war ended, Harold Sr. proceeded with his plans to raise the money and find the location for a track that would test the power and endurance of new “stock production cars.” His grandson said:
“Car companies were making great claims about production vehicles with V-8s and their power and endurance. But not many people thought a stock-production car could run a 500-mile race at those limits, pushing it. So there’s the moonshot. Nobody thought it could be done. They didn’t think a production car could last for 500 miles. But (Harold Sr.) was like, ‘Oh, yeah, it could be done. We just need to pave a large track for stock cars and we’ll show them.’”
When Harold Brasington Sr. initially showed members of his Darlington, S.C. community plans to build a superspeedway in the small southern farm town, he was mocked for his grand ideas. But Brasington had the last laugh.
The land they purchased was previously used to cultivate cotton and peanuts. The previous owner only had one stipulation in the negotiation: not destroy his minnow pond; hence why the track has an oblong shape.
It is the oblong shape (1.366 miles) of the track that earned it its nickname “The Track Too Tough to Tame.” The track is “fast, unforgiving and treacherous, showing no mercy for even the slightest on-track errors in judgment.” Make a mistake here and it will cost you dearly.
Sports Journalist Benny Phillips would also coin another nickname for the course “The Lady In Black.” He wrote in a column on September 1st, 1965 about the Southern 500:
“As treacherous as Mata Hari, as desirable as Hollywood’s most beautiful actress — as unpredictable as any woman — these are the virtues of ‘The Lady In Black.’”
They opened the track with a bang and posted a record prize purse of $25,000 for the winner of the inaugural “Southern 500” race in 1950.
The first Southern 500 was huge: “The 75-car field was the biggest in series history. The 500-mile length was the longest in series history. The crowd of 25,000 fans was the largest in series history.”
The race had 80 entrants who attempted to qualify for the 75 available spots. The eventual winner, Johnny Mantz, raced in a “now infamous Plymouth car owned by track co-founder Bill France.”
Over its near 7-decade history, one driver has amassed an incredible 65 races at the track — Richard Petty.
South Carolina native David Pearson was a driver who “tamed Darlington Raceway.” Pearson tops the list with 10 Darlington victories. Pearson is closely followed by 9-time winner Dale Earnhardt, and 7-time winner Jeff Gordon (including a record four consecutive Southern 500s from 1995-98).
Darlington has been a staple on the NASCAR premier series circuit since it opened in 1950. At that time it was one of only two paved ovals in NASCAR, and the only one longer than a half-mile.
Until the first Daytona 500 in 1959, the Southern 500 was “the most prestigious race on the premier series schedule and the best-paying race, too.”
Over the years however, the Darlington Speedway has had its challenges meeting financial goals. Throughout its history, there have been many scheduling changes with the track’s famous Southern 500.
Unlike many tracks that are located in or near large metropolitan cities, Darlington’s spectator market is a lot smaller. Located in a part of the state known as “the Textile Belt,” when the area’s textile industry began to suffer, local fans struggled to afford tickets.
Additionally, in the 1990s when NASCAR ratings were on the rise, the sport wanted to expand its presence in more locations throughout the country. That plan subsequently backfired for the industry as they had spread themselves too thin. More and more large-scale complexes with massive seating capacities began having trouble filling seats.
Fortunately, in 2007-2008, Darlington secured $16 million in investment capital to refurbish the venue and the track to keep the superspeedway running smoothly into the current decade and beyond.
Today, the Darlington Raceway hosts:
NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Goodyear 400
Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
Cook Out Southern 500
Race car lovers young and old also come to Darlington to visit its world-famous Stock Car Museum.
The museum holds memorabilia from dozens of racing legends as well as some of the cars they drove at Darlington over the years. One of the most treasured items in the museum is the 1950 Plymouth that Johnny Mantz drove to victory in the first-ever Southern 500.
The site is also the location of the NASCAR Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame and has inducted, amongst others, such race legends as David Pearson and Richard Petty.
Here is a fun, informative 5-minute video from NBC Sports about the Darlington Raceway:
Have you experienced a race at the Darlington Raceway? Leave a comment below and tell us about your experience! We would love to hear!
Sources:
“Darlington Raceway.” World Sports Network, World Sports Network, 14 Oct. 2022, https://www.wsn.com/nascar/darlington-raceway/#:~:text=Darlington%20Raceway%20History,beat%20by%20just%20one%20year. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
“Darlington Raceway: ‘Too Tough to Tame’ | NASCAR Hall of Fame | Curators’ Corner.” Nascar Hall of Fame, https://www.nascarhall.com/blog/darlington-raceway-too-tough-to-tame. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
“Harold Brasington | Nascar Hall of Fame.” Nascar Hall of Fame, https://www.nascarhall.com/hall-of-famers/landmark-award/harold-brasington. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
Jenson, Tom. “The First Southern 500 | NASCAR Hall of Fame | Curators’ Corner.” Nascar Hall of Fame, 13 March 2023, https://www.nascarhall.com/blog/the-first-southern-500#:~:text=The%20delays%2C%20while%20frustrating%2C%20proved,the%20largest%20in%20series%20history. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
Chancey, Scott. “PLANTATION, POKER AND POND: Harold Brasington’s Dream of a Darlington Track Became a Reality.” SCNow, 28 Aug. 2022, https://scnow.com/sports/plantation-poker-and-pond-harold-brasington-s-dream-of-a-darlington-track-became-a-reality/article_761cf09c-c6b0-11e9-8a92-6b78a9dbca1e.html. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
“Darlington Raceway | Greater Darlington Chamber of Commerce.” Greater Darlington Chamber of Commerce, https://darlingtonchamber.com/darlington-raceway/. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
Graff, Michael. “The Man Behind the ‘Lady.” Nascar.com, https://www.nascar.com/long-form/darlington-nickname-benny-phillips-lady-in-black/. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
Have you experienced a race at the Darlington Raceway? Leave a comment below and tell us about your experience! We would love to hear!
