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Welcome To The Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Genealogy & History Page |
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What's
Here
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| County
History | Mecklenburg
County Location and Maps | Towns
of Mecklenburg
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| Mecklenburg
Historic Sites
| Ethnicity
| Local
Genealogy Resources
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| QUERIES
& FORUMS
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Neighboring
Counties - USGenWeb Links | Surname
Registry
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| Mecklenburg
Family
Pages
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Some
Helpful North
Carolina
Links
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Volunteer
Researchers
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| Professional
(Paid) Researchers
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Genealogy
Tips and Technique Links
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| Other
Helpful Links
| Sources
for Mecklenburg Books and Maps
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| Family
Reunion and Local Genealogy Event Announcements
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Credits
and Contacts
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Thank you for visiting the Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Genealogy & History page. Please visit often as new links and updates are regularly added. Use the table provided above to skip to any section in the page or simply scroll through the entire page.
This site is provided on a voluntary, nonprofit basis and is intended to help individual family history researchers, historians, genealogists, and others locate genealogy information within Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. To avoid web "clutter", the page uses links to access pertinent sites, provides directories for local genealogy research, and seeks to post information not found elsewhere. In consideration of our visitors usage of many different computer models, modem speeds, browsers, and internet service providers, graphics have been used sparingly.
Please e-mail me about links or information you would like to see here, or if you wish to contribute relevant genealogy and history data to the page.
The county was formed from Anson
County in
1763 and named for the hometown of Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
in Germany who became the bride of England's King George III in 1762.
When a town was established within the county in 1768, founders named it
"Charlotte Town" for Queen Charlotte.
Historians report that the county settlement by
immigrants began in the early 1700's primarily from the North along the
"Trading Path", an old Indian Trail, and from the South along the
rivers from Charleston. Immigrants were predominately Scotch-Irish and
were not threatened by the native residents, the Catawba Indians. By
1775, many settlements and churches had been established by families such as
Alexander, Polk, Latta, Selwyn, Davidson, Harris, Graham, and Torance, to
name a few. Early churches included Hopewell, Rocky River, Sugaw Creek, Steele
Creek, and Providence, all established in the 1750's and '60's.
Fiercely independent and wanting to remain that way, the leading
citizens of Mecklenburg County drafted the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
in 1775.
Gold was discovered around 1800 and Mecklenburg soon became the location
for the Charlotte Mint and so it is only fitting that it is today the home
of two of the top ten banks in the United States.
A more complete history is available online via "The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Story",
a provision of the Charlotte & Mecklenburg County Public
Library.
Still more county history may be found by visiting the
"Official" sites maintained by each of the six towns of
Mecklenburg. The links to each are in the Towns of
Mecklenburg Section below.
And finally, there are a number of websites maintained within our county
that provide free historical information. Links to local genealogy and
history sites may be found in the "Old Mecklenburg"
and "Resources" sections of this
page.
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Charlotte Incorporated 1768, named for Queen Charlotte.
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Cornelius Incorporated 1905
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Davidson Incorporated 1879, Home of Davidson College founded in 1837.
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Huntersville Incorporated 1877, Originally known as Craighead, for Alexander Craighead.
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Matthews Incorporated 1879
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Mint Hill Founded ca. 1750, Unincorporated 1910, Latest incorporation in 1971.
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Pineville Incorporated 1872, Home of James K. Polk, the 11th President of the
United States. -
The James Latta Plantation
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The Hugh Torance House and Store
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The James K. Polk Memorial
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Hezekiah Alexander Homesite & Charlotte Museum of History
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Historic Rosedale Plantation
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The Charlotte Trolley and Museum
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A Genealogical Survey of the Gum Branch of Long Creek
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Carolinas Historic Aviation Commission & Museum
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The Mint Hill Country Doctor's Museum & Ira V. Ferguson Country Store
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Levine Museum of the New South
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Reed Gold Mine
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Native American References:
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African Ancestry References:
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Jewish References:
- Births, Deaths and Marriages since 1913 are on-line at the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds Page. Property records since 1763 are also there. Click here to access the site.
- Cemeteries:
Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room - Has some Mecklenburg Cemeteries - Churches:
Mecklenburg Church Guide: A historical directory with links. Under construction!
Charlotte's Web Church Directory
The Mecklenburg Church Directory
Charlotte District Page of the United Methodist Church. - Genealogy Societies:
The Olde Mecklenburg Genealogical Society home page, hosted by RootsWeb, has
on-line resources and membership information. The society offers quite a few publications
pertaining to Mecklenburg genealogy and history.
The Steele Creek Historical & Genealogical Society home page, also hosted by RootsWeb,
has genealogy and history articles pertaining to the old Steele Creek township of
Mecklenburg county posted on-line. Membership information is also on their page. The
society has a quarterly publication.
The Cabarrus County Genealogy Society another RootsWeb hosted site, is of particular
interest to Mecklenburg researchers since much of our early history developed along the
Rocky River located near the county line. - The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library home page.
- The Special Collections Section of the UNC Charlotte J. Murrey Atkins Library has over 200 manuscript collections that document the history of North and South Carolina from the eighteenth century to the present.
