Wilkes County Genealogy
- Formed 1778
- Parent county / earlier Surry
- County seat Wilkesboro
- Neighbors surry, yadkin, iredell, alexander, caldwell, watauga, ashe, alleghany
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Charleston-class research hub: history essay, record matrix, towns, repositories, and local history news.
- Formation 1778 from Surry — search parents for earlier events.
- Seat: Wilkesboro · Library: Northwestern Regional Library / Wilkes.
- Method guides: Start here · Formation · Census.
In-depth topics
Towns & communities
Wilkes County was formed in 1778 from Surry. The county seat is Wilkesboro. Neighboring counties include surry, yadkin, iredell, alexander, caldwell, watauga, ashe, alleghany.
This hub combines a modern research floor—record matrix, towns, repositories, news—with local history narrative. Always search parent jurisdictions for pre-formation events.
Wilkes county was formed in 1777 from parts of Surry County and Washington District (now Washington County, Tennessee). The first session of the county court was held in John Brown's house near what is today Brown's Ford. The act creating the county became effective on February 15, 1778, and the county celebrates its anniversary as February 15. It was named for the English political radical John Wilkes, who lost his position as Lord Mayor of the City of London due to his support for the colonists during the American Revolution.
In 1799 the northern and western parts of Wilkes County became Ashe County. In 1841 parts of Wilkes County and Burke County were combined to form Caldwell County. In 1847 another part of Wilkes County was combined with parts of Caldwell County and Iredell County to become Alexander County. In 1849 additional parts of Wilkes County and Caldwell County were combined with parts of Ashe County and Yancey County to form Watauga County. Numerous boundary adjustments were made thereafter, but none resulted in new counties.
The County seat of Wilkes County is Wilkesboro. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes through Wilkes county. Wilkes County is also divided into the following townships: Antioch, Beaver Creek, Boomer, Brushy Mountains, Edwards, Elk Creek, Hays, Jobs Cabin, Lewis Fork, Lovelace, Moravian Falls, Mulberry, New Castle, North Wilkesboro, Rock Creek, Somers, Stanton, Traphill, Union, Walnut Grove, and Wilkesboro.
Wilkes County is a part of the Yadkin Valley Wine Growing area.
Among the famous residents of Wilkes County:
* Daniel Boone (1734-1820), the famed explorer and pioneer, lived in Wilkes County for several years, and married a Wilkes County native, before moving west to Kentucky.
* Benjamin Cleveland (1738-1806), was a distinguished colonel in the North Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War. He was one of the American commanders at the famous Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780.
* William Lenoir (1751-1839), the first President of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
* Montford Stokes (1762-1842), United States Senator and Governor of North Carolina from 1816 to 1832. In 1832 he was appointed by President Andrew Jackson to lead the Federal Indian Commission in what is now Oklahoma; he is believed to be the only veteran of the Revolutionary War buried in that state.
* Chang and Eng Bunker (1811-1874), the world-famous Siamese twins, who were a popular attraction in Asia, Europe, and North America in the nineteenth century, settled in Wilkes County in the 1850s and married two local sisters.
* George Allen Gilreath (1834-1863), a captain in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War; he commanded the regiment which advanced the farthest into enemy lines during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg. Gilreath was killed in the assault.
* James B. Gordon (1822-1864), a general of cavalry in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.
* Tom Dula (Dooley) (1844-1868), a Confederate veteran of the Civil War who was tried and hanged shortly after the war for the murder of his fiancee, Laura Foster. Dula was the subject of a top-selling 1958 ballad by the Kingston Trio, entitled "Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley".
* James Larkin Pearson (1879-1981), poet and newspaper publisher who served as North Carolina's official Poet Laureate from 1953 to 1981.
* Robert Byrd (1917-), the senior U.S. Senator from West Virginia since 1959. Byrd is the longest-serving Senator in American history.
* Junior Johnson (1931-), in the 1950s, Johnson became a legend in the rural South by consistently outrunning law-enforcement officials in auto chases while delivering homemade liquor (moonshine) to his customers. Johnson then became a champion NASCAR racer, winning 50 NASCAR races before his retirement.
* Benny Parsons (1941-2007), well-known NASCAR racer who won the 1973 NASCAR championship. After his retirement he became a popular racing analyst for the ESPN, NBC and TBS television networks.
* John Swofford (1948-), since 1997 the Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), one of the nation's premiere college sports conferences.
* Deneen Graham (1964-), the first black woman to be crowned Miss North Carolina (1983).
* Zach Galifianakis (1969-), a popular stand-up comedian who has appeared on such television shows as Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He has also been a character actor in films such as Into the Wild and on several television series for the Comedy Central network, such as Reno 911.
Wilkes County is home to the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival, Merlefest, the Shine to Wine Festival, the birth of the folk song "Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley".
Source: Wikipedia.