II.
Did you know that the first publicly supported library in the New World was established in Charles Town in 1698?
Listen to this section in the mini audio voiceover below!
The first publicly supported library in the nation was established in Charles Town in 1698.
Although the building no longer exists, a historical marker was placed at the site of the first public library in America by the Historical Commission of Charleston in 1955.
The library, founded just 28 years after the first permanent settlement in Charles Town, owed its organization to “the zeal and enthusiasm of the Reverend Dr. Thomas Bray, an Episcopal clergyman of that period” who was based in England.
Because of Reverend Dr. Thomas Bray’s efforts, nearly “50 libraries were founded by him in America and other countries abroad.”
The General Assembly of South Carolina confirmed the establishment of the library “by official act in 1700” but even before that date had appropriated funds for the purchase of books for the new "Publick Library."
The journals of the Common House of Assembly of South Carolina for 1698 carry numerous references to the public library, among them the appropriation of 53 pounds to be paid in London for "Bookes Belonging to ye Library of Charles Towne in Carolina."
In November, 1698, a man named Jonathan Amory was ordered to "lay out in Drest Skins to ye fallue of Seaventy Pounds Currant Money ... for ye paymenty of fifty three Pounds ... Due (on) a Publick Library.”
The South Carolina Assembly expressed their gratitude for the library. A committee of the House was ordered to write a letter to the South Carolina Lords Proprietors, containing among other things, the "Thankes of This House for yr Generous prsent of Soe Considerable Part of our Public Library."
The SC General Assembly expressed their gratitude to Dr. Thomas Bray on November 25, 1698 by declaring:
"We can not but now think it our Duty, to make it our Endeavours to encourage Religion and Learning amongst us, according to the best of our Ability, seeing that yourself (though a Stranger) have been so kind and generous, as to set the first example towards the promotion of so Good and Necessary a Work."
From the beginning the colonial government “felt an obligation to maintain and protect the library.” A priest at St. Philip’s Church in Charles Town, where the library was located, was made accountable for the books. On November 5th each year, the priest had to complete an inventory of the books. The rules for the library were carefully “worked out and stringent.” Heavy penalties were exacted for loss or damage to the books.
Although this library did “not long survive in the 18th century, the state may take pride in the manner in which this ambitious early library scheme was handled by the provincial government.”
The next step in the development of library service in South Carolina was taken in 1748 when 17 young gentlemen joined together with the objective of raising a small fund to purchase pamphlets, magazines, and books. Their purpose was to “keep in touch with a mature civilization, the history and progress of the world, and with new publications.” This group was organized as the Charles Town Library Society, an organization which 232 years later is still a flourishing institution with one of America's fine rare book collections.
The library society or subscription library was a pattern which became popular throughout South Carolina. Libraries of this type were organized in Beaufort, and in Georgetown by the Winyah Indigo Society. See SC History Newsletter #58 for more information on the Winyah Indigo Society.
By 1860 there were "library society" libraries in operation in many of the counties of the state.
Only the libraries in Charleston and Georgetown survived the Civil War. Beaufort's library was confiscated and burned. In 1950 with the aid of Senator Burnett Maybank, the South Carolina State Library Board was “able to secure some restitution to Beaufort for the loss of this fine early library.”
In Cheraw, “Sherman's troops ransacked the library before burning the building and carried away the books scattering them along their march towards Fayetteville.”
Although there were sporadic efforts to revive libraries in several of South Carolina’s counties, none were successful because of lack of money for books.
It was not until the turn of the century, with the organization of women's clubs and the establishment of the South Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs that “establishing community libraries “became a major objective.”
Although the libraries established were small collections of books, “poorly housed and staffed by volunteers from among the club members themselves,” from these meager beginnings grew many of the state's fine public libraries.
Sources:
“South Carolina Public Library Histories - E.P. Walker’s ‘So Good and Necessary a Work’ - The Public Library in South Carolina, 1698-1980.” University of South Carolina,http://www.libsci.sc.edu/histories/vts/epw01.html#:~:text=The%20first%20publicly%20supported%20library,Episcopal%20clergyman%20of%20that%20period. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
“The First Public Library In America Was In South Carolina.” OnlyInYourState, 13 Apr. 2023, https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/south-carolina/notable-first-state-history-sc/. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
“Thomas Bray’s Associates.” AmericanAntiquarian.org, 1938, https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44806985.pdf. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
➳ Quote from an SC historical figure
“You never forget your first love, whether it’s a high school sweetheart, a faithful old hunting dog or a fickle race track in South Carolina with a contrary disposition. And if you happen to be a racecar driver, there’s no victory so sweet, so memorable, as whipping Darlington Raceway.”
— Dale Earnhardt, 9-time winner of the Southern 500
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