Along NC 274 in Gaston County between Bessemer City and Cherryville sits a historical marker for Tryon County - an otherwise long forgotten part of North Carolina History.
Tryon County was formed from the western parts of Mecklenburg County in 1769. The county was named after Willian Tryon who was the appointed Colonial Governor of the state at the time. At the site of the modern historical marker was the location of the short lived Tryon County Courthouse. Located on the property of Christian Mauney - it was determined that the courthouse be located here as it was the most centrally located part of the county.
Many of the county proceedings were held in buildings already existing on Mauney's land. A room in his home was used as a jail. A tax was levied in 1777 for construction of a courthouse at the site. However, two years later, Tryon County was abolished as it was split up into Lincoln and Rutherford Counties. Part of the reason for the change was that William Tryon was an officer in the British Army at the time.
Today, what was once Tryon County consists of modern day Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, and Rutherford Counties.
How To Get There:
Sources & Links:
Corbitt, David Leroy. The Formation of the North Carolina Counties, 1663-1943. Division of Archives and History, North Carolina Dept. of Cultural Resources, 2000.
Hill, Michael. “Tryon County.” NCpedia, 2008, www.ncpedia.org/tryon-county.
Lewis, J.D. Tryon County, North Carolina, www.carolana.com/NC/Counties/tryon_county_nc.html.
North Carolina Maps - University of North Carolina - University Library - Mouzon, Henry. "An Accurate Map of North and South Carolina With Their Indian Frontiers, Shewing in a distinct manner all the Mountains, Rivers, Swamps, Marshes, Bays, Creeks, Harbours, Sandbanks and Soundings on the Coasts, with The Roads and Indian Paths; as well as The Boundary or Provincial Lines, The Several Townships and other divisions of the Land in Both the Provinces; the whole from Actual Surveys by Henry Mouzon and Others." London: Robt. Sayer and J. Bennett, Map and Print-Sellers. 1775. North Carolina Maps. https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/ncmaps/id/125/rec/55
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