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