In 1866, Morris Jarecky (1848-1918) immigrated from Prussia to the United States. First arriving in New York City, Jarecky immediately made his way south to Charleston. There, he worked as retail clerk through at least 1870. By 1880, however, he was living in St. Matthews, South Carolina, where he developed a “sizable business trading in plantation supplies, hardware, furniture, hats, and groceries.” That same year, he married Annie Wetherhorn (1862-1913). Together, they had four children. By the 1910s, Jarecky became the most prominent cotton factor in St. Matthews, purchasing an incredible 650 bales for over $45,000 on a single day in 1911 (over $1.3 million when adjusted for inflation). Jarecky continued his mercantile pursuits until his death in 1918.