Prior to the 18th century, Ashe County
History is somewhat obscured. The Cherokee, Creek and Shawnee
Indians hunted, fished and battled within the region. Peter
Jefferson led a surveying party in 1749 to establish a line
between North Carolina and Virginia, as early settlers and
visitors alike were unsure as to whether they were in one
or another. In 1752, Bishop Augustus Spangenberg, head of
the Moravian Church of America, made the first recorded
visit, in search of 100,000 acres of land for settlement
purposes. References to hunting expeditions date back to
the 1770’s, David Helton being one of the earliest,
and Daniel Boone certainly being the most recognizable.
Ashe County’s first recorded deed is dated 1773.
Encompassing approximately 427 square
miles, Ashe’s boundaries have been a topic of continuing
dispute throughout the years. The area was part of Anson
County during the early English colonization period; became
part of Rowan County in 1753, Surry County in 1771, Wilkes
County in 1777 and was briefly part of the State of Franklin
from 1784-89. Incorporated as a separate entity by the North
Carolina General Assembly in 1799, Ashe County came into
its own. There have, however been several small additional
adjustments to our borders over time.
Seeking a “proper and convenient”
place to be the County’s seat, the North Carolina General
Assembly appointed a special commission in 1799. In the
first of many displays of exorbitant spending, the commissioners
purchased 50 acres of land for $100.00. With this expenditure,
the Town of Jefferson (for a short time called Jeffersonton)
was born, being the first town in the nation to bear the
name of Thomas Jefferson, who happened to be the Vice President
of the United States at the time. Other incorporated towns
within Ashe County include Lansing and West Jefferson, undoubtedly
the County’s retail and service hub, offering a wonderful
traditional-style walkable downtown.
Transportation in the County exhibited
meager beginnings, showing reliance on trails used by horse
and pack animals. Eventually, a few all-weather roads were
constructed, several being private and requiring the payment
of toll fees. Beginning in 1915, the Norfolk and Western
Railway Company railroad operated for about 62 years in
Ashe County. 1977 saw the establishment of the Ashe County
Airport, sporting a 4,300 feet runway capable of facilitating
small to medium sized jets.
Hunting, trapping and farming were
of early significance to Ashe County citizens. Traditional
crops included wheat, rye, oats, barley, buckwheat, fruits
and vegetables. Cattle operations have also been historically
important to the local economy. The early 1900s saw much
activity in the dairy industry, with cheese making factories
in Grassy Creek and Beaver Creek, Sturgills, Crumpler and
Ashland. Eventually, the Kraft-Phoenix Creamery established
a plant in West Jefferson in the 1930s. Having had several
owners, the plant is now the Ashe County Cheese Plant, for
many years, the only such facility in North Carolina. In
addition to the harvesting of crops, mining operations have
flourished locally, including those seeking iron and copper
ores. Copper mining started in the late 1800s, with Ore
Knob being possibly the best known mine (at one time, being
the leading copper producing mine in the United States).
During these times, most farm implements used locally were
forged in Ashe County. Helton was the iron-making center
of the County, producing plows, hoes, wagon wheels, axes,
mattocks and shovels.
Another early industry to establish
and thrive in Ashe County has been the Phoenix Chair Manufacturing
Company, started around 1935 as a byproduct of chairs being
produced in a small saw milling operation. Some of the Phoenix
Company’s contemporaries include the Knox Knitting
Company of Creston, an Oak Flooring Company established
by W. E. Vannoy in 1935 and the Peerless Hosiery Company,
beginning in 1953. Other, larger industrial operations to
locate in Ashe County have been the Sprague Electric Company,
the P.H. Hanes Knitting Company, the Gates Rubber Company,
producing belts and hoses, as well as Southern Devices,
Leviton Manufacturing and Jefferson Apparel, producing textile
goods.
Ashe County’s early education
system consisted of private schools, being held either in
the summer or winter. A County Examiner was responsible
for certifying teachers, who were primarily women or young
girls during summer, and men or young boys during winter.
Classes were often held in churches, homes or vacant stores,
and teachers would stay alternately with different families
within the community. Public schools began in the county
in 1870, with school consolidation beginning in 1930. Separate
schools for black and white children operated until 1965,
when the system was integrated by the County. Currently,
the County operates one high school, one middle school and
four separate elementary schools.
Ashe County is a traditional, mountain
community, which holds strong to the traditions and values
that have been developed over time, and wrought through
experience and struggle. It would take a lifetime to explore
and properly appreciate every facet of this large county
with a small town feel. Rest assured that the good people
of Ashe County are willing to meet the future with anticipation.
Most any citizen will greet newcomers and old friends alike
with an open home and heart, and will work diligently together,
to preserve the lifestyle that makes Ashe County so wonderful.
For additional historical notes and documentation, contact
the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce.
Source:
Ashe
County Government
/
History
