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First Families of Orangeburgh District (SC)

Learn about the first-generations of settlers in Orangeburgh District between 1735 and 1773. Our First Family biographies were begun in order to correct a lack of documented information on the earliest settlers of the area.
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Become a Member or Renew Your Membership

Membership is open to anyone interested in Orangeburgh District genealogy and supports the Society's mission, onjectives and goals.
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Publication Store

Search through our members' favorite newsletters. You can even purchase your own copy!
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Membership

Whether you’re just starting your family tree or diving deep into historical documents, OGS provides the support you need to decode your family’s ancestral history.

Projects

OGS brings to life the ancestry and heritage of Orangeburgh District by preserving detailed biographies of the First Families, migration narratives, and genetic data of those who settled in Orangeburgh District during the 18th- and 19th-centuries.

Resources

OGS offers beginner-friendly advice, a searchable probate index (1865-1947), curated links, and well-documented research about our ancestors who lived in Orangeburgh District.

Welcome to our new website!

The Orangeburgh German-Swiss Genealogical Society (OGSGS) was founded to research and publish the histories of the German-Swiss immigrants who were the first official settlers of Orangeburgh Township.

However, we are dedicated to preserving the family histories and stories of all of Orangeburgh District’s early families, including those whose origins were German-Swiss, German, English, Huguenot, African-American, Native American, and Jewish. This website is a portal to our work, and we hope that you will enjoy and benefit from it greatly.

If you are a long time member of OGSGS, you will see that the Society is now doing business as the Orangeburgh Genealogical Society (OGS).

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Photo (left) / Credit: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division

News & Information

Stay up-to-date with the OGS quarterly newsletter packed with genealogy insights, new research about ancestors, and upcoming events that bring members together to share discoveries about our First Families who settled in Orangeburgh District.

  • Oktoberfest 2025:

    This year we are again planning to hold Oktoberfest in Orangeburg. The tentative date is October 11, 2025 and the event will be held at the First Presbyterian Church on Summers Ave. More details to follow soon.

  • Summer 2025 Newsletter V21N04:

    Tentatively the Summer 2025 newsletter will go in the mail August 19-21. It will have details about Oktoberfest 2025. Make sure we receive any address changes before August 18. (Also, make sure your dues are paid so we will mail you a newsletter!)

  • Annual Membership Meeting:

    As we will not have Oktoberfest this year, we will hold our Annual Membership Meeting on November 16, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time via Zoom.

Discover Your Orangeburgh Roots

Explore the First Families of Orangeburgh District project and see if your ancestors helped shape its early history.
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Original Family Migrations

In the 1800s, many Orangeburgh families migrated west to states like Alabama, Texas, and Mississippi.
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Annual Oktoberfest Events

Oktoberfest is the annual meeting of the Orangeburgh German-Swiss Genealogical Society.
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Meet the OGS Board

Lynn Teague

President

Joel Hutto

Lynn Shuler Teague was born in Orangeburg, SC, and she grew up in nearby Columbia. In 1968, at the time of her marriage to George Teague, Lynn moved to New Mexico. She continued her education in New Mexico and Arizona and became a professional archaeologist. Until 2002, she was on the faculty of the Arizona State Museum at the University of Arizona. Following retirement, Lynn and George returned to her beloved state of South Carolina. Lynn has had a lifelong interest in the history of Orangeburg families and communities, and she has served as a Past President of the OGSGS and as a longtime editor of the OGS Newsletter.

Learn More

Martha Rose Brown

Vice President

Martha Rose Brown

Martha Rose Brown is a South Carolina native and a descendant of multiple Orangeburg County lineages. She is an eastern Orangeburg County resident. Some of her Orangeburg County research includes genealogy, exploring digitized newspapers and the history of public education. Martha Rose is a proud South Carolinian, however, she grew up in Georgia and Alabama. She has fond attachments to memories in those states, too. She enjoys discussing the complicated shared history of the American South. Martha Rose is a seasoned, award-winning newspaper journalist with over 20 years of experience. She is a Christian and an active church member. Some of her hobbies include photography, playing the piano and watching true crime shows on television.

Learn More

Julia Wannamaker

Treasurer

Julia Wannamaker

Born and raised in Charleston, SC, Julia graduated from Ashley Hall and the College of Charleston. After college, she spent most of her years in Los Angeles and New York City. Her professional experience includes Non-Profit Leadership, International eCommerce, Organizational Restructuring, Business Management, Event Planning, and Web Development. Julla is most proud of her non-profit success in which she played an integral role in establishing a Sibling Support program at the NewYork-Presbyterian Children’s Hospital in NYC. It has become an award-winning, world-renowned program, and as of 2025, the program has assisted at least 72,000 children and their entire families.

