Slavery in Wilkes County, North Carolina


Book Description

Slavery is a tragic chapter in the history of Wilkes County with a lasting legacy. Prominent businessmen and celebrated civic leaders, like General William Lenoir and William Pitt Waugh, were among the county's largest slaveholders. Judith Williams Barber endured forty-five years of slavery and garnered respect from both white and black residents. Her story is linked to free person of color and noted landowner Henderson Waugh, whose illustrious, slaveholding white father connected the two families--one slave and the other free. Author Larry Griffin takes readers on an emotional journey to separate fact from myth as he chronicles the history of slavery in Wilkes County. Prominent businessmen and celebrated civic leaders, like General William Lenoir and William Pitt Waugh, were among the county's largest slaveholders. Judith Williams Barber endured forty-five years of slavery and garnered respect from both white and black residents. Her story is linked to free person of color and noted landowner Henderson Waugh, whose illustrious, slaveholding white father connected the two families--one slave and the other free. Author Larry Griffin takes readers on an emotional journey to separate fact from myth as he chronicles the history of slavery in Wilkes County.




Wilkes County, North Carolina: A Brief History


Book Description

What do NASCAR, Tom Dula and Lowe s Home Improvement have in common? They all came from Wilkes County, North Carolina. The foothills of Wilkes County are a region of unsurpassed beauty and captivating history. Cradled by the Blue Ridge and watered by the Yadkin River, the county has faced the Revolution and Civil War, cheered on moonshiner and revenuer alike and struggled mightily to become the North Carolina jewel it is today. Join local historians Jennifer Pena and Laurie Hayes as they tell the story of a county steeped in tradition and immersed in history."







The Wilkes County Papers, 1773-1833


Book Description

A Compilation of the genealogical information found in collections of loose court, estate, land, school, military, marriage, and other records of the ceded lands and Wilkes County, Georgia, from 1773 to 1833, with a few additional papers from earlier and later periods.




Wilkes County Bits and Pieces


Book Description

Wilkes County, North Carolina was formed in 1778. It possesses a rich history, as it has been home to Native Americans, intrepid explorers like Christopher Gist and Daniel Boone, wartime heroes like Benjamin Cleveland and General James B. Gordon, and well-known scoundrels like Tom Dooley and Otto Wood. Over the years, Wilkes produced timber, moonshine, tobacco, NASCAR, Lowe's Home Improvement, and Americana music. This comprehensive history of the county explores the development of one of the most beautiful and interesting areas of the United States. Drawn from the local history collection of Wilkes Community College, local newspapers, and personal accounts, this book will entertain visitors and long-time residents alike. For more information, contact Dr. Fay Byrd at Wilkes Community College at (336) 838-6114.This is the black and white edition.




Early Records of Georgia


Book Description







The Ore Knob Mine Murders


Book Description

How could the peace and quiet of Ashe County, North Carolina (in the mountains, at the Virginia-Tennessee corner), turn into a nightmare of crime and drugs, and the old copper mine itself become a dumping ground for the dead? In 1982, two bodies had been chipped from an icy grave and brought up from the 250-foot mine shaft where they had been thrown while still alive. Now, there were rumors of 21 bodies still down there. If the mine was ever re-opened, what would they find--copper or bodies? Murder, drugs, prostitution and gangs come together in the history of the Ore Knob Mine. A small Appalachian community became the heart of a vicious drug ring ruled by the Outlaws motorcycle gang from Chicago. Ashe County made national headlines when a police informant came forward confessing that he had pushed a man alive into the Ore Knob Mine shaft. This book is the full story.










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