Index of Western North Carolina Counties

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES As designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, McDowell, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey
	Founded in 1847 and named for William J. Alexander of Mecklenburg County, a member of the Legislature and speaker of the House of Commons.
	Founded 1859. Derived from Ashe County. The name Alleghany is said to be from the Delaware Indian word for "fine stream".
	In 1750* the county was formed from Bladen and was named for Lord George Anson, an English Admiral. Later Mecklenburg and Union were created from Anson.
	Established in 1799 and named for Samuel Ashe, a patriot in the Revolutionary War. The first settlers came to the area with Bishop Augustus Gottlieb Spangenberg, a Moravian minister who was looking to settle the area in 1752.
	Formed in 1911 from Mitchell, Watauga, and Caldwell counties. It was named for Colonel Waightstill Avery, Revolutionary War soldier and first Attorney General of North Carolina.
	Founded in 1791 from Burke and Rutherford counties. It was named for Colonel Edward Buncombe, a Revolutionary war soldier who died in 1778 in Philadelphia.
	Founded in 1777 from Rowan County and named for Dr. Thomas Burke, member of the Continental Congress and Governor of North Carolina from 1781 to 1782.
	Founded in 1841 and named in honor of Joseph Caldwell, the first president of the University of North Carolina.
	Formed in 1842* and named for a local Native American tribe called the "Catawba"..
	Formed in 1839 and named in honor of the Native American tribe, the Cherokee..
	Formed in 1861 from Cherokee County. Named for Henry Clay, antebellum U.S. Senator from Kentucky and Presidential candidate.
	Formed in 1841 from Rutherford and Lincoln counties. Named for Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, one of the commanding officers at the Battle of Kings mountain during the Revolutionary War.
DAVIE
FORSYTH
	Formed in 1846 from Lincoln County. Named for William Gaston, member of the U.S. Congress and Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina.
	Formed in 1872 from Cherokee County. Named for William A. Graham, U.S. senator, Governor of North Carolina, Secretary of the Navy and Senator in the Confederate Congress.
	Formed in 1808 from Buncombe County. Named for John Haywood, Treasurer of North Carolina from 1787-1827.
	Formed in 1838 from Buncombe County. Named for Leonard Henderson, Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, 1829-1833.
	Formed in 1851 from Haywood and Macon Counties. Named for Andrew Jackson, President of the United States, 1829-1837.
	Formed in 1779* when the now defunct Tryon County was split into Lincoln and Rutherford Counties. Named for General Benjamin Lincoln, Revolutionary War general.
	Formed in 1842 from Rutherford and Burke Counties. Named for Colonel Joseph McDowell, Revolutionary War soldier and U.S. congressman.
	Formed in 1828 from Haywood County. Named for Nathaniel Macon, North Carolina politician and president of the state's Constitutional Convention in 1835.
	Formed in 1851 from Buncombe and Yancey Counties. Named for James Madison, President of the United States, 1809-1817.
	Formed in 1861 from Caldwell, Burke, McDowell, Watauga, and Yancey Counties. Named for Dr. Elisha Mitchell, professor at the University of North Carolina, who died while exploring Mt. Mitchell which now bears his name.
	Formed in 1855 from Henderson and Rutherford Counties. Named for Colonel William Polk, Revolutionary War officer.
	Formed in 1779 when the now defunct Tryon County was split into Lincoln and Rutherford Counties. Named for Griffith Rutherford, well-known Revolutionary War hero who led the expedition against the Cherokees in 1776.
STOKES
SURRY
	Formed in 1871 from Jackson and Macon Counties. Named for David L. Swain, governor of North Carolina from 1832-1835 and president of the University of North Carolina.
	Formed in 1861 from Jackson and Henderson counties. "Transylvania" comes from the Latin words "trans" meaning "across" and "sylva" meaning "woods".
	Formed in 1849 from Ashe, Wilkes, Caldwell, and Yancey counties. Named for the Watauga river which came from a Cherokee phrase meaning "beautiful water".
	Formed in 1777 from Surry County and the District of Washington. Named for John Wilkes, member of the English Parliament who spoke in favor of American political rights during the Revolution.
YADKIN
	Formed in 1833 from Burke and Buncombe counties. Named for Bartlett Yancey, North Carolina politician and early advocate of the public school system.