MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Montgomery was formed in 1779 from Anson. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery who, in 1775, lost his life at the battle of Quebec in the attempt to conquer Canada. It is in the south section of the State and is bounded by Moore, Richmond, Stanly, Davidson and Randolph counties. The present land area is 491.60 square miles. The population from the 2010 Census was 27,798. Of that population, 19,162 were white, 5,231 were black or African American, 120 were American Indian, 441 were Asian, 3 were Pacific Islander and 2,439 were of a different race. Another 402 were reported to be of two or more races and 3,926 were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The act establishing the county specified that the first court should be held at the home of Henry Munger, and all subsequent courts were to be held where the justices of the peace decided until a courthouse could be erected. Another act was passed that same year naming commissioners to select fifty acres of land centrally located and erect a courthouse, prison and stocks. By 1783 there had developed dissatisfaction among many of the inhabitants as to the location the commissioners had selected. However, the Assembly that year authorized the courthouse to be constructed on the land purchased. The act provided for adequate ferries across the Yadkin and Uwharrie Rivers on the court, public and election days. In 1785 the General Assembly was petitioned to authorize the removal of the courthouse. In 1791 an act was passed directing that the center of the county be located by actual survey, at which place Stokes was to be established. The commissioners, however, failed to act, and in 1792 new commissioners were named. The courts were to be held at the home of Mark Kennet unless the justices decided on some other place more convenient. In that year, Henderson was established at the confluence of the Yadkin and Uwharrie Rivers. In 1795 the courthouse, on the land formerly belonging to James Tindall, was authorized to be sold. Tindallsville had been established in that year. In 1815 commissioners were named to locate the center of the county, purchase land, and erect a courthouse. They were authorized to sell the old courthouse and lot in the town of Henderson and apply the proceeds to the erection of the new buildings. In 1816 Laurenceville was named under the authority of a law enacted in 1815 establishing a town at the courthouse. In 1843 the courthouse was ordered to be moved from Laurenceville to the geographical center. Commissioners were named to locate the center, to acquire land, to lay out a town and erect the public buildings. In 1844 Troy was established as the county seat.

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Montgomery County is primarily in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin. Some areas of Montgomery County are in the Lumber River Basin and some are in the Cape Fear River Basin. It is considered a part of the Piedmont region of the state.

References:

"American Factfinder." 2011. U. S. Census Bureau. Online at http://factfinder2.census.gov/. Accessed 3/3/2011.

Corbitt, David L. 2000. The Formation of the North Carolina Counties, 1663-1943. Sixth printing. Raleigh: State Department of Archives and History.

Powell, William Stevens, and Michael R. Hill. 2010. The North Carolina gazetteer: a dictionary of Tar Heel places and their history. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.

Additional resources:

North Carolina Digital Collections (Government & Heritage Library and NC State Archives)

NC LIVE resources

NC Natural Heritage Program database

WorldCat (Searches numerous library catalogs)