Hi Group, The following article contained some info which some of the QUEEN-L members probably could use. If nothing else, for background. The text is copied verbatim from "Heritage of Burke County," 1981, copyright by Burke County Historical Society, published by Hunter Publishing Company, Winston-Salem, NC. Article was written by Mary YORK. She listed sources as: "Old deeds, census records, recollections of James Lafayette York, as told to the writer." Quote: In the early 1700's, three brothers; Henry, John, and Semore York came from Yorkshire England to America and settled in Randolph County, North Carolina. From these Yorks numerous families of Yorks originated and are now scattered throughout the United States. Henry York, believed to be the father of William R. YORK, lived and died on Sandy Creek in Randolph County. William R. York migrated to the South Mountains from Randolph County and settled in the vicinity of Ward's Gap, which at that time was part of Rutherford County. He was given a land grant for a large boundary of land, including the land where Mt. Gilead Baptist Church is now located. Some of this land he gave to his daughter Sophronia wo was married to Soloman Queen. Records show Sophronia York Queen and Soloman Queen gave forty acres of this land to establish a church and burial ground. Soloman Queen and wife Sophronia York Queen are buried in a small plot across the road from where Mt. Gilead Church is now located. William York later moved farther back in the South Mountains on Jacobs Fork River, and lived under a huge rock called the "Bill Snicker Rock" until he could build a cabin which he built beside a small stream near the rock, and near Jacob's Fork River. he later built a larger cabin across the river on the "Red Hill." He fished, hunted, trapped to feed his family and was also a farmer. Most of the Yorks engaged in farming. He bought and was granted several large tracts of land including the land where the Wildlife Campground is located as well as a large part of the land which now belongs to the South Mountain State park. In his lifetime he bought and was granted around three thousand acres of land in the South Mountains of Burke and Rutherford Counties. William R. York was married twice. The first marriage was to MARY ANN DEAL. To this union the following children were born: John, who returned from the Civil War; William, a Civil War Soldier; Abner, Sarah Elena York, who married John York; Mary Ann, who married William Deal (Dale); Nancy, who married Andrew York; and Dicey, who married Henry Deal (Dale). William R. York's second marriage was to Catherine Smith. To this union the following children were born: James R. who married Fanny Huffman; William Riley, who married Margaret Lowman; Livi Jackson, who married Sarah Huffman; Louisa, who married Billy ----; Sophronia, who married Soloman Queen; and a daughter (name unknown). William R. York died in 1832 and was buried in the York Cemetery on "Red Hill" in the South Mountains of Burke County, North Carolina. Unquote. (The article is #774, page 480 of the above noted book). Mary York wrote three additional articles - James R. York, James Lafayette York, and Waightstill Avery York.. If anyone is interested, please contact me. More on Burke County, NC Queens in the future. Regards, Jerry.