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Archiver > ELLER > 1998-07 > 0900438810


From: "Erin Bradford" <>
Subject: [ELLER-L] Formation of Wilkes CO., NC
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 10:53:30 PDT


Hello everyone!:) I know a lot of Eller researchers, especially
searching in NC, have there Eller ancestors in Wilkes County, usually in
North Wilkesboro township. I work at the NCSUniversity library in the
reference department and I found a book about the formation of NC
counties and thought I'd send you the relevant info. The book is called
"Formation of North Carolina Counties: 1663-1973" by David Leroy
Corbitt published in Raliegh (NC) in 1950 by the State Department of
Archives and History. This is actually the 1969 update version and this
info is found on pages 227-236.

NOTES: this book talks about boundaries and formations of every county
in NC through 1973. If you want to know for other counties, see if you
can't get the book first, but if you can't, then email me and I will try
to get it for you. I don't have a computer and the only times I can do
this is on my breaks and writing this up has taken me 3 breaks and my
lunch hour for today! This is very time consuming and I will try to
respond in a timely manner, but if I don't, please understand why.
Also, I got tired of typing some of this up so I typed the main thing
and then wrote "[more on this]" after it. In those cases, go ahead and
let me know you want that info and I will get that to you ASAP. Another
place you might want to try finding out about this subject is the
USGenWeb (homepage http://www.usgenweb.org or http://www.usgenweb.com)

"Wilkes was formed in 1777 from Surry and the District of Washinton.
The act was to become effective February 15, 1778. It was named in
honor of John Wilkes who was a violent opponent of the Tory party in
England....[more info about John Wilkes and the Tory party]...It is in
the north-western section of the State and is bounded by Yadkin,
Iredell, Alexander, Daldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, and Surry
counties. The present [1950] area is 765 square miles and the
population is 43,003. The act establishing the county stipulated that
the first court was to be held at the home of John Brown....[more about
the courts and locations]...On June 3 the commissioners who were to
select a site for the county seat reported as follows: 'We, the
commissioners appointed by the act of Assembly to lay out and appoint
the proper place in the county of Wilkes where to erect a courthouse,
prison, pillory and stocs of the said county, have met and materially
considered the same, do adjudge and appoint the place where the Mulberry
Meeting House stands and the most central, suitable and proper place
whereon to locate public buildings.'"

"Wilkesboro is the county seat."

"Part of Burke was annexed to Wilkes in 1789...'all that part of Burke
county that lies North of the following line be and the same is hereby
annexed to the county of Wilkes;...'"

"Part of WIlkes was annexed to Surry in 1792...'...all that part of
Wilkes county that lies east of the following line shall be, and the
same is hereby annexed to the county of Surry' beginnning on the line
that divides Wilkes and Surry sounties where the ridge that divides the
waters of Mitchell's river from those of Elkin, thence along the siad
ridge to the extreme height of the Appalachian mountain, then along the
extreme height of the said mountain to the Virginia line.'"

"Part of Wshington (Tennessee) was annexed to Wilkes in 1792" 'Whereas
a part of Washinton county was by the cession act retained in this
states, and although remaining in the said state the inhabitants thereof
are deprived of the benefit of the laws and government of the same for
want of being annexed to some other country:...Beginning at the most
southwardly part of Wilkes county line on Burke county line, and running
due west to the dividing ridge betwwen the waters of Watauga and
Doe-Rivers, then along the extreme height of said ridge to the line of
the ceded territiory, then along the said line to the Virginia line and
along the Virginia line to the old line of Wilkes county;...'"

"Parts of Burke and Wilkes were annexed to Iredell in 1793."
"'Beginning at Iredell county line on the Catawba-river, thence up said
river about three miles to Uriah Davis, thence nearly a north course
about two miles to the bent on lower Little river in James Fox's land,
thence up said river to the lower end of John Barnes's land, thence
nearly a northeast course along the dividing ridge between Grassy and
Muddy forks to Iredell line between Black-Oak reidge and Brushy
mountain, thence a south course along said line to the beginning and all
the land included by said line is hereby annexed and added to the county
of Iredell'"

"Ashe was formed in 1799 from Wilkes." "'...That all that part of the
county of Wilkes, lying west of the extreme height of the Apalachian
mountains, shall be and the same is hereby erected into a separate and
distinct county by the name of Ashe.'"

"In 1811 an act was passed amending the act of 1793 adding part of
Wilkes and Burke to Iredell" [more on this if you want it]

"Part of Iredell was annexed to Wilkes in 1815" [more on this]

Part of Wilkes was annexed to Ashe in 1835, and 1891 [more on this]
Part of Ashe was annexed to Wilkes Co. in 1911 and 1913 [more on this]

"Caldwell was formed in 1841 from Burke and Wilkes" [more on this]

"Alexander was formed in 1847 from Iredell, Caldwell, and Wilkes" [more
on this]

"Watauga was formed in 1849 from Ashe, Wilkes, Caldwell, and Yancey."
[more on this]

Part of Wilkes was annexed to Alleghany in 1869, 1871, 1891, 1903 [more
on this]

"Parts of Wilkes and Ashe were annexed to Watauga in 1877" [more on
this]

Erin Bradford

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/6106/genlinks.html (+800
genealogy links)

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