The Orangeburg County Historical Society is set to host a presentation on the history and ancestry of Western Orangeburg County on Sunday, September 8, 2024, at 3:00 PM. This event will take place at the Salley Archives building, situated at 1421 Middleton St., Orangeburg, SC 29115, and is sponsored by South Carolina Humanities.
The speaker for the event will be Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr., the founder of Renaissance Publications, LLC. He will share insights from his acclaimed book, The Awakening: The Seawright-Ellison Family Saga, Vol. 1, A Narrative History, which details the historical narratives of his ancestors, noteworthy events, and communities in Western Orangeburg County. The presentation will highlight the history of this region through the experiences of Dr. Curry’s maternal ancestor, Martha Kitchings Seawright Ellison, who was born into slavery on November 20, 1849, in the Kitchings Mill area of western Orangeburg District. Key topics will include the local history during the antebellum period and the Civil War, Martha’s life during the Reconstruction Era, the establishment of Orangeburg County, the contributions of three African American men to the founding of Aiken County, the history of Salley, South Carolina, and significant events in the towns of Livingston and the Sawyerdale com-
