History of North Carolina Counties
Information Extracted and Transcribed
by Dodie Bice Harper
Formation of NC counties and other boundary-related
information. The information in this timeline is mostly taken from The Formation
of the North Carolina Counties, 1663-1943, by David Leroy Corbitt, Raleigh:
Division of Archives and History, NC Dept. of Cultural Resources, 1950.
Copyright 1987 by the Division of Archives and History. This book has a great
deal of additional information about county boundaries, giving the descriptions
as they were set out in the laws at the time they were established. Many (most?)
county boundaries have changed over the years. Frequently portions of one
county were annexed to another. All these details are described in the book, and
omitted from this timeline.
North Carolina Time Line
YEAR MONTH DAY EVENT
1849 Alamance Co., NC formed from Orange.
1663 Charles II granted Carolina
to the eight Lords Proprietors. From 1663 to 1729, the Carolinas were
proprietary colonies. In 1729, seven of the Lords Proprietors sold their shares
back to the Crown, and NC became a Royal Colony. Initially, the
administrative units were counties which soon were subdivided into precincts,
thus making precincts the more important unit.In 1739, all precincts became
counties. The older counties (Albemarle and Bath) became extinct.
1664 Albemarle County, Carolina formed. "By
1668 Albemarle County was divided into
Chowan, Currituck, Pasquotank, and Perquimans precincts for the purposes of
local administration. Albemarle County, the superior administrative unit of
Carolina, ceased to be recognized as a unit of government in 1689 ... The name
Albemarle County continued to be applied to the region as a matter of
convenience well into the eighteenth century, however." p. xxiii, The Formation
of the North Carolina
Counties, 1663-1943.
1664 Clarendon County theoretically established in Carolina. Several failed attempts at colonization were attempted in this area on the Cape Fear River, but the county was abandoned in 1667.
1670 Currituck Precinct, Carolina formed as a subdivision of Albemarle County. Tyrrell formed in 1729 from Chowan, Bertie,Currituck, and Pasquotank; Dare in 1870 from Currituck, Tyrrell, and Hyde.
1670 Chowan Precinct, Carolina formed as a subdivision of Albemarle County. Bertie was formed in 1722 from Chowan. Tyrrell was formed in 1729 from Chowan, Bertie, Currituck, and Pasquotank. Hertford was formed in 1759 from Chowan, Bertie and Northampton. Gates was formed in 1779 from Chowan, Perquimans, and Hertford.
1670 Pasquotank Precinct, Carolina was formed as a subdivision of Albemarle County. Camden was formed from Pasquotank in 1777.
1670 Perquimans Precinct,
Carolina was formed as a subdivision of Albemarle County. Gates was formed in
1779 from Chowan,Perquimans and Hertford.
1696 Bath County, Carolina
formed (from Albemarle?). In 1705, Bath was divided into Archdale, Pamtecough
and Wickham precincts.Bath apparently never functioned as a county. (These
precincts were renamed in 1712, becoming, respectively, Craven, Beaufort
and Hyde precincts.)
1705 Archdale Precinct, Carolina formed from Bath. Its name was changed to Craven in 1712.
1705 Wickham Precinct, Carolina was formed in 1705 from Bath. Its name was changed to Hyde about 1712.
1705 Pamptecough Precinct, Carolina was formed from Bath. Its name was changed to Beaufort in 1712.
1710 North and South Carolina become separate colonies.
1712 Craven is new name for Archdale Precinct. Carteret formed in 1722 from Craven; New Hanover in 1729 from Craven; Johnston in 1746 from Craven; Jones in 1778 from Craven; Pamlico in 1872 from Craven and Beaufort.
1712 Beaufort is new name for Pamptecough Precinct. Pitt was formed from Beaufort in 1760. Pamlico County formed in 1872 from Beaufort and Craven.
1712 Hyde is new name for Wickham Precinct. Dare was formed in 1870 from Currituck, Hyde, and Tyrrell.
1722 Bertie Precinct, NC formed from Chowan. Tyrrell formed in 1729 from Chowan, Bertie, Currituck and Pasquotank. Edgecombe and Northhampton were formed in 1741 from Bertie. Hertford was formed in 1759 from Bertie, Chowan and Northampton.
