"K" is for Kershaw, Joseph [ca. 1727-1791]. Merchant. Kershaw was born in Yorkshire and immigrated to South Carolina in the 1750s. He eventually settled in Pine Tree Hill on the Wateree River. There, he established himself as the successful agent for a major Charleston mercantile firm. His own businesses included a flour and gristmill, indigo works, warehouse, brewery, and distillery.
In 1769 he convinced his neighbors to transform Pine Tree Hill into the town of Camden. By the American Revolution he was the leading commercial and political figure in the region. Captured at the Battle of Camden, he was imprisoned in British Honduras and Bermuda. After the war, he spent the remainder of his life trying to rebuild his war torn enterprises. In 1791 the General Assembly named Kershaw County in his honor.
