Tracing Family History

Photo of Josephine Crouch, Susie McKeown, and Retha Mark

We may be the library’s library; however, we also serve South Carolina citizens. A grandchild of Retha Mark, the Secretary of the South Carolina Library Association in 1964, asked our reference librarians to search the collection for information about her career. Articles surfaced, including one from the Charleston Evening Post, which included this photo from her swearing-in ceremony. According to the family, Retha Mark had a famous pupil while working as the librarian at Sumter High School in the early 1970s. She tutored NFL superstar Freddie Solomon when he was a student, and they remained friends.

Upcoming Event

Author photo of Patricia Brandon and the cover of Rise of the Pale Moon.

Author Patricia Brandon and "Rise of the Pale Moon"

May 7, 2026, 5:30 PM

Join us at the next installment of the Speaker at the Center with Author Patricia Brandon where she will discuss her historical fiction novel, "Rise of the Pale Moon." Set against the backdrop of the Revolutionary War era in coastal South Carolina, Rise of the Pale Moon weaves a compelling tale of three young women from distinct backgrounds: an indentured servant from London, a chattel slave raised on the Montague Hall plantation, and a Catawba Indian captured by the Cherokee and traded into slavery.