Communities and Towns

Edmond

SC Hwy 215 SW of Cayce
Before the 20th century Edmond was called Owsa or Ossa (possibly from the mountains of Greek mythology)
1909 - Post Office established where railroad went through
           Officially called Edmond
Named by William H Sharpe an attorney for the railroad for his first-born son Julius Edmond Sharpe
William H Sharpe - also member of school board and later state senator from Lexington County

Swansea

Means "20" in German

In 1886 A W Martin built a house at the site across from the railroad. It was the first house built in what was later to be known as Swansea.

In 1890 the railroad was built and also a depot. At that time the railroad was known as the South Bound Railroad. Later the name was changed to Seaboard Railroad. The depot was named Swansea. The land in Swansea was owned by Hilliard Goodwin who built the next home. Mr Goodwin had lots surveyed and W H F Rast bought a lot and built the first merchandise store which stood for years on the corner of W Third St and S Cardiff Ave. facing the railroad. The next store was built by Dr J L Johnson; John Craft built the next home and store. Mr & Mrs L V Gant had the first hotel boarding house. M W Williams built the first stables for selling and trading horses. Dr John L Langford was the first MD. The first school house was a small 2 room school. Among the first teachers were Jim Smith and B E Craft. The telephone came in 1911 and then an electric plant in approximately 1925.

The first bank was the Bank of Swansea organized by W B Rast, Boynton E Craft, R L Lybrand and W J Watt, and began in 1907. The bank opened in a little wooden building owned by J H Culler and was across from the telephone office.

Stinking Creek

Old timers report that the early frugal German settlers in the area made their own leather shoes. Freshly skinned cowhides were soaked in the stream for a long period of time to remove the hair; the hides stink and so did the stream.

Colonial Forts of Saxe Gotha

Congaree Fort(1)  
(1718 - 1722), near Cayce
A SC colonial militia fort and trading post. It was palisaded with a ditch and two earthen bastions, located in the great bend of Congaree Creek, about one mile or so from the creek's mouth. Exact site undetermined. It was apparently an earthen-walled structure, except that the west side which butted against Congaree Creek was protected only by a palisade. The opposite side had a bastion at each corner and a ravelin protected the gate on the north side. A mote with a palisade planting in the bottom may have surrounded the fort on the land side. The fort served as a trading factory, agovernment Indian trading post, until 1721. The garrison's strength varied between 13 and 21. In 1722 the fort was abandoned.  A trading post later operated here after 1725.

Brown's Factory (1733 ? - 1754 ?), a trading post operated by Thomas Brown, was located nearby. Granby Village (now Cayce) was founded just north in 1733.

Fort Congaree (new)
(1748 - 1754), Cayce
A British palisaded and moated fort located about two miles north of the old Congaree Fort (1). It was built to protect against Iroquois raiders from the north. The garrison abandoned the fort to join Col. George Washington's expedition to Pennsylvania and the Ohio River, where they met their fate at Fort Necessity.

A trading post was later established here (Granby Village) in 1765 by James Chestnut and Joseph Kershaw.

Fort Granby
(Cayce Historical Museum)
(1780 - 1781), Cayce
James Cayce's two-story home (1770) and storehouse at Granby Village, captured by the British and fortified as a square redoubt with bastions, a ditch, and an abatis. Captured by Patriots in May 1781. House is now the Cayce Historical Museum at 1800 12th Street.

Hans Jacob Gallman's Fort
(1740's or 1750's), near Cayce
A settlers' blockhouse located on the north bank of Congaree Creek south of town, fortified in 1760. Also spelled Coleman.

Godfrey Dryer's Fort
(1760 - 1761), near West Columbia
A private settler's fort built during the Cherokee War. Also spelled Dreher. Located on the south side of the Saluda River about five and one-half miles west of Columbia.

