The History Of Two Wilkesboros

The town of Wilkesboro, North Carolina was founded in 1800. It wasn’t until 1891 that the town we now know as “North” Wilkesboro was founded.

In 1888 Wilkes County had a contract with the North Western North Carolina Railroad Company that stated the railroad they were bringing into the area must come within one mile of the courthouse in the county seat of Wilkesboro. The railroad ended up coming and landing within the proposed one-mile limit, but on the north-side of the Yadkin River, and this is where the history of “The Wilkesboro’s” gets a little tricky.

Throughout the Wilkes County section of the railroad the company constructed the tracks on the north side of the Yadkin River. For the railroad to actually have went in to Wilkesboro, which was located on the south side of the river, they would have had to build a bridge across the Yadkin. The best place for the bridge to go would have been near the mouth of the flood prone Cub Creek, which was not ideal. Plus, the extra expense this would have added to the project would have exceeded the $100,000 bond issue the county had floated for the tracks.

It is for this reason that the farmlands that were once owned by the Gordon family were to be the birthplace of the “new” town of North Wilkesboro. Early on, that area of land was simply referred to as “Mulberry Fields” by the Native Americans who lived there. Later, it was called other names such as: “Fairmount”, “Finleysville”, “Gordon”, “New Wilkesboro”, “Northwilkesboro”, and finally “North Wilkesboro”.

On January 7th, 1891 R. A. Deal of Wilkesboro’s The Chronicle newspaper wrote:

It is understood that an amendment will be asked for to extend the corporate limits so as to include the town of New Wilkesboro. This we understand will be antagonized by the inhabitants of New Wilkesboro, as they expect a separate charter for that place. We are of the opinion that if both sides of the river would voluntarily and in good faith agree to the incorporation of both sides under one charter, it would be a good thing. There is no reason why the river should be an impediment and a matter of contention. The river, gliding as it does along through the midst of the city, is indeed a very desirable addition, furnishing means for a splendid sewerage system. Instead of being a “bone of contention” the swift flowing Yadkin should be the embodiment of the legendary “pipe of peace.” It is a blessing not an evil, if viewed from a proper and rational standpoint.

Wilkesboro (we mean all) has substantial grounds for a glorious future with proper management; but the action of those in whose hands our destiny is placed must be characterized by honesty, liberal statesmanlike views, and not petty little personal selfishness and grudges. Let us all step upon a higher plane of existence and the river is no impediment.

Later that month a bill passed in the North Carolina State Senate that approved extending the corporate limits of Wilkesboro to include “New Wilkesboro”. Meanwhile New Wilkesboro got a bill through the North Carolina House to approve a charter for the new town. It was at this juncture that a compromise was made.

Wilkesboro would withdraw its request in Raleigh and the new town would get its new charter, but it would create a road and a bridge to Wilkesboro to allow access to the new railway and depot. They also agreed to take on the name “North” Wilkesboro instead of “New” Wilkesboro as not to imply that “Wilkesboro” was the “Old” Wilkesboro.

There were articles written at that time that you can read today, that talk about the division that this situation created. On one hand, W.F. Trogdon and many other entrepreneurs who helped develop the new town had incredible vision and foresight on what was to come of the area, on the other hand they arguably may have had limited perspective when it came to the division that was to come between the sister towns that were situated so close to each other.