The Dutch Fork Settlement

The Dutch Fork Settlement

This part of the upcountry was settled by Germans, Scotch-Irish, English, and emigrants from the sister States of North Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The German settlement was in the fork, between the Broad and Saluda Rivers to within three miles of the Newberry Court House. Soon thereafter the line was extended eight miles below Hugheys on the Broad River to the mouth of Bear Creek, on the Saluda River. Germans were so prevalent in part of Newberry County that it become known as Dutch Fork. Adam Summer, the father of Colonel John Adam Sumner, headed the settlement beginning in 1745. Colonel Sumner and Major Frederick Gray were known to be whigs. Among those settling were the religiously oppressed Palatines who were driven from the Rhine, Baden and Wurtemburg into England during 1710 where they were quartered in tents and booths near London. From there, they were sent to North Carolina and South Carolina. The first German settlers were: Summers, Mayer, Ruff, Eigleberger, Count, Sligh, Piester, Gray, DeWalt, Boozer, Busby, Buzzard, Shealy, Bedenbaugh, Cromer, Berley, Heller, Koon, Wingard, Suber, Folk, Dickert, Cappleman, Halfacres, Chapman, Black, Kinard, Bounight, Barr, Harmon, Bower, Kibler, Gallman, Lever, Hartman, Frick, Stoudemoyer, Dominick, Singley, Bulow, Paysinger, Wallern, Stayley, Ridlehoover, Librand, Leaphart, Hopes, more

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Index to South Carolina Wills and Estates