Julia has conducted genealogical research for decades, and she is enthusiastic about genetic genealogy. Since 2012 she has had great success with using DNA results, along with traditional genealogical research, to break through brick walls, untangle 300-year-old family mysteries, and solve adoption and unknown parentage cases. If interested, you can read about her experience in trying to find answers about her direct paternal Wannamaker line at www.WannamakerGenealogy.com.

After to returning to SC in 2021, she and her husband, Steve, live in Orangeburg. Steve is employed by Disney, and Julia volunteers with the German-Swiss Genealogical Society and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Currently, she serves as the Regent of the local Moultrie-Eutaw chapter and the SCDAR State Chair of the DNA Network Committee.

Learn More

Matt Woolsey

Secretary

Matt Woolsey

Matt Woolsey is a South Carolina native whose mother’s agrarian roots run deep in southern Orangeburg County. Some of his ancestors were among the earliest Orangeburgh District settlers. His family and ancestral surnames are Riser, Weathers, Pendarvis, Wannamaker, Whetsell, Carn, Huff, Vice, Hutto, Shuler, Felder, Ulmer and Bowman. His mother’s family goes back generations in the Cow Castle community southeast of Bowman, South Carolina. Matt lives in Charleston, where his South Carolina genealogy stretches back to the founding of Charles Town. Two sets of his eight great-grandparents, the Pendarvises and the Wests, were original Charles Town settlers, and he is a two-time descendant of the Pendarvises. Matt enjoys discovering family connections, both his and other people’s. His father was from Hillham, Indiana, an old farming community near French Lick that gives Cow Castle a run for its money in a race to see which can be more country - high-class country, of course. But for Matt, there’s no place on earth quite as special as Cow Castle, especially the southern part of the community where his grandparents’ old homestead abuts the massive Wadboo Swamp.

Learn More

Beth Guess

At-Large Member

Beth Guess

Beth Guess is from Denmark, SC. She is a retired early childhood educator of 31 years and a very proud mother and grandmother. After family, church, and friends, genealogy is her passion! She began researching her Guess family in 1974 when her father and cousin showed her the old family cemeteries. After that, she was “hooked!”

Beth’s ancestor, John Guess, was listed on the 1790 census in Orangeburg District which became Barnwell District, later Barnwell County, and then Bamberg County. Interested in all things pertaining to her surname, Beth found her way to the Salley Archives in Orangeburg, SC. It was here that she discovered so much information about other Orangeburg families in her ancestry with surnames such as Connor, Shuler, Dantzler, Moorer, and Carn.

Through this experience, Beth has met so many wonderful people and learned of the Orangeburg German-Swiss Genealogical Society. She would soon serve as an At-Large Board Member, Treasurer, Vice President, and President. She has also participated in the Orangeburg DNA project, and on a weekly basis, she continues to serve as a dedicated volunteer at the Archives.

Learn More

Eric Powell

At-Large Member

Eric Powell

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Maggie Shiver

At-Large Member

Maggie Shiver

Maggie Hutto Shiver is originally from Macon, GA, and daughter to retired Art Professors, Samuel and Barbara Hutto. She currently lives in Eatonton, GA, with her husband, thirteen year old son, and two standard poodles. Maggie is Regent of the Nancy Hart DAR chapter in Milledgeville, GA, and she is honored to be on the GA State Society DAR speakers’ staff, providing her presentations on the topic of Antique Jewelry. Maggies also serves as the Treasurer to the GA Piedmont Chapter of the Colonial Dames of America.

Learn More

Cary Allen

Webmaster

Cary Allen

Cary Allen is a family historian and active researcher for over 50 years. His mother being a Horger born in Orangeburg County, Cary is a direct line descendant to the HORGER, CULLER, and INABNIT first family immigrants of the Orangeburgh District and has connections to many other allied families in the area. His genealogical research interests primarily focuses on the uncharted or incorrectly documented paths of his family lines. He has published a number of articles about his family in the Ark-La-Tex Genealogical Society in Louisiana, the Georgia Genealogical Society, and the Orangeburgh German-Swiss Genealogical Society. Professionally, Cary is a retired electronic hardware & software engineer who has worked on products for several high-tech companies that helped to enable the internet. A native of South Carolina, he has traveled extensively throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia during his professional career, and currently lives in Georgia since his retirement.

Learn More

Lynn Teague

Newsletter Editor

Lynn Teague

Lynn Shuler Teague was born in Orangeburg, SC, and she grew up in nearby Columbia. In 1968, at the time of her marriage to George Teague, Lynn moved to New Mexico. She continued her education in New Mexico and Arizona and became a professional archaeologist. Until 2002, she was on the faculty of the Arizona State Museum at the University of Arizona. Following retirement, Lynn and George returned to her beloved state of South Carolina. Lynn has had a lifelong interest in the history of Orangeburg families and communities, and she has served as a Past President of the OGSGS and as a longtime editor of the OGS Newsletter.

