The Alleghany County, North Carolina Directory – 1883

Erected in 1859 from a portion of Ashe County, and derives its name from the range of mountains in which it is located. It is in the Western Division of the State, and is one of the northern border counties. It is bounded on the north by the State of Virginia, on the south by Wilkes, on the east by Surry, on the west by ashe. It has an area of 181 square miles (116,001 acres), at average assessed valuation of $.279 per acre.

Sparta, the County Seat, is about 175 miles northwest from Raleigh. Population 50.

Surface: Hilly and mountainous, and the soil is sand, clay.
Products: Corn, oats, wheat, buckwheat, rye and hay.
Fruits: Apples, pears, cherries, plums and berries.
Timbers: Oak, chestnut, poplar, pine and maple.
Mineral and medicinal springs: Gold, copper, plumbago and iron with one sulphur spring

Post Offices

Attorneys at Law

Doughton, R. A. – Sparta
Fields, W. C. – Sparta
Vaughan, E. L. – Sparta

Blacksmiths

McKnight, Andrew – Edmonds
Murphy, Timothy – Edmonds

Broom Makers

Carico, A. C. – Edmonds
Carico, A. O. – Edmonds

Cabinetmakers and Undertakers

Miles Smith – Sparta

Cattle Dealers

Carico, A. G. – Edmonds
Carico, F. H. – Edmonds
Doughton, J. H. – Laurel Springs
Gambill, W. S. – Sparta
Higgins, Martin – Edmonds
Higgins, P. C. – Edmonds
Miller, John S. – Laruel Springs
Reeves, John – Laurel Springs
Thompson, William – Sparta

Coach and Carriage Builders

Welch, J. C. – Sparta

Distillers – Whiskey

Billings, William – Piney Creek
Edwards, Samuel – Edmonds
Lundo, B. – Edmonds

General Merchants and Tradesmen

Absher & Joines – Edward Cross Roads
Edwards, Cheek & Co. – Sparta
Edwards, D. C. – Elk Creek
Fowlkes & Jennings – Delphi
Jones, J. C. – Prather’s Creek
Holbrook, W. K. – Sparta
Jones, H. F. – Sparta
Long & Bro. – Gray
Norman, W. L. – Norman
Weaver, W. C. – Piney Creek

Hotels

Gentry House – R. C. Gentry – Sparta

Mills – Corn and Flour

Carico’s – Edmonds

Mines – Copper

Peach Bottom – Noah Long – Sparta

Mines – Iron

Collins’ – Huster Collins – Edmonds
Gallion’s – James Gallion – Edmonds

Physicians

Fowlkes, C. G. – Scottsville
Smith, John L. – Sparta

Saddlers and Harnessmakers

Holbrook, W. K. – Sparta

Schools and Colleges

Alleghany Collegiate Institute – S. W. Brown – Sparta
Laurel Springs Academy – J. B. Hans – Laurel Springs

Tanners

Gilliam, Wesley – Sparta

Principal Farmers

Cherry Lane – Stephen Johnson, A. J. Woodruff, Frank Bryan

Edmonds – F. H. Carico, Smith Robardss, A. O. Carico, A. G. Carico

Elk Creek – D. C. Edwards, A. D. Reeves, A. J. Carson

Laurel Springs – John S. Miller, W. B. Reeves, J. H. Doughton, J. H. Stamper, C. J. Taylor, Calvin Long, Joseph Phillips

Norman – P. C. Higgins, M. Edwards

Piney Creek – William Halsey, John Weaver, J. R. Wyatt, Ira Halsey, John S. Parsons, Caleb Parsons

Prather’s Creek – D. C. Jones, Allen Jones

Sparta – Alex. Hampton, T. J. Carson, J. L. Smith, J. B. Doughton, J. T. Hawthorn, H. S. Edwards, E. L. Vaughan, George Mc. Reeves, Mrs. C. A. Parks, R. C. Gentry, William Whites, W. B. Cheek, Robert Gambill