History of

Alexander & Caldwell Counties, NC

New! 45 Page Illustrated Booklet

Early days in Alexander & Caldwell Counties in mountains of northwestern North Carolina, are recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this new 45-page spiral-bound booklet, comprised of excerpts from several vintage books. These source materials include John Hill Wheeler's 1851 Historical Sketches of North Carolina; North Carolina, A Guide to the Old North State, a product of the WPA, first published in 1939; and A New Geography of North Carolina, a project started in the 1950s.

The tri-color front cover is printed on 80# card stock and has been protected with a vinyl sheet. The text is printed single-sided on 60# opaque paper, with the print enlarged to fit the 8.5" x 11" paper and improve readability.

Towns mentioned in the booklet include: Alexander County -- Taylorsville (county seat), Little River, Millersville, Stony Point, Hiddenite, Liledoun, Vashti, and Bethlehem. Caldwell County -- Lenoir (county seat), Granite Falls, Rhodhiss, Whitenel, Hudson, Collettsville, Globe, Legerwood, Patterson, and Warrior.

Among the many subjects included are: Gov. Nathaniel Alexander and John Louis Taylor; Gen. Samuel F. Patterson; Geological and Physical features, such as the Brushy Mountains, Grandfather Mountain, Warrior Mountain, Hibriten Mountain, and the Catawba River valley; Edward Teague and other Regulators who settled Alexander County to escape Gov. Tryon; two leading Patriots -- William Lenoir and Martin Davenport; James Harper, who's health problems led him to Lenoir; the Harper Furniture Company, later bought by J.E. Broyhill, and the Kent -Coffey Manufacturing Co.; the Lenoir High School Band; and ; Baptists and other churches; Apples, Chickens, Chairs and Yarn; a Railroad story; Education, including the Union Baptist Institute, York Collegiate Institute and Patterson School; Alexander Campbell McIntosh and A.T. Allen; Col. Romulus Z. Linney; George Wiese, a remarkable snowball hurling school master; Jim Claffee, who cures alcoholics; a counterfeiting gang, a switching that killed a man, a tale of "hot" money, and other curious bits of history and trivia.

The WPA section offers a nostalgic glimpse of the area from a 1939 vantage point, offering historical notes and sightseeing possibilities.

Our North Carolina booklets are a good resource for learning about the history, geography and social climate of places where you or your ancestors have lived or places you plan to visit.

Wouldn't this make a unique gift?