Short History and Place Names for Wilkes County, NC

Short History

Created from Surry County in 1777/1778 (sources vary), Wilkes County was named after John Wilkes who was a member of the English Parliament that fought for America's Independence.  The first settlers of the area in present-day Wilkes County were primarily German and Scot-Irish immigrants.

Boundary Changes

In 1799, Wilkes gave up part of it's northwestern corner and northern borders to create Ashe County. The southwest border of Wilkes Co. was used to create Caldwell County in 1841. In 1847, it's southern border was given up to create Alexander County. Finally, in 1849, part of the western borders were given up to create Watauga County.

Below are a list of the towns and townships within Wilkes County. Not all those places listed are on the map above. I've only been able to find more information for a few of places listed below

• Antioch
• Beaver Creek
• Boomer - formerly known as Warrior Creek and renamed for local postmaster who was nicknamed "Boomer"
• Brushy Mountains
• Cricket - founded 1888
• Edwards
• Elk
• Elkin - partially in Surry County
• Fairplains
• Hays - post office was established here in the 1890s and named for first postmaster
• Jobs Cabin
• Lewis Fork - Lewis Fork Baptist Church was organized here 1792
• Lovelace - named for Archibald Lovelace, resident in the early 1800s
• Millers Creek
• Moravian Falls - Established in late 1700s and named for nearby waterfall; formerly knowns as Petersburg and "Forks of the Road"
• Mulberry - first settled by Europeans in the 1750s and called the area Mulberry Fields
• New Castle - named for plantation of James Clemmons Hunt; known as Hunt's Store in 1840s
• North Wilkesboro - founded in 1891; developed around the tracks of Norfolk and Southern Railroad; Daniel Boone (and his family) resided in the present-day area of North Wilkesboro before moving onto to Kentucky; area was described as Mulberry Fields on maps created in 1752 and 1770
• Reddies River - community on the shores of Reddies River; settled before the Revolutionary War (exact date unknown)
• Rock Creek
• Ronda - incorporated 1907; named after the nearby estate of Benjamin Cleaveland's called "Roundabout"
• Somers
• Stanton
• Traphill - settled by 1775; post office established in 1837
• Union
• Walnut Grove
• Wilkesboro - founded in 1800; incorporated 1847; county seat of Wilkes County; interestingly, many Wilkesboro residents remained loyal to the union and not the confederacy during the Civil War;