INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL
DEVELOPMENT OF
WILKES COUNTY
к у
imic;iiT
мс'
hols
Til
К
ST AT
К
()>’ WII.KES,”
clip big and varied county in the
north ««'.Htvrn purl of Xorth Car¬
olina where anything can happen and
sometimes «Ion*. has been keeping in
step with progress.
The county i« large au«l has so
many variations that it is no wonder
that it i- refernd to as “The State
of Wilkes," even by people far from
the State «>f Xorth Carolina.
Wilkes County has an area of 725
-■pin re mile-. Cotton ami tobacco grow
profusely on the eastern edge of the
county and the western and northern
borders are atop the rugged Blue
Ridge with an elevation reaching
higher than 1,000 feet.
Wilkes County perhaps i has u great¬
er diversification of agriculture and
industry I hint any of tho other 99
counties in the state. Industrially, ag¬
riculturally. and educationally, the
county of Wilkes has never ceased to
make progress, in reconstruction days,
in time of war, depression or panic.
The county of Wilkes is as old as
the United States. Col. Ben Cleveland,
who led a band of pioneers from the
hills of Wilkes to overthrow the Brit¬
ish troops in the Battle of Kings
The Bank
of
North Wilkesboro
Member Feilcral Deposit
Insurance Corporation
OFFICERS
J. R. Hi*. PtruJm
W. I>. 1 1
«1.ГЛСЖГ.
Vie* President
S. V. TowttN-o*. Vice President
R. W. Cmx. Cashier
W. W. Star*. Assistant Cashier
J. C. McNlU. Asst. Cashier
J. T. Brake, Ash. Cashier
RESOURCES OVER $5.500,000
Ft ic tally Service Since 1892
The courthouse at Wilkesboro, with the customary large crowd of people
present at the opening of superior court in Wilkes.
Mountain and turn the tide toward
American independence in Revolu¬
tionary days, was u great factor in
organizing Wilkes County govern¬
ment.
The citizens of Wilkes County
sprang from the purest of American
stock, sometimes poor and humble,
but always interested and assisting
in forming the ideal* ami designs of
this country. From protecting the
early settlement* from the Indians,
through the Revolutionary War to the
World War, they volunteered and
served their country with an enthusi¬
asm that only patriots of the finest
could have. During the War with
Mexico, Wilkes Count v furnished the
commander of the regiment that went
from North Carolina. Col. Sidney
Stokes. During the War Between
the States. Wilkes County gave to the
Southern Cause? more troops than
any other county save Mecklenburg.
Today the grcat-gront-grandchil-
dren of those pioneer heroes who
threw enemies of liberty front Kings
Mountain are storming Hitler’s Eu-
ro|»ean fortress and are helping to
turn the tide against the hordes of
Hirohito and Tojo. They fight today
to preserve and defend the liberty won
many years ago.
It ha* been said, and rightfully so,
that if any man should ever aspire
to be dictator in the United States
that the people of Wilkes County
would be the hist to give in. They
love independence, and while not lack¬
ing in genuine southern hospitality,
they are also not lacking in the cour¬
age to oppose, with for«*o if need be,
encroachments on in«livi«lual liber¬
ties.
As in practically all other counties
in the state, industrial progress was
meager in Wilkes County until the
turn of the century. Prior to that time
the people tried to be self-sufficient in
providing their own needs and letting
people of other parts of the country
do the same.
Industry ns we define the term to¬
day in speaking of manufacturing had
its beginning in Wilkes County with
completion of the railroad, and tho
now thriving town of North Wilkes-
boro had its beginning at the same
time.
Wilkes County voted a bond issue
to help finance construction of the
railroad from Winston-Salem to
а
point near the county seat town of
Wilkesboro, which, incidentally, is
the oldest town in a big section of
northwestern North Carolina.
The contract with the railroad com¬
pany called for construction of the
railroad to a point within one mile
of the county courthouse. From Win¬
ston-Salem the railroad was built
westward along the tiorlh bank of the
10
