Walterboro (original spelling: "Walterborough") was founded in 1783, as a summer retreat for local planters looking to escape their malaria-ridden, Lowcountry plantations. The original settlement was located on a hilly area, covered with pine and hickory trees and named "Hickory Valley". Two of the earliest settlers were brothers, Paul and Jacob Walter. The brothers were prosperous, plantation owners, in nearby Jacksonboro. Paul's small daughter Mary, was taken ill with malaria; a common disease amongst the families who had plantations in the marshy areas of the Lowcountry, due to the grounds suitability for rice production. To prevent Mary from succumbing to the deadly virus, the Walter brothers went looking for a healthier location in which to live during the summer months, and came to settle the town; with it later being named in their honor.