Rosemary and others: According to information published at the Archives in Raleigh about North Carolina counties: Catawba was formed in 1842 from Lincoln. It was named for anIndian tribe which lived in that section of the State. It is in the west central section of the State and is bounded by Iredell, Lincoln, Burke, Caldwell and Alexander counties. The present land area is 400.40 square miles and the 1990 population was 118,412. The Act establishing the county named commissioners to acquireland within two miles of the center of the county, lay out a town by the name of Newton, and erect a courthouse. Controversy developed over the location. Consequently in 1845 an act was passed authorizing the erecting of the courthouse in Newton, which is now the county seat. Note by AMD: I believe the courthouse for Catawba County was once at Maiden where, today, some old records are still housed. It was my recollection that the Northernmost strip of five miles was taken from Lincoln County to add to other land to form Catawba county. I seem to recall, from reading and research, that this five mile strip became Lincoln County again. I do know that in 1846 Gaston County was formed, using the lower, or Southern, part of Lincoln County, which, at one time was a great deal larger than the present 356.40 square miles. The reason I came to know about the Catawba "switch" of this Northern strip is that: In 1838, my grgrgrgrandfather, Nathaniel Mitchum, b. 1780, died in what was then Lincoln County (near present-day Vale, North Carolina, which is in Lincoln County now.) [Near this point, the counties of Burke, Catawba, and Lincoln meet.] During the administration of his estate (which lasted more than eight years), the administration of his estate was transferred to the "new" county of Catawba (sometime after its formation in 1842, and his farm/acreage (formerly denoted Lincoln County property), was sold before the courthouse door in Newton (Catawba County) in March of 1846 by Sheriff Shuford. His administrator was Major Hull (not a rank, but a Christian name). Major Hull, even though he held the fiduciary capacity as estate administrator, purchased this land. It is now considered Lincoln County property (which, according to recorded deeds, was "on the headwaters of Indian Creek" -- in Northernmost Lincoln County.) Incidentally, on census records, the Harbinson name appears as neighbors of Nathaniel and Jemima Mitchum, and, as I recall some items at the personal property estate sale of Nathaniel Mitchum were purchased by neighbors, including Harbinson. Alta Mitchem Durden- [email protected]