Calhoun County Museum & Cultural Center
The History of Calhoun County and South Carolina Presented with a Southern Flair
Calhoun County Chronology
BC - 1800
1,000,000 BC
Calhoun County area is under the Atlantic Ocean.
AD 1682
Calhoun is included in Old Berkeley County, SC. Home of Congaree and Santee Indians.
1700
Lawson, the explorer, visits local indians.
1704
570 acres of land on Lyons Creek, granted to George Sterling.
1715
Yemassee War.
1718
Nearby Fort Congaree is commanded by Captain Charles Russell.
1725
Charles Russell, by then married to widow Mary Sterling Heatly, is living on old Sterling land.
1730
Amelia, Saxe-Gotha, and Edisto (later Orangeburg) townships are laid out.
1735
Swiss-German settlers begin arriving.
1737
The Reverend J. U. Giessendanner (Lutheran) begins work while living in Orangburgh.
1739
The younger Reverend J.U. Giessendanner, begins in Orangeburgh and Amelia.
The Reverend Christian Theus (German Reformed) begins what will become half a century of work in Saxe-Gotha.
The Reverend Christian Theus (German Reformed) begins what will become half a century of work in Saxe-Gotha.
1748
George Haig of Haig's Hill, Deputy Surveyor, is taken by the indians and murdered.
1750
Rachel Heatly Lloyd is said to have routed the Devil at Buck Head Hill.
1751
Joint Lutheran and German Reformed meeting house is standing near Sandy Run, Saxe-Gotha.
1757
Amelia Chapel is built for the younger Giessendanner (by then Anglican Priest).
1759-1761
Cherokee War.
1765
St. Matthews Parish is established as a religious (Anglican, later called Episcopal) political division.
1767
Parish Act is repelled by King George III.
1768
Parish Act is re-established.
1769
The Reverend Timothy Dargan has a Baptist meeting house (near the later site of Lone Star).
1775
The Reverend Paul Turquand, Anglican Priest of St. Matthews Parish, preaches the opening Revolutionary Provincial Congress at Charleston.
1776
Colonel William Thomson and Rangers from Amelia Township help defeat the British at the Battle of Sullivan's Island.
1778
Orange Parish is cut off from St. Matthews Parish; Church is seperated from State.
1780
British over run and fortify Belleville Plantation, as well as Mount Joseph Plantation, which they rename "Fort Motte".
1781
Americans are repulsed at Belleville.
Americans capture a British Convoy of supplies at McCord's Ferry.
Americans win the Battle of Fort Motte. Mrs. Motte provides arrows for them to burn the British out of her mansion. Belleville is evacuated. Both Colonist and British save Belleville from burning. Mrs. Motte served dinner to officers from both sides that night.
Emily Gieger's traditional ride to carry messages from General Greene to General Sumter.
Americans capture a British Convoy of supplies at McCord's Ferry.
Americans win the Battle of Fort Motte. Mrs. Motte provides arrows for them to burn the British out of her mansion. Belleville is evacuated. Both Colonist and British save Belleville from burning. Mrs. Motte served dinner to officers from both sides that night.
Emily Gieger's traditional ride to carry messages from General Greene to General Sumter.
1782
Governor of Georgia, John Adam Truetlen, is said to have been quartered by the Tories.
1785
Lewisburgh and Lexington court counties are established.
1786
Belleville and Manigault's Plantations are considered for the site of a new state capital. Columbia selected instead.
1791
Commadore Alexander Gillion of Gillion's Retreat, is on the committee of entertaining President Washington in Columbia.
County courts are suspended.
County courts are suspended.
1794
Colonel William Thomson pioneers in planting cotton at Belleville.
1801
Bishop Francis Asbury holds the Methodist Quarterly Conference at Whetstone's Meeting House (later called Tabernacle).
1800 - 1900
1811
Free schools for the poor are set up in South Carolina.
Earthquake.
Earthquake.
1812
War with England; Langdon Cheves is Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (he later lived at Lang Syne Plantation).
