Brief History of About Calhoun County South Carolina

Calhoun County, named for John Caldwell Calhoun, was formed of parts of Lexington and Orangeburg counties in 1908. The eastern and northern boundaries are the Congaree and Santee rivers. Its area is 391 square miles, divided into three distinct soil-types. The southern and southeastern parts are Coastal Plain type. The central is a narrow strip about seven miles wide, extending in a northeasterly direction, with characteristics of the piedmont. The northwest, or upper, is the sandhill section and extends almost to the fall line.
The population in 1920 was 18,380. The predominating citizenship has sprung from descendants of colonists from the northern part of Europe, who came to this section in 1732 and earlier. The forests yield turpentine and lumber. Along the streams are the hardwood forests. Nature soon reforests the cutover land. Woodland fires are rare.

Thirty-four miles of main line railroads furnish quick and easy transportation; the Southern Railway from Charleston to Columbia; and, the Atlantic Coast Line from Augusta to Florence. The sand-clay roads are excellent and well maintained. Highway 2 from Columbia to Charleston passes through the county 26 miles, following the old stagecoach route, and on it is regular bus service. Highways 32 and 52, of the state system, are also important routes.

St. Matthews, the county seat, is a well-kept, well governed town of 1,780 inhabitants, 34 miles from Columbia and 92 from Charleston. Here are found stores; two banks, state and national; a school, the pride of the town; cotton gins; fertilizer plant; ice factory; bottling plant. There are four churches. Nine miles southeast is Cameron, an enterprising town, having beautiful homes and an excellent school. Fort Motte, named for the Revolutionary heroine, Rebecca Motte, is a shipping point for cotton and hardwood timber. So are Creston and Lone Star. At Lone Star is situated the Calsico Hardwood Lumber plant.

Agriculture, dating from the early part of the eighteenth century, began about 1895 to make great progress. The possibilities are rich for enterprising farmers. Prices for land vary from $10 to $100 an acre. With the advent of the destructive pests to cotton about five years ago, the farmers began to practice diversification, the varied crops and the excellence that marks their production proving their wisdom. With ample transportation facilities and near markets, diversified farming is just in its infancy.

The growing season, 230 days, is long enough to mature all crops. The average rainfall is about five inches a month, or 48 to 50 inches a year. Cotton is the "money crop", and practically all finances of the county are based upon it, but the soils will grow in paying quantities almost any staple and truck crop. The major crops besides cotton are corn, oats, soy beans, Irish and sweet potatoes, peas, peanuts, wheat, asparagus, and garden and orchard crops. (https://www.carolana.com/SC/Counties/calhoun_county_sc.html)