The History of Jasper County :

Shortly after the English settled Carolina, during the times of the Lords Proprietors, the area which now encompasses Jasper County was designated as part of Granville County. This included the "Indian Lands" stretching from the Combahee River to the Savannah River. Legend has it that the first courthouse and jail in Granville County consisted of a log building near a causeway across the Black Swamp, a tributary of the Savannah River along the banks of which lived the Pallachuccola tribe. Remnants of an old fort named for the tribe can still be seen in the swamp today.

In the late 1700's, the area was known as the "back country" of the Beaufort District, which was organized under the Court Act of 1769. The seat of government was placed on the coast in Beaufort, but access was a major problem due to the numerous tidal streams and marshes between the "back country" and the coast. In 1788, Coosawhatchie, nine miles north of present Ridgeland, became the government seat. In 1840, the courthouse was moved to higher ground in Gillisonville, where it remained until it burned in 1865. In 1868, Beaufort once more became the government seat.

In 1878, Hampton County was created, cutting sections from the old Court Act districts of Beaufort and Barnwell. The area formerly comprising most of Granville County became separate counties of Hampton and Beaufort, from which Jasper County was created in 1912. It was named for the Revolutionary War Hero Sergeant William Jasper. Jasper County is one of South Carolina's youngest counties.