McDowell County Genealogy

McDowell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2008 estimate, the population was 50,151. Its county seat is Marion.

Archaeological excavations performed by Dr. David Moore, during the early 1980s, revealed the earliest inhabitants of McDowell County to be from the Mississippian and Woodland eras. Dr. Moore discovered evidence in an area close to the Catawba River in and around an unusual topographical site known as Round Hill. These early Native Americans lived in this section prior to Juan Pardo's exploration of the region.

Cherokee and Catawba Indians were known inhabitants of what is now McDowell County.

In 1566, the Spanish explorer Juan Pardo came to Western North Carolina traveling through the area that is now McDowell county. His purpose was to acquire territory for Spain, but he had also hoped to find precious metals. Pardo and his men built a log blockhouse at the headwaters of the Catawba River. Apparently intimidated by the formidable range of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the home of the Cherokee Nation, Pardo left the area the following year.

In 1748, "Hunting" John McDowell received a land grant for property known today as "Pleasant Gardens" including acreage originally located from Swan's Pond (Catawba County) up the Catawba River west to present day Marion and into the region known as Buck Creek. During a hunting expedition with his friend Henry Weidner, the two came upon a lush green valley with thousands upon thousands of acres of virgin forest. During that time, it was customary when settling a dispute to engage in a "friendly" wrestling match. McDowell came out the winner.

"Hunting" John McDowell received two land grants and after establishing residence along the Catawba River of Pleasant Gardens, raised his family. He is noted in Max Dixon's, The Wautagans as being instrumental in Jacob Brown's Purchase of one of the last reamining pieces of acreage along the Nolichucky River in Tennessee when he hosted a negotiations with the Cherokee on his farm in North Carolina.

His son, Joseph McDowell, is noted in history as a significant contributor to the Battle at Kings Mountain. McDowell County is named in his honor. Today, his home stands as one of the few remaining homes in North Carolina still standing and built by its namesake.

The settlement of Old Fort was later established and it had become the westernmost outpost of Colonial civilization at the time. These early pioneers established a close community protected by a series of forts which remained active until the early 1800s. Thus, Old Fort.

In 1793, Colonel John Carson built a plantation house near Buck Creek in the Pleasant Gardens community, which still stands today as the Historic Carson House. He also operated gold mines in the southern part of the county. Colonel Carson was a significant historical figure in the American Revolutionary War.

Marion, the county seat of McDowell County, was planned and built on land selected by the first McDowell County Commissioners on March 14, 1844 at the Historic Carson House. It was not until 1845, however, that the official name of Marion was sanctioned as the county seat by the state legislature. The name of Marion came from Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War hero, known as the “Swamp Fox” and the man upon whom the movie "The Patriot" was based.

During the Carolina Gold Rush period of the early 1800s, the south county area was known for its gold production. The banks of the Muddy Creek and mines at Vein Mountain were productive areas. Many mines and thriving gold rush towns such as Brackettown no longer exist, although scattered ruins and cemeteries mark many locations of the gold rush period.There were other mines in the area also including an old mine in Woodlawn. In that community someone opened a mine on Tom's Creek which may have been a Mica mine. There are remnants of the a sorting house and the old mine shaft itself. Who opened and ran this mine is a good question.

McDowell County is rich in American Civil War History. The movie Last of the Mohicans was filmed along the shores of the picturesque Lake James.

McDowell county was first formed in 1842 from parts of Burke County and Rutherford County. It was named for Joseph McDowell, a Revolutionary War leader and hero of the Battle of King's Mountain, and a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1797 to 1799.

In 1861, parts of McDowell County, Burke County, Caldwell County, Watauga County, and Yancey County were combined to form Mitchell County.

Source: Wikipedia.

McDowell County, NC Historic Places

Historic Carson House

McDowell County Genealogy Resources

• McDowell County NCGenweb site
• McDowell County NCGenWeb Archives

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McDowell County Government

McDowell County Official Website
McDowell County Courthouse
21 S. Main Street
Marion, NC 28752

McDowell County Register of Deeds

Census

• 1850 Federal Census Index
• 1850 Federal Census Transcription - Partial transcription of McDowell County NC 1850 census.
• 1850 Federal Census Images
• 1860 Federal Census Index
• 1890 Federal Census Veterans Schedule

McDowell County Cemeteries

• USGS Listing of Cemeteries in McDowell County, NC
• Cemetery Transcriptions
• McDowell County Cemetery Census

Query Forums

• McDowell County, NC Query Forum
• McDowell County, NC at Genforum

Cities and Towns of McDowell County:

* Marion (County Seat)
* Old Fort

Unincorporated Places:

* West Marion
* Little Switzerland
* Nebo
* Glenwood
* Pleasant Gardens
* North Cove

News related to McDowell County, NC

Cities and towns

• Marion (County Seat)
• Old Fort
• Nebo
• Little Switzerland
• Glenwood

History notes

McDowell County (seat: Marion) is a core research hub for families who lived, married, worshipped, or owned land in this part of the Mountains region of North Carolina.

McDowell County sits in North Carolina’s mountain corridor, where Cherokee boundary history, gap roads, and later rail/tourism eras layer onto farm and valley communities. Formation in 1842 from Burke, Rutherford means many pre-1842 events live in parent counties—never search the modern map alone.

Neighboring counties—burke,rutherford,buncombe,yancey,avery,mitchell—frequently hold the “missing” deed, marriage, or burial when households straddle lines or move a few miles for work, church, or better land. Always record the jurisdiction as named in the original, then map it onto modern county pages.

Use the panels on this hub for record availability, towns, repositories, and local history news. Pair them with the statewide Start here path and the counties & formation guide when events predate 1842.