Our tour of the history of the 19 counties that comprise western North Carolina continue with Madison, that was formed in 1851 and named for President James Madison.
McDowell, formed in 1842, was named for Col. Joseph McDowell who appended “P.G.” to his signature and was called Pleasant Gardens Joe to distinguish him from his cousin “Quaker Meadows Joe”.
Mitchell, formed in 1861, was named in honor of Dr. Elisha Mitchell, a scientists and professor at the University of North Carolina, who measured the peak now known as Mountain Mitchell in 1835 and discovered it to be higher than Mount Washington in New Hampshire, then considered the highest peak in Eastern America.
Polk, formed in 1855 was named for Colonel William Polk of Revolutionary War fame.
Rutherford, in 1779, was named for Gen. Griffith Rutherford who led an expedition against the Cherokee in 1776 and wiped out some thirty towns in the first scorched earth policy on the American continent.
Swain, formed in 1871, was named for the first lawyer of Buncombe County, a man who had two nicknames “Old Warping Bars” and “Old Bunk”. His name was David Lowrie Swain. He was the state’s youngest governor, taking office when he was only thirty one years old. Later he became president of the University of North Carolina where students bestowed upon him the name “Old Bunk” since he came from Buncombe County. When Sherman’s army entered the state without resistance in April 1865, Swain, as president of the university and in absence of the governor, delivered the key of the Capitol to the victorious Union general.
Transylvania, formed in 1861, derived its name from a couple Latin words meaning “across the woods”, which is quite appropriate since much of its territory is in the forests and beautiful mountains laced with waterfalls. Incidentally, back in colonial days the high hat industry flourished in Brevard and a tax was levied on those who wore the “beavers” made in the now Transylvania County seat.
Watauga, formed in 1849, was not name for an Indian tribe as some historians argue, but for a Creek word meaning “broken waters”.
Yancey, formed in 1833, was named in honor of one of the first men in the state to favor public schools for all people, Bartlett Yancey. He was an eloquent orator, many times a member of the legislature, speaker of the State Senate, and a member of Congress. Burnsville, the county seat of Yancey, was named for Captain Otway Burns of Beaufort who won fame in the War of 1812 against England.
These then are the nineteen counties that make up Western North Carolina and how they got their names.