Caden on Uncovering the Unbelievable in the Archives: Summer Intern Takeover 2026

Working in the archives has sharpened my research skills and taught me more than I could have imagined about this city. I have researched properties and uncovered truly unforgettable stories that have had a profound effect on me, just as they have on the community. I discovered a hidden dairy farm that once stood on Vanderhorst Street, an alligator named Wishy-Washy who lived on the grounds where Ashley Hall is today, and the story of a long-since-passed bootlegger named Frank "Rumpty Rattles" Hogan, who was murdered by his rival on Market Street. Though some of these stories sound preposterous, this is the history that makes up this community, and it is what I enjoy researching and learning about most.

There is a vast amount of knowledge preserved at HCF, and it has been a privilege and an honor to learn in an environment that holds so much of it.

‍–Caden Chapman, College of Charleston graduate, BA English, now pursuing Masters