Burke County

by Abernethy, Peter L. Arthur Talmage Abernethy, author, minister, and educator, was born of Scottish and German ancestry in the town of Rutherford College. His father, a Methodist minister and the founder and president of [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Anonymous. ARTHUR TALMAGE ABERNETHY See also: Abernethy, Arthur Talmage 1872 - 1956 Arthur Abernethy was appointed Poet Laureate in November of 1948, just before the end of Governor R. Gregg [...] (from NCpedia.)

by Avery, Isaac Thomas, Jr. Isaac Thomas Avery, politician, planter, and banker, only son of Waightstill Avery and Leah Probart Avery, was born at Swan Ponds, Burke County. He had little formal education: he received an [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Hightower, Emily K. Jacob Weaver Bowman, legislator and judge, was born in Relief, Burke (now Mitchell) County. His parents were Joseph Bowman, a farmer and justice of the peace, and Sarah Garland. Bowman spent his [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Holeman, Sarah E. John Brown, Revolutionary War officer and state legislator, was born in County Derry, Ireland. He migrated to Lancaster County, Pa., and taught school there for a while. He married Jane McDowell [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Farnham, Thomas J. Henry Edward Cowan ("Red Buck") Bryant, journalist and political commentator, was born in lower Providence Township, Mecklenburg County, of English and Scot-Irish ancestry. His father was Henry [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Harris, William C. Tod Robinson Caldwell, lieutenant governor and governor, was born in Morganton, the son of an Irish immigrant who became a prominent Burke County merchant. He obtained the rudiments of reading and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Mcfarland, Daniel M. Carson, Samuel Price by Daniel M. Mcfarland, 1979 22 Jan. 1798–2 Nov. 1838 Samuel Price Carson, congressman and secretary of state of Texas, was born at Pleasant Gardens, Burke County, the [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Gatton, T. Harry. Beatrice Cobb, newspaper editor and publisher and Democratic party leader, was born in Morganton, the eldest of six daughters of Theodore Gettys and Martha Kincaid Cobb. Educated first in the local [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Ervin, Sam J., Jr. John Witherspoon Ervin, teacher and writer, who was called Witherspoon Ervin, was born at Cheraw, S.C. His parents were Colonel James Robert Ervin, of Cheraw, a lawyer and legislator, who was a [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Ducey, Mitchell F. Ervin, Samuel James, Jr. by Mitchell F. Ducey, 1986; Revised by SLNC Government and Heritage Library, July 2023   See also: Senator Sam Ervin: Interpreting Historical Figures, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Hood, Karen S. William Carson Ervin, lawyer, newspaper editor, and financier, was born in Marion. Nicknamed "Buddie" by his family and called "Will" in later years, Ervin was the son of James S. Ervin, a Methodist [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Ervin, Sam J., Jr. Alexander Erwin, Revolutionary soldier, public official, and legislator, was born in Bucks County, Pa., of Scot-Irish ancestry. His parents, Nathaniel and Leah Julian Erwin, moved to Rowan (now [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Roberts, B. W. C. Jesse Harper Erwin, textile executive, was born at the family estate, Bellevue, near Morganton, of Scot-Irish ancestry. His father, Joseph J. Erwin, described as a "model of the old-time Southern [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by London, Lawrence F. Roma Coxey Fortune, Episcopal priest, son of John L. and Mary Coxey Fortune, was born in Black Mountain. Having lost his hearing at age eight after a severe case of scarlet fever, he received his [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Gatton, T. Harry. Burgess Sidney Gaither, lawyer, solicitor, speaker of the North Carolina Senate, member of the Confederate States Congress, and superintendent of the U.S. Mint at Charlotte, was born on Rocky Creek [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Cecelski, David S. I talked with Marta Galvez at her home in Morganton, a small city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I remembered Morganton as a quiet furniture-making town, the sort of place that didn't [...] (from Listening to History, News and Observer.)

