Have you ever wondered how Powdersville got it's name or what went on here 200 years ago?
This section is dedicated to answering those questions. We would like to compile family
records, facts, and growth data. We welcome contributions of genealogical records, maps,
articles, and other items that can be made available online for the benefit of all.
Native American History
The area that comprises modern Powdersville lies on the southeastern border of traditional
Cherokee territory and Northwest of the Eno-Shakori.
The Eno and Shakori were separate tribes
that occupied an area near the Enoree River for hundreds of years. During the 1500s and 1600s
these tribes moved north to an area near present day Hillsboro, NC. This move was most likely
to escape the encroachment of the Spanish from the south. The Eno were great traders. Their
greatest impact on the area was their establishment of trade routes and relations among tribes.
The Cherokee’s later expansion into the Midlands around 1500 and subsequent establishment of the
Cherokee Paths throughout the region can in large part be attributed to the trade of the Eno.
The Saluda tribe migrated to the area about 1695 and remained until 1712. The Saluda were a
small band of Shawnee. During the 1600’s the Iroquois forced the Shawnee to flee the Ohio River
valley. Many splinter tribes traveled south and remained for a time. Once the power of the
Iroquois waned the Shawnee migrated back north. It is believed that the Saluda tribe settled in
modern day Pennsylvania. During their time in South Carolina the Saluda occupied areas along
the upper and middle Saluda River. The Saluda forms the northern most boundary of what is now
considered Powdersville.
By far the most dominant of all of the Indian tribes that occupied the area in the past were
the Cherokee. The Cherokee migrated to the Smokey Mountains approximately 4,000 years ago. The
various tribes that made up the Cherokee completed a long migration that began in the Southwest,
in present-day Arizona, living for a time in Michigan. Primarily associated with NC and the
mountains the territory of the Cherokee at times ranged as far south as Columbia and included
all of present day Powdersville. The Saluda Valley area provided ample hunting areas for the
Cherokee for deer and other game. The Cherokee became active traders of frontier goods and
hides with the British after the establishment of Charles Towne in 1680.
The Cherokee sided with the British in the Revolutionary War. This was a key element in
reprisals and skirmishes after the war that drove the Cherokee into the northern most parts of
the state and fully opened up the Upstate for white settlement.
Do you have information you would like to contribute to the history section?
Fill out the form below and include your e-mail address or an alternate way we
may reach you if necessary.
