P.C. Weston was a prosperous rice plantation owner in South Carolina from 1856 to 1864. By the mid- nineteenth century, Weston was one of the wealthiest men in the United States. According to the 1860 census, his Weehauka and Hagley plantations spanned 2,171 acres, and he owned 196 male and 138 female slaves. That same year, Weston’s plantations yielded 1,253,000 pounds of rice, and his personal assets were valued at $873,750 and his land at $146,000. Weston accumulated this wealth through inheritance and meticulously managing every aspect of his rice production business to maximize profit.