Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. These are the conduits of modern social networking. Jump back a few decades (maybe 5 or 6) and the newspaper was the main conduit to get information about the social workings of the community. The News & Courier, Charleston Evening Post, as well as community newspapers like The West Ashley Journal (a “suburban weekly” that ran for about three years in the early 1960s) and The West Ashley News (unsure of the scope of this one but there was an issue in June-July of 1955) were the repositories for engagement announcements, wedding photos and details, birth announcements, club news, and information on social events.
The June-July 1955 issue of The West Ashley News published 8 “Items of Personal Mention” that included: “Dr. and Mrs. F.J. Nepveaux (Nepveux) of Craven St (Ave) are moving to Moreland.” “Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Sanders of 58 Campbell Dr. are spending this week in Athens Ga. on vacation.” “New residents at 28 Craven St (Ave), are Dr. and Mrs. H.R. Gudmundson and daughter. Dr. Gudmundson has opened his office for the practice of medicine in Avondale.” and “Mr. and Mrs. H.J. Free, Mr. and Mrs. D.H. Pate, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Thompson, and Mr. and Mrs. Donald Davis, all of West Ashley, will spend two weeks in New York this month for Air Reserve Training.” The “Just for You” page shared the “Merchant of the Month” (Mrs. Beatrice B. Welch of Ashley Florist Shop), “Birthday Greetings” to 9 residents born in May and 8 residents born in June, “My Favorite Recipe”, and the poem Mend Now by Ruth J. Dikeman was printed in the “Poetry Corner”. Reads like a Facebook timeline.
On Thursday, March 16, 1961 the front page of the West Ashley Journal marked “the beginning of a new type of journalism for the West Ashley area.” This “suburban weekly” published by Dew James, former city editor of the Florence Morning News, and Jack Bass, former assistant to the News & Courier copy editor would be the third of its kind in South Carolina. “The publishers plan extensive coverage news pertaining to schools, churches, clubs, sports, social events and governmental activity affecting West Ashley residents.” Another example of the importance of relaying community news.
Searching the archives of the Charleston Evening Post produces all sorts of good information. On a recent hunt for family history, Ina Bootle ran across an announcement in a column entitled “Notes of Interest Across the Ashley”. The August 7, 1940 column written by Lillian D. Chamberlain, announced that “Mr. and Mrs. P.L. Bootle expect to move into their new home on the highway, in Windermere, this week.” Now we know when the Bootle Guest Home (the current address for the law firm of Grimball and Cabaniss) opened on the corner of Wesley Drive and Savannah Highway.
Other “Notes” from this August 1940 column include: “The Blue Bird Playmate club, held its regular monthly meeting on August 1, in the club trailer, at the home of Florrie Wilson in St. Andrew’s Parish. The St. Andrew’s Parish Book club will meet tomorrow morning at 10:30 o’clock, at the home of Mrs. Charles Seithel, corner of Live Oak and Hickory street in Ashley Forest. All members are urged to attend. Virginia Blank, of Windermere, has as her guest, Caroline Josey, of Orangeburg.”
Step back to the March 16, 1938 “Notes of Interest Across the Ashley” by Helen R. Roberts and we learn that President Roosevelt has declared March 20-26 National Wild Life Week; “..the boys across the Ashley river were greatly interested in watching the searchlights pick out planes  high in the night sky.”; “The regular meeting of the Men’s club of St. Andrew’s Parish met Tuesday night with Mr. E.F. Bellinger, Jr.”; Mr Lowell E. Remington was rewarded with an extra week of Easter vacation for making the honor list at Bryant College; the names of the out of town guests playing golf at the County Club of Charleston on James Island; and who is sick, visiting, vacationing, attending parties and playing bridge.
Social networking and the exchanging of community news have always been important to society so “Like” us (West Ashley Book or West Of) on Facebook or just go pick up an issue of the West Of and learn about our community past and present.
 
Donna would love to hear about your “Notes of Interest.” Contact her at westashleybook@gmail.com.

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