Dear researchers, I don't know how long some of you have been doing
genealogical research, but for those who have recently begun this endeavor,
please realize that the internet isn't going to be a panacea for your
research questions - you're not going to be able to hit a magic button and
find your lineage to the Mayflower, fully documented.
Yes, there are many wonderful resources on the internet; I think the greatest
ones are the surname-dedicated web sites and makelists that enable
researchers to find each other.
Secondly, a researcher doesn't have to travel all over the place to conduct
research. I suggest that you look in the phone book for your nearest Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) listings for a family history
center. You can go there, check the Family History Library catalog, and
order any of the microfilm they have on file in Salt Lake City. In fact, if
you go to
www.familysearch.com, you can order a CD of the FHL catalog for
about $5 and search on your own computer.
Thirdly, research in SC is pretty awful. South Carolina was one of three
states that didn't require marriage records be kept and didn't begin doing so
state-wide until 1910 - any earlier extant stuff is at the Archives. Birth
and death registration didn't begin until July, 1915. The SC Archives does
have a web site, but I have been to the Archives themselves (at the old
address) and there isn't a heck of a lot for certain counties.