The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-10-08
low The Dutch Fork Came To Be.
By A. II. KOhn.

About before C0lOnStS CaSeQ Wll Tie HOl0l
country, there living in Penns vania German who like
the aborgines felt himself being crowded by comer
Not fancyng this congesed y of affairs, he decided
to seek further for the boasted freedom and wide OF
the world.
After due delberaon, he mounted his usty horse slng
his rifle his shoulder and begun long, lonely journey
southwark in quest of home After weeks OF steady
travelling when he thought he beyond the range OF IN
trders he began keep lookout for the spot already
familiar in his minds eye He did not find this just as ne
desired first but he found something rather more worth
while for his good
With history there is always mixed spice of tradition The
mere fact of claiming or occupying land buying taking
it from savages carries with special romance This is
history but the this traveller Jared in finding his pot OF
gold at the of the rainbow tradition plus romance AS
the pioneer following the Indian trail towards the close
of bright spring day. he startled from revere by
a low moan Quickly dsmountng he followed the sound
and found young brave lying the banks of brooket
The Indian suffering from wound inflicted by an enemy
arrow The stranger with difficulty mounted the sufferer on
his own seed and following the feeble motions of the Indians
hands, they set off for his wigwanl.
After time they reached what seemed to be important
village.
Great CONSERVATION arose the warriors plight and the
sight of the paleface.
The chief was oveoyed his sons return and with char
aceristc gratitude set out do something do the
honor.
The gratitude Of the savage king knew no bounds and
even suspecng any sinister motive i'll tie presence OF the
stranger he being the paeface his majesty had
wished nduet him into and make him his chief adviser
and invest him with authority second only his by offer
ing him his eldest daughter in marriage.
The Traveller assured the chief that search Of
home and not portfolio wife and the topography of the
country suing him. he resumed his lonely journey The
curiosity that his pale face his short hair and other marks
he beVO
the range intrusion by any wandering Pilgrim Father so
he decided locate the first favorable point that he reached
The chief asceraning in which direction he wished to CO.
ahead who, recitng his humane deed to the
young chief bespoke kind treatment for him at the hands OF
the chief who requested to do like office
From this till he reached journeys end he received much
more kindly than he had experienced in the first part
of his lonely journey
Finally as he approached Broad River Ewadpena the In
dian nane) from what now Fairfield county, he i'm
pressed with similarity of the topography Of the country
to the Odenwald in the fatherland.
After crossing the river he selected the site for the home
he had been seeking The site is in Lexington county, about
two miles south of St Johns church, the bank OF the
South Fork creek
The object of his Journey being accomplished he returned
to Pennsylvania for his family and friends
This traveller explorer and pioneer other than
Capt. John Adam Sommer, who with his family and fFends,
formed the nucleus of the first settlement in the Dutch Fork
Thus is his wise judgment and foresight that so
many Newberry and Lexington county people due thanks
for living in just that particular part of Gods country on
which they opened their eyes
Two streams of German emigration came into South Caro-
lima The first one by vessel to Charleston and went into
the Interior settling Purysburg the Savannah river,
practically opposite the Salzburger settlement at Ebenezer,
Georgia. and in Amelia township Orangebrg county, and at
Orangebug The first German Lutheran church in South
Carolina built in the present town of Orangeburg See
Saey History of Orangeburg County, The other stream
came overland from Pennsylvania and North Carolina led by
Capt John Adam Summer and settled not far from the pres
en town of Little Mountain number of the coonists from
Prvsburg and Saketchee akehatce hearing of the set
tenen in the fork of Broad and Saluda rivers moved
into that section and into what then known SAKE Gota
district SAKE Gota the original German for the
present Lexington county, and changed to its present
name Of the battle of lexington Massachusetts, in
the Revolution