Another source, which many people overlook, is in front of the 1850 census index found in your local libraries for all states. For states formed after 1850 then you will find the information in the earliest census index. I ALWAYS advised my genealogy students to copy this information (it's only a few pages) and keep it in front of their notebook or file that always travels with them. It works wonders in keeping counties sorted out. Lorena "Derick S. Hartshorn" <[email protected]> wrote: At 08:26 PM 7/6/2000 , you wrote: >Do you know if a petition exists whereby some citizens of Lincoln county >petitioned the General Assembly to form the new county which was named >Catawba at its formation? There are such petitions for other counties (e.g. >citizens of Rutherford and Lincoln petitioned to form Cleveland Co. in the >late 1830s) and they are at the N.C. Archives. >Thanks, >Lynn Wesson There have been petitions to form at least three counties in the area West of the Catawba: Lafayette County - to be composed of parts of Burke, Catawba, Cleveland and Lincoln counties (1850-51) Dickson County - to be composed of parts of Rutherford, Cleveland, Lincoln, Catawba and Burke (1858-59) Armfield County - to be composed of parts of Burke, Catawba, Cleveland and Lincoln counties (1876-77) If you are seriously interested in the formation of NC Counties, The NC Archives has an inexpensive book which provides all the information you could desire. Unfortunately, it does not mention the unsuccessful petitioning of counties which were never formed. A brief description: The Formation of the North Carolina Counties, 1663-1943, David Leroy Corbitt. Pp. xxix, 323. Index. (5th printing, 1996) ISBN 0-86526-032-X $15.00 A basic resource for the study of genealogy and state and local history and a useful companion to the County History Series. Contains date and history of the formation of each county; a description, taken from the laws, of the boundary lines; maps (1700-1912) that show the development of the state from northeast to southeast and then westward; and a chart giving the dates of the formation and the origins of each county. Directions for ordering can be found at: http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/hp/catalog/county.htm Regards, --Derick ==== CATAWBA-WEST Mailing List ==== 781,000+ surnames =|= Archives =|= 16,100 discussion listss Your gracious donations to RootsWeb makes this all possible. RootsWeb Gen. Data Coop. Box 6798 Frazier Park, CA 93222 ____________________________________________________________________ Get your own FREE, personal Netscape WebMail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com.