Hans Jacob Riemensperger Brochure

 
A TRANSLATION OF THE BROCHURE PUBLISHED BY HANS JACOB RIEMENSPERGER TO ATTRACT MIGRATION TO SAXE GOTHA TOWNSHIP, SOUTH CAROLINA, IN 1740

TRUE AND FULLY DEPENDABLE GOOD NEWS FROM THE ENGLISH ROYAL PROVINCE C A R O L I N A

Brought here by trustworthy men who went there four gears ago, now happy in their turn to come back and by this news attempt to determine you upon the same venture.
St. Gall
Published by Ruprecht Weniger
1740
A passport from Southern South Carolina:
The Highly-Esteemed and Meritorious Gentlemen, William Bull, Knight, First-in-Command for the English King in the Province of South Carolina, at your service; along with friendly greetings to all unto whom these presents may come; makes known that the bearers thereof, Hans Jacob Riemensperger and Hans Caspar Galliser, voluntary agents of His Royal Majesty, themselves householders nearly alone in the District on the border of South Carolina, leave at inconvenience to themselves in order to perform service to satisfaction: That is, to perform the heartfelt task of leading out immigrants successfully.

 Therefore, unto all Royal inspectors and others, we present them, with a courteous petition that these faithful men of this said province may be allowed to proceed to England, and from thither to Switzerland, and of their own accord to return to the aforementioned Province without let or hindrance, or any manner of annoyance, and that they be allowed to pass and repass freely, on the understanding that they shall do all that within them lieth, in what locality soever to which they may go, to deport themselves seemly, and behave with decorum. To increase esteem for these men, I personally have signed this, and caused the Great Seal of the Royal Province of South Carolina to be affixed thereto: Granted in Charles Town, South Carolina, the eight-and-twentieth day of February,
1739/40.
William Bull
For so long as it may be by God's Grace, First in Command.
(S E A L)
(signed) Jacob Miche, Secretary

 A passport for Hans Jacob Riemensperger and Hans Gasper Galliser.
 His Grace, the Very Noble Sir William Harrington, Member of the Privy Council for His Royal Majesty in England and the Lands Beyond the Seas, Secretary of Foreign Affairs: To all admirals, vice-admirals, officials of state, Commanders, chiefs, Mayors, Bailiffs, Justices of the Peace, Quartermasters, Custom Collectors, Overseers, Spies, and all other functionaries of this kingdom unto whom the words of this Letter Patent may come, his cordial greetings.

Be it known that the Royal Will and Intention is that the bearers of these lines, Hans Jacob Riemensperger and Hans Caspar Galliser, for whom jointly they constitute a travel permit, shall, without constraint-or restraint, and in peace, without even one delay, hinderance, or annoyance, be allowed to travel from here to Harwich, and from Thence to Hull and Germany. Issued from Whitehall the tenth day of May, 1740.
Harrington
(S E A L)

 We, George the Second, by the Grace of God King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Braunschweig ant Lunenburg of the Holy Roman Empire, Mater of the Exchequer, and Unquestioned Sovereign, request of all ant several, by preference, with the honor to which their rank entitles them, all of whom may be depended upon to be gracious, commending unto their care the present two person, by name Hans Jacob Riemenperger and Hans Caspar Galliser, from time to time our negotiator in our Province of South Carolina in the West Indes, and particularly with regard to the Township of Saxe Gotha which lies therein, established free citizens who arrived here in this place provided with legitimate passports from our Governor of the said Province, whose intentions are to travel through Hull and Germany toward Switzerland, and especially to the town of Toggenberg, that they be given free, secure, unhindered ant unforbidden passage and r turn, and in case of need, your bet assistance. And upon receipt, all good forwarding agents will turn over to them a notified, the money due them. Such we consider to be the obligation belonging to us in repayment and recognition of their intention and efforts, including their indebtedness to the Cantzley Printing Firm. made known here at the end. Secret. London: The Tenth Day of May in 1740, in the Thirteenth Year of our Reign.
d Mandatum
& Electoris Proprium
S. Steinberg
The above-named travelers, both from the Province of South Carolina in the West Indes, are here-through passed G. L. "Gesundly" and your Pass-word: "Bichweyier in the Lower Alsace", the 16th July, 1740. T. Hochfurstel Pfalz Zweybruckische Cantzley Allda.
Passed Bassel: the 21st July 1740. T. Cantzley Allda,
Passed through Botzen: the 26th July 1740.

