Ashe County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,577. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Jefferson.

History

Historical evidence shows that Ashe County was inhabited by Native Americans, which included the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

, Creek, and

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...

tribes. Pieces of broken pottery, arrowheads, and other Native American artifacts have been found, indicating their presence. Most of these artifacts have been found in the Old Fields area of Ashe County. The earliest Europeans to explore Ashe County were Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg – head of the

Moravian Church The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination, denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohem ...

in America – and his associates, Timothy Horsefield, Joseph Mueller, Henry Antes, Johan Merck, and Herman Loesch. Bishop Spangenberg wrote about his journey in Ashe in a diary that has been preserved by the Moravian church. He was given in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

as a place for his fellow Moravians to settle. The only one of Spangenberg's group to return and permanently settle in Ashe County was Herman Loesch. Other early settlers were David Helton, William Walling, William McLain and

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

, the famous pioneer. With the exception of Boone, these men and their families all settled in Ashe in 1771. During the Revolutionary War one skirmish was fought in Ashe County, the Battle of Big Glades. The battle was fought in July 1780 between a force of Americans, led by Captain Robert Love, and a force of 150 British Loyalists on their way to

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

to join Lord Cornwallis, the British commander in the Southern colonies. The Americans won the skirmish. In the 1780s, Ashe County was a part of the self-declared "

State of Franklin The State of Franklin (also the Free Republic of Franklin or the State of Frankland)Landrum, refers to the proposed state as "the proposed republic of Franklin; while Wheeler has it as ''Frankland''." In ''That's Not in My American History Boo ...

", within the boundaries of its Washington County. The "State of Franklin" marked the beginnings of the State of

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

. The North Carolina legislature created Ashe County in late 1799 with an area of . Many family surnames noted in the 1800 Ashe County Census, Blevins, Hart, Bare, Barker, Stamper, Miller, Burkett, Gambill, Baldwin, and Ballou as a sample, are still present today. Ashe County was named in honor of Samuel Ashe, a Revolutionary patriot, a superior court judge, and the

Governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The governor directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander in chief of the military forces of the state. The current governor, ...

from 1795 to 1798. From 1807 to 1913, the county went through numerous boundary changes. In 1849, to form Watauga County, the southwestern part of Ashe County was combined with parts of Caldwell County, Wilkes County, and

Yancey County Yancey County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,470. Its county seat is Burnsville. This land was inhabited by the Cherokee prior to European settlement, as was much of t ...

. Ten years later in 1859, the eastern part of the remainder of Ashe County became Alleghany County.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.7%) is water. Ashe County is located in extreme northwestern

. The county is bordered by two states:

on the north; and

to the west. The county is located entirely within the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. The ...

region of North Carolina. Most of the county is located atop a rolling plateau that ranges from to above sea level. On the county's southeastern border the land drops sharply to about in neighboring Wilkes County, North Carolina. Numerous mountains and hills dot the plateau. In total, five mountains in the county rise to over 5,000 feet. A prominent landmark is Mount Jefferson, which is a State Natural Area and rises to , and towers more than above the towns of Jefferson and West Jefferson. The county's main river is the New River, one of the oldest rivers in the world, and one of the few major rivers in the southeastern United States to flow primarily north instead of south, east, or west. 34 creeks and streams flow into the New River in Ashe County. In 1998 the river was designated an "American Heritage River" by President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

, and it is famed for its beautiful rural scenery, clear water, fly fishing, and kayaking and canoeing. Isolated by mountainous terrain from the remainder of North Carolina to the east, Ashe County was described in the 19th and early 20th centuries as one of the Lost Provinces of North Carolina. Ashe County generally is known for its mountain scenery, and the tourism industry is an important mainstay of the county's economy. The

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenan ...

runs along the county's southeastern border. Ashe County has historically consisted of rural farmland, with numerous cattle and poultry farms. However, cattle farming in recent decades has given way to the industry of raising

Christmas trees A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern G ...

. Many cattle farmers have switched to growing Christmas trees, and in 1997, 2007, 2008, and 2012, an Ashe County Christmas tree was selected as the official

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

Christmas Tree by the National Christmas Tree Association. The tree was put on display in the Blue Room (White House). As of 2014 Ashe County grows more Christmas trees than any other county in the Eastern United States.

Climate

Ashe County, North Carolina has a considerably different climate than most of the Southeastern United States. Summers typically average around . Temperatures rarely exceed , but on rare occasions can reach the mid-90s as they did in 2012 – the most recent that 90+ was observed. + has never been observed. Summer nights are cool, and temperatures often dip to near even in July. In winter there is snow, averaging about for the towns of Jefferson and West Jefferson during the past thirty years. Considerably more snow falls on the peaks and the western slopes of the Appalachian Mountains. During the 2009–2010 snow season Jefferson received some of snow. Snow has been observed as early as around October 1 and as late as around May 1. Ashe County is also a very windy location especially in winter when several times per year the Jefferson Airport sees the wind gusting . In addition it does get very cold in Ashe County. In January 2014 the low temperature dipped below several times, the coldest being on January 30–31. Single digit temperatures, often just above zero Fahrenheit, are observed most winter seasons on occasion. The average winter high is in the 40s with an average low near . Ashe County often feels more like the northeastern United States when wind chill factors are also observed.