1722 Carteret Precinct, NC formed from Craven Precinct.
1728 The NC/VA border was surveyed. This placed the border considerably further north than many people had thought.
1729 NC became a Royal Colony.
Seven of the eight Lords Proprietors sold their shares back to the Crown. The
eighth, Lord Granville, retained his share, leading to the establishment of the
Granville District in 1744. In this district, land was granted
by Lord Granville but he had no governmental authority.
1729 New Hanover Precinct, NC was formed from Craven. Onslow was formed in 1734 from New Hanover. Bladen was formed in 1734 from New Hanover. Duplin was formed in 1750 from New Hanover.Brunswick was formed in 1764 from New Hanover and Bladen. Pender was formed in 1875 from New Hanover.
1729 Tyrrell Precinct, NC was
formed from Chowan, Bertie, Currituck and Pasquotank. Martin was formed in 1774
from Halifax and Tyrrell. Washington was formed in 1799 from Tyrrell. Dare was
formed in 1870 from Currituck, Tyrrell, and Hyde.
1734 Bladen Precinct, NC formed from New Hanover. Anson was formed in 1750 from Bladen. Orange was formed in 1752 from Bladen,Granville and Johnston. Cumberland was formed in 1754 from Bladen. Brunswick was formed in 1764 from Bladen and New Hanover. Robeson was formed in 1787 from Bladen. Columbus was formed in 1808 from Brunswick and Bladen.
1734 Onslow Precinct, NC was formed from New Hanover.
1739 All NC Precincts become Counties.
1741 Northampton Co., NC was formed from Bertie. Hertford was formed in 1759 from Chowan, Bertie and Northampton.
1741 Edgecombe Co., NC formed from Bertie. Granville formed in 1746 from Edgecombe. Halifax was formed in 1758 from Edgecombe. Nash was formed in 1777 from Edgecombe. Wilson was formed in 1855 from Edgecombe, Nash, Johnston and Wayne.
1744 The Granville District was surveyed. This covered the northern portion of NC. "A researcher can easily approximate the Granville line by drawing an east-west line across North Carolina using the lower lines of Chatham, Randolph, Davidson, and Rowan counties as a guide." ("Land Grants" by Margaret M.Hofmann, in North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History, p. 301.) From 1744 to 1763 land in this area was granted by Lord Granville. From 1764 to 1777, no land was granted in this area!
1746 Granville Co., NC formed
from Edgecombe. Orange formed in 1752 from Johnston, Bladen and Granville. Bute
was formed in 1764 from Granville. Vance was formed in 1881 from Granville,
Warren and Franklin.
1746 Johnston Co., NC was formed
from Craven Co. Orange Co. was formed in 1752 from Johnston, Bladen, and
Granville. Dobbs was formed in 1758 from Johnston. Wake was formed in 1770 from
Johnston, Cumberland, and Orange. Wilson was formed in 1855 from
Edgecombe, Nash, Johnston and Wayne.
1750 Anson Co., NC formed from Bladen. Rowan formed from Anson in
1753. Mecklenburg was formed from Anson in 1762. Richmond was formed from
Anson in 1779. Montgomery was formed from Anson in 1779. Union was formed from
Anson and Mecklenburg in 1842.
1750 Duplin Co., NC formed from New Hanover. Sampson formed in 1784 from Duplin.
1752 Orange Co., NC was formed from Johnston, Bladen and Granville. Chatham was formed in 1770 from Orange. Guilford was formed in 1770 from Rowan and Orange. Wake was formed in 1770 from Johnston, Cumberland and Orange. Caswell was formed in 1771 from Orange. Alamance was formed in 1849 from Orange. Durham was formed in 1881 from Orange and Wake.
1753 Rowan Co., NC was formed from Anson. Guilford was formed in 1770 from Rowan and Orange. Surry was formed in 1770 from Rowan.Burke was formed in 1777 from Rowan. Iredell was formed in 1788 from Rowan. Davidson was formed in 1822 from Rowan. Davie was formed in 1836 from Rowan.
1754 Cumberland Co., NC formed from Bladen. Its name was briefly changed to Fayette County in 1784, but changed back again before the end of the year. Wake was formed in 1770 from Johnston,Cumberland, and Orange. Moore was formed in 1784 from Cumberland. Harnett was formed in 1855 from Cumberland. Hoke was formed in 1911 from Cumberland and Robeson.
