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Hello!
Welcome to the Watauga
County NCGenWeb
Project!
The Watauga
County page currently is
available for adoption.
Since
the USGenWeb Project is
staffed entirely by
volunteers,
we hope
you will consider
becoming the County
Coordinator
If you
research your family in
the county and you are
interested
in
becoming the CC, or if you
have any questions
regarding
mentioning
"Watauga
County, NC"
in the subject line.
LaRae
Halsey-Brooks
NCGenWeb
Project
Mountain
Counties Regional
Coordinator
~~~~~~~~~
We would like to get
transcriptions of cemeteries, birth,
marriage, and death certificates, photos
and anything else you feel may benefit
other researchers. Please help us to
make this the best source of information
for Watauga County on the internet!
If
you find an email address or link on
this site that is no longer valid
PLEASE let me know so I can find a new
one or remove it! Thanks!
Watauga was formed in
1849 from Ashe, Wilkes, Caldwell and
Yancey. It was named for the Watauga
River, which name came from an Indian
word meaning "beautiful water." It is
in the northwestern section of the
State and is bounded by the State of
Tennessee and Ashe, Wilkes, Caldwell
and Avery counties. The present land
area is 312.51 square miles and the
2000 population was 42,693. The first
court was ordered to be held at the
home of George Council, at which time
justices of the peace were to decide
upon a place for the future courts
until the courthouse was erected.
Commissioners were named to select a
site for a county seat "which site
shall be between Reuben Bartley's and
a point one-half mile west of Willie
McGee's east and west direction, and
between John Pennell's and Howard's
Knob north and south direction." They
were to acquire the land and lay out a
town and erect the public buildings.
In 1851 a superior court was
established for Watauga, and it
directed that court was to be held in
the courthouse at Boone. Boone, named
in honor of Daniel Boone, is the
county seat.
*Information
courtesy of the NC
Gazetteer about Watauga*
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