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“T” is for Tobler, John (d. 1765)

“T” is for Tobler, John (d. 1765). Promoter, publisher. Born in Appenzell, Switzerland, Tobler became that canton’s governor until he was ousted in a power struggle. He then worked with others to bring Swiss settlers to South Carolina. In 1737 Tobler and some 190 settlers arrived in Charleston. Tobler and a group of them settled in New Windsor Township. In the early 1750s Tobler began publishing an annual almanac, the South Carolina Almanack. The reference work included information of diverse subjects ranging from details on the phases of the moon and eclipses, advice on bleeding, a garden calendar, cures for poison, and a description of roads in the southern colonies. John Tobler also wrote promotional pieces about South Carolina to attract more settlers, including detailed accounts of his travels and observations about life on the colonial frontier.

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Dr. Walter Edgar has two programs on South Carolina Public Radio: Walter Edgar's Journal, and South Carolina from A to Z. Dr. Edgar received his B.A. degree from Davidson College in 1965 and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1969. After two years in the army (including a tour of duty in Vietnam), he returned to USC as a post-doctoral fellow of the National Archives, assigned to the Papers of Henry Laurens.