Gaston was formed in 1846 from Lincoln. It was named in honor of William Gaston, a member of Congress and a Judge of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. It is in the southwestern section of the State and is bounded by the state of South Carolina and Cleveland, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg counties. The present area is 358 square miles and the population is 87,-531. The court was ordered to be held at the home of Jesse Holland until a courthouse could be erected. Commissioners were named to select a site for the county seat as near the center of the county as possible provided it was in two miles of Long Creek Baptist Meeting House. They were to acquire land, lay out a town by the name of Dallas, and erect a courthouse. Dallas continued to be the county seat until 1909 when Gastonia was, by popular vote, selected as the county seat.
. . . : Beginning at a point on the Cleveland line, six miles due south of the present dividing line of Lincoln and Catawba; thence running parallel with line to the Catawba river.
. . . , That so much of the county of Catawba, as lies south of the following line, to wit: Beginning at the Catawba river, and four miles due north of the present dividing line between Lincoln and Catawba counties, and running parallel with said line to the western boundary of said county, be, and the same is hereby annexed and made part of Lincoln county
Part of Gaston was annexed to Lincoln in 1875, provided the change was submitted to voters of Gaston in August, 1875.
That the dividing line between the counties of Gaston and Lincoln be changed as follows, viz: Beginning on said line in the northwestern portion of said Gaston county at the point where the old road known as the Flint Hill road crosses the Gaston and Lincoln county line, and run thence a direct line to the point where said road crosses the line between the counties of Gaston and Cleaveland: . .
The dividing line between Gaston and Lincoln was authorized to be established in 1909.
Whereas doubts have arisen concerning the location of the dividing line between the counties of Gaston and Lincoln, and the citizens living in the immediate vicinity of the line are unable to determine where they shall exercise their rights of citizenship and pay their taxes: . . .
. . . , who shall proceed to locate the dividing line between the counties of Gaston and Lincoln, and shall mark the same, by stones or other permanent monuments, at every point where said line crosses a public road and at as many other places as they shall deem necessary: . .
Part of Gaston was annexed to Cleveland in 1915, provided the voters approved the same.
. . . : Beginning at a stone on the county line road from Kings Mountain to Cherryville, the corner number four and number five townships of Cleveland County, near Ebenezer Church, and running thence S. 67 E. 156.50 chains to a stone near James Payne's residence in Gaston County; thence S. 5 W. 444.00 chains to a stone on top of mountain, thence S. 10 W. 110.00 chains to a stone where the present county line between Gaston and Cleveland counties intersects the South Carolina line near John Wells's residence; thence N. 25% W. 315 chains to a stone near Mrs. Dovie Weir's residence in Cleveland County; thence N. 17 W. 125.50 chains to a post oak on south side of sand-clay road leading from Kings Mountain to Shelby; thence N. 24 E. 213.00 chains to the beginning;
Part of Gaston was annexed to Cleveland in 1917.
. . . ; Beginning at a stone on the county-line road leading from Kings Mountain to Cherryville, the corner of Number Four and Number Five townships of Cleveland County near Ebenezer Church, and running thence S. 67 E. 156.50 chains to a stone near James Payne's residence in Gaston County, thence S. 5 W. 444.00 chains to a stone on top of mountain, thence S. 10 W. 110.00 chains to a stone where the former or old county line between Gaston and Cleveland counties intersected the South Carolina line near John Wells' residence; and all that portion of the territory of Gaston county which was formerly between the above described line in Gaston County and the old county line between the counties of Cleveland and Gaston is transferred to Cleveland County, and is hereby declared to belong to and be a part of Cleveland County.
Part of Gaston was annexed to Cleveland in 1921.
. . . ; Beginning at a stone, the corner of No. 4 and No. 5 townships in Cleveland County at Ebenezer Church, and run thence a straight line south 56 degrees 18 minutes east 9650 feet to west end of Southern Railway culvert east of L. A. Kiser's residence; then through culvert and down meanders of branch, to wit, south 71 degrees east 663 feet; south 47V*, degrees east 1,128 feet to an iron stake in branch at first poplar on west bank of branch, thence a straight line south 6 degrees 38 minutes W. 6,020 feet to an iron stake in north edge of Kings Mountain and Dallas old road, west of Sylvanus Mauney's residence and east of Sylvanus Weaver's residence; thence a straight line south 1/2 degree east 17,990 feet to an iron pin in rock on top of first mountain southwest of the pinnacle of Kings Mountain, with old pointers; thence a straight line south 9 degrees west 9,575 feet to an iron pin in the public road in the North and South Carolina line, the former corner between Gaston and Cleveland counties; and all that portion of the territory of Gaston County which was formerly between the above described line and the old county line between the counties of Cleveland and Gaston is declared to belong to and be a part of Cleveland County.
[Source: The Formation of North Carolina Counties 1663-1943, Division of Archives and History,
North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, 1950, pages 103-105]
Robin Mace Barger - © 2008
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