Abbeville County, South Carolina: History
Both Abbeville County and the county seat, Abbeville, get their name from the town of Abbeville, France, the native home of an early settler. The county was originally part of Ninety-Six District, South Carolina, but was designated Abbeville County in 1785, with parts of the county later going to the creation of the counties of Greenwood and McCormick. Abbeville County was settled by mostly Scotch Irish and French-Huguenot farmers in the mid-18th century.
The Treaty of Dewitt's Corner, a historic peace negotiation with the Cherokee Indians, was signed in Dewitt's Corner (which is now known as Due West) in the county. As a result of the treaty, the Cherokee tribe broke into two factions, one of which, the Chickamauga Cherokee, continued fighting area settlers for another 30 years.
Abbeville County was a hotbed of secession before the Civil War and was also where the last Confederate council of war was held.
In 1950 Abbeville County had a population of 22,456. As of the 2020 census, this has grown to 24,295 people.
There were nine documented lynchings in Abbeville, SC.
Dave Roberts known as "David Roberts","Robert Dane", 1882.
Tut Danford, 1889.
Jake "Jacob" Davis, August 21, 1893.
Will Lawton, December 6, 1893.
James A. Nelson known as "James Macon","James Mason", 1894.
Allen Pendleton, 1905.
Will Lozier, 1915.
Anthony Crawford, a prominent landowner, farmer, businessman lynched for not selling his cotton at the price demanded. 1916.
Mark "Max" Smith, 1919.