WC 94-529 Carolina Moon

This lovely postcard with sparkles on the moon and moonlit areas came from Shirley K. (4 August 2015) Swap-bot.

The words “Carolina Moon” can refer to a popular song, written in 1924. The song was first recorded in 1928 by American crooner Gene Austin. A version of "Carolina Moon" was recorded by Connie Francis in June 1958.  The song has also been recorded by the Chordettes, Perry Como, Annette Hanshaw, Dean Martin, Jim Reeves, Ben Selvin, Kate Smith, Slim Whitman and Maureen McGovern.

“Carolina Moon” can also refer to a 1940 film which starred Gene Autry and others. The film is about a singing cowboy who comes to the aid of plantation owners who are being robbed of their land by a scheming lumber company.

“Carolina Moon” can also refer to a  a 2000 romantic suspense novel by American author Nora Roberts.  The book was made into a 2007 film bearing the same name. This 2007 American television film is about a woman with psychic visions who returns to her hometown to exorcise her demons and finds both danger and love.

US-3314319 South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Southeastern United States. It is bordered to the north by North Carolina; to the south and west by Georgia, located across the Savannah River; and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean.

South Carolina was the 8th state to be admitted into the Union on May 23, 1788. It later became the first state to vote to secede from the Union which it did on December 20, 1860. After the end of the American Civil War, the state was readmitted into the United States on June 25, 1868.

South Carolina is the 40th most extensive and the 24th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. The capital and largest city of the state is Columbia.

This postcard from Joseph (24 April 2015) Postcrossing shows the flag and map of South Carolina.  Information on the flag of South Carolina can be found here.

SW EQ-366 South Carolina State House

The South Carolina State House is the building housing the government of the state of South Carolina. It is located in the capital city of Columbia. The State House is in the Greek Revival style; it is approximately 180 feet (55 m) tall, 300 feet (91 m) long, 100 feet (30 m) wide.

Construction of the building began in 1851 but problems with defective workmanship and material meant that the original building was largely demolished. The Civil War slowed construction. The State House was damaged by artillery fire and when the Union Army came into Columbia, it was set on fire.  The main building of the State House was finally completed in 1887 but it was only in 1907 that the whole structure was finally finished.

The building's grounds are home to several monuments. On the north side is a monument to South Carolina's Confederate dead, a monument that includes a flagpole flying a traditional version of the Confederate battle flag. The monument was established after a controversy in 2000 about the Confederate flag flying over the dome of the State House. The flag, originally placed over the dome in 1962 was moved to its present location on July 1, 2000.

This postcard came from Karen Y. (2 December 2014) Swap-bot.

SW DQ-293 Snow on Myrtle Beach .... a rare sight

Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in South Carolina. It is situated on the centre of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in north-eastern South Carolina.

Myrtle Beach is one of the major centres of tourism in the United States because of the city's warm subtropical climate and extensive beaches, attracting an estimated 14 million visitors each spring/summer/autumn.  The population of the city is more than 28,000 with the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area population at about 470,000.

The city enjoys abundant sunshine year-round with more than 2,800 hours annually. The summer season is long, hot, and humid in Myrtle Beach. The coastal location of Myrtle Beach mitigates summer heat somewhat compared to inland areas of South Carolina. Myrtle Beach has mostly mild winters of short duration: Average daytime highs range from 57 to 61 °F (14 – 16 °C) and night-time lows are in the 36 to 38 °F (2 – 3 °C) from December through February. Snowfall is very rare in Myrtle Beach although a few times every decade a trace of snow might fall. In February 2010, a rare 2.8 inches of snow fell in Myrtle Beach and most recently on February 16, 2013 after a rare storm mixing snow and rain with the snow falling after the rain.

 

This postcard came from Dora S. (17 September 2014) Swap-bot.

 

Flag of South Carolina

The flag of the state of South Carolina has, in some form, existed since 1775, being based on one of the first Revolutionary War flags. In 1775, Colonel William Moultrie was asked by the Revolutionary Council of Safety to design a flag for the South Carolina troops to use during the American Revolutionary War. Moultrie's design had the blue of the militia's uniforms and the crescent.

It became the standard of the South Carolina militia.  The palmetto tree was added in 1861, also a reference to Moultrie's defense of Sullivan Island; the fortress he had constructed had survived largely because the palmetto trees, laid over sand walls, were able to withstand British cannons.

But why is there a crescent moon?

There is much debate about the significance of the crescent.  It is believed that the uniform of the garrisoned first and second regiments included a cap which had a silver crescent on the front. The large blue flag was made (in 1775) with a crescent in the dexter corner to be in uniform with the troops.