South carolina born and bred

September Issue

By Lesley Kyle
Photography by Lindsay Gifford

A Boykin Spaniel named Hatch stole Gina Altman’s heart in

Gina and her husband, Keith, first had two golden retrievers and later took a break without a family dog for several years. In , they attended the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston and were immediately attracted to the Boykin Spaniel. The couple wanted a puppy in time for Christmas for their young children, Garrett and Miley. After searching for a breeder, they tracked down an upstate pup that would be available just in time for Christmas. “My sister lived near the breeder, and she went to check out the puppies for us. We ended up with the best dog,” said Gina. “Hatch was both an awesome family pet and a fantastic hunter.” Garrett trained Hatch in the family’s yard, and Hatch was happiest spending time in the field with Keith and Garrett.

Boykin Spaniels are named after Lemuel Whitaker “Whit” Boykin, the founding resident of a tiny town in central South Carolina by the same name. As the legend goes, Boykin’s hunting partner found a small brown spaniel outside the church where he worshipped. The dog showed great promise as a bird dog, and was sent to Boykin for additional training. Boykin devised and built an entire breeding program around this little dog who later became known as a Boykin Spaniel. In , South Carolina Governor Richard Riley proclaimed September 1 as Boykin Spaniel Day. The South Carolina General Assembly declared the Boykin Spaniel as the Official State Dog in September 1 is still celebrated as Boykin Spaniel Day, and the breed was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in

Boykin Spaniels—also nicknamed Swamp Poodles—are part of the AKC’s Sporting Group, noted for their prowess as hunting companions. Lemuel Boykin soon realized these adaptable spaniels were loyal companions in addition to being skilled and versatile in the field. The breed’s popularit

The combination of inflation and increased work-from-home opportunities brought on by the COVID pandemic has shifted migration patterns across the United States, the effects of which are still being felt in , according to the latest Census Bureau data.

In the first year of the pandemic, migration out of densely populated, expensive cities like New York and San Francisco was especially notable. Many moved to Sun Belt states where the weather is warmer and the cost of living significantly lower.

But by the second year of the pandemic, it became clear that not everyone who was moving wanted to go far. A analysis of movement out of crowded cities from Stateline showed that many people leaving city centers moved to nearby suburbs in the same state. In Texas, for example, moves out of Houston rose 62% in the first month of the pandemic; meanwhile, the western suburb of Katy saw more new residents move in than any other part of the country.

According to the latest data from the Census Bureau, released in September , % of people who moved in did so within the same county and an additional % remained in state, meaning more than three-quarters of movers stuck close to home.

Many young people in particular are remaining in the state, town, or even house that they grew up in. Before the pandemic, the number of younger adults living with their parents was on the rise and those patterns have continued. A late survey released by Lending Tree found that 57% of millennials and Gen Zers live in their hometowns.

Many people choose not to leave the state they were raised in for reasons ranging from wanting to be close to family, to not having the resources to leave, to sticking with a lower cost of living.

In order to determine where people stay put in your home state, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most born-and-bred residents in South Carolina using data from the Census Bureau. Counties are ranke

While it is not unusual for a state or a region to host a particular species of wildlife, South Carolina has the distinction of being the primary place of origin for at least three specific domesticated animal breeds: the Marsh Tacky, Carolina Dog, and Boykin Spaniel. The history of how they came to be is fascinating, as are the accolades heaped on these breeds by those fortunate enough to own them.

The Marsh Tacky

In a unique way, Caroline Knight shares a connection with one of South Carolina’s most famous historical figures, Francis Marion. Dubbed the “Swamp Fox” by British Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton because of the crafty ways he eluded his enemies in South Carolina’s swamps and marshes during the Revolutionary War, the Patriot rode astride an interesting horse, the Marsh Tacky.

Descended from the Spanish horse, the Marsh Tacky survived when many explorers to America in the s did not. These hearty horses became feral, surviving on the sea island beaches and in the Lowcountry marshes and swamps. The British deemed the horses “tacky,” or common, because they were not of a recognizable and documented bloodline, thus the term, combined with the environment in which they became best suited, stuck.

Caroline, whose Antiquity Ranch is in Easley, grew up with the Francis Marion National Forest in Berkeley County as her backyard. She was raised on the back of her Marsh Tacky, Apache, who died in the late s at 35 years of age. Later, in , she decided to get back on a Marsh Tacky so she purchased a 4 1/2-year-old mare, Alejandra.

She is so passionate about the breed that she currently serves as secretary of the Carolina Marsh Tacky Association, and while she has owned other breeds of horses, the Marsh Tacky will always be her first choice.

The average Marsh Tacky is a small-horse size, starting at about 14 hands and weighing between to pounds. They have a deep chest and are easy keepers, which means they maintain nutrition and weight o