Alleghany County

Alleghany County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population is 10,677. Its county seat is Sparta[1].

via Alleghany County, North Carolina – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

From North Carolina Mountain Dreams

History

A History Shaped by the Land

Tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Northwestern North Carolina, Alleghany County is the state’s fifth smallest county in land area encompassing 233 square miles and sixth smallest in population with around 10,000 residents. It is bordered by Grayson County, Va., on the north, and by North Carolina counties: Ashe on the west, Wilkes to the south and Surry to the east. Sparta, its county seat and only municipality, sits at the crossroads of US 21 and NC 18 at the county’s center.

Alleghany is shaped by the land. The Crest of the Blue Ridge — the Eastern Continental Divide — forms the eastern and southern border and is home to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Average elevation is from 2,500 to 3,000 feet with the highest peaks of 4,000 feet or more in the Peach Bottom Mountains in the mid-section of the county.

The county is principally drained by the New River, which flows along the western and northern border, and its main tributary, the Little River, which runs through the central portion of the county. The North Carolina portion of the New River is designated a National Scenic River and offers camping and other recreational opportunities along its shore.

For years, the Blue Ridge Mountains were not a vantage point, but rather a barrier separating Alleghany from the rest of the state. Commerce and society were inclined into Ashe County and northward into Virginia such that Alleghany was dismissed as one of the state’s “Lost Provinces.”

The development of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the 1930s and modern paved roads now make Alleghany easily accessible to everyone. However, that earlier isolation allowed the county to escape some of the mixed blessings of modern life — strip malls and freeways — such that it claims the title “Unspoiled Province.” Today, it is a modern bustling rural community where its rich mountain heritage is revealed in the people and the peaks and valleys of the countryside.

The word “Alleghany” is said to be derived from the Indian name meaning “fine stream”, a suitable name for these scenic hills drained by the New River, the second oldest river in the world. Legend has it that the New River was discovered by Peter Jefferson, relative of Thomas Jefferson. Leading a party of surveyors, he was surprised to come upon a “new” river behind the mountains. Tools and artifacts have been found in the New River Valley dating back to the Paleo-Indian culture. Native American tribes that have occupied the area include the Cherokee and Shawnee.

The county was settled in the late 1700’s by hardworking pioneers mostly of English, German, Scottish, and Irish descent, some having migrated down the “Wagon Road” from Pennsylvania. Many of their descendants still live on land that was granted to their families nearly 200 years ago.

via History/Demographics on Alleghany County, NC in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Populated Places:

• Sparta – County Seat

Located at the crossroads of the county’s two main corridors — US 21 and NC 18 — Sparta is the physical center as well as the focus of community life for Alleghany County. Like many southern towns, the Courthouse is the center of town. The old central business district recalls the charm of the town’s early history.

Alleghany County was created from land carved out of what was primarily Ashe County in 1859. James H. Parks was an early businessman whose store stood near the present location of the ABC store. He was one of three men who donated land for the county seat in 1866 and is credited with suggesting naming the town after the Greek city-state.

The present Courthouse was constructed in 1910 and is listed in the National Register of historic buildings.

• Cherry Lane

Cherry Lane Community and the post office got the name from the cherry trees that grew along the narrow country road on which the old original building was first built. The post office and store, owned by Mr. Alex Woodruff and Mr. J.T. Miles, were in the same building.

• Ennice

Ennice, a small community in the Glade Creek Township about ten miles east of Sparta, obtained its name when a post office was established at the home of E.R. McMillan in 1884. His wife Ennice was named postmistress.

• Glade Valley

Glade Valley got its name by the fact the first building of the community, the Glade Valley Presbyterian Church, was built on a hill overlooking the valley of Glade Creek, hence the name Glade Valley.

• Laurel Springs

Laurel Springs got its name from springs that ran from underneath the laurels and rhododendron that are native of this area.

• Piney Creek

Artifacts found here, show that this tiny bowl-shaped valley located on the banks of a sleepy creek fed by various springs, must have been first a trading and hunting center for various Indian tribes. It was named Piney Creek from the pines, fir and spruce growing on its banks.

• Roaring Gap

The potential of what is now known as Roaring Gap was first recognized by Hugh Gwyn Chatham in the early 1890’s. The son of James Alexander Chatham, Hugh Chatham discovered the beauty of Roaring Gap as he rode horseback through the mountains to buy wool for his father’s mill. He persuaded friends to join him in forming the Roaring Gap Summer Resort Company (RGSRC). The company was formed by William A. Blair, Hugh G. Chatham, A.H. Eller, and W.T. Vogler. Chatham served as president, and Eller as secretary.

• Scottsville

A post office was established at Scottsville on Aug. 3, 1855, a community on what would become the Alleghany/Ashe county line.
Upon the establishment of the post office, the name Scottsville was chosen in honor of the Scott family who already owned the store where the post office was located. Ironically, there never has been agreement on a common spelling for the community. The post office is spelled Scottsville, the Department of Transportation spells it Scottville on maps and road signs, and other sources spell in Scotville.

• Twin Oaks

Twin Oaks, a community about three miles northwest of Sparta, obtained it name from a pair of large oak trees that stood near where the abandoned Twin Oaks Drive-In Theater now stands. This was known as the James Parks place, and later the Sidney Thomas home.

• Whitehead

Whitehead, a small community about three miles southwest of Sparta, was named for Daniel Whitehead who was an early settler and had one of the first grist mills in the community.

via Alleghany Chamber: Local Communities.

Alleghany Links: