Stokes County Yesterday
Before It Became Stokes County The Formation of Stokes County	The Golden Era Tales & Superstitions

Stokes County is located in northwest North Carolina and is considered to be part of the Piedmont Plateau. The Sauratown Mountains rise from the southwest edge of the County, and run northeast for over half the width of the County.

The Sauratown Mountains were named for the Saura Indians, a tribe that inhabited this area during the second century.

The Sauratown Range has individually named peaks such as, from the east: Eatons Mountain, Ruben Mountain, Huckleberry Mountain, Moores Knob, Cooks Wall, Cole Gap Mountain, Hanging Rock, and Flat Shoals Mountain.

The Sauratown Mountains contain many interesting destinations for the visitor. Such places as Moores Springs, Piedmont Springs, Cascade Falls, Tories Den, Hanging Rock State Park, the Rock House, Moratock Iron Furnace, and the Dan River. All are easily accessible by automobile.

The Dan River begins in Patrick County, Virginia near Buffalo Knob and eventually flows to the Roanoke River in Halifax, Virginia. The river enters the northwest corner of Stokes County, near the community of Asbury, flowing diagonally across the County toward the community of Pine Hall, dropping approximately 500 feet in elevation on its course through Stokes. The Dan River is said to be named for an early Saura Chief, Danapaha.

In addition to the unique features created by the Sauratown Mountains and the Dan River, Stokes County conceals another geologic oddity. In the Sauratown Range can be found deposits of Itacolumite, commonly known as “limbergrit”, bending rock, or flexible sandstone. This is one of the very few deposits in the world, and believed to be the only deposit in the United States.

(The following information has been compiled and excerpted from “The Heritage of Stokes County North Carolina”, 1981, by the Stokes County Historical Society)

The story of Stokes County would be incomplete without a closer look at the Saura Indians. Recovered artifacts reveal other Indians roaming the fields and forests possibly thousands of years before the Saura Tribe was found here, but the Saura’s were the tribe inhabiting this region when the white man first entered the area.

The Saura Indians were of Siouan linguistic stock, and are first mentioned in the journals of explorer Ferdinand DeSoto, who in the year 1540, came upon a small band on the banks of the Pee Dee River, near the present North-South Carolina boundary. These Indians were called Saro and their village was known as Xualla. Throughout the years after DeSoto’s contact this tribe has been known by the names of Saro, Sauli, Juara, Sara, Sarrah and Saura.

John Lederer, a German, made three expeditions into the wilderness of Western North Carolina. On his second expedition in 1670, he reported visiting Saura villages along the Yadkin, Catawba and Dan Rivers. In 1728, Colonel William Byrd surveyed the boundary line between North Carolina and Virginia. Colonel Byrd reported in his journal of finding the upper and lower Saura villages on the Dan River, but they were deserted. The Saura left no written history. All that is known of these people is found in the few records of the wilderness explorers, and what modern archaeologists have been able to uncover from their village sites. Much more information, and artifacts, are available for viewing at the Hanging Rock State Park Visitor Center (336.593.8480).

Quite possibly the first settlement in Stokes County was “The Town Fork Settlement”. The “Great Wagon Road to Pennsylvania” which ran through Stokes County, crossed the Dan River north of the mouth of Town Fork Creek, running in a southerly direction to near the Fork, thence along the banks of Town Fork to Germanton then turning a bit south, it ran on to Bethabara, along this road and Town Fork, from west of the Dan River to west of Germanton was the site of the Town Fork Settlement. When the Moravians came into Wachovia in 1753, they encountered settlers, established farmers, in this area indicating these settlers were here prior to 1753.

Moravian Records reveal that in July 1755 a Mr. Owen and a Mr. Haltem from the Dan River came in to Bethabara for protection from Indian attacks, and reported that the families in the neighborhood were leaving their homes.

In 1756, Peyton Randolph and William Byrd of Virginia, and Hugh Waddell of North Carolina arranged a treaty with the Cherokee. The colonial government was to build three forts: Fort London in Virginia, Fort Dobbs in North Carolina, and Fort Prince George in South Carolina. These forts were to be occupied by the Cherokee as protection against the French Indians, but upon completion they were occupied by colonial troops. This so upset the Cherokee that attacks were made upon English settlements, and only the friendly treatment of the Cherokee by the Moravians prevented an all out attack on the frontier.

“There is the story of a raid and abduction on the Town Fork near Germanton in Stokes County. Indians made off with a young lass during an attack. Upon discovery of the act, Captain Charles McAnally and others went after the abductors. Sometime, after nightfall the abductors camp was discovered, and the young lady was sighted and they saw that during flight brush, brambles and briars had torn some of her garments off. Charles McAnally proceeded to sneak up to the camp, remove his jacket and “holding it before him so as not to look upon her nakedness”. He rescued the maiden, returning her safely to her parents. The story also goes that Charles McAnally later married this young lady, the daughter of Henry Banner and that they lived in Germanton.”

