This timeline chronicles important events in Colleton County and in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
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1600-1699 |
1663: Lord's Proprietors Granted Land by King Charles II
The establishment of the Province of Carolina by the Lord’s Proprietors was a unique one. All of the other colonies that were established were not by a king’s friends. But before we get to this, we need to start from the beginning. In 1663, King Charles II of England granted a charter to eight of his friends, the Earl of Clarendon, the Duke of Albemarle, Lord Craven, Lord Ashley, Sir George Carteret, Sir William Berkeley, and Sir John Colleton, that he called the Lord’s Proprietors to establish a colony in the southeast. There were rules to the people of the colonies that they had to follow, for example: 1. Each colony had power, if desired; 2. There would be a freedom of religion in the colonies; 3. Each colony had to be “true to and faithful to his majesty” basically follow what the king said, and 5. The first colony was reserved 20,000 acres of land, or 31 square miles. After that, the Lord’s Proprietors sent settlers from England to the colonies. Once the colonies were created, it attracted the attention of the various groups of the dissatisfied English settlers living in Barbados, who thought that the land the British government gave them wasn’t right. The colonies would remain under control of the Lord’s Proprietors until 1729, when it was given to the British government. The British government owned the colony and 12 others until July 4, 1776, when they declared independence and created the United States of America. By Ethan Daugherty |
1682: Willtown Established
The first town in Colleton County of Willtown was the second planned town in South Carolina. Willtown was later reserved as a summer village. Willtown was important to regional trades during the 1700. Willtown serves the ace basin because they turned it into a nature preserve. Willtown has over thousands of acres and it has species such as bald eagles. It was also originally named New London. It was renamed Willtown in 1708. By Will O'Bryant |
1728: Establishment of Bethel Presbyterian Church
The Bethel Presbyterian Church was established in 1728 by Rev. Archibald Stobo. All members from Bethel came from Scotland. The first building was called “meeting house” and lasted until 1746 . in 1886 the colonial church was destroyed by a forest fire. The height of the church was very proportional with the rest of the church ! there were columns and a lot more salinity in its look. People from England ‘ dissenters immigrated to Carolina. There was a much laid back feeling , they didn’t like talking to the English or being around them! Agriculture was used in their church because their belief was the bible as it retains life on earth. In their type of agriculture the plan shape they had was a simple polygon . They had no stained glass because it was all about what happens on the inside of the building and not the spiritual belief . by Lanasia Sanders & Carolina Berry |
1732: South Carolina Gazette Established
The South Carolina Gazette was first established by Thomas Whitemarsh on January 8, 1732. Thomas was a former employee of Benjamin Franklin and native of England. Thomas shortly died from yellow fever in September of 1733. The gazette was later republished by Lewis Timothy in 1734, who was a journeyman printer from France and former worker of Benjamin Franklin. After Lewis’ death in 1738, his wife Elizabeth continued to publish the paper under her son's name. The gazette printed news about Europe, notices for runaway slaves and even historical events such as the Boston Massacre and the blockade of Boston. By 1764 the gazette had subscription agents in Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Florida. Peter continued to run the paper until December of 1775 where its final issue was published. The South Carolina Gazette is very important to South Carolinian and Colleton County history because it shows the importance of newspapers back in history and how it affected people of South Carolina. By Bryson Peres |
1739: Stono Rebellion
20 miles southwest of Charles town, a British colony in South Carolina was attacked by an uprising slave army that caused the death of 60 people. An army of 20 led by an Angolan named Jemmy rebelled on the banks of Stono River, they broke into Hutchinson’s gun store and armed themselves with weapons. Slave revolts continued to grow larger and larger creating an army of 81 people. They burned homes and killed white overseers including women and children, other slaves could run or join them. Most of the rebels were killed at Edisto River. The remaining survivors were sold off as slaves to the West Indies. After the rebellion the south made the Security Act which required all white men to carry any type of firearms on Sundays to church. Which gave slave rebellion leaders the idea to attack in that particular time. Slave masters were penalized for giving their slaves excessive as well as brutal work. By Farley Linaogo & Stephen Arnold |
