Established in 1753 from the upper part ofAnson County, it wasnamed afteractingNorth Carolina governorMatthew Rowan. Originally a vast territory with unlimited western boundaries, Rowan County was reduced in size to 524 square miles (1,360 km2) after several counties were formed from it in the18th and19th centuries.
The first Europeans to enter what is now Rowan County were members of the Spanish expedition ofJuan Pardo in 1567. They established a fort and a mission in the native village of Guatari, believed to be located near theYadkin River and inhabited by theWateree. At the time, the area was ruled by a female chief whom the Spaniards calledGuatari Mico (Mico was a term common among the Muskogee and Souian speaking peoples of the south to mean "chief" or "leader"). The Spaniards called the village Salamanca in honor of the city ofSalamanca in western Spain, and established a mission, headed by asecular priest namedSebastián Montero.
This fort was one of six that Pardo's expedition established before he returned separately to Spain in 1568. Small garrisons were stationed at each fort.[5] They were built into the interior, including across the mountains in what is now southeastern Tennessee. In 1568, Native Americans at each fort massacred all but one soldier in the garrisons. The Spanish never returned to this interior area in other colonizing attempts, instead concentrating their efforts inSpanish Florida.[6][7]
English colonial settlement of North Carolina came decades later, starting in the coastal areas, where settlers migrated south from Virginia. Explorers and fur traders were the first to reach the Piedmont, paving the way for eventual settlers. Rowan County andSt. Luke's Parish were established on March 27, 1753, from the upper part of Anson County,North Carolina.[8] It was named for Matthew Rowan, acting governor of North Carolina from 1753 to 1754. It was intended to incorporate all of the lands of theGranville District that had previously been included in Anson County.[9]
A house several miles west of present-day Salisbury in "the Irish settlement" served as the first courthouse starting June 15, 1753.Daniel Boone's father Squire Boone served as one of the firstmagistrates. By mid-1754 a new courthouse site was selected near "the place where the Old Waggon Road (crosses) over Grant's Creek."[10]
As was typical of the time, Rowan County was originally a vast territory with an indefinite western boundary. As the population increased in the region, portions were taken to organize other counties and their seats. In 1770, the eastern portion was combined with the western part ofOrange County to formGuilford County. In 1771 the northeastern portion of what was left becameSurry County. In 1777 the western part of Rowan County was organized asBurke County.[11] After theAmerican Revolutionary War, in 1788, the western portion of the now much smaller Rowan County was organized asIredell County.
In 1822,Davidson County was formed from an eastern section. Finally, in 1836, that part of Rowan County north of theSouth Yadkin River becameDavie County, and Rowan County took its present form and size.[11] Since Rowan County was developed for tobacco, cotton cultivation, and mixed farming in the antebellum period, many of the plantation owners and some farmers were dependent on enslaved labor. Cotton and tobacco continued as a commodity crop after the war and into the 20th century. The population of Rowan County was 27.1 percent slaves in 1860.[12]
During and following theReconstruction era, the state legislature encouraged investment in railways, which had not occurred before. In addition, textile mills were built here and elsewhere in the Piedmont, bringing back cotton processing and manufacturing from centers in New York and New England. Urban populations increased.