Wilkes County Genealogy Resources
Wilkes Genealogical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 1629
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
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Wilkes County Government
Wilkes County Government Official Site
Wilkes County Register of Deeds
500 Court House Drive
Suite 1000
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
Phone: 336.651.7351
Monday - Friday 8:30am - 4:55pm
(None of their documents can be accessed online as of July 14, 2010)
Appalachian Regional Library - Serving Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga Counties
215 Tenth Street
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
Phone: 336.838.2818
Hours
336.838.2818
Directions
336.667.2638
Cities and Towns
- * North Wilkesboro
- * Ronda
- * Wilkesboro
- Wilkesboro (County Seat)
- North Wilkesboro
- Ronda
- Millers Creek
- Moravian Falls
- Roaring River
Unincorporated:
* Cricket
* Fairplains
* Hays
* Millers Creek
* Moravian Falls
* Mulberry
* Pleasant Hill
Census
- 1790 Federal Census Transcription
- 1800 Federal Census Index
- 1810 Federal Census Index
- 1820 Federal Census Index
- 1830 Federal Census Index
- 1840 Federal Census Index
- 1850 Federal Census Index
- 1850/1860 Federal Slave Mortality Census
- 1870 Federal Census Images
Cemeteries
- USGS listing of cemeteries in Wilkes County
- Cemetery Transcriptions
- Wilkes County Cemetery Transcriptions
- Wilkes County Cemetery Census
Query Forums
News related to Wilkes County, NC
History notes
Wilkes County (seat: Wilkesboro) is a core research hub for families who lived, married, worshipped, or owned land in this part of the Mountains region of North Carolina.
Wilkes 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 1778 from Surry means many pre-1778 events live in parent counties—never search the modern map alone.
Neighboring counties—surry,yadkin,iredell,alexander,caldwell,watauga,ashe,alleghany—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 1778.
Local history & events
- Wilkes County marches past Watauga 8U baseball - Watauga Democrat
- 21-year-old dies after head-on collision in Wilkes County, troopers say - WXII
- Head-on crash on NC 16 in Wilkes County sends troopers to scene, officials say - WXLV
- thewilkesrecord.com - The Wilkes Record
- Wilkes County USPS Mail Carrier Killed While on Her Route; Roaring River Man Charged - WataugaOnline.com
- Man accused of killing USPS worker in Wilkes County appears in court - FOX8 WGHP
Research tools
Record availability matrix
| Record type | Coverage | Years (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal census | good | 1790–1950 | Federal schedules available for NC with known quirks/losses in some years. Place the household in the correct county for each decade. Before 1778, search parent jurisdiction: Surry. |
| Birth records | sparse | 1915– | Statewide birth registration is comparatively late in NC. Use delayed births, church registers, Bibles, and census for earlier generations. Before 1778, search parent jurisdiction: Surry. |
| Marriage records | partial | 1800– | County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, or newspapers. Before 1778, search parent jurisdiction: Surry. |
| Death records | partial | 1915– | Death certificates denser after statewide registration; earlier deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. Before 1778, search parent jurisdiction: Surry. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1778– | Deeds/ROD series typically begin near county formation; colonial grants/plats may predate the county and live at State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1778, search parent jurisdiction: Surry. |
| Probate & estates | good | 1778– | Wills, administrations, and equity files are core sources. Courthouse losses push research to neighbors, microfilm, and State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1778, search parent jurisdiction: Surry. |
| Church & parish | partial | varies | Church coverage varies by denomination and survival; check local societies and denominational archives. |
| Newspapers | varies | varies | Title survival varies widely. Search local weeklies plus larger regional papers; use Chronicling America and the State Library of North Carolina and DigitalNC. |
| Military | good | 1775– | Revolutionary through 20th-century service may generate pensions, CMSRs, and local militia notes. Pair with county context for battles and units. |
| Cemeteries | partial | varies | Published surveys, Find a Grave, churchyards, and family plots. Unmarked burials are common—use obituaries and church books. |
| Court records | partial | 1778– | Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation; equity may be with or near probate. Before 1778, search parent jurisdiction: Surry. |
| Tax lists | sparse | varies | Tax lists can substitute for missing census years. Coverage is uneven by locality and year; check State Archives of North Carolina and published abstracts. |
Cemeteries & burial research
- Wilkes County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
Research starting points
Census
Federal census schedules are foundational for Wilkes County household reconstruction. Collect every decade, note neighbors (FAN club), and track the county name as it existed that year—especially across formation and split boundaries.
Vital records
North Carolina statewide vital registration expanded in the early 20th century. For many Wilkes County families you will rely on marriage bonds, church registers, Bible records, newspapers, delayed births, and probate—not only a modern certificate.
Cemeteries (legacy notes)
Cemetery surveys for Wilkes County appear in published books, Find a Grave, USGenWeb archives, churchyards, and family plots. Absence of a stone is not absence of burial—pair markers with obituaries and church books.
Courthouse & contacts
The county seat is Wilkesboro. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.
Public library: Northwestern Regional Library / Wilkes