Last Updated on 5/30/2012

Published on 12/9/2011

In 2003, a young girl’s scrapbook made its way to The Georgetown County Museum in a most unusual way.

Someone from the Salvation Army called Georgetown High School to say they had a scrapbook with references to Winyah School.  Since there was no more Winyah School, Georgetown High contacted the museum.

I’ve looked at this scrapbook many times.  It’s a window into a young girl’s life in Georgetown nearly a century ago.  Everything I know about her I’ve learned from her scrapbook.

Her name was Harriet Morgan and she was born on Sept. 16, 1915.  If she is alive today, she is ninety-six years old.  

In 1927, when she was twelve, she received the following gifts for Christmas:  tennis racket and balls, mules, slicker, cake decorator, games, underwear, perfume, shoe trees, pencil box, handkerchief bag, guest towel, boudoir pillows, articles for her room, and a Victrola.

Harriet saved report cards from Winyah, including one from the fourth grade when her teacher was Florence B. Hanks.  She studied spelling, arithmetic, reading, writing, English, geography, hygiene, and music.  

Okay, here comes the good stuff … Harriet’s high school years.  

I wonder if high school girls still keep scrapbooks.  I did, and mine was filled with the same silly, giggly stuff found in Harriet’s.   

Mine had the circular bottoms of Dixie cups with inscriptions like, “Bobby drank out of this cup after the football game.”  I also kept programs from piano recitals, school plays, and photographs of the late James Dean who died in 1955.  (I was dark and moody even at the age of six.)

Harriet’s scrapbook has gum wrappers, dance cards, and a 1929 Students Season Pass to all home games played by Winyah High School. The cost was $2.

Her best friends were Marion Beaty, who lived at 115 St. James St., and Philip Schneider, who lived at 909 Prince.  

Her boyfriend was M.L. ‘Ham’ Altman, who lived at 1010 Highmarket. On the ‘autograph page’ he wrote, “Always remember the ‘kid’ pitcher who loves you.”   

On a dance card from the Battery ‘D’ 115th Field Artillery Annual Dance, Harriet wrote, “Ham took me.  He wore a white linen suit with white and black sport shoes and a light blue bowtie, did he look swell and how!”  

According to the dance card, Harriet and Ham danced the fox trot and a waltz or two.  Harriet wrote, “Stayed until 2:00 and had to go to school the next day.  Boy was I tired and how!”

Don’t you just love that ‘and how’?  The next time I compliment someone I think I’ll say, “Boy you look swell and how!”  I hope they don’t think I mean, “How swollen you look!”

Harriet saved a program from a local talent comedy performed at the Winyah Auditorium.  The cast and chorus included E.T. Porter, Alice Crayton, Lep Boyd, Vivian EsDorn, and others.  (I wish I could list all of the names, but just don’t have the space.)

Here’s what I hope to accomplish with this column.  I would love to locate Harriet’s family to let them know that the scrapbook contains wonderful old photographs of the Morgan family dating back to the early 1900’s.    

Local historian Pat Doyle learned that Harriet’s family lived in the 600 block on the north side of Highmarket Street and that Harrriet’s father, W.C. Morgan, was a conductor on a local train.  Harriet’s brother, Walter, was a dentist, and his wife was named Bebe.

Here’s hoping we can locate some living relatives who can tell us what happened to Harriet.  

To Harriet Morgan, wherever you are ... thanks for the memories!