Test your knowledge of Daniel Island history!

The Daniel Island Historical Society received some good guesses to the previous trivia question, but unfortunately there are no winners to announce as part of this week’s contest. Try out your knowledge on the new DIHS trivia question below. We have some big hints! Here is the question that appeared in the May 4 issue of The Daniel Island News, as well as the correct answer:

Question: Where on Daniel Island is the land formerly known as the Codner Planation (named for Richard Codner, one of the island’s eight early landowners)? (Hint, it is not where the Codner’s Ferry Park neighborhood is located today.)

Answer: The land to the east of Bishop England High School on Daniel Island was the site of Richard Codner’s Plantation. Codner, who originally served as a ship’s Captain, was first granted 76 acres on Daniel Island in 1680 by the Lords Proprietors and is recognized as one of the eight early landowners on the island. Rather than growing rice, the typical crop of the time, he focused on cattle and dairy farming. We can draw this assumption from the inventories of Codner and his son, Richard Jr. The large number of livestock and the small number of slaves indicate that the Codners were not focusing on rice, cotton or indigo production.

On a cattle ranch plantation, the livestock grazed in the forest and grasslands. Once a year, the cows were herded into pens for branding and preparation for slaughter. These pens were created by fencing off an area between the forks of a stream or in an open area that was surrounded by ditches or fences made of logs and brush. Before it was sold, the meat was cured using salt, a typical form of food preservation in the early colonial period. The close proximity to Charleston was ideal, and Codner was able to take his product to market before it spoiled in the Lowcountry heat.

The Codners also had a dairy operation. One of the most important functions of the dairy was the collection of the cream from the milk. The milk would sit for 10 hours in shallow dishes, which were placed in a small building that could be kept cool. Once the cream rose to the surface, it would be gathered for its different uses. The milk would then be churned into butter.

In 1746, Charles Codner (Richard’s grandson) decided to leave the colony and sell his plantation, Codner’s Ferry, to John Scott, who was a ship carpenter. By then, three generations of Codners had made a prosperous living from cattle ranching and dairy farming. Daniel Island had been their home for approximately 66 years, and this piece of land was very important to the family. When it was sold, Charles Codner retained the rights to the family cemetery.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:

What industry/building used to be located on Raven’s Creek (Raven Creek runs between Barfield Park and the land adjacent to the Daniel Island Sales Center. The boardwalk crosses over it.) Hint: There is a historical marker there.

Please email your answer to DIhistoryquiz@gmail.com by May 24 and include your first and last name.

Note: By participating in the Daniel Island Historical Society Trivia contest, you are giving the organization permission to add your email to its email list. You will only receive informational emails about current activities and events. Your contact information will not be shared with anyone outside the Daniel Island Historical Society. To learn more about DIHS, please “like” the Daniel Island Historical Society Facebook page or visit their website at www.dihistoricalsociety.com.

(Sources: “Daniel Island” by Michael K. Dahlman and Michael K. Dahlman Jr.; Brockington and Associates, Archaeology Reports for Daniel Island; and “Home UpRiver, Rural Life on Daniel’s Island, Berkeley County South Carolina” by Martha A. Zierden, Lesley M. Drucker and Jeanne Calhoun.)

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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