- The Mecklenburg Historical Association.
- Current county tax maps and property ownership records are available on-line from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center.
- A collection of historical Mecklenburg maps are available online at the Mecklenburg County Engineering & Building Standards Department Web page.
- Central Piedmont Community College Archives.
- Davidson College Archives.
- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Department of Archives
- Johnson C. Smith University Inez Moore Parker Archives and Research Center
- A helpful site about Mecklenburg Civil War soldiers is at The Branch-Lane Brigade Society page.
- The Mecklenburg County AHGP (American History & Genealogy Project) page.
- The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission page has a list and description of designated historic properties. Many links to historic properties are included.
- The Bethel Presbyterian Church Family History & Genealogy Research Page.
- "Thomson's Mercantile and Professional Directory 1851-1852" for North Carolina, including Mecklenburg is available from the New River Group.
- A collection of Civil War Records of Mecklenburg soldiers may be found at censusdiggins.com.
- The Charlotte Chamber of Commerce has a historic timeline that is useful for ancestral research.
- The May 20th Society sponsors an annual event commemorating the signing of the "Mec Dec".
- Mecklenburg Ancestry & Family History section of ePodunk page.
About Mecklenburg, where is it?
Located in the south central portion of North Carolina, the center of the county is at the intersection of Interstates 77 and 85 and is bordered on the west by the Catawba River, on the north by Iredell county, on the east by Cabarrus and Union counties, and on the south by York and Lancaster, South Carolina counties. Across the Catawba are the counties of Lincoln and Gaston. Interestingly, the I-77 and I-85 junction is just a few miles north of the junction of the old Indian trails; The Trading Path and Nation Ford Road. The city of Charlotte, the oldest incorporated town, dominates the county comprised of seven municipalities surrounded by a narrow band of unincorporated rural area and small communities.
Select from the maps below to view a current condensed county map, a graphic map of Mecklenburg towns, a graphic township map, a 1923 county map, a 1789 map, or maps showing the formation of the county as it evolved.
Current Mecklenburg
County Map - Courtesy of the Map Shop (Takes a long time to load)
Mecklenburg Municipalities
graphic map - From the Mecklenburg GIS
Township graphic
map - Courtesy of Karen Isley
Mecklenburg 1923
roadmap - From collection of the Charlotte/Mecklenburg Public Library
1789 map of the
county - From collection of the Charlotte/Mecklenburg Public Library
A collection of historical Mecklenburg maps are available online at the Mecklenburg
County Engineering & Building Standards Department Web page.
North Carolina County formation series - From the State Library of North
Carolina:
| 1700
| 1740
| 1760
| 1775
| 1780
| 1800
| 1840
| 1850 |
Current "Interactive" Mecklenburg maps may be found online at mapquest.com.
Mecklenburg
Cities and Towns
Currently, Mecklenburg County has seven
incorporated municipalities. A brief history of each may be found at
their "official" website. Following are the links to
each.
Mecklenburg Historic Sites and Attractions
For nearly three centuries, Mecklenburg County has been a picture of diversity; from the Catawba Indians to the Germanic, Scotch, Irish, English, Latin, African, Middle Eastern, Balkan, Hispanic, and Asian immigrants. This section is strictly apolitical and is devoted to assisting family history research regardless of ethnic background.
The Catawba
Cultural Preservation Project
A History
of the Catawba
More links
about the Catawba may be found on the York
Co., S.C. USGenWeb Site
The
USGenWeb Native American Resources
Page
AfriGeneas A helpful
African American ancestry research site, not Mecklenburg
specific.
The Charlotte
Afro-American Cultural Center
African-American Genealogical Interest Group
Meets 3rd Saturdays, Odd Months 9 A.M. at Vintages On The Blvd, 4200 E.
Independence Blvd.,
Charlotte. President: Alvin Ricks 704/554-0062.
Mr. Ricks has
informed me that a Web Page is
forthcoming.
In Quest of Cemeteries of the Enslaved In Mecklenburg County, North
Carolina.
A project
of Comprehensive Genealogical Services.
The project is documenting and
preserving
slave cemeteries in our area.
The Charlotte Jewish Historical Society (CJHS)
LOCAL
RESOURCES
(Some Mecklenburg
On-Line Resources)
Mecklenburg QUERIES and FORUMS
Currently, we administer two forum facilities specifically for Mecklenburg researchers. If you wish to post a query about your county ancestry, please use the Forum Board link. If you wish to discuss your research in the county with others, then your participation in our subscription e-mail list is invited.
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The Weddington Family by Bill Weddington.
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Deese Manus Secrest Medlin Ross Winchester Families by Pat Deese.
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The Family Lines of Donna and Harry Johnson, home page.
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The Haynes Family by Paulette Haynes.
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Hipp Family page by Donna Johnson.
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Hoover Family by Donna Johnson.
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The James "Whisteling" Orr Family of Mecklenburg County N.C. by Donna Johnson.
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Peggy Reece Bruckner's "My Carolina Cousins" page reflects on her Mecklenburg Knox and Thomasson families.
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The North Carolina Killough family by Gary Killough.
