Future Homemakers of America

What’s an iconic symbol representative of St. Andrew’s Parish West Ashley in the early 20th century? This was the dilemma posed when deciding the appropriate picture for the cover of “West Ashley” published by Arcadia Publishing in 2012.
The Coburg Cow? The large neon “C” and the revolving cow are a very visible sign in West Ashley but it represents the dairy.
The St. Andrew’s Parish High School Senior Steps and entrance columns? A good choice but the photograph of the school that was discovered was not a fit for the cover according to the publisher.
The photograph that was finally chosen had a conceptual connection to the book’s presentation, which was a discussion of the transition of St. Andrew’s Parish from an agrarian culture to a suburban environment. The smiling faces of the young ladies on the cover of “West Ashley” were members of the St. Andrew’s Parish High School Chapter of the Future Homemakers of America during the early 1940s. What a symbol for an area that was building homes, community, schools, churches and businesses. It seemed to work. There was one hitch, only one young lady’s face could be put with a name and she was Grace Bootle, Luther Bootle’s sister. That was until I met Doris Hagan.
Doris Boris Hagan is the granddaughter of John. N. Butehorn. Butehorn owned a store in St. Andrew’s Parish that was the subject of a previous West Ashley Flashback. She attended St. Andrew’s Parish High School during the time the photograph was snapped. She looked at the photograph and started putting names with faces: Dell Blume, Margie Ligon, Trudy Higdon, Gloria Burbage, Edith Ald, Frances Boris (Doris’ older sister), Tillie Oliver, Rosina Kennerty, Yvonne Hackett, Martha Almeida, Pearl Koger, Carolyn Liger, Dorothy Isgett, Edith Rae Plath, Lois Hannaford, and two teachers – Agnes Murray, the Home Economics teacher, and Doris Willis. Not all the young ladies have been identified, but thanks to Doris a lot more is now known about this photograph.
Donna Jacobs is the author of “Byrnes Downs” and “West Ashley” and is continuing her research on the transition of St. Andrew’s Parish from an agrarian community to the suburbs of today. She loves to listen to stories; contact her at westashleybook@gmail.com.