National protected areas

(part) *

Cherokee National Forest The Cherokee National Forest is a United States National Forest located in the U.S. states of Tennessee and North Carolina that was created on June 14, 1920. The forest is maintained and managed by the United States Forest Service. It encompasse ...

(part)

State and local protected areas

Mount Jefferson State Natural Area Mount Jefferson State Natural Area is a North Carolina state park in Ashe County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Jefferson, North Carolina, it includes the peak of Mount Jefferson, named for Thomas Jefferson and his father P ...

New River State Park New River State Park is a North Carolina state park in Ashe County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Jefferson, North Carolina, it covers in the protected New River watershed. The New River is one of the oldest rivers in the U ...

(part) * Phoenix Lake, Ashe County Park * Pond Mountain Game Lands *

Thurmond Chatham Wildlife Management Area Thurmond can refer to: People * Thurmond (surname), including a list of people with the name Places * Thurmond, North Carolina *Thurmond, West Virginia **Thurmond (Amtrak station) Thurmond station is a train station in Thurmond, West Virginia, U ...

(part) * West Jefferson Municipal Park

Major water bodies

* Big Horse Creek * Brush Creek * Cranberry Creek * Helton Creek * Hoskin Fork * Grassy Creek (Elkin Creek tributary) * Little Horse Creek * Little Phoenix Creek * Long Hope Creek * Mill Creek *

New River (Kanawha River tributary) The New River is a river which flows through the U.S. states of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia before joining with the Gauley River to form the Kanawha River at the town of Gauley Bridge, West Virginia. Part of the Ohio River wat ...

North Fork New River The North Fork New River is a river in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It rises in Northern Watauga County, and flows northeast to Ashe County Ashe County is a county located in the United States state of North Carolina. As of the 202 ...

* Obids Creek * Roundabout Creek * South Fork New River

Adjacent counties

Grayson County, Virginia Grayson County is a county located in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,333. Its county seat is Independence. Mount Rogers, the state's highest peak at , is in Grayson County. ...

– north * Alleghany County – east * Wilkes County – southeast * Watauga County – southwest *

Johnson County, Tennessee Johnson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,244. Its county seat is Mountain City. It is the state's northeasternmost county, sharing borders with Virginia and North Carolin ...

– west

Major highways

* * * * * *

Major infrastructure

* Ashe County Airport

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 26,577 people, 11,938 households, and 7,894 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 27,281 people, 11,755 households, and 8,030 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 people per square mile (23/km²). There were 17,342 total housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (12/km²). Of the total 11,755 housing units were occupied. The racial makeup of the county was: * 95.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

* 0.6%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

* 0.2% Native American * 0.4% Asian * 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

* 2.2% from other races * 1.0% from two or more races. 4.8% of the population was

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 11,755 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.75. In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 10.5% under 10, 10.9% from 10 to 19, 9.9% from 20 to 29, 11.6% from 30 to 39, 13.8% from 40 to 49, 15.2% from 50 to 59, 14% from 60 to 69, 8.7% from 70 to 79, and 5.1% who were 80 years of age or older. The median age was 45.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.39 males. The per capita income was $20,706 and the median household income was $34,056. 18.1% of the population was below the poverty level.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 24,384 people, 10,411 households, and 7,423 families residing in the county. The population density was 57 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 13,268 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was: * 97.16%

* 0.66%

* 0.32% Native American * 0.23% Asian * 0.01%

* 1.05% from other races * 0.56% from two or more races. 2.42% of the population was

or Latino of any race. There were 10,411 households, out of which 26.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.75. In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 19.80% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 27.70% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males. The

median In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic f ...

income for a household in the county was $28,824, and the median income for a family was $36,052. Males had a median income of $25,666 versus $19,983 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $16,429. About 10.10% of families and 13.50% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 16.30% of those under age 18 and 17.30% of those ages 65 and over.

Government and politics

Owing to its rural character Ashe County is a strongly Republican county, if not historically comparable to geographically similar Avery or

Mitchell Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territ ...

. The last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Ashe County was

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

in 1976, and the last to reach forty percent of the county's vote was

in 1992. Recent elections have seen Ashe, like almost all

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, C ...

counties, trend rapidly towards the Republican Party.

