"OLD" Walton County
1803 - 1811
Land in North Carolina once a part of Georgia
now lost "Somewhere in Time"

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As a result of the 1802 Act of Cession and the Yazoo Land Fraud, there was an orphaned strip of land in present day North Carolina's Transylvania Co. near Brevard in the upper French Broad River Valley and a small section of Henderson Co., NC.

It was not officially claimed by either NC, SC or GA.  However, Northeast Georgia folks established it as Walton County, Georgia in 1803 and elected their officials.  John NICHOLSON and John AIKEN [AKINS] served as Representatives to the Georgia Legislature in Milledgeville [the capitol of Georgia at the time].  John AKINS, Sr. latter settled in Union Co., GA where he died in 1863.

Soon it looked attractive to North Carolina, who sent in its troops to claim it in December of 1810 and thus, began what is known as the Walton War.  By January 1811, the battle was over.  Many Georgians were killed or taken prisoner.  From then on, this area was considered North Carolina.

Although this county was short-lived, it is a vital link for Northeastern GA researchers.  In 1818, in the central region of Georgia, another county was named Walton County which still exists today.   Both counties were named for Georgia Gov. George Walton.  However, there is no connection between them other than the name, so don't confuse this fact in your research.

To help in your NC research, this area evolved like this:
 

1791 Buncombe Co. was formed from Burke & Rutherford 
1808 Haywood Co. was formed from Buncombe
1828 Macon Co. was formed from Haywood County

1828--1851  Macon Co. included  present-day Hogback & part of Eastatoe Twp of Transylvania Co.

1838 Henderson Co. was formed from Buncombe 
1851--Jackson Co. was formed from Haywood & Macon 
1861--Transylvania County was formed from Jackson & Henderson 

LINKS


Resources/Publications:

Tale of the Sunbonnet Girl, Exerpt from the book:  "The Walton War and Tales of the Great Smoky Mts." by Col. Clarence A. Carpenter

Davis, Robert Scott, Jr. 1984. "The Settlement at the Head of the French Broad River or The Bizarre Story of the First Walton County, Georgia". In Transylvania Beginnings: A History, Mary Jane McCrary.105.Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, Inc. 

McCrary, Mary Jane. 1984. Transylvania Beginnings: A History. Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, Inc. 
According to Linda Hoxit Raxter:  "Mary Jane McCrary was an early researcher who died before completing her book.  Her research collection was loaned to the Transylvania County Historic Properties Commission with the understanding that the Commission would publish the book.  Readers should be aware that the research in the book is incomplete as a result.  Book is out of print.  The complete collection of her research notes is located at the Transylvania County Joint Historic Preservation Commission Archives. "

Reidinger, Martin. 1981. The Walton War and the Georgia-North Carolina Boundary Dispute., n.p. 
Copy located at Transylvania County Joint Historic Preservation Commission Archives. 

"'We Think It Good For Us To Adapt Some Rules of Civillisation': The Walton War, 1803-1813", Senior Paper by King-Owen, Gregory Scott on file at the D. Hiden Ramsey Library, Univ. of NC at Asheville.

Tuckasegee Valley Historical Review - published 2002 by Graduate History Students
of Western Carolina University, Linda Hoxit Raxter, Editor and Chris Manganiello, Assistant Editor
   

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Design, Graphics, Photos & Content © Copyright 2004 Carol Ann "C.A.T." Tindell, Blue Ridge, GA