by Macnicholas, John. James King Hall, psychiatrist, was born in Iredell County, near Statesville, the son of Dr. Eugenius Alexander and Amanda McCullough Howard Hall. Eugenius Alexander's ancestral line derives from [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Neuffer, Claude H. Christopher Happoldt, physician and editor, was born in Charleston, S.C., of German and English ancestry. His father was Christian David Happoldt, a Charleston merchant, and his mother was Sarah [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Bell, John L., Jr. James Harper, merchant, enslaver, and manufacturer, was the son of John Harper II (1767–1839) and Elizabeth Witherow Harper. Born on Butcher Creek in Cumberland County, Pa., he moved about 1815 [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Stroupe, Henry S. Robert Obediah Huffman, industrialist and businessman, was born in Morganton, the son of Samuel and Martha Ann Hildebrand Huffman. His father, a Morganton businessman, was one of five founders and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Stafford, Garland R. Joseph Benjamin Ivey, merchant and churchman, the fifth child of George Washington and Selina Neal Ivey, was born in Shelby of English and German ancestry. He was the brother of George Franks Ivey. [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Davis, Mollie C. Kate Ancrum Burr Johnson, public welfare administrator and civic leader, was born in Morganton. Her father was Frederick Hill Burr, whose American ancestry traced back to 1630 in Massachusetts and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Blackburn, George T., II. Marshall, Matthias Murray by George T. Blackburn II, 1991 13 Aug. 1841–22 Oct. [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Charles McDowell, Revolutionary War officer, was born in Winchester, Va., the son of Joseph McDowell, who settled at Quaker Meadows, west of present-day Morganton in Burke County, N.C., and his wife [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Inscoe, John C. Joseph McDowell, Revolutionary War officer and U.S. congressman, was born in Winchester, Va., the son of Joseph McDowell, who settled at Quaker Meadows, west of present-day Morganton in Burke County, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Shelby, Bradford M. Joseph Jefferson McDowell, congressman, was born in Burke (now McDowell) County, the son of Joseph McDowell (of Quaker Meadows)—a native of Winchester, Va., who moved to North Carolina in 1758, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Inscoe, John C. Michaux, André by John C. Inscoe, 1991 7 Mar. 1746–November 1802 See also: Oconee Bells André Michaux, French botanist, explorer, and writer, was born at Satory, near Versailles. From an [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Inscoe, John C. François André Michaux, French botanist, explorer, and writer, was the only child of André Michaux. His mother, Cecile Claye Michaux, died just after his birth at Satory, near Versailles. In 1785 he [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Stevens, William P. James Bumgardner Murphy, research physician, the son of Dr. Patrick Livingston and Bettie W. Bumgardner Murphy, was born in Morganton, where his father was a psychiatrist at the state hospital. An [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Stevenson, George, Jr. Joseph Parker, general Baptist (now Free Will Baptist) clergyman, founded churches in Halifax, Pitt, Greene, and Lenoir counties. According to tradition, he was a member and probable pastor of the [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Copeland, J. Isaac. Bruce Ryburn Payne, college president, was born in the Mull Grove community of Catawba County, the son of Jordan Nathaniel and Barbara Anne Eliza Warlick Payne. The elder Payne was a teacher and a [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Poland, Jean Cameron. Robert Caldwell Pearson, merchant, postmaster, bank and railroad president, Democratic leader, jurist, and gold mine and flour mill owner, was born at the family plantation, Silvercreek, on Silver [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Carraway, Anthony G. William Simpson Pearson, author, was born in Morganton, Burke County. His parents were Robert Caldwell (9 December 1807–18 November 1867) and Jane Sophronia Tate Pearson (27 June 1807–24 July 1877), [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Carroll, Grady L. E., Sr. Peele, William Walter by Grady L. E. Carroll, 1994 26 Nov. 1881–1 July 1959 William Walter Peele, Methodist clergyman and educator, was [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Cauble, Frank P. John Frederick Peter, musician, composer, teacher, and minister, was born of German parents in Heerendyck, Holland, where his father, John Frederick Peter, was a Moravian pastor. His mother was [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Mitchell, Memory F. Edward William (Ned) Phifer, Jr., surgeon and historian, was born in Morganton, the son of Edward William and Susan Presnell Phifer. Following graduation from Morganton High School in 1928, he [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Parker, Roy, Jr. Pickens, Israel by Roy