In 1732, the King of England gave the first land grants to a group of Scots-Irish settlers, who had pushed their way up Black River to the area now known as Williamsburg County.

In 1880, B. G. Lambert owned large amounts of land in the north-eastern portion of Williamsburg County, and he operated a general store at the junction of Stage Coach and Kingstree roads. A Post Office was established in the store in 1900, and the community was known as Lamberts.

The Hemingway family eventually succeeded Lambert as the major land owner in the area. When the Seaboard Airline Railway came through, it connected Lamberts to other areas, and businesses began to establish themselves.

A petition for a charter for the town was filed with the Secretary of State on February 18, 1914. The town received its charter on June 22, 1914. The new town was named Hemingway in honor of Dr. W. C. Hemingway, whose leadership led to its development.