OUR HERITAGE

Waxhaw.s. Amoim these lmniinr;int was at liie time thought to be m
M»ttlers was Andrew Piekt-ns, father Anson county. N. C., and It wa.i
of General Andrew Pickcns of Rev mnny years later when the «ta fe
olutionary fame, who soon orKan- line was run that the church was
l»ed the men of the settlement into found to be in South Carolina. The , i
about
potpourri of information
;i company ol report of Capt. A>n- deed given by Robert MUJer for ihe
Union County and iU p«opl«
drew Pickcns of Anson in 1755. in church grounds sftys that It is "lyina i
compiled by John Fotter
which the mimes of the men of IILS and bflne in the county of Anson '
Chapter D. A. R.
company were as follows: Lt. Rob- and the state of North Carolina."
ent Ramsay, Ensign John Crockett, and the deed Is recorded In Anson
Sergeant William Beard. Scrgenn't county. N. C This church was al
Irl&h eettlers from Pennsylvania Wtllium Klnu, Corpoml Alexander ways served by an educated min
THE WAXHAWS
The territory lying between Ilocky made what has always been termed Crocked. Corporal John Hoijans. istry, and iheir ministers not onK
River and Calawba River, and "The Waxhaw Settlement," which Cf»r|M>ral John Oulahcn. Corpornl used the church for religious ser
which now comprises Union county. comprises Jack&on and Sandy nidge John Martin Cline, and Corpoml vices on the Sabbath, but also for
North Carolina, was prior to tke townships In Union county, and a William Hood, imd the folloa-ins school purposes through the week
The people from over a wope of
coming of the white settlers. In portion of Lancaster county. 8. C.. privates:
Archie Crockrtt. Andrew Nutt. country for fHreen miles around at
habited by a tribe of, Indians cail- across UIP state lino. Vanee and
ed the "Waxha-ws," froiu whom Goose Creek townships were settled Andrew Pickrn-s. Andre.w Curswell, tended the iehi?iou5 sen-ices at th;.-..
The school advantages the Waxhaw setlemrnt took its mostly by people from Rowan and ! Andrew McCoume, Benjamin church.
New Salem Thompwn. David Miller. Phnlrx given by the ministers in thi>.
name. Aside from the traditions Cttbamia counties.
of the Catawba Indians, u kindred township, MarshvlLle. and Lanr^ Canariy, Gcorce Davls. George church were equal to any .school.-* (if
tribe of the Waxhaws. of the bat Creek townships were settled by peo Walker, George L>wml;»x<, Hush the kind in the southern colonies
tles between the Waxhaws and the ple from Virginia, and othrr settler) McCain, Hugh Coflry. John Uavi.v before the Revolutionary War. Tiw
neighboring tribes of Indians, (he portions of North Caroliitii. Buforri! John Nutt. John Pickeas, John people here purchased good boots.
earliest Information we have ot the township was settled by immigrant Lynn. John A Pender, John Can;i- well-bound in leather, and in the
Waxhaws is the mention made by from Germany, and Monrnc lown- dy. John Hood. John Taylor, John libraries of th,e people in the WaxJohn LawKon, Surveywr-Cinieral of fthip was settled by immiKninto from Wnll. John Montgomery, John Lock-| haws to this day may be seen munv ,
the Carol In as, who on the last day »U of the places herein-before h;irl. Jolin Targjiri. Jolin Hartley. of the old books of their pioneer
Juntos McCorkk1 . James Walker., ancestors.
of ttie year 1699 left Charleston. S. mentioned.
At the time of the coming of Ihe Jame& Moore, Joseph Pickens. Jrre-i!
C.f and made hLs way up ihrough
the Carolinah on u surveying, ur white settlers this t*trt»ry was cov mlah Collins. Jospjih Baxter. Mo:;p.^ i
rather prospecting tour. He hud ered with massive forests of oak. DjivLs. Patrick Coin. Philip W;i!kcj.j
with him one man, and he (ells in pine and other timber. There was Edwiird Williams. K"bcrt Ouvi..)
Ms diary that when they reached no underbrush, the trees were lar?e Itotirrt Crockett. Hobert Nu't, Hnrerj
the settlement of the Waxhaw In and rather far apart, high to the Smtth. Hubert MrClrllaiirt. Bobt
dians the chief of the tribe received Ant limbs and heavy topped--so Gait. Ilobt. Caldwell. Kobl. MaIlnljl. McCorkle. Robt
them cordially, entertained them in that while the rays of the sun could hnnry..
his wigwam, and save them every hardly reach the ground through MdiitKumen1 . llnbl Woods, rtobt.l
Mslfttance that he could: (hat tlu thick tree tops, the view from th;- Day, HiiiniH'l KctRrrs, .Samuel Bur-'
man he had with him married our ground of the suriace of the coun hctt, William Davls. William Nuti ]
of the Indian girl* the first evening try was unbroken, except by J;ir?e Jr., William Pickcns. William Arthey were in the Waxhaws. and tree lunik . which like rustic n»j- drn. William McKep.. William Kins.
that on the next day he aw<»kn to unins siipjKjrlcd the canopy of foli William Smith. William Martin.