1759 Halifax Co., NC formed from Edgecombe. Martin formed in 1774 from Halifax and Tyrrell.
1759 Dobbs Co., NC formed from Johnston. Wayne formed in 1779 from Dobbs. In 1791, Dobbs was divided into Glasgow and Lenoir. Dobbs County became extinct at that point.
1760 Pitt Co., NC was formed
from Beaufort.
1760 Hertford Co., NC formed from Chowan, Bertie, and Northampton. Gates formed in 1779 from Chowan, Hertford, and Perquimans.
1762 Mecklenburg Co., NC was
formed from Anson. Tryon was formed in 1861 Mitchell Co., NC was formed
from Yancey, Watauga, Caldwell,Burke and McDowell. Avery was formed in 1911 from
Mitchell,Watauga, and Caldwell.
1764 Brunswick Co., NC formed from New Hanover and Bladen. Columbus
formed in 1808 from Brunswick and Bladen.
1764 Bute Co., NC formed from Granville. Bute was abolished in 1779 and was divided into Warren and Franklin counties.
1768 from Mecklenburg. Cabarrus was formed in 1792 from Mecklenburg. Union was formed in 1842 from Anson and Mecklenburg.
1768 Tryon Co., NC was formed
from Mecklenburg. Tryon Co. was abolished in 1779 and Lincoln and Rutherford
were formed from it.
1770 Surry Co., NC formed from
Rowan. Wilkes was formed in 1777 from Surry and the District of Washington.
Stokes was formed in 1789 from Surry. Yadkin was formed in 1850 from Surry.
1770 Wake Co., NC was formed from Johnston, Cumberland, and Orange.Durham was formed in 1881 from Orange and Wake.
1771 Guilford Co., NC formed from Orange and Rowan. Randolph formed in 1779 from Guilford. Rockingham was formed in 1785 from Guilford.
1771 Chatham Co., NC formed from Orange. Lee formed in 1907 from
Chatham and Moore.
1772 0 0 NC/SC border west of the
Catawba River surveyed. Prior to the surveys (1764 and 1772), "much of the
territory in the north-central and north-western part of South Carolina was
considered to be North Carolina. The South Carolina counties of Marlboro,
Chesterfield, Lancaster, York, Chester, Union, Spartanburg,Cherokee, and
portions of Greenville, Laurens and Newberry are involved." (_Guide to South
Carolina Research and
Records_, by Brent Holcomb, Colombia, SC, 1991, p. 37) Much of Tryon County, NC
became SC after the 1772 survey. In fact, the Tryon County courthouse had to be
moved!
1774 Martin Co., NC was formed from Halifax and Tyrrell.
1776 The District of Washington was officially recognized as a part of the governmental structure of North Carolina. (The settlers had originally thought they were in Virginia, but on discovering that they were actually in NC, petitioned to be officially annexed.) Wilkes Co., NC was formed in 1777 from Surry and the District of Washington. In 1777, the District of Washington became Washington Co. (now TN). (q.v.)
1777 Burke Co., NC formed from Rowan. Buncombe was formed in 1791 from Burke and Rutherford. Yancey was formed in 1833 from Burke and Buncombe. Caldwell was formed in 1841 from Burke and Wilkes. McDowell was formed in 1842 from Rutherford and Burke. Mitchell was formed in 1861 from Yancey, Watauga, Caldwell, Burke and McDowell.
1777 Camden Co., NC formed from Pasquotank.
1777 Caswell Co., NC formed from Orange. Person formed in 1791 from
Caswell.
1777 Wilkes Co., NC was formed from Surry and the District of Washington. Ashe was formed in 1799 from Wilkes. Caldwell was formed in 1841 from Burke and Wilkes.Alexander was formed in 1847 from Iredell, Caldwell and Wilkes. Watauga was formed in 1849 from Ashe, Wilkes, Caldwell and Yancey.
1777 Washington Co. (now TN) was formed by name change from the District of Washington. Sullivan Co. (now TN) was formed in 1779 from Washington (now TN). Davidson (now TN) was formed in 1783 from Washington (now TN). (There is also a Washington Co., NC, formed in 1799.)
