Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-07-21

VIC nave sud OF Oconee county is true
mainly of all tho counties Of the upper part
Of the State.
SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTY.
at the the breuking out OF tho Rcvolu
tionary War the Cherokee Indians owned
and occupied the Northwestern section of
South Carolina, bounded towards the South.
west, and West by Georgia, towards tho
North by North Carolina, towards the South
East by tho upper boundary lines of Able
vile and Laurens counties, aud towards
tho East by u directly Northern line from
the point where the I.aurens line crosses
Rcody River to the North Carolina line.
British Influence induced them in tho sum.
mcr of l7IG to undertake war with the
State, was ended in one vigorous cam.
p':gn Gy October in that year. COL William
sln compelled them to sue for peacc and agree
to cede oil this territory, lying below a line
running Northeast from the Georgia line
across the top of Oconco Mountain to the
North Carolina line, now known hero US tie
Old Indian Boundary Line.
This cession seems never to have been
perfected until 1888, aud the next year,
l7S4, it was opened to white settlers, 80
much of tho land as had not previously been
located for soldiers bountics, being offered
at ten pounds stcr!iug per hundred acres
The lands between the Tugaloo and Keowec
Rivers were specially reserved six months
longer than other lands that soldiers boun.
ties might be looted upon them.
When this Territory was ccded to- the
f,fn ho., - a., ~
ty-Six, wl.ich, prior to this time, embraced
what, on our latest maps is marked
Abbevile, Edgefcld, Laureus, Ncwberry,
Spartanburs and Union Districts. At that
time there was double system of Courts
in the State, viz: Circuit Courts and Coun-
ty Courts. The Circuit Courts for the Dis
trict of Ninety Six, wcro held only at
Cambridge, otherwise called Nincty-Six G.
ll.;" but the County Courts were held at
the Court Houses of the several subdivisions
lust named; then as nov, designated rs
Counties That part Of this territory West
OF the Saluda, was annexed for County
Court purposes, to, and became part of,
Abhcvil!c county, and SO continued uotl
1889, when it WIS separated from Abbevilc
and organized as Pcndleton County. In
1871 new Circuit Court District, called
Washington, was constituted, composed of
the Counties Of Grecnvllo and Pendleton,
and court house established therefor at
Plckensville, near the present location of
Elslcy, on the Atlanta aud Charlotte Air
Line Railway. The County Courts were
abolished in l700, and the Circuit Courts
of Common Pleas were held in tho several
Counties, which had in the Constitution of
100 been designated us Election Districts.
and after the Act of 1899 they were
known as Judicial and Election Districts
which, in this part Of the Stutc, we're several
~ identical il extent and boundaries until
1879, when Pcndleton was dirided into two
Judiciu! Districts; Anderson and Pickens,
5ut remained one Election District until
1882, when each Of tho latter became o
separate Election District aud entitled to a
Senator in the State Legislature, and Rep
rcscntafivcs according 10 tho aggregate
OF population and property as provided by
the Constitution Of 1870.
10 1916, the Cherokee Indians cedcd to
the State that portion Of their territory
Northwest of tho boundary line across
Oconce Mountain, which lies within this
State, and it became part of Pcndcton
District, then of Piokens District and lastly
Of Oconee County.
This County and Plckous were formed
by division of Pickens District in 1868.
When this Division was made majority Of
the citizens ofthe Court house town. then
place Of somo throo hundred inhabitants;
moved, some to Walhalla, tho County. seat
OF Oeoncc County, and others to New Pick.
cnsi the County seat Of Plckoos County,
carrying. not only their household goods nd
personal property, but actually removing
their dwelling houses, store houses, offices,
&c., leaving the town perfect original for
Goldsmths word picture Of the deserted
village.
Two circumstances induce the belief that
no white settlement wus made 10 the pros
ept limits of this county prior to 1888:
First, because of rcmotcness from the white
settlements; second, the raging Of tho Rev.
olutionary War, and the treacherous if not
actually hostile character of the Indsns who
still lived here. The numerous grants to
soldiers 10 1884; and to others soon after
wards of the best lands, ,show that'thcy were
| appreciated even then. The Indian habit
of thoroughly burning the woods every year
kept down tho underground aud the large
pines, oaks and hickories did not prevent
the luxuriant growth of'a native grass,
which aaoEdod an abundan. summer pastur-
ago for cattle and gome. Only few oi
the bottoms, selected with reference 10 fer
| IS Ia. A. = e.