January 12, 1935 THE STATE Page Twenty-three
How the Counties
Got Their Names
Alamance County —
formed in 1849. Name
taken from an Indian
word, Anamonsi, mean-
, I ing unknown.
Alexander — - Formed
in 1847. Named for William Julius
Alexander, of Mecklenburg County,
prominent civic leader of his time.
Alleghany — Formed in 1859. Name
taken from an Indian word, Allegiwi,
meaning “a fine stream.”
Anson — Formed in 1748. Named
for Lord George Anson, an English
admiral.
Ashe — Formed in 1799. Named for
Governor Samuel Ashe, a Revolution¬
ary patriot of New Hanover County.
Avery — Formed in 1911 as last of
state’s 100 counties. Named for Col.
Waightsill Avery, once challenged to
a duel by Andrew Jackson.
Beaufort — Formed in 1705. Named
for Henry Somerset, Duke of Beau¬
fort, who became one of Carolina’s
Lord Proprietors.
Bertie — Formed in 1722. Named
for James and Henry Bertie, two Lords
Proprietors who owned an eighth of
Carolina.
Bladen — Formed in 1734. Named
for Martin Bladen, a member of the
British Board of Trade and Colonial
affairs.
Brunswick — Formed in 1764. Named
for the royal houses of England of
which Kings George 1st, 2nd and 3rd
were members.
Buncombe — Formed in 1791. Named
for Col. Edward Buncombe of Tyrrell
County, over the door of whose home
was the inscription ‘‘Welcome all to
Buncombe Hall.”
Burke — Formed in 1777. Named
for Dr. Thomas Burke, governor and
member of the Continental Congress.
Cabarrus — Formed in 1792. Named
for Stephen Cabarrus of Edenton,
speaker of the state house of commons.
Caldwell — Formed in 1841. Named
for President Joseph Caldwell of the
University of North Carolina.
Camden — Formed in 1777. Named
for Charles Pratt, Earl of Camden.
Carteret — Formed in 1722. Named
for Sir George Carteret, who later be¬
came a peer of England under the
title of Earl Granville.
Caswell — Formed in 1777. Named
for General Richard Caswell of Kins¬
ton, one of the state’s first governors.
Catawba — Formed in 1842. Named
for the Catawba Indians.
Chatham — Formed in 1770. Named
for William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, a
friend and supporter of the American
colonists in the English parliament.
Cherokee — Formed in 1839. Named
for the Cherokee Nation, the most
powerful tribe of Indians in the state.
Chowan — Formed in 1672. Named
for the Chowanoke tribe of Indians,
a Tsucarora word meaning “They of
the South.”
Clay — Formed in 1861. Named for
Henry Clay of Kentucky, one of the
leading early American statesmen and
orators.
Cleveland — Formed in 1841. Named
for Col. Benjamin Cleveland, noted
Revolutionary patriot.
Columbus — Formed in 1808. Named
for Christopher Columbus, discoverer
of the New World.
Craven — Formed in 1712. Named
for William Lord Craven, one of the
original Lords Proprietors of Caro¬
lina.
Cumberland — Formed in 1754.
Named for William Augustus, Duke
of Cumberland, and second son of
King George 3rd.
Currituck — Formed in 1672. Named
for a small Algonquian tribe of In¬
dians.
Dare — Formed in 1870. Named for
Virginia Dare, first white child born
in America.
Davidson — Formed in 1822. Named
for General William Lee Davidson,
Revolutionary War hero.
Davie — Formed in 1836. Named for
General William Richardson Davie,
founder of the state university.
Duplin — Formed in 1749. Named
for George Henry Hay, Lord Dupplin,
an English nobleman.
Durham — Formed in 1881. Named
for Dr. Bartholomew Durham, a noted
physician.
Edgecombe — Formed in 1735.
Named for Richard Edgecombe, an
English nobleman and lord of the Brit¬
ish Treasury.
Forsyth — Formed in 1849. Named
for Col. Benjamin Forsyth, U. S. A.,
killed in battle during the second war
with Great Britain.
Franklin — Formed in 1779. Named
for Benjamin Franklin, famous Amer¬
ican patriot.
Gaston — Formed in 1846. Named
for Associate Justice William Gaston,
who wrote the official state song, ‘ ‘ The
Old North State.”
Gates — Formed in
1779. Named for Gen¬
eral Horatio Gates of
the R e v
о
1 utionary
army.
Graham — Formed in 1872. Named
for William A. Graham, Governor,
United States Senator, Confederate
States Senator and Secretary of the
United States Navy.
Granville — Formed in 1746. Named
for Earl Granville, prime minister
under King George 2nd.
Greene — Formed in 1799. Named
for General Nathaniel Greene, famous
Revolutionary hero.
Guilford — Formed in 1770. Named
for Francis North, Earl of Guildford,
an English nobleman.
Halifax — Formed in 1758. Named
for George Montagu Dunk, Earl of
Halifax.
Harnett — Formed in 1855. Named
for Cornelius Harnett of Wilmington,
noted Revolutionary patriot.
Haywood — Formed in 1808. Named
for John Haywood of Raleigh, State
Treasurer for forty years.
Henderson — Formed in 1838. Named
for Chief Justice Leonard Henderson,
of the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Hertford — Formed in 1759. Named
for Francis Seymour Conway, Mar¬
quis of Hertford.
Hoke — Formed in 1911. Named for
Major General Robert F. Hoke, of the
Confederate army, who was designated
by General Robert E. Lee for his suc¬
cessor should General Lee become
disabled.
Hyde — Formed in 1705. Named
for Governor Edward Hyde of North
Carolina.
Iredell — Formed in 1788. Named
for James Iredell of Edenton, an
associated justice of the United States
Supreme Court.
Jackson — Formed in 1851. Named
for Andrew Jackson, President of the
United States.
Johnston — Formed in 1746. Named
in honor of Gabriel Johnston, Governor
of North Carolina.
Jones — Formed in 1778. Named for
Willie Jones of Halifax, president of
the Council of Safety during the Revo¬
lution.
Lee — Formed in 1907. Named for
General Robert E. Lee.
Lenoir — Formed in 1791. Named
for General William Lenoir, of the
Revolutionary army.
Lincoln — Formed in 1779. Name'S
for General Benjamin Lincoln of the
