The Dutch Fork has long been associated with the area of land between the Broad and Saluda rivers -- the exact boundaries are somewhat indefinite. The Broad and Saluda Rivers form the Congaree River at Columbia.

This great “V” extends to the north and west of Columbia, South Carolina for about thirty miles. The region is two or three hundred feet above sea level.

The settlers from which the area derived its name were a part of the large migration of Germans who came to South Carolina from about 1730 to 1770. This area was a buffer between frontier and the settled part of the state in Charleston. Numerically the Germans were the third largest European nationality to settle in South Carolina.

The German language was spoken in the Fork long after 1800. The distinctive customs gradually disappeared as transportation and communication improved, but honesty and self-reliance have been continuing characteristics.