1777 Nash Co., NC was formed
from Edgecombe. Wilson was formed in 1855 from Edgecombe, Nash, Johnston and
Wayne.
1779 Montgomery Co., NC was
formed from Anson. Stanly was formed in
1841 from Montgomery.
1779 Franklin Co., NC formed from Bute. Vance formed in 1881 from Granville, Franklin and Warren.
1779 Gates Co., NC formed from Chowan, Hertford and Perquimans.
1779 Lincoln Co., NC was formed from Tryon. (Tryon abolished at that time.) Cleveland was formed in 1841 from Rutherford and Lincoln. Catawba was formed in 1842 from Lincoln. Gaston was formed in 1846 from Lincoln.
1779 Wayne Co., NC was formed in 1779 from Dobbs. Wilson was formed in 1855 from Edgecombe, Nash, Johnston and Wayne.
1779 Rutherford Co., NC was
formed from Tryon (which ceased to exist at that time). Buncombe was formed in
1791 from Burke and Rutherford. Cleveland was formed in 1841 from Rutherford and
Lincoln. McDowell was formed in 1842 from Rutherford and Burke.
Polk was formed in 1855 from Rutherford and Henderson.
1779 Warren Co., NC was formed from Bute. (Bute was abolished at that time.) Vance was formed in 1881 from Granville, Warren and Franklin.
1779 Sullivan Co. (now TN) formed from Washington (now TN). Hawkins (now TN) formed in 1787 from Sullivan (now TN).
1779 Richmond Co., NC was formed from Anson. Scotland was formed in 1899 from Richmond.
1779 Randolph Co., NC was formed from Guilford.
1779 Jones Co., NC was formed from Craven.
1783 Davidson Co., now TN, formed from Washington Co., now TN. Sumner (now TN) was formed in 1787 from Davidson. Tennessee County (now TN) was formed in 1788 from Davidson. The territory that became the state of Tennessee was ceded to the U.S. on April 2, 1790. (Note: there is also a Davidson Co, NC, formed in 1822.)
1783 Greene Co., now TN, formed from Washington (now TN). Tennessee territory was ceded to the U.S. on April 2, 1790. (There is also a Greene Co., NC, created in 1799 when Glasgow County was renamed.)
1784 Moore Co., NC was formed
from Cumberland. Lee was formed in 1907 from Moore and Chatham.
1784 Sampson Co., NC formed from Duplin.
1784 Fayette Co., NC existed for only a few months. In 1784, Cumberland Co. was divided into Moore and Fayette Counties. Later that year, the act creating Fayette was repealed and the portion left over after Moore was set up retained the name Cumberland.
1785 Rockingham Co., NC was formed from Guilford.
1787 Hawkins Co., now TN, formed from Sullivan (now TN). Tennessee territory was ceded to the U.S. on April 2, 1790.
1787 Sumner Co. (now TN) formed from Davidson (now TN).
1787 Robeson Co., NC was formed from Bladen. Hoke was formed in 1911 from Cumberland and Robeson.
1788 Iredell Co., NC formed from Rowan. Alexander formed in 1847 from Iredell, Caldwell and Wilkes.
1788 Tennessee Co. (now TN) was formed in 1788 from Davidson (now TN). (When the state of TN was formed in 1796, Tennessee County was divided into Montgomery and Robertson Counties.)
1789 Stokes Co., NC formed from Surry. Forsyth was formed in 1849 from Stokes.
1790 NC cedes Tennessee territory to the United States. This
included Washington, Sullivan, Davidson, Greene, Hawkins, Sumner and Tennessee
Counties, which no longer were part of NC. This territory was initially known as
the Territory South of the
Ohio. Tennessee became a state in 1796.
1791 Lenoir Co., NC was formed from Dobbs.
1791 Buncombe Co., NC formed from Burke and Rutherford. Haywood was formed in 1808 from Buncombe. Yancey was formed in 1833 from Burke and Buncombe. Henderson was formed in 1838 from Buncombe. Madison was formed in 1851 from Buncombe and Yancey.
1791 Glasgow Co., NC formed from Dobbs. The county was named after NC Secretary of State James Glasgow. The Glasgow Land Frauds were also named after James Glasgow, which is why the name of the county was changed to Greene in 1799.