1827
Sand-clay mixture is used in improving State Road at Beaver Creek.
1830
Summer village of Totness prospers.
1835
Seminole War.
1841
Branch line of the pioneer South Carolina Railroad reaches Lewisville.
1846
Mexican War.
1850
Totness is incorporated.
Fort Motte village beginning.
Fort Motte village beginning.
1860
Laurence M. Keitt, John C. Geiger, the Reverend John J. Wannamaker are among the signers of the Ordinance of Secession.
1861
War between the States/ Confederate War begins.
L.M. Keitt helps to write the Confederate Constitution.
L.M. Keitt helps to write the Confederate Constitution.
1864
Colonels L.M. Keitt and Olin M. Dantzler are among the heroes from the area killed in action.
1865
Sherman's Invasion; Yankees burn Totness and many other homes; Confederate calvary attacks Union troops encamped near Savany Hunt Creek.
St. Matthews Parish is abolished as a political division.
Slaves are now all free; many African American churches begin.
St. Matthews Parish is abolished as a political division.
Slaves are now all free; many African American churches begin.
1866
"Reconstruction" evils are beginning.
Great Drought is an additional blow; food is still scarce.
Great Drought is an additional blow; food is still scarce.
1868
South Carolina districts are changed to counties; Sandy Run section becomes part of Lexington County, while old St. Matthews Parish is included in Orangeburg County.
1872
Town of Lewisville is incorporated.
1874
Masonic lodge is founded.
1875
Fort Motte is incorporated.
1876
Lewisville's name is changed to St. Matthews.
Wild political campaigns; "Red Shirts" ride the state, but Democrats when the election.
Wild political campaigns; "Red Shirts" ride the state, but Democrats when the election.
1879
Record cotton crop.
Bennet Jacobson builds the first brick store in St. Matthews (once owned by Juilian Welch).
Bennet Jacobson builds the first brick store in St. Matthews (once owned by Juilian Welch).
1886
Charleston earthquake rocks houses.
1888
J.E. Wannamaker is named by Clemson Will as a life trustee of the new college.
Late 1880's
First newspaper in the area, "The Spectator" is published.
1890
Attempt to form a new county from parts of Orangeburg and Lexington Counties (to be named for John C. Calhoun) is defeated in the General Assembly.
Unsuccessful attempt to raise $50,000 to start a cotton mill.
Unsuccessful attempt to raise $50,000 to start a cotton mill.
1892
Graded schools begin.
1894
Atlantic Coastline Railroad comes through; towns begin growing: Lone Star and the Pine Grove Community, Auburn (near the site of Keller's Store) is soon changed to Creston, and at the crossing of the State Road the Pee Dee Land Company lays out Cameron on land then owned by Dr. J.W. Summers.
1895
Tillman Movement produces a new state constitution providing for the creation of new counties by popular vote.
1896
Another effort to form a new Calhoun County is defeated, this time by voters.
1898
The Fort Motte Guards, the St. Matthews Light Infantry, and others serve in the Spanish-American War.
1899
Sixteen stores and shops burn on a snowy night in St. Matthews.
1900 - Present
1901
C.G. Sontag volunteers for yellow fever experiment in Cuba (he later marries and settles in Sandy Run)
1906
Another bad fire takes place in St. Matthews.
Presbtyrians organize in St. Matthews.
Presbtyrians organize in St. Matthews.
1907
Agitation for a new county begins again; An Association is started, headed by Ed Wimberly, after his death, by Dr. Dreher, with T.A. Amaker as Secretary Treasurer, and J.S. Wannamaker, and J.A. Merritt among the hard workers.St. Matthews guarantees $20,000 for a court house and jail; election on December 17th results: 603 to 111 in favor of Calhoun County.
1908
State Supreme Court decides in favor of Calhoun County; last minute resurvey of area in a little red car; Calhoun County Act passed and signed by Govenor M.F. Ansel on February 14th; Farm Extention work begins
1909
Dr. S.J. Summers began serving as first Senator, and H.C. Paulling began serving as first representative.