Parker, Jr., 1994; Revised by SLNC Government and Heritage Library, December 2022 30 Jan. 1780–24 Apr. 1827 Israel Pickens, lawyer, congressman, governor of Alabama, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Bivins, Caroline Holmes. William George Randall, artist, was born near Table Rock in Upper Creek Township, Burke County, to John and Susan Webb Randall. John was from Buncombe County, where he and Susan lived for some time [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Fox, Charlesanna L. Alonzo Carlton Reynolds, educator, was born in the Sandy Mush community of Buncombe County, the son of John Haskew and Sarah Ann Ferguson Reynolds. After attending local schools and Weaver College, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Cauble, Frank P. John Melancthon Rhodes, textile manufacturer, temperance leader, and patron of education, was born in Gaston County, four miles north of the town of Dallas. Of German ancestry, he was the son of [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Berryhill, Reece. Robert Alexander Ross, nationally known obstetrician and gynecologist, professor of obstetrics at Duke University, and first chairman of the Department of Obstetrics at The University of North [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Spell, Richard V. Silver, Frances [Frankie] by Richard V. Spell, 1994 d. 12 July 1833 See also: Silver, Frankie, Murder Case; Silver, Francis [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Sims, E. Thomas. Leonard Henly Sims, congressman and farmer, was born in Burke County, the son of Dr. Swepson and Jane Meriwether Lewis Sims. The younger Sims, who received a limited amount of schooling, moved to [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by London, Lawrence F. William West Skiles, Episcopal missionary and teacher, was born in Hertford, Perquimans County. Following a few years of formal schooling in the local schools, he worked as a mechanic and later as [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. John Barham Spilman, business educator and college administrator, was born in Weldon, the son of Bushrod Washington and Helva Roxanna Barham Spilman. His father, a native of Westmoreland County, Va., [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Gaddy, David Winfred. Andrew Jackson Stedman, journalist, lawyer, minister, and Confederate officer, was born in Gatesville, the fifth son of William Winship (1798–1836) and Rebecca Walton Stedman (1794–1873) of Chatham [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Carpenter, Robert C. Carl August Gottlieb Storch, the third Lutheran minister to serve in North Carolina, was the son of Georg Friedrich Storch, a German merchant, and the former Miss von Asseburg. Carl A. G. Storch was [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Pruitt, Elaine Doerschuk. Tate, Samuel McDowell by Elaine Doerschuk Pruitt, 1996 6 Sept. 1830–25 June 1897 Samuel McDowell Tate, merchant, soldier, railroad official, and legislator, was born in Morganton. Of [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Riddle, H. L., Jr. John Walker, Indian fighter and Revolutionary officer, was born in Appoquinimink Hundred, New Castle County, Del., the son of John Walker of Derry, Ireland, who immigrated to Delaware in 1720. The [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Stafford, Garland R. Charles Clinton Weaver, Methodist clergyman, educator, and church administrator, was born in Ashe County of Scots-Irish ancestry, the son of James Harvey and Jennie Burkett Weaver. His mother was a [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Shiels, R. A. Alexander Erwin Wilson, missionary and physician, was born in Mecklenburg County, the son of the Reverend John Makemie and Mary Erwin Wilson. He attended Rocky River Academy in Cabarrus County and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Bromberg, Alan B. James William Wilson, engineer, was born in Granville County, the son of the Reverend Alexander, a noted Presbyterian clergyman and educator, and Mary Willis Wilson. He grew up in Alamance County, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Spence, Thomas H., Jr. John Makemie Wilson, Presbyterian minister and schoolman, was the son of James and Margaret Makemie Wilson. Born in Mecklenburg County, about six miles east of Charlotte, he was a relative of Andrew [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Laura Annie Ballinger Winston, temperance leader and educator of the deaf, was born at Swinton Lodge in Guilford County, the daughter of Yancey and Naomi Coffin Ballinger. Her father was of a line of [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Copeland, J. Isaac. Wright, Marion Allen by J. Isaac Copeland, 1996; Additional research provided by Kelly Agan; Revised December 2021 18 Jan. 1894–14 Feb. 1983 Marion Allen Wright, attorney, citizen of the two [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Puckett, Robin A. George Calvert Yount, trapper and pioneer settler of California, was born near Dowden Creek in Burke County. His grandfather, John Jundt, a native of Alsace, moved to Lancaster County, Pa., in the [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)