1769: Circuit Court Act of 1769
The act was passed in 1769 it had courts, jails, and sheriffs and four judicial systems. One court was called in Charles town, expansion in the 1760s led to people not living in charles town due to it being too far away. In 1768 the regulator movement caused the circuit court act to pass. It took effect in 1768. Seven court districts were established for each district a court house was established. The regulator movement was an organized effort made by backcountry settlers to bring back law and order and establish a new institution of their local government. By Joseph Rose & Madison Keller |
1776: First South Carolina Constitution
We are talking about the First South Carolina Constitution Written. The First South Carolina Constitution. South Carolina now has had six constitutions. This constitution was framed by the Provincial Congress of SC and adopted during March, 1776.and It was not submitted to the people for ratification. South Carolina became a free and independent state on March 26, 1776. After the First South Carolina Constitution Written there were six more that followed it. South Carolina adopted the first constitution in 1776 By the sixteen vote majority. The reason for the constitution is “to frame the colonies as a social hierarchy”. By Angela Simpson & Aubrey Wilson |
1776: Thomas Heyward Jr Signs the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Heyward Jr was born July 1746 in Luke parish. He was part of the generation of American colonies. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and he even signed his own name and everything. When the British took over Charleston in 1880 he was helping to defend the city and then he was taken captive which then he became a prisoner. The revolutionary war broke out against Great Britain. Those people who like John Adams, who was considered as a radical Thomas Paine published common sense. The Declaration of Independence was the first formal statement of a nation people asserting their right to also choose their own government. By Americus Lawson & Desaray Dunaway |
1781: The Execution of Isaac Hayne
Isaac Hayne was hanged for treason in Charleston South Carolina he was hung by the British army on August 4th 1781. The death of Isaac Hayne was not shocking since treason wasn't rare the only thing shocking was the details around his death. Isaac was a loyal patriot. He fought as a private in the Siege of Charleston. In March 1780, he was captured by the British General Henry Clinton. The Continental Army had surrendered Charleston to the British. The captured soldiers from the Continental Army were freed and were allowed to go home to their families. Isaac Hayne was a planter from Jacksonboro, South Carolina. Isaac Hayne supported the patriots born in 1745 he owned multiple plantations in Beaufort. His main plantation was in Hayne Hall. It was located in Jacksonboro, South Carolina. by Jeremiah Howell & Austin Padgett |
1781: Battle of Parker's Ferry
In the Battle of Parker’s Ferry was a major thoroughfare crossing Pon Pon River (Edisto River) about 33 miles west of Charleston. On August 29, the British moved to Isaac Hayne's Plantation and Francis Marion followed again looking for a fight, He set up his own camp five miles to the east. Major Thomas Fraser’s men galloped blindly into the trap. As the British cavalrymen came abreast of the American position, they received several volleys of fire. On August 30, 1781, the tories roved around Charleston, Patriot Colonel William Harden commanded a dwindling militia force south of the Edisto River and enlisted the help of Brigadier General Francis Marion to counter this treat This was the Battle of Parker’s Ferry. By Ari Akers & Xofia Rosendo Garcia |
1782: Jacksonboro Serves as temporary capital
The reasoning behind Jacksonboro being the capital is because the British forces were coming through Charleston. The house of representatives along with the senate were meeting in Jacksonboro for 40 days. This made Jacksonboro the temporary capital of SC. During the time the house of representatives were there in Jacksonboro they elected a new governor and passed two laws to identify and punish loyalists. The event that Jacksonborough became the capital of SC is important to Colleton county because Jacksonboro was is in Colleton so it makes Colleton a big deal. By Julie Deshane & Avery Floresca |
1783: Founding of Walterboro
Walterboro was settled by two brothers named Paul and Jacob Walter in 1783. Paul and Jacob were both rice planters. Walterboro was officially incorporated in the year of 1862. In Walterboro there were over 200 working plantation in Colleton growing indigo, rice ,and cotton. The families who created Walterboro were very religious. Which led to churches being built. There were also lots of forests and vast quantities of water. Most people loved that because it was good for fishing and hunting. By Giselle Cortez |
