The property is believed to be named after James Ross, born in 1744, and who owned 300 acres of land in the Bethesda area.

Ross fought on the side of the Patriots during the Battle of Huck’s Defeat in 1780 near Brattonsville, South Carolina.

[2] The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) established The James Ross Wildlife Reservation on October 4, 1995.

The 305 acre plat of land was donated to the DNR by Ms. Kitty W. Sandifer, a retired school teacher from nearby York, SC.

In her will, drawn up by John Spratt, Ms. Sandifer requested that this property be known as the James Ross Wildlife Reservation.