It becomes learned herewith and known and understood by everyone that the producer of this brochure, Han Jacob Riemensperger, intends to travel about a great deal in Germany and Switzerland to deliver its message, and through a true testimony to lead you out: and half at a loss to tell of the aforesaid land, he prays for the eloquence to write of it, and how much as yet remains to be seen there without house-seat or dwelling. It will now tax your belief in the truthfulness of the above-named well-informed person, who is a freeholder, and in no wise whatsoever in any sort of military servitude, to be told that even on the 300 acres of the said land belonging to him, he, with his family, by their own careful diligence and the blessings of God, has accumulated such great provisions of all kinds of produce, livestock, and household goods that it is greater than the need, and that his wife, with four small daughters, is holding it down during his absence. Each father of a household can rest assured that he will be given this land--that for each person or headright that he may bring into this country with him, be it young suckling-child, adult manservant, or serving maid, for each headright he receives 50 acres of land which he may search out wherever it pleases him best in this Province, which is more than 56 miles wide, and the length of this province of South Carolina has never yet been found out.
Also, it is well known that in Germany and Switzerland there are poor, unemployed hardworking people who would delight themselves in this gift of land, but who cannot afford the expense of the passage across the sea. therefore you are hereby informed that if through pity, the head of a household brings such poor hard working folk with him, paying the expense for them, each such head of a household likewise for each head of such poor persons, receives 50 acres of land which will be surveyed out to him on demand in one or more pieces not far from his other. This land remains with him and his children as their property, and the poor remain with him and labor with him until the costs of their transportation be repaid. When this is done and reported, the poor man becomes free, and land will be measured out to him also., in whatever place is well situated for him, and likewise each head with him his 50 acres of land. It is necessary to know also that every person, whether man or woman, who comes from Germany or Switzerland to plant himself in this country, receives from the Administration of the Colony a gift of 20 Pounds Sterling--the Pound Sterling to approximate the value of a lawful German Florin--therewith to establish himself on the land, buy provisions and other necessary things for the first year, until, through the work of his hands and the Grace of The Lord God he has made himself a crop. A child under twelve years of age is given only 10 Pounds.

The land laid out for the father or mother of a household is recognized as being free for ten years. That is, he pays no taxes, tithes, or other duties, be they called what they may, to the end of the ten years. When the ten years are up, for each acre he will pay 20 good Batzen (small obsolete German coins), and the King of England's Grant and Seal will be given to each householder by the Royal Government as his title to the land. After that, nobody has any further annoyance to bother with.

The poor person who has worked to pay the cost of his passage overseas, on receiving a good report also receives his 20 Pounds or Florins, if he is an adult, and can go ahead and plant himself on his land buying provisions for the first year therewith. And if he has small children under 12 years of age, for each such child he shall receive l0 Pounds or Florins. Also, one must continue by saying that if the father of a household dies, then the land goes to his eldest son if he leaves no will; but if there is a will, it is left as the will directs. If a father dies intestate leaving behind only daughters, in such a case the surviving daughters all share equally as heirs either in the land or in the money it brings if it is purchased by someone.

If a widower or a young man, perchance, should take for his wife a widow with however many children, the law in this Province provides that fifty aces of land shall be surveyed out for such a widow and each of her children up to eight head, even though the widow may have claimed for herself and her children already, and the newly surveyed land remains that of the man who marries her; but the first land f the widow remains the property of the children of her former marriage.

