Entries written by: Jonathan Martin

Alexander County (1847) Encyclopedia

Established from Iredell, Caldwell, and Wilkes counties in 1847, Alexander County was named in honor of William Julius Alexander. Its county seat is Taylorsville, and the city of Hiddenite remains a prime mining community. The largest emerald in North America, named “Carolina,” was found in Hiddenite in 1969.

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Nathaniel Alexander (1756-1808) Encyclopedia

A surgeon and Revolutionary War Patriot, Alexander was a Jeffersonian who incorporated Federalist policy into his politics.  He championed internal improvements and played an instrumental role in the repeal of the Court Act of 1806, thereby allowing each county to have a court.  Charlotte Motor Speedway sits on what was his homestead.

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Alleghany County (1859) Encyclopedia

Alleghany County, one of North Carolina's most northern counties, is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although it is the fifth smallest county in the state, Alleghany County has a rich heritage that is connected to the geography of the region.

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Appalachian State University Encyclopedia

Located in the western mountains of North Carolina in Boone, Appalachian State University was once a school dedicated to prepare teachers. Appalachian, or then Watagua Academy, was formed by the Dougherty brothers in 1899. Appalachian experienced great growth by the 1940s, and it was inducted into the University of North Carolina school system in the 1970s. Appalachian State University currently enrolls over 17,000 students, offering over 140 undergraduate and graduate programs.

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Ashe County (1799) Encyclopedia

A northwestern corner county in the mountains of North Carolina, Ashe was formed from sections of Wilkes County in 1799, and its seat of government is Jefferson. From 1784 to 1788 Ashe and several other counties formed an independent state known as Franklin. However, the state lasted only a short time due to continual attacks by surrounding Native Americans and the indifference of the national government.

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Samuel Ashe (1725-1813) Encyclopedia

The Judge presiding over the landmark case Bayard v. Singleton (1785), Ashe served three one-year terms as Governor and was an ardent Federalist at the beginning of his term.  He soon supported state’s rights and Jeffersonian ideals.

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Avery County (1911) Encyclopedia

A county in North Carolina’s “High Country,” Avery was established in 1911 and earned the county the distinction as the hundredth-county in the state. One of the highest counties in the eastern United States, Avery County is in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is home to the man-made Linn Cove Viaduct and the natural-wonder Grandfather Mountain. Year after year, numerous tourists visit Avery, bringing over $50 million into the county’s economy annually.

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Battle of Guilford Court House Encyclopedia

The great tactician and planner, General Nathanael Greene continued to avoid direct confrontation with Lord Cornwallis during the late stages of the Revolutionary War in the early 1780s. However, Greene eluded Cornwallis so that he could pick a battleground of his choosing. After several months of retreat, General Greene and the Continental Army confronted the British forces at the Guilford Courthouse on March 15, 1781.

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Bertie County (1722) Encyclopedia

Bertie County, established in 1722 from a section of the Chowan precinct, is located in the northeastern part of North Carolina.  A county of rich soil and numerous waterways, Bertie was once inhabited by the Tuscarora. Nathaniel Batts was the first white European to traverse modern-day Bertie, and the Batts House remains a testament to his settlement.

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Asa Biggs (1811 - 1878) Encyclopedia

Born in Martin County in 1811, Asa Biggs grew up in the area to become a lawyer in the Williamson region. Biggs was admitted to the bar in 1831 and a high point of his career occurred when he helped codify North Carolina’s law in 1854. As both a judge and U.S. senator, Biggs remained a Democrat that supported state rights and slavery.

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