The Dutch Fork area snuggled in the South Carolina Midlands is a
pocket community around the intersection of the Saluda and Broad Rivers. It includes Newberry, Richland and Lexington Counties. The community is proud of its’ German
heritage and many local families are descendants of the original German
pioneers.
In addition to its’ unique folklore, cooking and massive
family trees (like Shealy, Shull and Wessinger) a strong Lutheran Church presence
is one of the legacies left by the original Germans immigrants. The University
of South Carolina digitized a group of Lutheran
church records from this community that is a genealogical treasure trove. The records feature churches in Chapin,
Gilbert, Irmo, Leesville, Lexington, Little Mountain, Prosperity, Swansea and
West Columbia.
The records begin in the late nineteenth century and extend
beyond the mid-twentieth century. Ledgers
include member rolls, baptisms, marriages, funerals, etc. While they are not
transcribed they are readable and if you have family in this area you probably
want to read them all anyway. It was a
tight-knit community and they married within their religion.
1 comment:
When I see something written about a Dutch Church I usually assume it is near me, in New York's Hudson River Valley. We were founded by the Dutch. Henry Hudson explored here. Of course, I must remember Germans are often referred to as Dutch as well. Thanks for the reminder. Sounds like a wonderful, family centered church.
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