Wake County Genealogy
The county was formed in 1771 from parts of Cumberland County, Johnston County, and Orange County. It was named for Margaret Wake, wife of Governor William Tryon. The first courthouse was built at a place called Wake Courthouse, commonly known as Bloomsbury. In 1771, the first elections and court were held, and the first militia was formed.
Wake County lost some its land area during the subsequent formation of other new counties. Portions were taken by Franklin County in 1787 and by Durham County in 1881 and 1911.
The earliest inhabitants of present day Wake County were the Tuscarora Native Americans. After the Tuscarora War in 1711, they were defeated and moved to New York to join the Iroquois nation.
During the colonial period of North Carolina, the state capital was New Bern. For several years, during and after the Revolutionary War, there was no capital, and the General Assembly met in various locations. In 1792, a commission was appointed to select a site for a permanent state capital. The members of the commission were leaning toward land owned by Colonel John Hinton across the Neuse River, but on the night before the final vote, the committee adjourned to the home of Joel Lane for an evening of food and spirits. The next day, the vote was in Lane’s favor.
Raleigh was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, and established on 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) purchased from Lane. Sir Walter Raleigh never set foot in the United States, but two centuries earlier he had sponsored the establishment of the first English colony on the North Carolina shore at Roanoke Island. The city of Raleigh became both the state capital as well as the new county seat of Wake County. Raleigh is the only planned state capital in the United States.
Wake County is divided into 20 townships: Bartons Creek, Buckhorn, Cary, Cedar Fork, Holly Springs, House Creek, Leesville, Little River, Marks Creek, Meredith, Middle Creek, Neuse, New Light, Panther Branch, Raleigh, St. Mary’s, St. Matthew’s, Swift Creek, Wake Forest, and White Oak.
Source Wikipedia
Wake County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 17713
Raleigh, NC 27619
Wake County Historical Society
P.O. Box 2
Raleigh, NC 27602
Apex Historical Society
P.O. Box 502
Apex, NC 27502
Cary Historical Society
P.O. Box 134
Cary, NC 27511
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News related to Wake County, NC
“wake county” nc – Google News
Trial begins for deadly NC road rampage in 2004 – WRAL.com
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Trial begins for deadly NC road rampage in 2004
WRAL.com He is charged with killing one person and running down four others in a 40-mile rampage between Fayetteville and Wake County. He is accused of first-degree … |
⢠NORTH CAROLINA NEWS – WLOS
 News & Observer |
⢠NORTH CAROLINA NEWS
WLOS But Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby says he's skeptical, partly because the other man has confessed to almost 70 other crimes. North Carolina … Judges to hear first case from NC innocence panel |
Wake schools posts residents’ information online – WRAL.com
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Wake schools posts residents' information online
WRAL.com Raleigh, NC â The year-round school calendar is a controversial topic in Wake County as the school board tries to manage growth while giving parents more … Public meetings set to discuss Wake school calendars |
Two businessmen invested big in schools race – News & Observer
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Two businessmen invested big in schools race
News & Observer RALEIGH — Conservative businessmen Bob Luddy and Art Pope were the largest contributors in fall's Wake County school board … |
Cary High School gym to be named in honor of Charlie Adams – Boylan Catholic High School
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Cary High School gym to be named in honor of Charlie Adams
Boylan Catholic High School The Wake County Board of Education has approved the naming of the Cary High School gymnasium in honor of Adams, who was an outstanding athlete at Cary High … |
Catholic wins big at NC 3A swim regional – CharlotteObserver.com
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Catholic wins big at NC 3A swim regional
CharlotteObserver.com The Wake County Board of Education has approved the naming of the Cary High School gymnasium in honor of retiring NC High School Athletic Association … |