Learn More

Billy Delk

Reserve Fund Manager

Billy Delk

I was born in Blackville, SC and graduated from Blackville High School. I attended Ga Tech and received a Batchelor of Electrical Engineering in 1960. Also, I earned a MBA from Ga State University in 1967. I retired as Vice President of BellSouth Corporation in 1994 after 35 years service.

Since then, I have been about four F’s: Faith - actively involved in church related activities; Family- spending as much time as possible with our 3 sons, 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren; Farm - Managing our family farm that has been in the Frederick, Shuler and Delk families since 1780 and Fun - enjoying every minute of it.

Over the years, I served on boards of several corporations, including GuideStone Financial Resources for 9 years. I have served on the OGSGS board for over 30 years.

Learn More

Joel Hutto

Past President

Joel Hutto

Joel is a native Texan and has had an interest in genealogy since his teenage years. He always loved talking to older generations about history and how it affected his ancestors. In addition to being involved with OGSGS, he is also a member of the Jamestowne Society and the Huguenot Society of the South Carolina. Joel is also the author of the “European Origins of the Hutto Family of Colonial South Carolina and Allied Families”.

Learn More

Lynn Teague

President

Joel Hutto

Lynn Shuler Teague was born in Orangeburg, SC, and she grew up in nearby Columbia. In 1968, at the time of her marriage to George Teague, Lynn moved to New Mexico. She continued her education in New Mexico and Arizona and became a professional archaeologist. Until 2002, she was on the faculty of the Arizona State Museum at the University of Arizona. Following retirement, Lynn and George returned to her beloved state of South Carolina. Lynn has had a lifelong interest in the history of Orangeburg families and communities, and she has served as a Past President of the OGSGS and as a longtime editor of the OGS Newsletter.

Learn More

Martha Rose Brown

Vice President

Martha Rose Brown

Martha Rose Brown is a South Carolina native and a descendant of multiple Orangeburg County lineages. She is an eastern Orangeburg County resident. Some of her Orangeburg County research includes genealogy, exploring digitized newspapers and the history of public education. Martha Rose is a proud South Carolinian, however, she grew up in Georgia and Alabama. She has fond attachments to memories in those states, too. She enjoys discussing the complicated shared history of the American South. Martha Rose is a seasoned, award-winning newspaper journalist with over 20 years of experience. She is a Christian and an active church member. Some of her hobbies include photography, playing the piano and watching true crime shows on television.

Learn More

Julia Wannamaker

Treasurer

Julia Wannamaker

Born and raised in Charleston, SC, Julia graduated from Ashley Hall and the College of Charleston. After college, she spent most of her years in Los Angeles and New York City. Her professional experience includes Non-Profit Leadership, International eCommerce, Organizational Restructuring, Business Management, Event Planning, and Web Development. Julla is most proud of her non-profit success in which she played an integral role in establishing a Sibling Support program at the NewYork-Presbyterian Children’s Hospital in NYC. It has become an award-winning, world-renowned program, and as of 2025, the program has assisted at least 72,000 children and their entire families.

Julia has conducted genealogical research for decades, and she is enthusiastic about genetic genealogy. Since 2012 she has had great success with using DNA results, along with traditional genealogical research, to break through brick walls, untangle 300-year-old family mysteries, and solve adoption and unknown parentage cases. If interested, you can read about her experience in trying to find answers about her direct paternal Wannamaker line at www.WannamakerGenealogy.com.

After to returning to SC in 2021, she and her husband, Steve, live in Orangeburg. Steve is employed by Disney, and Julia volunteers with the German-Swiss Genealogical Society and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Currently, she serves as the Regent of the local Moultrie-Eutaw chapter and the SCDAR State Chair of the DNA Network Committee.

Learn More

Matt Woolsey

Secretary

Matt Woolsey

Matt Woolsey is a South Carolina native whose mother’s agrarian roots run deep in southern Orangeburg County. Some of his ancestors were among the earliest Orangeburgh District settlers. His family and ancestral surnames are Riser, Weathers, Pendarvis, Wannamaker, Whetsell, Carn, Huff, Vice, Hutto, Shuler, Felder, Ulmer and Bowman. His mother’s family goes back generations in the Cow Castle community southeast of Bowman, South Carolina. Matt lives in Charleston, where his South Carolina genealogy stretches back to the founding of Charles Town. Two sets of his eight great-grandparents, the Pendarvises and the Wests, were original Charles Town settlers, and he is a two-time descendant of the Pendarvises. Matt enjoys discovering family connections, both his and other people’s. His father was from Hillham, Indiana, an old farming community near French Lick that gives Cow Castle a run for its money in a race to see which can be more country - high-class country, of course. But for Matt, there’s no place on earth quite as special as Cow Castle, especially the southern part of the community where his grandparents’ old homestead abuts the massive Wadboo Swamp.

