COLLETON

county, southern South Carolina, U.S. It is bordered to the southwest by the Salkehatchie River, which at its confluence with the Little Salkehatchie becomes the Combahee River; the Edisto River forms the northern and eastern borders, and a branch of it, the South Edisto, constitutes the southeastern border. At the county's narrow southern end the Combahee, South Edisto, and Ashepoo rivers empty into the Atlantic Ocean; Edisto Beach State Park is located at the county's southernmost point. The Atlantic side of the county lies in a marshy coastal region that includes part of the Sea Islands. Its northern regions of the Coastal Plain rise almost imperceptibly. In general the county is swampy and heavily forested with oak and cypress. Cusabo Indians inhabited the region when Europeans began settling in Carolina in the 1670s. Rice planters arrived in the early 18th century, and the county is home to several well-preserved antebellum plantations. The state legislature convened in Jacksonboro in 1781 when the British held Charleston. Colleton county was established in 1785 and named for Sir John Colleton, one of the proprietors of Carolina. In 1828 Walterboro, the county seat, was the site of the first nullification meeting in South Carolina, when the extent of the powers of the states and the federal government was being debated. Logging and the manufacture of wood products, clothing, and other textiles are the chief industries; agriculture (cattle, hogs, corn , and soybeans) is also important to the economy. Area 1,056 square miles (2,736 square km). Pop. (1990) 34,377; (1998 est.) 37,364.