At the turn of the 20th century, after losing to Republican-Populist fusionist candidates, Democrats regained power and passed laws erecting barriers to voter registration todisenfranchise most Blacks. Together with the passage of Jim Crow laws, which suppressed Blacks socially, these measures ended the progress of African Americans in the state, after Republican men had already been serving in Congress.Charles Aycock andRobert Glenn, who were elected as state governors in 1900 and 1904, respectively, ran political campaigns to appeal to Whites. Sixlynchings of African Americans were recorded in Rowan County from the late 19th into the early 20th centuries. This was the second-highest total of killings in the state, a number of extrajudicial murders that two other counties also had.[13]
The racial terrorism of lynchings enforced White suppression of African Americans. In 1902, brothers James and Harrison Gillespie, aged 11 and 13, were lynched by a White mob for allegedly killing a young White woman working in a field.[14] In August 1906, six African-American men were arrested as suspects in the murder of a farm family. That evening, a White mob stormed the county jail in Salisbury, freeing all the White prisoners, interrogating the Black ones, and taking out Jack Dillingham, Nease Gillespie, and his son John. The mob hanged the three men from a tree in a field, mutilated and tortured them, and shot them numerous times.[14]
A center of textile manufacturing spanning from the late 19th to the late 20th century, the county has worked to attract new industries, after many textile manufacturing occupations moved offshore to lower wage markets during the late 20th century.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 524 square miles (1,360 km2), of which 523.95 square miles (1,357.0 km2) is land and 12.32 square miles (31.9 km2) (2.36%) is water.[16]
The county's eastern border is formed by theYadkin River. North of Ellis Crossroads, theSouth Yadkin River meets the Yadkin. The South Yadkin forms the county's northern border with Davie County. The southern border is an east–west line that bisects the city ofKannapolis.
Interstate 85 passes through the county from southwest to northeast. In the early 2000s, I-85 was widened[25] in the central and northern part of the county, from exit 68,US 29 Connector, north almost to the Davidson County line. A new bridge over the Yadkin River was also built.[26]
U.S. Route 70 enters the northwestern part of Rowan County, west of Cleveland. It runs southeast into Salisbury, where it follows Jake Alexander Boulevard to the southeast and joins US 29 North as Main Street. US 70 continues northeast as Main Street; it is called Salisbury Avenue in Spencer before crossing into Davidson County.
U.S. Route 29 forms Main Street in Kannapolis, China Grove, and Landis in the southern part of the county. It joins US 70 as Main Street through Salisbury, and as Salisbury Avenue in Spencer.
U.S. Route 52 is the main artery for the southeastern part of the county, serving the towns of Gold Hill, Rockwell, and Granite Quarry. Just before reaching downtown Salisbury, US-52 joins Interstate 85, which it follows into Davidson county.
At the2010 census,[34] there were 138,428 people, 53,140households, and 37,058families residing in the county. The population density was 270.7 people per square mile (104.5 people/km2). There were 60,211 housing units at an average density of 117.7 units per square mile (45.4 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 76.52%White, 16.18%Black orAfrican American, 0.34%Native American, 1.00%Asian, 0.035%Pacific Islander, 4.33% fromother races, and 1.60% from two or more races. 7.69% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
Of the 53,140 households, 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.20% were married couples living together, 8.49% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.41% had a male householder with no wife and 30.26% were non-families. 25.22% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.15% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.80% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, 27.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.57 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.28 males.
According to the 2000 Census,[34] The median income for a household in the county was $37,494, and the median income for a family was $44,242. Males had a median income of $31,626 versus $23,437 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,071. About 8.10% of families and 10.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.70% of those under age 18 and 11.40% of those age 65 or over.
The primary governing body of Rowan County is acouncil–manager government. The five-memberboard of commissioners are elected from single-member districts. As a group, they hire thecounty manager, who is responsible for operations. The current County Manager is Aaron Church. The current Commissioners are Greg Edds (chairman), Jim Greene (Vice-chairman), Judy Klusman, Mike Caskey, and Craig Pierce. Commissioners are elected to four-year terms, with three being elected during midterm national elections, and two being elected during presidential election years.[35] The commission passes the Code of Ordinances for the county.[36]
