Sunday Drive: Middleton Place - 2008

Bonnie and I arrived at Middleton Place during our 2008 visit to South Carolina and Georgia was far more prosaic than these folks.*

We were there to see the grounds which are the site of the oldest landscaped gardens in America, begun in the first half of the 18th century. Our tour guide assured us the she and the other docents had already scanned the area that morning and we weren't likely to encounter any alligators on the paths.

After visiting the formal gardens we walked around the lake which afforded us some stunning views. At the start of this part of our visit, we noticed that something was causing a large ripple in the middle of the lake.

As we continued our stroll along the lakeside path we realized the cause after the creature emerged from the water on the other side of the lake.

[All photos from my personal collection]

We finished our visit with lunch at the MIddleton Place Restaurant. The only thing I remember from that meal is the Golden Rice Pudding I had for dessert.



*Instead we arrived via our little white rental car.



© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Gone for Soldiers? Sailors? Marines? William T. Slater (About 1794 - 1847)

This morning the Library of Congress* reminded me that today is the 202nd anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. Family history gives this date (or sometime near it)** as the moment when one of my maternal third great grandfathers Yorkshireman William T. Slater*** decided he didn't want to be English any more.

[Battle of New Orleans…the 8th of January 1815. William Edward West, artist; Philadelphia: Published and sold by J. Yeager, engraver, [1817]. Popular Graphic Arts. Prints & Photographs Division]

Three years later he was applying for citizenship in Jefferson County, Indiana.

*Through their Digital Collections' Today in History which is my home page.
**You can find an excellent overview of the War of 1812 leading up to the two-month long campaign now known as the Battle of New Orleans here. I had never considered the terrain my great great great grandfather faced upon leaving his post, but this National Park Service photo of a Louisiana bayou included by the author makes it clear that it must have been daunting--even without taking into account the wildlife that's found there.

[Alligator crossing the road, Jean Lafitte National Park

Both photos courtesy of the National Park Service]

And he wouldn't have had the benefit of the safety information currently distributed by the Park Service--an example:

Think like an alligator. Alligators are surprisingly fast: on land they can move quickly over short distances and in the water they're unstoppable. Remember to keep your distance and stand tall. Alligators judge their prey by its size, and if you are kneeling down to take a picture, you're a much more tempting target than if you're standing up.

***Allegedly part of the British invasion forces, you can read more about William T. Slater in my original post and see what more Christine was able to find out about him here.

© 2016 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.