Orangeburg -- a district in the S.W. central part of South Carolina, has an area of 1438 square miles. It is bounded on the N.E. by the Congaree and Santee rivers, on the S.W. by the South Edisto, and intersected by the North Edisto. The surface is somewhat diversified; the soil is moderately fertile. Cotton, rice, Indian corn, oats, and sweet potatoes are the staples. In 1850 it produced 10,024 bales of cotton; 1,299,379 pounds of rice; 614,418 bushels of corn; 7299 of oats, and 189,915 of sweet potatoes. There were 37 saw and planing mills, 1 edge-tool, and 2 coach manufactories, and 1 turpentine distillery. It contained 66 churches, 628 pupils attending public schools, and 92 attending academies or other schools. Lumber and turpentine are procured from the pine forests of the district. It is intersected by the South Carolina railroad, and in part by the Columbia Branch railroad. Capital, Orangeburg Court House. Population, 23,582; of whom 8198, were free, and 15,384, slaves. [page 863]

Baldwin, Thomas and J. Thomas, M.D. New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Grambo, & Co., 1854

William DeBrahm, Surveyor General of South Carolina, published a map of the area in 1757. The map shows the village of Orangeburg, surrounded by Orangeburg Township, which, in turn, is surrounded by Orangeburg Parish. The same arrangement is seen for Amelia, Saxe Gotha, and five other villages/townships/parishes. Each is on a river: Orangeburg on the north branch of the Edisto, Amelia and Saxe Gotha on the Santee, Purisburg and New Windsor on the Savannah, Queensborough on the "Peadea" (Pee Dee), and Kings Town on the "Wackamau." It is difficult to measure the townships & parishes accurately, but each is roughly rectangular, with the river on one side, and appear to be roughly 30,000 to 40,000 acres.