The French and Indian War was effectively over by February of 1763, and for the next few years’ life returned to normal for the early settlers of what was yet to become Stokes County.

During the Revolutionary War period (1775-1783) the situation in the area that was to be Stokes County presented three distinct problems: first the British, second the Indians who had been encouraged by the British to step up their actions against the settlers, and lastly were the Tories (British Loyalists).

Squads of local militia under the command of Joseph Winston, Jack Martin, and Matthew Moore were responsible for keeping the Tories, Indians and British from this region. Visitors can visit the ruins of Revolutionary War hero Colonel Jack Martin’s 3-story home, The Rock House. The site once served as mustering ground for local militias in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

The Stokes County region was fortunate to be left unscarred by actual battle during the Revolutionary War.

The genealogy of Stokes County reaches back to many other counties. The first county in North Carolina was Albemarle, formed in 1663. This included all of North Carolina. A division of Albemarle in 1696 created Bath County. A division of Bath in 1705 created Archdale. From Archdale came Craven in 1712. Then Craven was divided and there was New Hanover in 1729, from this came Bladen in 1734, from Bladen came Anson in 1750, then Rowan from Anson in 1753. Rowan County divided in 1770 and formed Surry County, and in 1789 Surry County was divided to form Stokes County.

Stokes County was named for a Colonel John Stokes.

John Stokes was born March 20, 1756 in Lunenburg County, Virginia. John Stokes was a well-educated man and when he joined the revolutionary army he rose quickly through the ranks. Commissioned an ensign in the 6th Virginia Regiment on February 16, 1776, promoted to Second Lieutenant in July 1776, to First Lieutenant December 1776, and to Captain; February 20, 1778. He engaged in several battles and was based near Williamsburg. He went to South Carolina to help defend Charleston under command of Colonel Buford in 1780. Before arriving there they were attacked by a superior force under British General Tarlton at Waxhaw and suffered a disastrous defeat.

Captain Stokes was severely wounded and taken captive. Of John Stokes’ experience in the Waxhaws massacre of May 29, 1780, it has been written:

“Early in the sanguinary conflict he was attacked by a dragoon, who aimed deadly blows at his head, all of which, by the dexterous use of his small sword, he easily parried; when another dragoon attacked from the right, and by one stroke cut off his right hand. They both then attacked him, and instinctively attempting to defend his head with his left arm, that was hacked in eight or ten places from the wrist to the shoulder and a finger cut off. His head was laid open almost the whole length of the crown to the eyebrows. A soldier passing asked if he expected quarter. Stokes answered: ‘I have not, nor do I mean to ask it; finish me as soon as possible;’ whereupon the soldier transfixed him twice with his bayonet.”

Astonishingly, John Stokes survived. He was a prisoner until May 1, 1783. After the war President George Washington appointed him United States Judge for the District of Western North Carolina.

When Stokes County was formed; in 1789, it included what is now Forsyth County. Germanton, the county seat, was located very near the center of the county, and was also located on the “great road” from the north.

“There is the legend of the hurricane that tells of a great wind storm that hit Richmondtown, county seat of Surry, while Stokes County was deciding upon a location for a county seat. The great wind blew the Surry courthouse down. Prisoners, who were housed in the basement, were so afraid that not one escaped. The following day many of the boards from the Surry courthouse were found near Town Fork and Buffalo Creek. It was decided then and there, if the Lord had seen fit to deposit these timbers at this spot, then that’s where the new courthouse was supposed to be built.”

It was not until 1849 that Forsyth County was formed, creating the boundary of what we know today as Stokes County.

Although Stokes County has been primarily an agrarian area, there has been some industry. In the mid 1700’s, there were the usual cottage industries: grist mills, craftsmen, tanners, coopers, harness and saddle makers, millwrights, wheel wrights, millers, distillers, cabinet makers, and wagon makers.

When Stokes County was formed in 1789, there were many large plantations throughout the entire County. During these early years the major task was to produce enough grain, meat, fruit and fiber to survive. The excess was sold or bartered. A small quantity of tobacco was being grown for home use and sale. The fertile land along the Dan River, Little Yadkin River and Town Fork Creek was well suited for the cultivation of grain and grass with a minimum amount of labor.

As the years passed, the population grew from 8,528 in 1790 to 16,196 in 1830. The only place for these later settlers was in the foothills and along the ridges of the Sauratown Mountains. Thus the farm size became smaller and more emphasis was placed on cash crops.

The first major industry to develop was mining and iron making. Iron ore and limestone were found throughout the County, a natural beginning for this industry. The most famous iron works in Stokes was the Tunnel Bloomery Forge, built in 1843. The operation eventually became the Moratock Mining and Manufacturing Company. This superb example of a bloomery forge still stands today, and is the focal point of the Moratock Park in Danbury. The Moratock Iron Furnace was the last forge to operate in Stokes County.

