Burke
The county was formed in 1777 from Rowan County. It was named for Thomas Burke, a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1777 to 1781 and Governor of North Carolina from 1781 to 1782. In 1791 parts of Burke County and Rutherford County were combined to form Buncombe County. In 1833 parts of Burke County and Buncombe County were combined to form Yancey County. In 1841 parts of Burke County and Wilkes County were combined to form Caldwell County. In 1842 additional parts of Burke County and Rutherford County were combined to form McDowell County. Finally, in 1861 parts of Burke County, Caldwell County, McDowell County, Watauga County, and Yancey County were combined to form Mitchell County.
Burke County was home to the first European settlement in the interior of North Carolina: “The first European settlement in the interior of North Carolina and what became the United States was made by Spanish in 1567, when they built Fort San Juan at the large Native American settlement of Joara near present-day Morganton. They renamed the settlement Cuenca.[2] In 1568 the natives killed the Spanish and burned the fort. The Spanish never returned to this area, and it was centuries before the next Europeans tried to settle there.”
In 1567 a Spanish expedition arrived and built Fort San Juan there, claiming the area for the colony of Spanish Florida. They had been sent by the governor at Santa Elena, Parris Island in South Carolina. Capt. Juan Pardo, leader of the expedition, left about 30 soldiers at the fort while doing additional exploration. In the spring of 1568 the natives killed the soldiers and burned the fort. Introduction of European diseases and takeover by larger tribes led to Native American abandonment of the area. It was centuries before the next Europeans, English, Scots-Irish and Germans, attempted to settle here again.
Source Wikipedia
Burke County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 661
Morganton, NC 28655
Burke County Public Library System
Burke County Historical Society
P.O. Box 151
Morganton, NC 28655
Burke County Courthouse
200 Avery Avenue
County Government Building
Morganton, NC 28655
Census
1790 Federal Census transcription indexed by last name
1790 Federal Census transcription
1790 Federal Census Transcription - Morgan District
1800 Federal Census Index by last name only
1800 Federal Census Index
1800 Federal Census Transcription Link opens to directory with above index and text files titled by starting page.
1810 Federal Census index by last name only
1820 Federal Census Index by last name only
1830 Federal Census Index by last name only
1840 Federal Census Index by last name only
1850 Federal Census Index by last name only
Cemeteries
USGS listing of cemeteries of Burke County
Query Forums
Cities and towns of Burke County:
Bridgewater
Brindle Town
Burkemont
Calvin
Chesterfield
Connelly Spg
Connelly Springs
Connellys Springs
Drexel
Enola
Glen Alpine
Hildebran
Icard
Jonas Ridge
Joy
Linville Falls
Morganton (County Seat)
Oak Hill
Petersburg
Pleasant Grove
Rutherford College
Salem
Sunnyside
Valdese
News related to Burke County, NC
“burke county” nc - Google News
Letter: Board violating civil citizens' rights in Burke County - Morganton News Herald
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Letter: Board violating civil citizens' rights in Burke County
Morganton News Herald City of Creedmore, 345 NC 356 (1997) have declared that "once the government has opened a forum â such as a public meeting â to allow direct citizen … |
North Carolina Association of County Veterans Service Officers … - Morganton News Herald
 Morganton News Herald |
North Carolina Association of County Veterans Service Officers …
Morganton News Herald Shirley McCurry, past president of the North Carolina Association of County Veterans Service Officers and Burke County Veterans Services director submitted … |
School board may fight for its money - Morganton News Herald
 Morganton News Herald |
School board may fight for its money
Morganton News Herald Morganton, NC - Did the Burke County commissioners short-change the schools by hundreds of thousands of dollars in the … NC school board votes out county superintendent Burleson out as Burke County superintendent Letter: Make the board pay to buy out superintendent |
Hot Ticket - Morganton News Herald
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Hot Ticket
Morganton News Herald Two floors of Burke County memories. Now through July 31: "The Hands of Time" vintage clocks on loan from Bob Ledford's collection. … |
Letter: Misinformation needs to be corrected - Morganton News Herald
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Letter: Misinformation needs to be corrected
Morganton News Herald Regarding shoreline protection, the Community of Lake James Inc. met with Burke County planner Marc Collins on May 16, 2008, and discussed the issues of … |
First Wilkes leaders were revolutionaries - Wilkes Journal Patriot
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First Wilkes leaders were revolutionaries
Wilkes Journal Patriot Joseph mcdowell and Major Charles mcdowell, Patriot militia leaders from Burke County. At least half of the members of this first Wilkes County court fought … |