1791 Person Co., NC was formed from Caswell.
1792 Cabarrus Co., NC formed from Mecklenburg.
1799 Washington Co., NC formed from Tyrrell.
1799 Greene Co., NC, created by renaming Glasgow County.
1799 Ashe Co., NC formed from Wilkes. Watauga was formed from Ashe,Wilkes, Caldwell & Yancey in 1849. Alleghany was formed from Ashe in 1859.
1808 Columbus Co., NC formed from Brunswick and Bladen.
1808 Haywood Co., NC formed from Buncombe. Macon formed in 1828 from Haywood. Jackson was formed in 1851 from Haywood and Macon.
1822 Davidson Co., NC formed from Rowan.
1828 Macon Co., NC was formed
from Haywood. Cherokee was formed in 1839 from Macon. Jackson was formed in 1851
from Haywood and Macon.
1833 Yancey Co., NC was formed
from Burke and Buncombe. Watauga was formed in 1849 from Ashe, Wilkes, Caldwell
and Yancey. Madison was formed in 1851 from Buncombe and Yancey. Mitchell was
formed in 1861 from Yancey, Watauga, Caldwell, Burke and McDowell.
1764 0 0 NC/SC border east of the Catawba River surveyed. (See 1772 note.)
1836 Davie Co., NC formed from Rowan.
1838 Henderson Co., NC formed from Buncombe. Polk was formed in 1855 from Rutherford and Henderson. Transylvania was formed in 1861 from Henderson and Jackson.
1839 Cherokee Co., NC formed from Macon. Clay was formed in 1861 from Cherokee. Granham was formed in 1872 from Cherokee.
1841 Caldwell Co., NC formed from Burke and Wilkes. Alexander was formed in 1847 from Iredell, Caldwell, and Wilkes. Watauga was formed in 1849 from Ashe, Wilkes, Caldwell, and Yancey. Mitchell was formed in 1861 from Yancey, Watauga, Caldwell, Burke, and McDowell. Avery was formed in 1911 from Mitchell, Watauga, and Caldwell.
1841 Cleveland Co., NC formed from Rutherford and Lincoln.
1841 Stanly Co., NC formed from Montgomery.
1842 Catawba Co., NC was formed from Lincoln.
1842 Union Co., NC was formed from Anson and Mecklenburg.
1842 McDowell Co., NC was formed from Rutherford and Burke.
Mitchell was formed in 1861 from Yancey, Watauga, Caldwell, Burke and McDowell.
1846 Gaston Co., NC formed from
Lincoln.
1847 Alexander Co., NC formed from Iredell, Caldwell, and Wilkes.
1849 Watauga Co., NC formed from Ashe, Wilkes, Caldwell and Yancey. Mitchell was formed in 1861 from Yancey, Watauga, Caldwell,Burke and McDowell. Avery was formed in 1911 from Mitchell,Watauga and Caldwell.
1849 Forsyth Co., NC formed from
Stokes.
1850 Yadkin Co., NC was formed from Surry.
1851 Jackson Co., NC formed from Haywood and Macon. Transylvania was formed in 1861 from Henderson and Jackson. Swain was formed in 1871 from Jackson and Macon.
1851 Madison Co., NC was formed from Buncombe and Yancey.
1855 Harnett Co., NC formed from Cumberland.
1855 Wilson Co., NC was formed from Edgecombe, Nash, Johnston and Wayne.
1855 Polk Co., NC was formed
from Rutherford.
1859 Alleghany Co., NC formed from Ashe.
1861 Clay Co., NC formed from
Cherokee.
1861 Transylvania Co., NC was formed from Henderson and Jackson.
1870 Dare Co., NC formed from Currituck, Tyrrell, and Hyde.
1871 Swain Co., NC was formed from Jackson and Macon.
1872 Graham Co., NC formed from Cherokee.
1872 Pamlico Co., NC was formed from Craven and Beaufort.
1875 Pender Co., NC was formed from New Hanover.
1881 Vance Co., NC was formed from Granville, Warren, and Franklin.
1881 Durham Co., NC formed from Orange and Wake.
1899 Scotland Co., NC formed from Richmond.
1907 Lee Co., NC was formed from Moore and Chatham.
1911 Hoke Co., NC formed from Cumberland and Robeson.
1911 Avery Co., NC formed from Mitchell, Watauga and Caldwell.