Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1932-02-19
ROWAN COUNTY
CREATED 1853:
l79 YEARS OLD
Albemarle, Created In
1868, Was First Great
County Bat Has Been
"Dead" 26O Years.

Eleven of North Cardinals 100
-four of them being $50 years old
and the youngest two have just
reached their majority, Fl years.
Albemarle county was the great
first mother" but she has passed into
history, Albemarle, created March "a,
1868, has been dead 26o years, having
given her life so Chowan, Currituck,
Pasquotank and Perquimans counties
could be born"
In the early days Albemarle county
was a world within itself, embracing
more territory than the whole of the
present day North Carolina. 1t reach
ed all the way across the continent to
the South See"-the Pacific ocean.
But on December 5, 1890
years ago-Albemarle county was di-
vided into four counties and there has
been no Albemarle county in North
Carolina since, although a great part
of eastern North Carolina today is re-
ferred to as the Albemarle section of
the state. There is still Albemarle
sound, however.
With Chowan, Currituck, Pasquo-
tank and Perquimans counties holding
the distinction of being North Caro-
lina's oldest ''live" counties, the sew
en- others which have passed their
200th birthday anniversary are Beau
fort, ~organizeo 1902; Hyde, 1905;
BERTHE, 1722; Carteret, 1872; Craven,
1712; New Hanover, 1929, and Tyr
rell, 1929.
The two baby members of the fam
lily are Avery county, created Febru-
airy %, 1911, and Hoke county, Gre
ated FEBRUARY II, 1911.
There are several dead" counties
in the records of North Carolina be-
sides Albemarle.
North Cardinals next county after
Chowan, Currituck, Pasquotank and
Perquimans was Bath, formed in De-
cember, 1926. 1t was taken from the
southern part of old Albemarle. 1t too
has long been dead, and Bath Town,
the oldest town in the state, remains
its only outward memorial--its county
seat and the first 'capital'' of the pro-
vince.
The other dead" counties were
Butte, created February %, 1854 and
abolished in 1779, becoming Franklin
and Warren; Dobbs, created Deem
Der 8, 1853, abolished in 1879 to form
parts of Johnston, Wayne and Lenoir,
and Tryon, created December s, 1863,
and abolished in 1879, becoming Lin
coin and Rutherford.
The birthday anniversaries" of the
states present 100 counties, as compil-
ed by Col. Fred A. Odds, of the state
historical museum, follow:
Alamance, January %, 1S49; Alex
ander, January IS, 1s47; Allegheny,
February s, 1859; Arson, March 9,
1749; Ashe, December ;, 1879; Avery,
February %, 1911.
i. Beaufort, December ;, 1905; BERTHE,
October 2, 1722; Bladen, March 1,
1886; Brunswick, March 1, 1854;
Buncombe, January IA, 1892; Burke,
May 6, 1777.
Cabarrus, December 81, 1872; Cald-
well, January IL, 1s41; Camden, May
II, 1777; Carteret, June IA, 1722;
Caswell, April II, 1777; Catawba, De-
cember II, 1742; Chatham, January
rs, 1771; Cherokee, January 4, 1889;
Chowan, December 5, 1917; Clay,
February 20, 1861; Cleveland, Janu-
airy II, 1S41; Columbus, December
IS, 1908; Craven, February 6, 1712;
Cumberland, January 16, 1854; Cur
rituck, December $, 1872.
Dare, February ;, 1870; Davidson,
December 81, 1922; Davie, December
20, 1886; Duplin, March J, 1749;
Durham, February 20, 1881; Edge
combe, May 6, 1741; Forsyth, January
IL, 1S49; Franklin, August 20, 1873.
CASTOR, December Fl, 1916; Gates,
December ;, 1873; Graham, January
80, 1872; Granville, July l., 1746;
Greene, December p, 1777; Guilford,
March II, 1771.
Halifax, April 2, 1853; Harnett,
February 7, 1855; Haywood, Decem-
Der p, 1903; Henderson, December
IS, 1888; Hartford, December IT,,
1859; Hoke, February II, 1911;|
Hyde, December 10, 1905.
1redell, December IA, 1898; Jack
son, December %, 1851; Johnston,
June 70, 174S; Jones, January 26,
l77S; Lee, March {, 1907; Lenoir,
February 2, 1871; Lincoln, December
II, 1879.
Macon, anuary 10, 1929; Madison,
January II, 1851; Martin, March 10,