History of Orangeburg District South Carolina
The initial settlers in the Orangeburg District were sparse, consisting mainly of Indian traders and random grazers who pursued the untamed grasslands for their cattle herds. The first recorded instance of land ownership belonged to Henry Sterling, a trader who claimed a piece of Lyon’s Creek in 1704. Later, in 1732, John Hearn became the first to settle in what is now Orangeburg City, his property including the current Fairgrounds. The deed for Hearn’s lands was documented on May 28, 1735. The terrain between these pioneering settlers and the coast was almost impossible to navigate, consisting of dense undergrowth and … Read more