Up until 1826, present-day Oconee County was part of the old Pendleton District, which comprised the area now occupied by Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens Counties. Then from 1826 to 1868, Oconee was officially the western division of the Pickens District. At last in 1868, Oconee became a separate county.

Until our branch of the Lyles family moved to Mountain Rest sometime between 1850 and 1860, we lived and farmed around Westminster on Choestoe Creek and the Chauga River.