In 2013 theAmerican Civil Liberties Union filed suit on behalf of three Rowan county residents against the county commission's practice of starting their meeting with sectarian prayers by the commissioners, who instructed attendees to stand and join in. A federal district court issued aninjunction forbidding the county commissioners from praying at their meetings.[38][39] After a divided panel of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit found that the prayers did not violate theEstablishment Clause of theUnited States Constitution, the full court sittingen banc disagreed and affirmed the injunction.[40][41] TheSupreme Court of the United States declined to review, over the written dissent of two justices.[42][43] In 2019, the county was forced to pay $285,000 to the ACLU for the plaintiffs' legal fees because it had lost the lawsuit.[44]
Rowan County lies within the bounds of North Carolina's 27th Prosecutorial District, the 19CSuperior Court District, and the 19C District Court District.[45] The Rowan County Sheriff's Office was founded in 1753 when Rowan County was created from Anson County. Its duties includecourthouse security, civil process, operation ofdetention facility, investigations and community patrol. It has over 200 employees, most of which are sworn deputies.[46] The currentSheriff of Rowan County is Kevin L. Auten, who was appointed after the retirement of George Wilhelm in 2009. Auten won election to a full term in his own right in 2010.[47]
The Rowan County Sheriff's Office won the J. Stannard Baker Award, a national award for outstanding achievement inhighway safety, in 2003.[48][49]
2010–pres. Kevin L. Auten (served as acting head while chief deputy from the time former sheriff Wilhelm resigned until Auten was appointed as sheriff in 2010)[61][60]
United States presidential election results for Rowan County, North Carolina[62]
The Rowan–Salisbury School System is aPK-12 gradedschool district covering nearly all of Rowan County. The 35 schools in the district serve 20,887 students as of 2009–2010.[66] It was formed in 1989 with the merger of Rowan County Schools and Salisbury City Schools.[67]
Students living in the portion ofKannapolis located in Rowan County (the city is mostly inCabarrus County) attend Kannapolis city schools. Their public school system operates independently of the countywide school systems.
China Grove (post office first established on November 27, 1823, with Noah Partee as postmaster; was changed to Luthersville 1846–1849 then back to China Grove until 1855; second post office established December 31, 1855 as Eufaula with Philip A. Correll first postmaster; renamed to China Grove on August 15, 1859, with John A. Hess first postmaster)[68]
Cleveland (first postmaster William L. Allison, March 3, 1887; was Third Creek 1884–1887, first postmaster William L. Allison; was Rowan Mills 1856–1884, Osborn G. Foard first postmaster; was Cowansville 1831–1856, first postmaster John Cowan)[68]
East Spencer (first postmaster William J. Hatley, February 12, 1913)[68]
Faith (first post office open from January 24, 1889, to July 16, 1906, with John W. Frick first postmaster; reestablished February 26, 1932, with Lawson J. McCombs first postmaster))[68]
Granite Quarry (founded in the 1800s; post office first opened on August 7, 1891, as Woodside with John F. Wiley first postmaster; renamed to Granite Quarry on January 15, 1902; first postmaster was William S. Brown)[68]
Landis (first postmaster was Joel Corriher, July 17, 1902)[68]
Rockwell (first postmaster was Peter Miller, March 1, 1872)[68]
Spencer (founded in 1896; first postmaster Hugh Smith, May 15, 1897)[68]
Mount Ulla (formerly Wood Grove, post office from April 12, 1830, to April 22, 1843, first postmaster Julius J. Reeves; Mount Ulla post office from April 22, 1843, to October 24, 1899 (spelled Mountulla in 1894), first postmaster James Cowan; known as Rowan from October 24 to November 22, 1899; Mount Ulla post office re-established on November 22, 1899, with Adam E. Sherrill postmaster)[68]
Mount Vernon (post office from May 27, 1822, to February 29, 1904; first postmaster Jacob Krider)[68]
By the requirements of the North Carolina Constitution of 1868, the county was divided into townships. Previous to that time, the subdivisions were Captain's Districts. While the Captain's Districts referred primarily to the militia, it served also for the election precinct, the tax listing and tax collecting district.[97] The following townships in Rowan County were created in 1868:
^Rumple, Jethro (1916).A History of Rowan County, North Carolina. Daughters of the American Revolution, Elizabeth Maxwell Steele Chapter (Salisbury, N.C.). p. 59.
Clegg, Claude A., III.Troubled Ground: A Tale of Murder, Lynching, and Reckoning in the New South (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2010).
Gehrke, William H. "The Beginnings of the Pennsylvania-German Element in Rowan and Cabarrus Counties, North Carolina."Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 58.4 (1934): 342–369.online
Rumple, Jethro.A History of Rowan County, North Carolina (Heritage Books, 2009). This publication does not include all lynchings, only those of black skin or those of known African heritage.
