Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Lager.
Hi Eric, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I originally grew up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and attended college at the University of Florida, where I earned my B.A. in History. After working as a public historian at Custer State Park in South Dakota, Fort Pulaski National Monument in Savannah Georgia, and Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, I attended Clemson University in South Carolina for my M.A. in History.
After teaching United States history for three years at a community college in Vail, Colorado I entered the Ph.D. program in 19th-century American History at the University of Tennessee. My dissertation examined the South Carolina civilian home front experience during the Civil War, with Charleston playing a central role in my study.
Since 2016 I have been working as a Professor of History at The Citadel in Charleston. I became a certified Charleston tour guide in 2020 and I now use my expertise to share the history of this important city with people from around the world. Over the past few years, I have worked as an independent contractor and have led thousands of people on walking tours through the historic district.
In the summer of 2022, I decided to open up my own walking tour business called Charleston History Walk by Eric Lager, Ph.D. and I offer small group tours that is limited to 10 people. At 2.5 hours, my tour is longer than most others in town, which allows us to dive deeper into the Charleston’s rich history.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There was a lot more to opening a walking tour business than I initially expected. Because my professional training is in history and not business, I had to learn the steps of creating an LLC, getting a city business license, and finding ways to cover my business legally through liability insurance. By far, the longest and most difficult struggle was developing my website. I know nothing about this field and had to outsource it to a web designer. Aside from the substantial cost involved, there was also a substantial amount of time spent on editing and putting together content for the website. After all these initial steps were completed, I am now in the process of struggling with the marketing of my business, another area that I know little about. So yes, all in all, there have been many struggles and no doubt there are more to come down the road.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am the sole member of my LLC called Charleston History Walk. As one who holds a Ph.D. in nineteenth-century American history, I am a professionally trained historian who teaches at The Citadel and I am a Charleston certified tour guide. I take visitors to Charleston on a 2.5 hour walking tour through the historic district and cover a large variety of historical topics pertaining to the city’s past. I specialize in Charleston history during the Civil War and American Revolution, but also cover colonial history, architecture, culture, and connections to the British Empire. I am proud of the fact that I offer a tour that is limited to groups of 10 rather than 20, and therefore I put profits second to providing a great tour experience. My tour is more intimate and longer than others in town, so my clients have a more exclusive setting and get a tour that goes into greater detail than most others in town. Above all, I am proud of the fact that I am using my professional training in history to reach others and provide my clients with a vacation experience that is enjoyable, memorable, and meaningful.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a very active child growing up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, particularly in the area of sports and the outdoors. I played ice hockey for most of my childhood and I enjoyed connecting with others and meeting new people. Ever since the fifth grade, I have been interested in history. It was the one subject that I was good at in school. After participating and dressing up for a history fair, I knew that I wanted to do something in that field. In high school, I began Civil War reenacting on the weekends and going to middle schools to discuss what life was like for soldiers in the 1860s. I have worked in the field of history in various capacities, including the public, private, and non-profit sectors. So my love and passion for history and learning about the past as been part of me for quite a long time.
Contact Info:
- Website: charlestonhistorywalk.com/
- Instagram: charlestonhistorywalk
- Facebook: Charleston History Walk by Eric Lager, Ph.D.
