Located in the 2,288 acre tract in Richland County known in the 1880's as the Douglas Mill tract, Arcadia Lakes was first agricultural land composed of lakes and forests with towering pine trees. The nearby ancient Indian Trail of Two Notch Road, marked by two chops carved into the path's trees to serve as a guide, provided the Maine to Florida route for settlers and American Indians to travel across the State of South Carolina, passing through the Capital City of Columbia.

Seeking to avoid the hustle of the metropolitan area of Columbia, a few adventurous families moved from the city to the country, now the Town of Arcadia Lakes, during the 1900's. Early residents include the Cary, Sample, Harper, Hoile, Havird, Taylor, Proctor, Burnside, Dent, Carns, Zander, Kaminer, Sloan, Condor, and Curry families, among others. Eventually, additional roads were cut, Trenholm Road was widened, subdivisions developed, and new residents moved into the area. The rural environment experienced a historic metamorphosis into a suburban community.