During the summer of 1784, owners of large rice plantations in what is now Colleton County, South Carolina, began searching for a better location for their summer homes. They chose what they perceived to be the most ideal spot in the area and named it Hickory Valley. This small summer retreat grew and eventually took the name of two of its original settlers, Paul and Jacob Walters. In 1817, the City of Walterboro became the county seat and was officially incorporated in 1826.