The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-08-31
MRS. VANDIVER RECALLS
HISTORY OF ABBEVlLLE
Writes of Purchase of Territory From Indians.
Long Cane Home of Calhouns, Many
Famous Men From the Old District
The Last Cabinet Meeting and
Secession HILL
(By Mrs. Louise Aver VandiVer In The Seate.)

vention was held there, November
22, 1860, it became secession HILL y
and so it is called today.
In the early years of the 18th CEN
tury a number of families drifted
into the section, forming the nucleus
of a countysor parish, calling the
settlement Long Cane from the char
acter of the vegetation. Most of
them were Scotch-Irish, and as early
as 1855 they had established Pres
byterian church known as "Long
Cane," which has been ever since a
valued branch of the denomination
in South Carolina. . >... .
In 1852 a colony Of French
Huguenots recently landed in Char
lesion, came to this outpost settle
ment, led and governed by their be-
loved pastor, Pierre Gilbert. The good
pastors wife made the "trip from
France under peculiar conditions. In
some way the lady had become es-
pecially obnoxiousto the French gov
ernment, which refused to allow her
to leave with her husband and his
colony. But the dame had no notion
of staying behind, nor had Pastor
Gilbert the remotest lea Of attempt
ing to carry on his work in the new
world without the help Of his reso.
lutte wife. .... ...,.
Came Over in Barrel.
The Huguenots had permission to
bring with them some Of their goods
which were packed in various ways.
Among the lot was large hogshead,
innocent looking enough, and passed
along without special notice. Inside
the hogshead, safely stored away
was Madam Gilbert, Of course sup.
piled with food, water and air, and
made as comfortable as possible in
her restricted quarters; in her hands
her precious Bible, though she mus'
have gained strength and inspiration
solely by the contact Of her fingers
with its covers, for Of course she
could not see in her small dark
chamber to read its pages. She
must have been about the gladdesi
person who ever set foot on Ameri'
can soil. With her husband and his
congregation she reached Long Cane
At least, 80 the story is told.
The French people settled a lit
tie distance away from the Scotch
Irish, and called their settlement
Bordeaux. Among them was a learn.
ed philanthropist. DR.. de la Howe
who bequeathed a large tract of land
and money to support it to establish
a free industrial school for boys. The
institution is still in existence, al.
though it suffered severely from the
effects of the Confederate war.
DR.. de la Howe also. christened the
village which sprang up around
these settlements Abbeville in re.
membrance of his native home in
sunny France.
Among the Huguenot colonists
were families bearing the, names
Perrin, Moragne, Rogers, Gown, No.
BILE, and many others that have be-
come we'll known in the state as Alb
beville names.
Very near the time of the French
settlement, there appeared at Long
Cane a German plantation which es-
tablished itself on a stream which
the settlers called lizard Labor
Creek" more euphoniously known to
the present inhabitants as Saprona.
The governor commissioned Pat
rick Calhoun to look after both colo
nies until they could provide for
themselves. MIR. Calhoun furnished
them with large supplies of food and
other necessaries and assisted them
in starting their own industries.
Into the making of Abbeville en-
tered the virile blood of four of the
strongest European nations, Scotch,
Irish, French and German and the
result has been that finest of Ameri-
can citizenship, 100 per cent. South
Carolinian of the highest type.
Petition for Court.
Tn 1873 Thomas Rell. William Cal.