William r.ynn.
And that his new Indian wifv. lud age above.
To MM., .'-ettlenv'til iii:.o there cutne
unwas
territory
(he
grazing
For
(Mteretly abandonwi him In the
Scotland ami Ireland many
from
night, and carried away all of hLs jSiirpHSM'd, fur the grass grew ului-ist
direcfly. Among these
immigrants
clothes with her, his valuables. A I waist hiuh and the country was
Jackson Hr., fath'r
Andrew
wrre
wild
of
growth
Muck
a
with
'covered
pair of moccasins, and a red ban
PiT.sident of the U
spvunth
the
of
dana handkerchief, and that Uir i pen pines. Here the pioneer settlers
Crawford, Ocor^e
J;imes
Major
S.,
fish
und
u-bundance,
in
Rame
found
;
chief upon being informed of the
McCamle. Mf'iwrs. Crowe. Lathan.
low that the groom had .suffered . in every stream
The territory which I* now Union 1 and Le.slir, nil of whom were broth
ordered some of his mm to go In
wa.s until 174'J included In ers-in-law, havinn married sisters-county
'
search of the young lady, had >ttr
brought back, and compelled her to ' the Ixmmljiry of Blarten county. Uie Hutching in Carrlkfergu.s, Ire
! after which time, and until 1763 it land To the. Waxhaw.s. too. there
restore the stolen articles.
In about the year 1740 the Wax- ' wju> included in Anion county, and came Patrick Calhoun. father of
haw Indians were attacked by an ; from 17(i;i until the county nt Union South Carolina's greatest states
epidemic of small-pox, a disou.se i WHS established in l»4-' one half of man. About the .same time came
theretofore unknown to this tribe, L Uie territory brloiiKcd to A awn Capt. Jam&i Wnulitib iWalkup'
tnd which killed so many of them county, and tin? oihnr hnlf lx> Mctk- who afterwards led ills company In
A to cause them to disband and Irnbiiri: rounty. So the "Ur.st" uf the battle of the Wauhab's Mill, m
Join the Ca taw bus and other neigh both AMSOII iinil Mccklcnburj.; WHS as it Ls locally called, "The Battle
Of the.WflXhawx. and it was hen
boring tribes. The lands covered tiikcli In make Uiiiun county.
The Wiixhaw Settlement was that he met and married Margaret
by the village of the Waxhaws were
later embraced In the farm of Cap I made in 1751 by the Scotch-Irish Pickens. one of the sisters of Gen
Andrew Plekens on the Waxhaw from Pennsylvania, and the .settlers eral Andrew Picket. To the WaxCreek. Upon this territory becom pushed forward to the western fron haws came Rev. Alexander CraJging1 abandoned by the Waxhaw In tiers until they found themselves 1 head. and Rev. William Richardson,
dians, the lana agent* (hiding to in immediate contact with Uin In-| »nd several other Presbyterian minfood a land, unmolested by wavaRp.s dian.s, ftnioiiK whom Ihe Prnif-h teters who were profound scholar^,
and claimed by no one. immcdiatciv hostile Influence wu.s predominant and who directed ttie full measure
began nn advertising scheme u. »nd with whom they hud speedily of their ability to the education:.!
bring desirable immigrants to it become involved in t|ii;irrels In and religioas and political develop
from any and all places, where the which the rich, but |)f;icenl)le Penn ment of the people of the settle
be«t claw* of immigrant* could be sylvania yunkc.r.s rrfiirted to give ment.
found. ThJ« brought settlers from ;i.wl:>tancf. and in IJir lioix- of arrurThe settlers of the Waxhaw.s built
Oermany, Englnnd, Scotland, Ire itiK friendlier neichljors and milder a Presbyterian church, now known
land. Wale/>. Virginia, peiuiftylva- cllmjite they hart left Pcntisylvanln.. an the Old Waxhaw Church, ju.st
nla, and other parts of North Car and moving south at the foot of the over the state line in South CuromounlAln.s until tht^v reached Uir Hnn Thr lorivror. nf
olina already soHlrd Th**
OUR HERITAGE
THE NAME CF V/AXHAW
r.
The origin of the name Waxhaw has been the cause of considerable
comment. Dr. J. W. Daniel who gave
the matter considerable thought said
the name was doubtless derived from
the Indian word Wak-aia-sha which
means cattle range or pastures. It
is a known fact that before the first
permanent settlers came to this
section it was used as a cattle
"
range.
Lancaster News, March 14, 1940
Section 6, p. 7=5
(March of Progress Ed.)
s