Boll Weevil

The boll weevil is a six millimetre beetle that feeds on cotton buds and flowers. In 1892 the boll weevil entered Texas from Mexico and began to spread through the South causing the mass destruction of cotton crops. Watch out Ms. Nastee, giant boll weevil behind you !!!

The Cotton Gin

In 1793 Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a machine that separates cotton fibers from their seeds. The fibers are used to make cloth and the seeds can be used to plant more cotton, for oil, and to feed livestock. This invention made it easier to produce cotton and enabled the expansion of plantations and slavery. Slaves were needed to plant and pick the cotton. By 1860 approximately one in three Southerners (the states of South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, and Texas) was a slave. Mrs. Nastee visits a cotton gin.

Cotton is King

At the time of the Civil War the South was producing 75 per cent of the world's cotton. The sisters went out to see what a cotton plant looked like (actually The Cotton Museum of South Carolina in Bishopville). Is that tractor comfortable?

Chained Together

The sisters decided to link up at a couple of buildings in Columbia. Neverbust is the name of this artwork by the artist Blue Sky. Talk about chained together! Can you find the sisters?

Getting serious on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

The sisters visited The Stone of Hope in a local park in Columbia, South Carolina on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The words on the stone have so much meaning for all of us. It is also the Inauguration Day for President Barack H. Obama. It is a sunny day and there is hope in the air!

Busted Plug Plaza

Boy do they have large dogs in Columbia, South Carolina! The artist, Blue Sky, created this four-story tall battered metal fire hydrant and it includes a sign warning that no dogs should use it. Look closely and see the sisters.

Tunnelvision

Ms. Nastee decided to play out in the road just before a tunnel through mountain rock. You can see a sunset in the distance. Is it real? Actually it's a mural on the side of a building painted in 1974-75 by an artist called Blue Sky. He called the mural Tunnelvision because it was a "vision in a dream". Ms. Nastee likes his dream!

Gatehouses at the Olympic Mills

Mrs. Nastee and Ms. Nastee found these gatehouses in front of the Olympic Mills. They decided to move in and do some haunting. They did not get very far as you can see if you look closely.

The Olympic Mills

When the Olympic Mills opened in 1899, it was considered to be the largest and most modern cotton mill in the United States. People came from all over to get jobs there. Whole families, even with young children, found employment at this technically advanced mill. Trains would bring huge bales of cotton to be made into thread and then into cloth. There were 1,200 looms moving very quickly and many children worked in the dangerous spinning area. Now these buildings have been turned into a very nice apartment complex. But there are tales . . . People who live there have said that objects move when they are not there, sometimes tiny footsteps are heard, and small handprints sometime appear on frosty windows in the winter. The Nastee sisters love haunted house stories!

Richland Library in downtown Columbia, South Carolina

The two sisters flew off with their library cards to the Richland Library. Does the libary have scary books?

Library Cards

Mrs. Nastee and Ms. Nastee got their library cards so they can check out books at the public library. Richland County Library is the only library in the United States that can use the artwork of Maurice Sendak. Ms. Nastee likes the idea to "play freely" and "Where the Wild Things Are". Miss you Maurice Sendak!

The South Carolina University Law Enforcement and Safety Building and Police Department

Ms. Nastee got into a little mischief at the University so she had some explaining to do at this grand building. Go on in, Ms. Nastee!

The Horry-Guignard House

Mrs. Nastee stopped at the Horry-Guignard House, one of the oldest houses in Columbia. It was built before 1813 and in the winter of 1813-1814, it was decided to widen the inside hall from 6 feet (1.828 m.) to 11 feet (3.352 m.) across. The house was sawed in two pieces and pulled apart and set on two new foundations. Mrs. Nastee took a closer look while her sister went next door (see above) to:

Cannon Damage on the Capitol

Ms. Nastee flew around to the side of the building where brass stars mark the places where General Sherman's cannons pounded the building before the invasion. She got quite close and, sure enough, a chunk of the siding was gone. Can you find Ms. Nastee and two brass stars?

Statue in front of the Capitol

There is a bronze statue of George Washington, the first president of the United States, in front of the Capitol. It is said that this life-size statue was the only one he posed for during his lifetime. Look closely and you will see what appears to be a cane in his right hand. On February 17, 1865 when Union troops burned the city, something hit and broke off the slender cane. Watch your step Mr. President! Not only is your walking stick defective but someone is around your feet. An interesting fact: the broken piece was found and is on display at a museum nearby.

The State House in Columbia

The sisters decided to fly to Columbia, the state capital of South Carolina. The Capitol is a grand building with 22 solid blue-granite columns (the largest in the United States) lining the porticos. Construction of the building began in 1854 but took many years to complete. In fact, at the end of the Civil War, when General Sherman was burning a path to the sea, this building was spared as it was still unfinished. Ms. Nastee caused a ruckus so a front end loader was used to get her off the premises! See if you can find her.

In Trouble at the Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site

The two sisters visited this Revolutionary War site outside of town. The British took over Camden in 1780 and when the American Continentals and militiamen tried to take it back, the second worst Amercan defeat (after the Siege of Charleston) occurred. The following year, after a smaller battle on nearby Hobkirk Hill, the British decided to leave this fort and return to Charleston. This historic site has both original and replica buildings from the period. Ms. Nastee ended up in the pillory for harassing tourists! Can you find Mrs. Nastee?

The Camden Archives and Museum

Mrs. Nastee and Ms. Nastee sure do like visiting libraries so they went to one of the best genealogical research libraries in South Carolina. They didn't find any Nastees in this part of the country but they enjoyed the 1915 building that used to be Camden's Public Library. Can you find the sisters in this photograph?

Find the Sisters!

Mrs. Nastee and Ms. Nastee decided to while a way some time on the veranda. Can you find them?

Visiting a Single House in Camden

The two sisters visited one of those antique shops which was located in a Charleston single house. This architectual style is perfectly suited for the hot and humid climate of the South.
These houses are only one-room-wide and the narrow end faces the street. Two story verandas stretch down the long side. A porch is a nice place to spend some time even in January!

Going to Camden

The two sisters, Mrs. Nastee and Ms. Nastee, decided to visit Camden, South Carolina. The township was founded in 1733 and is the oldest inland city in South Carolina. It was first known as Pine Tree Hill but was renamed in 1768 after Charles Pratt Lord Camden, a member of the British Parliament who was in favour of the rights of the colonies. There are many antique shops in Camden so Ms. Nastee picked herself up a Pocket Pig to save money for her next adventures!