Arrangements are such that laborers and tradespeople of all sorts and kinds who scarcely know how to make a living in Germany or Switzerland can live in plenty here, and in a short time make themselves well-to-do. A great many miserable, poor people have already come here and now live in abundance. It should also be known that when a newcomer arrives in this land called Saxe Gotha, at the same time he receives one-half acre for a house-site in the town of Saxe Gotha, newly laid out, completely healthful, and pleasantly situated beside the Great Santee River, which flows by it and is large and deep enough to carry small hips of good size. Boats could go out from thence and carry on trade, if only the township were sufficiently inhabited and enough workmen were there to build boats. Each head of a household arriving here will have his housesite and nearby land laid out by the Land officials without cost to him.

This Township called Saxe Gotha is the last one laid out and no township as yet is reported its equal for good land, And the farther one goes in it. the better and richer the land becomes. Then, too the said township is only 125 miles from Charleston, and on the Great Santee River, and people can go from here at will with heavily-laden boats to trade by water when enough boatmen come here to settle and establish themselves. Also, the trail from here is cut through the forest wide enough so that people can travel by land in wagons back and forth to Charles Town.

As for the Indians, they are in nowise dangerous, but on the hand, when they are treated in a friendly fashion, eager to hunt for us and to trade with us. One such became so with me.
Undersigned and endorsed by my own hand on request, according to custom: Thus matters stand in Saxe Gotha Township on the 2nd day of February, 1740.
South Carolina in America
(signed) Christian Motte
Royal Justice of the Peace for Great Britain in this City
(S E A L)
p. s.

All who set out for this land should be of the Evangelical Reformed religion, (although) all right-living persons except those of the Roman Catholic religion dwell on with us. That the Fore going is the truth, neither more nor less, we following-named German-speaking inhabitants of the Township of Saxe Gotha jointly bear witness:

Hans Jacob Reimensperger
Gaspar Kuntzler,
Rudolff Gapeler
 Heinrich Geiger
Abraham Geiger
John Heinrich Weber - Jacob came to America with his brother, Heinrich Weber, who died shortly after their arrival
Jacob Spuchel
Conrad Kuntzler
 Hermann Geiger
Ulrich Bachmann
Jacob Fritig
Herman Christoph Dortringene
Martin Fritig
Hans Straub
Jacob Hagerbuch
Hans Jacob Geiger
 Hans Heini Gallman
Antoni Steck
Jacob Liffer
Daniel Scheiber
Heinrich Gallman
Ulrich Puser
Hans Gaspar Frey
William Becker
Johann Matteiss
Hans Jacob Steiner
 Ulrich Sperling
 Hans Buss

Source: Lee R Gandee

Settlers in The Congarees

Around 1730 Thomas Brown entered the Catawba trade and a few years later established a store "near the Congarees Old Fort". Brown's brother Patrick and Alexander Kilpatrick were partners in his in his trading store. Patrick Brown left around 1740 when he entered the Creek trade.

In 1733 the governor and council ordered a township marked off at the Congarees. The town, eventually known as Saxe Gotha, was laid out just above the old garrison site with its Front Street paralleling the river bank for nearly a mile, and a reservation for a fort at its northern end.

Between 1732 and 1735 eight surveys were made on the east bank of the river between the shoals and Jackson or Patricks Creek. One of the tracts was for Alexander Kilpatrick. Patrick Brown had 300 acres surveyed at the bend of Congaree Creek, which included the site of the old fort. Anticipating the growth of the province, Patrick Brown and John Beresford acquired the best crossings on the Cherokee Path.

Among the Switzers who petitioned for payment of the passage of their party to come ashore and settle in a township were Martin Friday, John Ulric Beckman (Bachman), John Ulric Muller and John Frederick Coleman. All the names cannot be identified with the Saxe Gotha settlement; however, Jacob Gallman had his land surveyed immediately below the old fort and three others selected theirs near him. Martin Friday had his 250 acres surveyed two miles above at the falls and three more established themselves nearby.

