At the time Europeans first came in contact with North Carolina, the land was occupied by several native Indian tribes. The first permanent English setters emigrated from Virginia and moved into the Albermarle area of East North Carolina around 1650.  In 1663, the first permanent English settlers in North Carolina were immigrants from the tidewater area of southeastern Virginia. The first of these “overflow” settlers moved into the Albemarle area of northeast North Carolina around 1650.  In 1663, Charles II issued land grants to eight men who helped him reign the throne in England, the Lords Proprietors.  On December 21, 1776, Richard Caswell became the first governor of the State of North Carolina.

This site relies heavily on the contributions of volunteers, so please consider contributing content or helping the project by adopting a county.   We thank all the dedicated volunteers who make this project possible.