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

won just 26 percent of the county's ballots in 2016. Like most counties in North Carolina, Ashe County is governed by a five-member Board of County Commissioners. In the North Carolina Senate, Ashe County lies in the 47th Senate district and is represented by Republican Deanna Ballard. In the North Carolina House of Representatives, Ashe County lies in the 93rd district and is represented by Republican Ray Pickett.

Media

The ''Ashe Post and Times'' is the newspaper of record for Ashe County, serving readers with the latest news and events throughout the county. It is a weekly, paid circulation newspaper that is published every Wednesday with breaking news posted immediately on ashepostandtimes.com. The newspaper is owned by Adams Publishing Group, which also owns the Watauga Democrat.

Communities

Towns

* Jefferson (county seat and largest town) *

Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, maki ...

* West Jefferson

Townships

* Chestnut Hill *

Clifton Clifton may refer to: People * Clifton (surname) * Clifton (given name) Places Australia *Clifton, Queensland, a town ** Shire of Clifton *Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong * Clifton, Western Australia Canada * Clifton, Nova Sc ...

* Creston * Elk * Grassy Creek * Helton * Horse Creek *

Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Dep ...

* Jefferson * Laurel * North Fork * Obids * Old Fields *

Peak Creek Peak or The Peak may refer to: Basic meanings Geology * Mountain peak ** Pyramidal peak, a mountaintop that has been sculpted by erosion to form a point Mathematics * Peak hour or rush hour, in traffic congestion * Peak (geometry), an (''n''-3)-d ...

* Pine Swamp * Piney Creek * Pond Mountain * Walnut Hill * West Jefferson

Unincorporated communities

* Beaver Creek * Bina * Chestnut Hill *

Comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ...

* Creston *

Crumpler Crumpler is an Australian bag brand and manufacturer with two separately held companies who design and supply different products to their respective markets. The company's Pacific headquarterers are in Melbourne, Australia, while its European ...

Fig The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

Fleetwood Fleetwood is a coastal town in the Borough of Wyre in Lancashire, England, at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 25,939 at the 2011 census. Fleetwood acquired its modern character in the 1830s, when the principal lando ...

* Glendale Springs * Grassy Creek * Grayson * Helton * Parker * Scottville * Sturgills *

Todd Todd or Todds may refer to: Places ;Australia: * Todd River, an ephemeral river ;United States: * Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community * Todd, Missouri, a ghost town * Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporated ...

* Warrensville

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2022 estimate of Ashe County. † ''county seat''

Notable people

Ashe County has been home to, produced, or been visited by, several prominent people. It is the hometown of

Monte Weaver Montie Morton Weaver (professionally known as Monte Weaver) (June 15, 1906 – June 14, 1994) was a Major League Baseball player who played as a pitcher from 1931 to 1939. Weaver was born June 15, 1906, in Helton, North Carolina. A 1927 gra ...

from Helton who pitched for the Washington Senators and pitched a

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...

game in 1933. After being traded from the Senators, he pitched for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

, before being called into service in World War II. Weaver died in 1994. Albert Hash a well-known and beloved fiddler and instrument maker at one time resided in Lansing. Helen Keller visited an Ashe County native, Marvin Osborne, in 1944 when he was wounded in France in World War II.

Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Ma ...

sang at the Central Food Market in West Jefferson in the late 1960s (the Central Food building formally housed a locally owned auto parts store and is now the location of a local restaurant).

Roni Stoneman Veronica Loretta "Roni" Stoneman (born May 5, 1938) is a noted bluegrass banjo player and comedian widely known as a cast member on the country music show ''Hee Haw''. She is the youngest daughter of Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman, patriarch of the ...

was a visitor to Ashe Park in the 1980s. In 1998, then-President

and his vice-president,

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic ...

, held a ceremony on the banks of the scenic New River to designate it as an

American Heritage River American Heritage Rivers were designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in the 1990s to receive special attention (coordinating efforts of multiple governmental entities) to further three objectives: natural resource and envir ...

. After the ceremony, both men had lunch at the historic Glendale Springs Inn, also located in Ashe County. Fiddle player

G. B. Grayson Gilliam Banmon Grayson (November 11, 1887 – August 16, 1930) was an American Old-time fiddle player and singer. Mostly blind from infancy, Grayson is chiefly remembered for a series of sides recorded with guitarist Henry Whitter between 1927 a ...

was born in Ashe County in 1887.Barry McCloud (ed.), ''Definitive Country: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Country Music and its Performers'' (New York: Berkley Publishing Group, 1995), p. 340.

spent some time in the eastern part of Ashe County which is now Obids.

References

External links

Ashe County government official website

{{authority control 1799 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1799 History of the America (South) Province of the Moravian Church Counties of Appalachia Western North Carolina State of Franklin

History

Geography

Climate

National protected areas

State and local protected areas

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Major infrastructure

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Government and politics

Media

Communities

Towns

Townships

Unincorporated communities

Population ranking

Notable people

See also

References

External links