Learn More

Beth Guess

At-Large Member

Beth Guess

Beth Guess is from Denmark, SC. She is a retired early childhood educator of 31 years and a very proud mother and grandmother. After family, church, and friends, genealogy is her passion! She began researching her Guess family in 1974 when her father and cousin showed her the old family cemeteries. After that, she was “hooked!”

Beth’s ancestor, John Guess, was listed on the 1790 census in Orangeburg District which became Barnwell District, later Barnwell County, and then Bamberg County. Interested in all things pertaining to her surname, Beth found her way to the Salley Archives in Orangeburg, SC. It was here that she discovered so much information about other Orangeburg families in her ancestry with surnames such as Connor, Shuler, Dantzler, Moorer, and Carn.

Through this experience, Beth has met so many wonderful people and learned of the Orangeburg German-Swiss Genealogical Society. She would soon serve as an At-Large Board Member, Treasurer, Vice President, and President. She has also participated in the Orangeburg DNA project, and on a weekly basis, she continues to serve as a dedicated volunteer at the Archives.

Learn More

Eric Powell

At-Large Member

Eric Powell

Learn More

Maggie Shiver

At-Large Member

Maggie Shiver

Maggie Hutto Shiver is originally from Macon, GA, and daughter to retired Art Professors, Samuel and Barbara Hutto. She currently lives in Eatonton, GA, with her husband, thirteen year old son, and two standard poodles. Maggie is Regent of the Nancy Hart DAR chapter in Milledgeville, GA, and she is honored to be on the GA State Society DAR speakers’ staff, providing her presentations on the topic of Antique Jewelry. Maggies also serves as the Treasurer to the GA Piedmont Chapter of the Colonial Dames of America.

Learn More

Cary Allen

Webmaster

Cary Allen

Cary Allen is a family historian and active researcher for over 50 years. His mother being a Horger born in Orangeburg County, Cary is a direct line descendant to the HORGER, CULLER, and INABNIT first family immigrants of the Orangeburgh District and has connections to many other allied families in the area. His genealogical research interests primarily focuses on the uncharted or incorrectly documented paths of his family lines. He has published a number of articles about his family in the Ark-La-Tex Genealogical Society in Louisiana, the Georgia Genealogical Society, and the Orangeburgh German-Swiss Genealogical Society. Professionally, Cary is a retired electronic hardware & software engineer who has worked on products for several high-tech companies that helped to enable the internet. A native of South Carolina, he has traveled extensively throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia during his professional career, and currently lives in Georgia since his retirement.

Learn More

Lynn Teague

Newsletter Editor

Lynn Teague

Lynn Shuler Teague was born in Orangeburg, SC, and she grew up in nearby Columbia. In 1968, at the time of her marriage to George Teague, Lynn moved to New Mexico. She continued her education in New Mexico and Arizona and became a professional archaeologist. Until 2002, she was on the faculty of the Arizona State Museum at the University of Arizona. Following retirement, Lynn and George returned to her beloved state of South Carolina. Lynn has had a lifelong interest in the history of Orangeburg families and communities, and she has served as a Past President of the OGSGS and as a longtime editor of the OGS Newsletter.

Learn More

Billy Delk

Reserve Fund Manager

Billy Delk

I was born in Blackville, SC and graduated from Blackville High School. I attended Ga Tech and received a Batchelor of Electrical Engineering in 1960. Also, I earned a MBA from Ga State University in 1967. I retired as Vice President of BellSouth Corporation in 1994 after 35 years service.

Since then, I have been about four F’s: Faith - actively involved in church related activities; Family- spending as much time as possible with our 3 sons, 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren; Farm - Managing our family farm that has been in the Frederick, Shuler and Delk families since 1780 and Fun - enjoying every minute of it.

Over the years, I served on boards of several corporations, including GuideStone Financial Resources for 9 years. I have served on the OGSGS board for over 30 years.

Learn More

Joel Hutto

Past President

Joel Hutto

Joel is a native Texan and has had an interest in genealogy since his teenage years. He always loved talking to older generations about history and how it affected his ancestors. In addition to being involved with OGSGS, he is also a member of the Jamestowne Society and the Huguenot Society of the South Carolina. Joel is also the author of the “European Origins of the Hutto Family of Colonial South Carolina and Allied Families”.

Learn More