Correspondence of The Landmark
Wednesday August 16 1898
History of Alexander County
When and How the County Was Formed –
Names of the Men Who Have Been Prominent in It’s Affairs Since It Was Organized.
In giving a synopsis of the history of Alexander county and the town of Taylorsville, which I hope will be interesting not only to the people living in the county but to those outside as well, who may have lived here at one time, I am indebted to J P Matheson, Esq for names and dates.
Alexander county was formed from the counties of Iredell, Wilkes and Caldwell and chartered by the Legislature at the session of 1846 – ’47. It is bounded on the north by the Brushy Mountains, west by Caldwell, south by the Catawba river, east by Iredell.
The county government was organized at a meeting of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, held at James X Roads, in June 1847. The court was composed of the following justices of the peace James Thompson, Robt Carson, Robt Allen, R G Martin, Moses Alexander, Peter Barnes, John Stine, E E Bradboro, A C McIntosh, R L Steele, Enouch Chapman, Sion Harrington, (probably Azel Sharpe), Joshua White, Davault Little, John Murschison and J N Bennett.
Jas Thompson, Esq was elected chairman of said court and Alfred Carson clerk, Reuben Watts was elected sheriff of the county, G W Newland was elected coroner, Moses Austin was elected register, Calvin Jones was elected entry taker, R L Steele was elected chairman of common schools.
In the act chartering the county certain persons were named to locate a county seat, of which Col Mlton Campbell, of Iredell, and Dr James Galloway, of Wilkes, were members. Other members not recalled.
The center of the county was as certained to be a little west of where Taylorsville Collegiate Institute now stands, but the committee thought best to locate the seat where the town now stands. The land for said county seat was donated for the purpose by J M Bogle, William Matheson and Jas James, they executing deeds therefor to James Thompson and his successors in office.
A building committee composed of A C McIntosh and others prodeeded to lay off the lands so donated into blocks of about one acre each, four lots in a block, and to sell the same at public auction about the 14th of August 1847 and out of the proceeds of the sale built the present court house and jail without any expense whatever to the tax payers of the county.
The first Superior Court was held in November 1847, the county court being in September before The Superior Court was held by one Judge Moore, of which court William G James was appointed clerk.
All the records of the county and Superior Courts were destroyed by Stoneman in his raid on April 14, 1865.
The first to make improvements in the town wre Alfred Carson, Bogle Jones, A C McIntosh, Thos S Boyd, John McKay, Hiram James and V Teague, Jr. Of first settlers there is not a man living. There are however among the settlers Mrs A C Mcintosh, Mrs Jane S James, Mrs DeCarson, Mrs R P Matheson, Mrs J P Thompson.
The following persons were clerks of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Alfred Carson, N A Pool, and R P Matheson.
Clerks of Superior Court up to the present time, W G James, Moses Teague, E M Stevenson, W A Pool, J T McIntoxh and J B Pool.
Sheriffs Reuben Watts, J C Smith, F A Campbell, J P Matheson, Esq, was elected provisional sheriff and after him was J T Perry. At the September term of county court Perry resigned and J P Matheson was again elected. His successors are H W Mays, R M Sharpe, J Walter Watts, J Y Williams.
Register of deeds, Moses Austin, N A Moose, L Herman, J P Matheson, W J Harrington, J B Pool, Jno Harrington, J M Oxford, J L Gwaltney, Thos A Hutson, V W Teague.
Representatives A C McIntosh, A M Bogle, V Teague Jr, J M Carson, R Watts, J P Matheson, R Z Linney, R P Matheson, J B Pool, Thos F Murdock, W E White, N S Norton, W C Linney, J Walter Watts.
Of the resources of the county we will speak later.
A C P
Taylorsville NC, Aug 11 ’98
Article contributed by Jerry Dagenhart