Subject: County Boundaries & Judicial Districts Version 1.0, 19-Apr-2004, H-23.txt **************************************************************** REPRODUCING NOTICE: ------------------- These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, or presentation by any other organization, or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Paul M Kankula - nn8nn Seneca, SC, USA Oconee County SC GenWeb Coordinator Oconee County SC GenWeb Homestead http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/oconee.html Oconee County SC GenWeb Tombstone Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/cemeteries.html http://www.usgwtombstones.org/southcarolina/oconee.html **************************************************************** COUNTY BOUNDARIES & JUDICIAL DISTRICTS: 1769, Ninety-Six Judicial District was one of the seven judicial district that was established in the province. Its court of General Sessions and Common Pleas had jurisdiction over a large area of northwestern South Carolina. 1775-1783, American Revolution. 1785, General Assembly passed legislation that laid out counties within each of the judicial districts. (As example: Abbeville, Edgefield, Laurens, Newberry, Spartanburg and Union counties were formed within the older Ninety-Six Judicial District boundary.) County courts were to handle small claims; wills, deeds and bonds were to be maintained at the various county courthouses. Though counties were created, the legislature refused to appropriate enough money for the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions to be held in each county. As a result, several counties were combined into a single, larger Judicial District. 1786, part of the Cherokee Indian land became Greenville County (effective 1787). 1789, the remainder of Cherokee Indian land that had not been given to Greenville County, became Pendleton County (effective 1790). 1791, Washington Judicial District was formed (effective 1792) to serve as the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions for both Greenville and Pendleton Counties. NO wills, deeds and bonds, or magistrate courts were maintained or held at the small Washington Judicial District Courthouse at Pickensville (part of present Easley). Wills, deeds and bonds, and the magistrates courts were maintained and held at either the Greenville County Courthouse or the Pendleton County Courthouse. 1799, Washington Judicial District is discontinued (effective 1800) and the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions is be held thereafter at both the Greenville and Pendleton courthouses. As a result, Greenville County becomes Greenville District; Pendleton County becomes Pendleton District. 1800, Pendleton County name was changed to Pendleton Judicial District 1826, Pickens and Anderson Counties were formed within the boundaries of the Pendleton District - - to be effective 1827. Under this act, the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions was to continue at Pendleton, but wills, deeds and bonds, along with magistrate courts would be held at the courthouses of the newly created Pickens and Anderson counties. 1827, the act of 1826 was altered with Pickens and Anderson districts to be formed from the Pendleton District - - to be effective 1828. In effect, the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions was to be discontinued at Pendleton and that court would be held at the courthouses in Pickens and Anderson counties. 1868, South Carolina was readmitted to the Union; townships were created within counties; Reconstruction and the Constitution of 1868 gave local governments some autonomy; The Constitution stated that the "Judicial Districts shall hereafter be designated as Counties." Oconee County was formed from the western part of Pickens County as part of this Constitution. 1914-1918, World War II. 1939-1945, Word War I. 1968, Oconee County lands that included Clemson College and areas extending southeast to the Anderson County line were annexed by Pickens County.