The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1901-04-24
Scraps Of History"
To the Editor of the Dispatch:

To the Editor of the Dispatch:
It is not the purpose OF the writer
to attempt at this time any extended
notice of the Indian tribes which
once peopled the county in which
our people are now living so happily
and so proeperously. Two hundred
years ago-Jobn Lawson, the surveyor
and historian, visited the Congaree
tribe on the river of that name and
was much pleased with their appear
ance. He declares "tbese are very
comely sort OF Indians, there being
a strange difference between the
proportions and the beauty of these
heathens; the women being as hand
some as most I have met withal,
there being several fue figured bru-
nettes amongst them. The lassies
stick not upon hand long. for they
marry when very young, as at twelve
or fourteen years of age" The Eds
tos and the Saludas likewise had their
homes snd hunting grounds here,
while from time to time the forests,
80 familiar to US now, resounded with
the hideous warwboop.
Their first conflict with the whites
IN our county was In 1712 when Col.
Moore assembled his forces on the
CoDgaree and defeated band of
their warriors. In 1859 and 1760
this section was on the frontier and
the Indians, under instructions of
the French commanders, were guilty
of outrages aud atrocities unknown
TO civilized warfare, and the settlers
here were forced to abandon their
homes and seek refuge temporarily
in Charleston, Orangeburg, Purys-
burg on the Savannah and elsewhere
The first white men came to Lex
ineton in 1877 and settled along the
Copgaree river. They came from
Switzerland and Germany, and there
we're among them names which are
still known and bonored; notably the
Geigers, Kinslers, and Levers.
Later, from 1740 to 1850, an ex-
cellent class of immigrants came
from the Rhine and from the banks
of the Elbe aud the Oder. The pur-
pose of this paper is to show the
beginning of the religious organiza-
tions in the section now known as
Lexington. The first minister who
ever preached here was the Rev.
CHRISTIAN Theus OF the GermaB Re
form Church. He began his work in
1879, just two years after the arrival
of the earliest settlers, and continued
TO labor successfully till his death in
1889, period of fifty years. He
passed through great trials and dan
gers and was often prosecuted for
righteousness sake, but continued
steadfass in the faith and accomplish
ed most excellent results. His earn
est piety has never been doubted and
he was nanifestly man Of strong
intellect and of fair degree Of cul-
ture. He was born in Switzerland
early in the Eighteenth century and
died near its close and was buried
near his home and the scenes of his
labors, about eight miles from Co
lumbia on the Estate Road"
Some years after his death the
Hon. Abram Geiger erected tablet
at his grave which has this inscrip-
tion: This stone points cut where
the remains of the Rev. Christian
Theus lie." Testimonials to his high
character also appear. The evidence
is conclusive that the first church
constituted in the county was st
Johns German Reform Church which
came into existence under the labors
of Mr.. Theus in 1744 probably. 1t
was located near where Thom's creek
crosses the old State Road about
eight and one half miles from Co.
lumbia; though the church was con-
structed about half century before
the city was laid out. This church
is no longer in existence and has per,
haps been extinct for more than one
hundred years. 1t is believed that
the building was destroyed during
the Revolutionary War.
As early as 1850 there were said
to be two hundred and eighty persons
here of the Lutheran faith and they
were trying thus early to baye one of
their ministers located among them.
1t is not clear, however, that they
succeeded in securing church privi-
leges until some ten or fifteen years
later.
About 1865 the Rev. Lewis Hoch-
heimer came TO the Copgaree settle
ments and organized the Salem cr