Meet Michael Scoggins...

My name is Michael Scoggins and I am a native of York County.  I am also a Historian for the Culture & Heritage Museums, specializing in the early history of the South Carolina Piedmont in general and York County in particular.  I have not always been a professional historian, but I have always loved history and have been a student of history since I first learned to read.  I find it especially gratifying to be able to study the history of my home county and the region where I grew up, and to contribute to the growing body of research concerning the rich heritage of this area.  

Although I have always loved history, growing up in the 1960's my first love was science and technology, and after high school I studied physics and electronics engineering at the University of South Carolina and York Technical College. For eighteen years I worked as an electronics test engineer for Atlantic Design Company in Charlotte, where I was involved in production testing of electronic circuit boards for the computer and telecommunications industry.  In 1993, I began taking evening classes at Winthrop University, which rekindled my interest in history, and in 1998 I left Atlantic Design to pursue my own electronics and computer business. Meanwhile, I continued my studies at Winthrop University, and in 1999 I took a part-time job with the York County Culture & Heritage Commission as a historical research associate. A year later I went full-time with the CHC, and in 2002 I graduated magna cum laude from Winthrop with a BA in History.  

For the past seven years I have been engaged in researching and documenting the early history of York County and in particular the Revolutionary War history of the Carolina Piedmont.  I have written or cowritten four books on the Revolutionary War in the South, and am currently working on several more books on local and regional history. I have also accepted the new position as Research Director for the Southern Revolutionary War Institute, a new CHM program based at the McCelvey Center which, as its name implies, is dedicated to the intensive study of the Southern Campaign of the Americna Revolution.  I look forward to continuing to study and interpret the historical landscape of York County and the Carolina Piedmont, and to giving back something to the community and people who have given me so much.  

Did you know?  Michael actually attended elementary school at the McCelvey Center where he is now based and continues his studies... 

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Meet Glenn Dantzler...

My name is Glenn Dantlzer and I am the Planetarium Manager.  I enjoy my job immensely.  There are three aspects that make this so.  First and foremost is the teaching of the children.  They are wide-eyed and enthusiastic about everything and that makes my job very rewarding.  The hustle and bustle of a school day of kids learning makes you feel as if you did accomplish something worthwhile at the end of the day.  One never knows when a visit to the planetarium y inspire a child to pursue a career in science or engineering. Secondly, the planetarium allows me to use my technical skills.  I enjoy this very much and yes it makes me a geek.  I am proud to be a techno-geek and love every minute of it.  Lastly, the variety of the job keeps it interesting. The kids are different each day and we present a selection of shows and classes.  Let's not forget fellow staff members are always good for a laugh. But the best laughs come unexpectedly here at MYCO. I arrived one morning at work and was met by Steve Fields (Curator of Natural History). Steve asked if I had time to put "wheels on a camel" - now that's variety! I found it to be one of the most amusing questions I had ever been asked. Yes, it is a great job here at CHM and I wouldn't trade places with anyone!

Did you know?  Glenn just celebrated his 15th year with the Museum!

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Meet Cindy Jenkins...

Working with volunteers is one of the most challenging and rewarding things I have ever done! One afternoon in 1987 when I stopped by the museum to pay my membership dues, I was lamenting to Elaine Lavender how bored I was since my youngest son had started school! She told me about a position in the art department and the rest, as they say...is history. I started with the museum as a secretary in the art department, moved through community relations and into volunteer services. Anyone who stays this long has to love what they do - the volunteers are a wonderful, generous group of people and I can't imagine doing anything else! (Not to mention the fact that anyone will tell you that I never complain about being bored anymore...)

Did you know? Cindy is known as a worker bee and can always be counted on to lend a helping hand!

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Meet Steve Fields...

Greetings from the incredible world of natural history! My name is Steve Fields, and 2006 marks my 20th year with the museum. It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed since I was that wide-eyed biology intern in 1986. Since then, a few other things, like my waistline, have become wide, but my enthusiasm for natural history (like my waistline) continues to grow!

I have always loved nature, and even as a child I knew that my destiny lie somewhere in the sciences. My parents indulged and encouraged my “natural” curiosity, sometimes to the point of frustration I remember my father once sat next to me in our backyard swing and said, “Son, I think it’s time we discussed the birds and the bees.” My response was something like, “Well, I’d rather talk about snakes and alligators.” I did not understand until much later why he walked away, laughing and shaking his head.

Science was my favorite subject through school, and by ninth grade I knew that I wanted to be a biologist. After high school, I was pleased to continue my education in my home town at Winthrop University. During my junior year, I was itching to put my biological studies to work in some way. Working in the deli at Harris Teeter was putting money in my pocket, but it wasn’t scratching my professional itch. My advisor at Winthrop put me in touch with Jeannie Wray, then the curator of natural history at the Museum of York County. I started an internship in the natural history department in July 1986…and I never left.

The internship evolved into a part-time position, and after I graduated Winthrop with my B.S. in Biology in December 1988, I became the full time assistant curator. My duties ranged from cataloging collections to teaching classes and working in the nature trail. When I decided to return to school, the museum was behind me one-hundred percent. My master’s thesis became the first comprehensive survey of mammal species for northern Piedmont of South Carolina. In 1997, I walked the stage at Winthrop one more time to receive the M.S. in Biology degree. That privilege afforded me a promotion to associate curator at the museum and opened the door to join the faculty at Winthrop as a part-time lecturer in the Biology Department.

Since then, I have been promoted to curator of natural history at the museum. Through the generosity of the Stans Foundation, I have traveled to Africa, bringing an entirely new perspective to my work with the incredible collection of animals in the Stans African Collection. The experience I have gained is immeasurable. Now, with the future Stans Museum of Life and the Environment, I have even more opportunities to grow. Once again, with the support of the Culture and Heritage Museums, I am back in graduate school, this time in pursuit of my Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina. I hope to complete my dissertation by June 2008. The research provides a portion the content to be interpreted in the future Stans Museum of Life and the Environment.

As I look back on my 20-year career with the CHM, I feel a great sense of accomplishment and pride. Each day I look forward to new challenges that are part of continued growth with the Culture and Heritage Museums.

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Meet 'Miss Kitty' Wilson-Evans...

My life (not work) here at Historic Brattonsville is that of an Interpreter of African American History. I enjoy what I do very much and it is an important part of my everyday life on and off site. I did not have this in mind as a career. But music, dance and drama played an important role in my life as a child and as a young adult living on an army base with my parents. As an Interpreter of African American history, the important thing for me is to be a face and voice for all of the many thousands gone. Put the stories of the past first. Try to bring all of their stories to life. Forget self. Put the history before anything else in your life. Except my religion and faith. For me that is not hard to do because of my lifestyle. I was a volunteer first. Pat Veasey invited me to come out and help with the school programs. Not long after that I was asked to be a member of the education department. A funny story...my youngest daughter while a student at Winthrop was an intern at the Museum of York County and helped create a program that is still presented every February. Historic Brattonsville is like family to me. My daughter was the first to help tell the story of a Bratton Family Christmas (1800) and my late husband (Life of Adam and then The Story of Watt). My joy, my life, my love!

Did you know? Miss Kitty has many characters that she plays and she is recognized for her passion and skill as an interpreter around the world - we are honored to have her call Historic Brattonsville home!

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