1791: George Washington Visits Colleton County
In May of 1791 George Washington, the 1st president of the United States, began his Southern Tour. He began his descent down South passing through South Carolina. In Charleston, he stayed at a house called the Heyward-Washington House. The house was owned by Thomas Heyward, who was a Signer of the Declaration of Independence himself, a patriot leader and even an Artillery Officer in the S.C. Militia during the American Revolution. He then passed through Colleton County on his way to Savannah, South Carolina. He had a stay at the Duharra Plantation. A plantation located in Colleton County South Carolina. Owner of the home was O’Brien Smith who was a Congressman himself. He additionally was known for being the second president of the Hibreatina Society of Charleston, and serving in the General Army, and the State Senate. With South Carolina basking in the glory of hosting houses for President Washington to stay at during his southern tour, he reached Savannah after passing through Colleton County, then later finished his Southern tour. by Kimberly Rutland |
1833: Charleston Hamburg Railroad completed
The Charleston Hamburg Railroad chief built the railroad with a set of tracks consisting of the hardwood that made the rails and the wooden ties using the wooden and trestles. It was over low lying and areas over the 136 miles from Charleston to Hamburg. The railroad was one of the longest railroads in the world. It was completed in 1833. The railroad went through Summerville and Georges to get to Charleston and Hamburg. By Marquez Kirkland & Centrell Washington |
1862: Battle of Secessionville
The Battle of Secessionville happened in June of 1862, and was a key battle in South Carolina’s History. In June 16, 1862 the Union tries to capture Charleston and before in 1861, the Unions ships captured Port Royal and it gave the Federals an important base from which to mount operations along the southern coast. Federals lost nearly 800 men and the southerners only lost 200. Also In June 1862, Yankee General Henry W Benham led 9000 troops into James Island. He used 3500 of those troops to make a frontal assault. They killed 107 people and wounded around 600 people and the Confederates took the win. By Alejandro Marin & Tanner Blocker |
1864: Destruction of the Boston
The topic I'm writing about is the Destruction of Boston, Ashepoo River. The destruction of Boston, Ashepoo river is important in US history because it was kind of a huge thing, the Destruction of Boston, Ashepoo River was Union forces that attempted an operation to destroy a railroad trestle across the Ashepoo River during the Civil War. George Brush made multiple trips to ferry 400 members and 13 were killed. The federal government leased Boston for troop transport. On May 25, 1864 Boston grounded and struck the Ashepoo River. Boston evacuated and was set afire. In January 1866 the Army of the U.S issued a salvage contract that grouped private individuals for removing the engine and other valuables. In June 1979, 400 yards of the Ashepoo River was searched and the vessel's remains were located. By Destinee Hiers |
1864: General Sherman's March
Sherman’s March began on November 15, 1864. General William T. Sherman started this march with the goal of scaring Georgia into abandoning the Confederate cause. As Sherman and his troops progressed they got to Atlanta in September. On September 2, 1864 they took control of Atlanta chasing the Confederate out. When the Confederate lost Sherman sent 60,000 of his soldiers to meet them at Nashville while he and the 62,000 soldiers left headed to Georgia. He and his troops then went through Georgia to Savannah. They had a war against the Confederacy until the Confederate pretty much threw up a white flag to surrender. Once that war was over Sherman and his troop(s) had a “Total War” in Georgia. This war did what Sherman was working towards. With the Confederate Army unable to fight at full strength Sherman and his soldiers had won. Sherman’s troops went through South Carolina and destroyed railroads, supplies and morale. It affected Colleton County because they went past North of Colleton County. “The whole army is burning with an insatiable desire to wreak vengeance upon South Carolina,” Sherman said. “I almost tremble at her fate, but feel that she deserves all that seems in store for her.” By Elisabeth Guy & Shyanne Walker |
1868-1985: Phosphate Mining on the Edisto River
