He was a planter, land appraiser, and respected sportsman, and the man to whom Alexander White sent his dog, “Dumpy” for training when the dog showed a knack for retrieving. His name was “Whit” Boykin (1861-1932) and he experimented with many breeds to tackle the problems posed by hunting trips on the Wateree River. With selective breeding and a bit of good fortune, Whit developed an all-around retriever named after him, the Boykin Spaniel.