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An Alexander family page by Glenda Alexander.
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Andrew Dennis Faircloth's Alexander family page.
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Bill Bigham's Family Page.
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The Green Family from Mecklenburg Co., NC to Carroll Co., TN.
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Descendants of Hugh Elliott and Jane Jamison.
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The Kiker family page by Donna Kiker Liddell.
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Love family page by Donna Johnson
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Capps Family History.
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The Konder-Conder Family Genealogy.
SUBSCRIPTION E-MAIL LISTS:
We have a Mecklenburg County e-mail list forum. If you wish to send or receive e-mail messages discussing genealogy related Mecklenburg county history or events, you are invited to subscribe to the list.
Please keep in mind that once you subscribe to the e-mail list, you will receive an e-mail each time any of several hundred subscribers send a message to the list!
To subscribe in list mode, send a message to NCMECKLE-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com with the one word 'subscribe' in the body of the message. To subscribe in digest mode, send your message instead to NCMECKLE-D-REQUEST@rootsweb.com.
To unsubscribe in list mode, send a message to NCMECKLE-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com with the one word 'unsubscribe' in the body of the message. To unsubscribe in digest mode, send your message instead to NCMECKLE-D-REQUEST@rootsweb.com.
E-mail messages are archived by our host, RootsWeb. Archived messages are currently accessible by surname searches only. To search the archives, click on "archive" below. When the search page appears, type "NCMECKLE" in the block asking for the mail list name, then press Enter. Use the "Back" buttons to return to this page. Search the Archive.
OTHER MECKLENBURG FORUMS
GenForum - Sponsored by The Family Tree Maker
Neighboring USGenWeb County Pages
| Cabarrus | Gaston | Iredell | Lancaster SC | Lincoln | York SC | Union |
To review the latest surname registry, click here.
To register a surname or make corrections, please read the instructions on the surname page. The surname registry was last updated on March 3, 2007.
The Olde Mecklenburg Genealogical Society also maintains a surname registry of its members.
Still another Mecklenburg surname registry is maintained at the AHGP
The following links are to family pages created and maintained by folk with Mecklenburg roots and are posted at their request or with their permission. The USGenWeb and NCGenWeb Projects are not responsible nor have any claim for the content of any of these pages and comments about each should be directed to the applicable webmaster. Please help the list grow by letting me know of any links that should be added or if you would like for us to link to your personal family page.
Some other helpful North Carolina LINKS are on a page maintained by the NCGenWeb project. Links to NCGenWeb projects, North Carolina Archives, Libraries, Newspapers, Maps, and many other NC resources may be found there.
Volunteers
offering research and "look-ups" in Mecklenburg County
(A list of individuals offering to do limited free research within
the county. Although each offers a "free" service, please keep in mind
that they may require copying, postage, parking, etc. expense
reimbursement. And please limit your requests to specific
searches and not ask the volunteers to "find everything on John
Doe".
The North Carolina "Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness" volunteer list that includes Mecklenburg County.
Commercial
and Professional Mecklenburg Research Assistance
(Not endorsed by or recommended by the USGenWeb or NCGenWeb
Projects. The list is provided only as a public service and includes all
known paid researchers in Mecklenburg County.)
Directory of the Association of Professional Genealogists
blurps.com
P.O. Box 19567
Charlotte, NC 28219
G. Ken Corbitt
4709 Carmel Vista Lane
Charlotte, NC 28226
Ellen
V. Poteet
8336 Adrian Court
Charlotte, NC 28270
Sheila Weaver
514 W 9th Street
Kannapolis, NC 28081
Where
to find Books and Maps about Mecklenburg County
- Maps - The Map Shop
1500 E Morehead St
Charlotte, NC 28207
Historical Maps including the "Stout" Maps
Carolina Maps by Mail
1101 Tuxedo Ct.
Charlotte, NC 28211
704-365-9857
- Books - Appleton's
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Family Search Engine of The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints.
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Family Tree Maker - Family File Archives
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Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites
Herman W. Ferguson
600 Chad Drive
Rocky Mount, NC 27803
Genealogical
Society of Old Tryon County
P.O. Box 938
Forest City, North Carolina 28043-0938
The Southern Historical Press
P.O. Box 1267
Greenville, SC 29602-1267
Orders & Catalog 800/233-0152
Fax 864/233-2349
Olde Mecklenburg Genealogical Society
Heritage of Old Mecklenburg -2003 Published by
County Heritage, Inc.
Click Here for an Index (Adobe File) of the
book.
Genealogy
Help, Links for Tips and Techniques
(Some links to sites that may be helpful to the beginning genealogist or
provide tips, forms, and "where-to-find" family history
information. The sites are not endorsed by or
affiliated with the USGenWeb or NCGenWeb Projects.)
Beginner's
Guide
26
Tips to Starting
Reading
Old Handwriting
Meanings
of Surnames
Easy
Genealogy Forms
Everton's
Free Forms
North
Carolina Passengers
National
Archives
Coats
of Arms
Scottish Clans
Helpful links, not Mecklenburg or North Carolina specific
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Page last updated--Saturday, 01-Aug-2009 11:07:23 MDT