When General George Stoneman’s Union troops came through Stokes County in 1865, they closed the forge, which had supplied tons of iron for the Confederacy.

While the iron industry was at its peak, there was another industry beginning to grow, the manufacture of tobacco products, chewing tobacco, twist and plug. In 1841 Stokes County was the second largest producer of tobacco products in North Carolina.

In the spring of 1861 Southern patriotism was at an all time high. Companies were being formed locally and requests were going to the Governor for clothing, equipment and a place to rendezvous for regimental organization and training. After the required numbers of recruits were signed and the Captain had received his commission from the governor, the companies assembled at the courthouse or some other departure point for a rousing send-off by friends, neighbors and family.

The 2nd Battalion was organized on November 1, 1861 and was made up of eight companies, A to H. Five companies from North Carolina, two from Georgia and one from Virginia, The 2nd Battalion, North Carolina Infantry, Company “A”, Brown Mountain Boys, was organized May 4, 1861 in Stokes County. This unit joined General Henry A. Wise Legion and was assigned to Colonel Greene’s Independent Regiment. The 2nd Battalion, North Carolina Infantry covered a large territory as the following indicates:

On April 9, 1865 the War ended with General Lee’s surrender to General Grant at Appomattox Courthouse.

During that first week in April 1865, Colonel George Stoneman and his Union troops traveled down along the Dan River from Danbury, after closing the Moratock Iron Furnace, to the James Davis Jr. Plantation expecting to do battle with a unit of the Confederate Army. The Federal officers made headquarters in the Davis house. Four days later, as Colonel Stoneman learned that Lee had surrendered at Appomattox, he simply withdrew his troops, and moved on; finding no Confederate troops in Stokes County.

The beauty of the Sauratown Mountains combined with the presence of numerous springs and mineral waters combined to make the central part of Stokes County a thriving resort area from the early 1850’s into the 1920’s.

Three large hotels were operating near their respective mineral springs, all close to one another and within a few miles of Danbury. In their heyday, the large white frame hotels known as Piedmont Springs, Moore’s Springs and Vade Mecum Springs were elegant and lavish, with such attractions as orchestras and string ensembles from Europe.

In addition to drinking water from the springs, there were many diversions available, such as swimming in the Dan River, rocking or playing cards on the shady porches, horseback riding, playing billiards, and waiting for the daily delivery of mail to each resort. The amount and quality of the food was legendary, with guests consuming large quantities of country cooking three times daily. One of the cooks at Piedmont springs even went on to become head cook at the White House.

For many years, water from the springs was sold for medicinal purposes. In the early years the water was hauled in oak barrels by wagon to Rural Hall in Forsyth County, and dispersed from there. Later, water from the springs was bottled and sold widely, even abroad.

Mineral waters were used widely in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, and the waters from Stokes County springs compared favorably with that bottled and sold in other parts of the United States. Advertisements for the Stokes County waters claimed that they were laxatives, cathartics and diuretics, and could cure such afflictions as constipation, indigestion, kidney and bladder trouble, rheumatism and skin diseases. Both customers and physicians provided testimonials on the beneficial qualities of the waters.

Splendid as the resorts were, they were subject to devastating fires and were not revived after the fires of the 1920’s and 1930.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the United States Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933. The CCC was the result of a bill passed by Congress, which gave 250,000 young men subsistence, and small wages for work in the national forests and other small government properties during the Great Depression. The U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps developed Hanging Rock State Park in 1935.

Hanging Rock State Park is home to clear, sparkling mountain streams, waterfalls and cascades, a lake for swimming and fishing is nestled in the mountains surrounded by mountain laurel, rhododendron, stewartia and many other flowering shrubs.

From the highest elevation in the park, on Moore’s Knob (elevation 2,572 MSL) can be seen the valley of the Dan River, the patchwork of tobacco fields, and the distant Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina and Virginia.

Today, Hanging Rock State Park is one of the most popular parks in the North Carolina State Park System. Located four miles northwest of Danbury, it can be reached by NC Highways 89 and 66. In recent years the park has attracted well over 400,000 visitors annually.

Hanging Rock State Park, along with the Sauratown Mountains and the Dan River, have defined the character of Stokes County ever since.

Some peculiar to Stokes County are,…

“When fish jump ‘bove the water, look fer rain”

“When a feller’s second toe is longer than his big toe, he’ll be henpecked”

“Snakes will come around a place gourds are growin’”

“The first frost comes three months from the time one hears the first katydid; it will hail in May if it thunders in February; if a river gets out of its banks in March, it will do so again in August; and when it is foggy in the morning, it will clear before noon.”

Stokes County Today || Recreation
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