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Columbia County, Georgia |
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Beginning in the 1770’s, numerous people began crossing the Savannah River and migrating into Columbia County. Frequently, the settlers were from Virginia, North and South Carolina, Maryland or others colonies. Some of the original settlers acquired their lands by headrights or bounty land grants. After February 17, 1783, State Legislation was passed which provided each head of the household headrights. A married man could obtain 200 acres, plus 50 additional acres for each member of his family and each slave at a cost of from one to four shillings per acre. During the late 1700’s or early 1800’s, what appears to be a very popular location to catch the ferry from South Carolina over to Georgia was a place located in the northeast corner of Columbia County just below Kegg Creek; or just below what is known today as Clarks Hill Lake. The road leading from the ferry down to the Village of Appling, the present county seat, was called Scott’s Ferry Road. The area surrounding Scott’s Ferry Road and Petersburg Road was a very popular place in the early 1800’s. The original settlers were not only friends and neighbors, but their children often married each other. Consequently, people would often be related to their neighbor in some form or fashion. The area around the intersection of Scott’s Ferry Road and Petersburg Road was known as District Number 3. In articles written by Dr H. R.Casey for the Columbia Sentinel in 1883, Dr Casey mentions District number 3 as being famous in the flush times of Columbia County and certainly stopping at Luke’s Store" for “a little fun and frolic must have been the thing to do in those days. The District Captain for Number 3 was Samuel Payne. The families in his district (in 1820) were : James Lamkin, Asa Avery, Jane Reid, James Luke, Cabel Eubank, Leonard Peek, John Gray, Rebecca Garnett, Nancy Garnett, Isaac Willingham, Richard Merriweather, Jacob Dunn and Robert Pollard. On the west of District Number 3 was District Number 4 which is estimated to be the area rounding and to the west of what is today Pollard’s Corner. Later, these three districts became known as the 135th Georgia Militia District. It is this northern area of Columbia County that many early families can be found settling, acquiring land and raising their families. (Note) |
