Tryon County, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Tryon County is a former county which was located in the U.S. state
of North Carolina
. It was formed in 1768 from the part of Mecklenburg County
west of the Catawba River
, although the legislative act that created it did not become effective until April 10, 1769. Due to inaccurate and delayed surveying, Tryon County encompassed a large area of northwestern South Carolina
. It was named for William Tryon
, governor
of the North Carolina Colony
from 1765 to 1771.
The county seat, finally designated in 1774, was located eight miles southwest of the present-day community of Lincolnton
, in Lincoln County
.
to the western frontier line which was run last year between the Cherokee hunting grounds and this Province." However, it was not until 1774 that any county buildings were planned or even constructed, using appointed residents' houses for county activities in the interim.
The commissioners (appointed by an Act of Assembly to select the place whereon to erect and build the court-house, prison and stocks of Tryon County, on 26th July, 1774) reported their selection of the place: "called 'the crossroads', on Christopher Mauney's land, between the heads of Long Creek, Muddy Creek, and Beaver Dam Creek in the county aforesaid as most central and convenient for the purpose aforesaid." The county court then adjourned to immediately re-meet at Mauney's. The site of the old Tryon courthouse is eight miles southwest of Lincolnton, in Lincoln County. The October Sessions of 1774, were also held at the house of Mauney, and a room in his dwelling was designated as county jail.
.
Following the Battle of Lexington in Massachusetts
, 49 county residents gathered at the courthouse and issued the Tryon Resolves
, a declaration of resistance to coercive actions by the British Empire
against its North American colonies
. Although not a statement of independence, the Tryon Resolves were among the earliest of many local colonial declarations which called for the redress of perceived wrongs inflicted on the colonies from the British Parliament
and The Crown
. The document was signed on August 14, 1775, predating the United States Declaration of Independence
by almost 11 months.
As tensions between the North American colonies and the British government further increased, Tryon residents began forming Committees of Safety
to prepare for potential war. On September 14, 1775 many of the signers of the Resolves formed the Tryon County Militia in preparation for British retaliation against American resistance.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It was formed in 1768 from the part of Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
-Air:The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte.- Intercity rail :With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on the NS main line between Washington and Atlanta...
west of the Catawba River
Catawba River
The Catawba River is a tributary of the Wateree River in the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina. The river is approximately 220 miles long...
, although the legislative act that created it did not become effective until April 10, 1769. Due to inaccurate and delayed surveying, Tryon County encompassed a large area of northwestern South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. It was named for William Tryon
William Tryon
William Tryon was a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as governor of the Province of North Carolina and the Province of New York .-Early life and career:...
, governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of the North Carolina Colony
Province of North Carolina
The Province of North Carolina was originally part of the Province of Carolina in British America, which was chartered by eight Lords Proprietor. The province later became the U.S. states of North Carolina and Tennessee....
from 1765 to 1771.
The county seat, finally designated in 1774, was located eight miles southwest of the present-day community of Lincolnton
Lincolnton, North Carolina
Lincolnton is a city in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States, within the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 10,683 at the 2010 census. Lincolnton is located northwest of Charlotte, on the South Fork of the Catawba River, and near the junction of State Highway 27 and U.S. Route...
, in Lincoln County
Lincoln County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 71,498 people, 24,041 households, and 18,174 families residing in the county. The population density was 214 people per square mile . There were 25,717 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile...
.
Creation and history
In December of 1768, Governor Tryon described the area in a letter as: "forty-five miles in breadth due north and south and eighty miles due east and west -it having been found to be that distance from the Catawba RiverCatawba River
The Catawba River is a tributary of the Wateree River in the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina. The river is approximately 220 miles long...
to the western frontier line which was run last year between the Cherokee hunting grounds and this Province." However, it was not until 1774 that any county buildings were planned or even constructed, using appointed residents' houses for county activities in the interim.
The commissioners (appointed by an Act of Assembly to select the place whereon to erect and build the court-house, prison and stocks of Tryon County, on 26th July, 1774) reported their selection of the place: "called 'the crossroads', on Christopher Mauney's land, between the heads of Long Creek, Muddy Creek, and Beaver Dam Creek in the county aforesaid as most central and convenient for the purpose aforesaid." The county court then adjourned to immediately re-meet at Mauney's. The site of the old Tryon courthouse is eight miles southwest of Lincolnton, in Lincoln County. The October Sessions of 1774, were also held at the house of Mauney, and a room in his dwelling was designated as county jail.
Historical importance
Tryon County played an important early role in the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Following the Battle of Lexington in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 49 county residents gathered at the courthouse and issued the Tryon Resolves
Tryon Resolves
The Tryon Resolves were a brief declaration adopted by the citizens of Tryon County in the Province of North Carolina in the early days of the American Revolution. In the Resolves, the county vowed resistance to coercive actions by the British Empire against its North American colonies...
, a declaration of resistance to coercive actions by the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
against its North American colonies
British colonization of the Americas
British colonization of the Americas began in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia and reached its peak when colonies had been established throughout the Americas...
. Although not a statement of independence, the Tryon Resolves were among the earliest of many local colonial declarations which called for the redress of perceived wrongs inflicted on the colonies from the British Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and The Crown
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
. The document was signed on August 14, 1775, predating the United States Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
by almost 11 months.
As tensions between the North American colonies and the British government further increased, Tryon residents began forming Committees of Safety
Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community...
to prepare for potential war. On September 14, 1775 many of the signers of the Resolves formed the Tryon County Militia in preparation for British retaliation against American resistance.
Disestablishment
In 1779, Tryon County was divided into Lincoln and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina, and ceased to exist.Noted people from Tryon County
- Col. William GrahamWilliam Graham (colonel)Colonel William Graham was militia and political leader from North Carolina during the American Revolution.Graham was born in Augusta County, Virginia, the son of Archibald Graham of Scotland. The younger Graham moved to the Province of North Carolina several years before the American...
- Frederick HambrightFrederick HambrightFrederick Hambright was a military officer who fought in both the local militia and in the North Carolina Line of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He is best known for his participation in the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780...
- Col. Joseph Hardin