What was the Edisto river phosphate mining? It was when they were mining rocks to get phosphate from the industry. Phosphate mining is a large reason for water pollution and it can harm human life. Phosphate is used in things such as phosphoric acid, animal feed, food and fertilizers. How phosphate mining helped out Colleton county it made jobs for people and it made a lot of money. What happened to the Edisto river phosphate mine? The mines were directed by a man named Pratt in 1868 and then changed in 1880 to a man named Sheperd. The Edisto river bed was filled with it; the rock was about 30inches deep. The company sold it for 64 cent bundle or as low as 54 cent. Eventually the Edisto river phosphate mine was closed in 1985 and stopped mining in the Edisto river. By Chis Benson & Wyatt Johnson |
1886: Earthquake
Earthquakes are a dangerous natural disaster that can cause serious damage. That can make cracks in the ground. One of the most well known earthquakes was in 1886 Charleston SC it is well known for being the most damaging earthquake in the south .It was also the largest recorded earthquake in history of the southeast in the United States. This earthquake was near Middleton place. The earthquake was on august 31 at 9:51. People as far as Canada felt this earthquake. A total of 132 died from this earthquake. After this earthquake the total damage was 5.5 million cost of damage. Which was a lot of money about 5.5 million dollars and took a while to rebuild every building and houses. Nobody was prepared for this earthquake. Because it was predicted earlier then what they expected. By Jasmin Hernandez Reyes & Oswaldo Sanjuan |
1897: Colleton & Dorchester Counties split
In 1897 Colleton County split into two different countries. Dorchester split because it was an active region of combat during the Revolutionary War. Colleton County remained together until then. Dorchester started as a place for rich rice plantations. Before then, the Lords Proprietors created Colleton along with Berkeley in 1664. First settlement of Colleton County was settled on the Edisto River. As Dorchester County was part of the portion of Colleton County that included other cities from Colleton County. By Kristen Varnadoe & Karla Herrera |
1914: EsDorn Hospital Opens
In 1914, Dr. Charles EsDorn and his wife Clara EsDorn opened the first community hospital in walterboro. At first, the two had no location to operate out of so instead, with the two guest bedrooms in their house, they operated on patients out of their home and just after 2 years, the house was at full capacity. In 1946, after becoming successful, the hospital was bought out by the “Colleton county hospital.” In the late 1970s, Colleton county couldn’t afford to run the hospital anymore and so it had to be sold to the hospital corporation of America in 1980. This wasn’t the end of the hospital because soon after a new hospital replaced this one in a new location. By Nicolas Bazzle & Ethan Nichols |
1920s: Rosenwald Schools
Back in the day in South Carolina, churches, charitable organizations, and the Bureau of Freedmen worked together to establish schools for the new freed slaves in South Carolina so they could get an education . The Freedmen's Bureau didn’t just help with supplies and rations but they helped with education for the newly freed slaves and helped them with jobs but the Freedmen's bureau and Julius Rosenwald were two different schools . And about ⅓ of African American children in the rural south attended Rosenwald schools. Another reason is the Rosenwald school in Colleton county is an oak hill school and they gave 8.100.00 dollars. Another Rosenwald school in Colleton county is Ritter school and they gave 4.000.00 dollars. Another Rosenwald school in Colleton county is Ruffin school and they gave 4.100.00 dollars. Another Rosenwald school in Colleton county is Ruffin school and they gave 5.260.00 dollars. Another Rosenwald school in Colleton county is rum gully school and they gave 2.900.00 dollars. Another Rosenwald school in Colleton county is Walterboro high school and they gave 5.750.00 dollars. And it was Established by Julius Rosenwald, he wanted to construct higher quality schools for African Americans in the South. By Cameryn Zeller & Ivan Perez |
1924: Henry M. Bailey wins Gold Medal at the Paris Olympics
Henry M. Bailey has had many accomplishments in his life. He was a member of the army and has earned a bunch of medals. Even though that is some cool stuff, probably his biggest achievement was competing in the 1924 summer Paris Olympics. Not only did he win gold but he also won a silver. Henry was up against amazing competition. There were 55 competitors in the rapid fire pistol competition. Though he had tough competition the judges were even tougher. In just the first round 47 were eliminated from the games. The 8 having perfect scores shot again. After 2 more shootouts 3 competitors were eliminated after attempting 6 silhouettes in 8 seconds. 3 more shoot offs there were only 2 computers left. Wilhelm Kolberg, the other contestant, was from Sweden. With a great record Wilhelm has already won 3 gold, 3 silver, and 1 copper in previous games, claiming the title of the best marksmen at the games. Keeping his cool Henry then went through another round of shots. With perfect scores the pressure was building. Wilhelm also shot another perfect round. One more round is called for. Henry shot his gun malfunction thinking quickly fixed his gun and still got an amazing score. Wilhelm seeing this panics and shooting his shots he had so much pressure he shot wobbly making henry the winner with a shiny gold metal By Jequil Bahrenburg & Lashombre Johnson |