1913
Cornerstone of Courthouse is laid.
1914
Courthouse is dedicated, May 18th.
World War I begins in Europe.
World War I begins in Europe.
1917
US enters World War I; draft board is established.
Home Demonstration work begins in Calhoun County.
Home Demonstration work begins in Calhoun County.
1918
Armistice is signed ending World War I.
1920
Record cotton crop of 44,000 bales; price drops nearly ¾.
1921
Cotton crop is only 3,200 bales, ruined by boll weevil.
1923
American Cotton Association, headed by J.S. Wannamaker in St. Matthews, puts on Boll Weevil control campaign.
1925-1926
M.M. Mann is named Judge, J.G. Stabler is selected to State Supreme Court (later serves as Chief Justice).
1926
Low cotton prices and "hard times".
1928
First paved road in the County.
Julia Peterkin is awarded the Pultizer Prize for her novel,
Julia Peterkin is awarded the Pultizer Prize for her novel,
Scarlet Sister Mary.
1929
Stock Market crashes on October 29th, beginning the Great Depression.
1933
Many new Government Agencies are started to ease the pain of the Great Depression.
1936
L.M. Gressette is elected to the State Senate.
Late 1930's
Southern Methodist organize in Sandy Run and Cameron.
1940
Selective Service begins.
1941
US enters World War II after Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7th.
1939
Nazi Germnay invades Poland on September 1st, beginning World War II.
1940's
State Guard unit and other wartime agencies are organized.
1942
Soybeans are beginning as a new cash crop.
1945
Sacony Garment Factory opens in St. Matthews.
World War II ends. (V-E Day, May 8th and V-J Day, August 15th).
World War II ends. (V-E Day, May 8th and V-J Day, August 15th).
1947
Calhoun County National Guard unit is organised on September 15th.
1949
New Bridge is opened from old Belleville Plantation Lands across the Congaree River.
African American Church of God is organized.
African American Church of God is organized.
1950-1953
Korean Conflict.
1950-1954
School Districts are consolidated from twenty-three to two.
1951
Senator L. Marion Gressette is named the head of a special school committee called the "Gressette Committee".
1954
School improvement program begins.
250th anniversary of the first land grant in the area is noted by a marker.
Construction of the National Guard Armory begins in October.
250th anniversary of the first land grant in the area is noted by a marker.
Construction of the National Guard Armory begins in October.
1948
Garage for National Guard unit is built on five acres donated by the town of St. Matthews.
1956
Central Grain Company erects 350,000 bushel capacity grain elevator in Cameron.
1958
Calhoun County Golden Jubilee Celebration unites the County.
Calhoun County Museum is begun. Located in back of old Calhoun County Library.
Calhoun County Museum is begun. Located in back of old Calhoun County Library.
1962
Carolina Eastman (Currently DAK Americas) purchases land in Calhoun County.
1964
Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce was formed.
1966
Orangeburg - Calhoun Technical College is built.
1970
Tri-Centiennal Celebration.
1973
First Purple Martin Festival.
L. Marion Gressette Center organized.
L. Marion Gressette Center organized.
1975
Teepak buys lands.
1976
Calhoun County Museum moves to new location on Butler Street.
1977
United Technologies relocates.
Council form of government is adopted.
Council form of government is adopted.
1979
Calhoun Players organized.
1981
Calhoun Arts Commission begins.
New Calhoun County High School opens its doors.
New Calhoun County High School opens its doors.
1982
National Welders Supply (Now AirGas) begins plant.
1983
Calhoun County Diamond Jubilee Celebration.
1955
Vietnam Conflicts begins.
Late 1950's
US involvement in Vietnam begins.
1965
US expands its involvement in Vietnam.
1961
US troop levels begin to surge in Vietnam.
This site is funded by the SC Arts Commission, which recieves funding from the NEA, as well as, the Calhoun County Council, and the Friends of the Calhoun County Museum.
Property of the Calhoun County Museum Archives. Not to be used without written consent.