Herman, Abraham and John Jacob Geiger withdrew from John Tobler's band of New Windsor Switzers who considered their departure a "good riddance". Their lands were surveyed immediately above Martin Friday. John Jacob Riemensperger from Toggenburg, Switzerland, arrived in South Carolina in 1737 with twenty-nine Swiss families. Between 1736 and 1741 several English names were found among the Saxe Gotha plats: Robert Lang Sr, Robert Lang Jr, William Baker, Thomas Berry, Richard Myrick, and John Gibson had property near Savannah Hunt Creek.

Source: The Expansion of South Carolina 1729-1765 by Robert Lee Merriwether

Lexington County SC

The historic town of Lexington, South Carolina is a direct descendant of the old Royal township of Saxe Gotha. This township was one of eleven established in 1735 by the Colonial government of King George II to encourage settlement of backcountry South Carolina and serve as a protective buffer between powerful Indian tribes to the west and the older settled plantations of the low country. The name Saxe Gotha was given in honor of the marriage of the King's son, Frederick Louis Prince of Wales, to Princess Augusta of the German Duchy of Saxe-Gotha. (The latter couple became the parents of King George III of England).

Main Street

The territory of colonial Saxe Gotha covered most of present day Lexington County and was traversed by two important early Indian trails, the Cherokee Path which followed roughly modern U.S. Highway #378 and the Occaneechi Path, today U.S. Highway #1. These ancient trading paths and the highways that later developed from them have had an enormous impact on the historical development of the area.

Most of the early settlers came from various cantons, principalities and city-states of Germany and Switzerland. Others came down from Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Despite the disruptive Cherokee Indian War of 1760 and the "Regulator" unrest that followed, the township flourished as a largely self-sufficient area of small scale farming operations. Major crops in the 18th Century included corn, wheat, tobacco, hemp, flax, beeswax and livestock.

During the American Revolution several skirmishes occurred in the area. The Battle of Tarrar Springs was fought just one mile east of Lexington on November 16, 1781.

In 1785 Lexington County was established, changing the name from Saxe Gotha to Lexington in honor of the Massachusetts Revolutionary War battle. The county's first courthouse was built at Granby, located just south of present day Cayce. From 1800 to 1868 the county was organized as a district with the same name.

With the clearing of upriver lands for the spreading cotton culture, Granby became plagued with floods. The district seat was moved in 1820 when the present town of Lexington was laid out on a high, healthy sand ridge near Twelve Mile Creek. The town was known as Lexington Courthouse throughout the 19th Century since in the first few years of its existence there was only the courthouse with few residences.

By 1861, when it was incorporated as a town, Lexington boasted a diverse population of lawyers, physicians, tradespeople, artisans and farmers. There were then 2 churches, several schools, a carriage factory, a saw and gristmill, a tannery, livestock yard, tin and blacksmiths, and a weekly newspaper. The major crops of the surrounding countryside were mainly cotton, corn sweet potatoes and lumber. Lexington was not a marketing center for these staples, but did serve as a retail market for manufactured goods purchased wholesale by merchants in nearby Columbia.

In 1865 the town was virtually destroyed by occupying Union Army forces guarding General Sherman's western flank. The courthouse, district jail and St. Stephen's Lutheran Church were put to the torch as were most businesses and homes.

The small farms with their varied crops and the lumber industry stabilized somewhat the economy of the area after Reconstruction years. The completion of the Columbia to Augusta Railroad just after the Civil War and the construction of the Lexington Textile Mill in 1890 contributed greatly to the growth of the town itself. Disastrous fires in 1894 and 1916 on Main Street resulted in the construction of brick buildings, many of which are standing today.

The Town of Lexington has continued to be the political center of Lexington County, one of the fastest growing areas of the nation. With new major highways passing nearby, the town continues to experience phenomenal growth.

Source: Wikipedia