Remembering The Huck Finn Days

There are storytellers among us that can captivate for hours with rich detail, amazing accuracy, and abundant community knowledge. Bernard Hamilton is one of these storytellers. His story thread begins on the Ravenel property in St. Andrew’s Parish, continues onto the peninsula of Charleston, and weaves into Ashleyville/Maryville.
Listening to Hamilton weave is like looking at an ancient tapestry that depicts an historic event. He has experienced the good and the bad. With laughter, perspective,, and sometimes a lesson he has shared this experience, one that could fill many Flashbacks.
But lets talk green beans. One of the many jobs the men of Ashleyville/Maryville sought out during the mid-20th century was in agriculture. Hamilton recalls walking from his home in Ashleyville along the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (also known as the Boll Weevil) tracks to the Charleston County Market building at Dupont Crossing.
There men would gather in hopes of being chosen as a “night laborer” to unload vegetables that the farmers would bring to sell to buyers in the late afternoon. If chosen to unload green beans from the farmer’s trucks, the men were paid one-cent for each crate they unloaded. If chosen to load the green beans onto the refrigerated trucks bound for the canners, the men were paid three cents for each crate. They were given a “ticket” for each crate and could redeem the “tickets” for cash on the weekend.
Ashleyville/ Maryville residents could also walk to Bailey Farm, the land that now sprouts the homes of West Oak Forest, and the facilities of St. Andrew’s Parks and Playground. Women would be hired to weed the rows until the crop became established. The men would gather again in hopes of being chosen to pick vegetables.
Green Wax, Blue Lake, and Ballantine string beans were the varieties that Hamilton remembers being grown on Bailey’s Farm. Speed and efficiency of the harvesting of each row was rewarded. The day Hamilton walked there he was the next in line to be picked when it was decided there were enough workers for the day. He never returned.
Figs were also a source of income. Ashleyville/Maryville was plentiful with fig trees. An entrepreneurial type would pick six or eight quarts of these delights, walk to Folly Road, stand in the area that is now at the end of South Windermere where Osaka is located, hold a small container up for passersby to see. Cars would make the detour to buy the figs for .75 cents to $1 per container. They sold out quickly and the hold up in cash flow was waiting for more figs to ripen.
The creeks surrounding Ashleyville/Maryville were plentiful with local seafood, shrimp, crab, and fish. During the season the men would go out at night in boats of the Mosquito Fleet type and navigate the dark waters, casting nets to harvest by “Flambeaux” light. Placing kerosene and a rag in an empty soda bottle created this light. The next day they would make the 3-4 mile trip with a cart to the peninsula to sell their fresh local seafood.
The pennies came hard but the remembering comes easy for Hamilton who describes this part of his life as his “Huck Finn” days.
If you have questions or know something fun about the history of West Ashley, contact Donna Jacobs at westashleybook@gmail.com.