1939: South Carolina Rural Electric Cooperative Act
The South Carolina Rural Electric Act was one of Franklin D. Roosevelt's goals was electricity all throughout the nation during the Great Depression to help the nation. Congress spent $100 million on the projects because they thought it was a great idea. Coastal Electric Cooperative was actually organized by a group of farmers. Today the CEC operates around Colleton County. FairField Electric Cooperative is the third cooperative to serve the US citizens. Without this act we probably wouldn’t have electricity until later. In conclusion this was our writing assignment on the South Carolina Rural Electric Act. By Demarios Johnson-Stevens & Daniel Hawk |
1942: Walterboro Army Airfield hosts POW Camp
The Walterboro Army Airfield was opened in August 1942 . The Walterboro Army Airfield was used as a training ground for pilots during War World 2. The Walterboro Army Airfield provided training for pilots. Some of the grounds on the Walterboro Army Airfield were sold to schools and industry to help our town's economic system. The Walterboro Army Airfield was renamed the Tuskegee Airfield as we know it today. POW stands for Prisoner of the war .The Walterboro Army Airfield was just a training ground but a pow camp. There were about 300 prisoners housed at this POW camp. By Mercedes Gordon & Imarii McClinton |
1944: Tuskegee Airmen Train at Walterboro Army Airfield
The Tuskegee airmen were trained at Walterboro airfield which was called Anderson airfield. The Tuskegee airman were negro pilots that flew in WW2. The airfield also served as a prisoner of war camp for surrendered Germans. The planes that were flown by the Tuskegee airmen were p-27 - 40, b-12 bombers. The B-12’s were atomic bomb dropping planes. The beacon was made by Palmetto Technical college students. The Tuskegee airmen were split into two groups: bombers and fighters. The P.O.W comp and airfield are located not to far from Colleton middle school. The airport is off of hwy 17-A Down from The Forks gas station. The Tuskegee Airman never lost a bomber and were known as the red tails. By Jordan Russ |
1952: Briggs v. Elliot
The Briggs v. Elliot supreme court case was a case where parents asked multiple times for buses to transport black students to school like white students. After the parents were denied and ignored they filed a lawsuit challenging segregation. The case was named after Harry Briggs who was one of the parents that helped sue R.W Elliot who was the president of the Clarendon County school board. The parents had a lot of help from the black community like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund lawyers and Thurgood Marshall who represented Harry and Eliza Briggs and 19 other parents . After fighting hard and winning the court cases the court's 1954 ruling led to racial integration of the nation's public schools. Because of the integration after the court cases this impacted Colleton county by making the schools integrated. By Madison Murray & Dylan Ketchum |
1979: USC Salkehatchie Campus established in Walterboro
The USC Salkehatchie Campus established in Walterboro was a important part of Colleton County’s history. It is a college for young adults to go to after they graduate high school. A group of people in Allendale were involved in a local civic commitment and momentum. The group was created in 1965, it was created because many people wanted to have somewhere to go after high school. USC Salkehatchie also possesses over 220 acres. In 1979 classes began on the Walterboro campus, followed by the 1981 acquisition of the Main classroom building and gymnasium. Also in 1981,the new Science and Administration building was opened on the Allendale campus. By Brantley Lyons & Tray Ready |
1989: Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo that hit in the southern United States in September 1989, affected 2 million people and killing sixty seven people, with a wind speed of one hundred eight miles per hour, a category 5 hurricane, costing ten billion dollars in damages This event was important because the National weather service said that this was the highest storm recorded along the U.S East Coast ever. And also Hurricane Hugo was responsible for 67 fatalities including 21 in the United states. Hurricane Hugo affected Colleton county by falling trees, and high winds broke power lines, crushed cars, and blocked roads. By Alex Rios Perez & Yosbin |