This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: KatherineDBenbow Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.northcarolina.counties.guilford/4307.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Unless you have some information that connects her to Guilford, I don't understand why you're posting on the Guilford board. As far as I know, there is no community in Guilford by either name. Powell's North Carolina Gazetteer gives the following information: Cranberry, community in north central Avery County. There are several Cranberry Creeks in the state, one in west Avery County, one in north Jackson County, one in SE Watauga County, and the one I know, in west Yadkin County. That is the closest one to Guilford. As for the name Blue Ridge, Powell lists a community named Blue Ridge in east Henderson County. Of course, we have the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina, and the name is picked up and used in various ways in that part of the state. Guilford County, by the way, is in the central piedmont, and it is not near the Blue Ridge Mountains. The closest access to them from Guilford is to go NW to the northern boundary of Surry County and the NC/VA border. That's a considerable distance for someone in the 1820's. There is a Cranberry Ridge listed in north Jackson County between Cranberry Creek and Hornbuckle Creek. I am assuming that is a mountain, since Powell doesn't call it a community. Yadkin County was created in 1850 from Surry County, which was created in 1771 from Rowan, one of Guilford's parent counties. As for the sometimes complicated genealogy of the rest of these counties (because you won't find records for anyone in a county that didn't exist at the time), you need to go here: http://www.rootsweb.com/~nccatawb/countyfm.htm While there was a Mitchell family in early Guilford, it is not an uncommon name. You need to figure out first where your Mitchell family was living or could have been living, and which county would hold their records for that time frame. For instance, have you checked to see what counties had Mitchell households in the 1820 census? Land records and court records can be very helpful. Good luck. Katherine Benbow County Coordinator, Guilford County NCGenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncguilfo/index.html Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.