This western border of Ashe County and indeed North Carolina was the source of considerable anxiety in the late 18th century. The State of Franklin, the abortive precursor to Tennessee had claimed the crest of the Blue Ridge as its eastern boundary when that state was organized at Jonesborough in 1784. While most of the resident of Ashe County continued to accept the authority of North Carolina, two state governments issuing land grants in the same territory posed some potential severe problems for the residents of the region. While most land grants in the Upper New River Valley below 36ø30' were issued by North Carolina, a few near the present Tennessee state line were issued by the State of Franklin.

The border between Ashe and Burke county was not well defined and in 1807 the legislature declared the border to be:

...That the boundary between the counties of Ashe and Burke, shall be established and known by the following boundaries, to wit: beginning at the Blowing Rock on the Blue Ridge, near Yadkin Spring, running thence a due west course, crossing some of the head waters of Watauga River and Elk Creek, then along the extreme height of said ridge that divides the waters of Toe River from those of Watauga and Elk Creek, to the Tennessee line, leaving all the waters of Toe River, and the head waters of Watagua south of said due west line, in Burke, and all waters of Elk and the waters of Watauga, north of said line, in the county of Ashe.... commissioners to extend and mark the line from the Blowing Rock, west to the top of the ridge between Watauga waters and Elk Waters and no further...

... That the following boundaries, to wit, beginning at the Yadkin springs, thence along the extreme height of the Blue Ridge, to the head spring of Flat-top fork of Elk Creek, thence down the meanders of said creek to the Tennessee State line, shall be and the same is hereby declared the permanent dividing line between the counties of Burke and Ashe.

... all that part of the county of Wilkes lying north and north-west of a line to be drawn from the extreme height of a Nob called Dockery Nob, running so as to include all the inhabitants, lying north of a direct line from said Nob to a poind running north-east, so as to strike the now dividing line a five and half miles distance from Dockery Nob, running a north-eastwardly course until it strikes the Ashe County line, be added to Ashe county.

...That a county be, and is hereby, laid off and established by the name of Watauga, to be composed of parts of the counties of Ashe, Wilkes, Caldwell and Yancey, beginning at the State line in the Lemuel Wilson's plantation, and running with the State line in a Northern direction two miles; thence running as near as may be in a direct line, (...to leave Thomas Sutherland in... Ashe) to the top of the Big Bald mountain; thence to the mouth of Elk Creek, on the South fork of New river' thence down the river to the mouth of a creek that runs down through the Samuel Cooper's plantation; thence to the Deep Gap of the Blue Ridge; thence along the dividing ridge between the waters of Stoney fork and Lewis's fork waters of the Yadkin river; to where the road leading from Wilkesboro to the Deep Gap, crosses the top of the Laurel Spur; thence to Elk Creek at the Widow Hampton's; thence to the top of the White Rock Mountain; thence to the top of the Blue Ridge at the nearest point to the Yadkin Springs; thence along the extreme height of the Blue Ridge to the top of the Grandmother mountain; thence with the line of Burke county to the corner of McDowell county; thence to the State line where it crosses the Yellow mountain; thence with the State line to the beginning.

The law which established Alleghany County in 1859 was much less complicated than the Watagua one. The law establishing Alleghany County reads:

... Beginning in the Wilkes county line on top of the Blue Ridge at the Mulberry Gap, running with the public road to Flint Hill; thence a direct line to the top of Frank's Knob; thence to the south fork of New River, at the mouth of Prather's creek' thence down the meanders of said river to the junction with the north fork of said river; thence north to the Virginia line; thence east with the Virginia line to the Surry county line; thence with the Surry line to the Wilkes county lines; thence with the Wilkes line to the beginning...