Orangeburg County history

Railroads arrived in the area early - Branchville became the first railroad junction in the state in 1840.

"History of the German Settlements and of the Lutheran Church in North and South Carolina," by G.D. Bernheim, 1872

The City of Orangeburg was incorporated in 1883.

To remedy this undemocratic system, the Local Government Act of 1888 established county councils, with members elected by local residents, to take over the legislative and executive duties of the magistrates.

It was later reduced to form other counties and took its present boundaries in 1908.

Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland an administrative reorganization in 1973 replaced that country’s six administrative counties and two county boroughs with 26 single-tier, or “unitary,” administrative districts.

After 1974 in England and Wales, administrative counties provided police and fire services, education, social welfare services, public transport, traffic regulation, consumer protection, libraries, and some highways and parks.

In 1975 the 34 administrative counties of Scotland were replaced by nine administrative regions, each subdivided into a number of districts.

In 1986 Greater London and six other metropolitan counties lost their administrative functions, which passed to their constituent boroughs.