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A Closer Look at Our Roots in Rowan County, North Carolina


Old Rowan County Courthouse in Salisbury, 1934

Marvin W. Helms - http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nc/nc0300/nc0312/photos/102737pv.jpg

Photographic view from the southeast of the Rowan County Courthouse, 200 North Main Street, Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina. Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress, Washington, D. C. (Source: Rowan County Courthouse Salisbury North Carolina - Salisbury, North Carolina - Wikipedia)

Our "Little" family line has been traced back to Rowan County, North Carolina. This area is rich in history and the citizens were well known for their patriotism in the War for Independence. Please join me for a closer look at Rowan County and our ancestors who once lived there.

We'll start with Samuel and Elizabeth (Boone) Little. Samuel Little was born around 1780 in Rowan County and Elizabeth in 1786 at Hunting Creek (Rowan County). Elizabeth is the daughter of Rebecca and John Boone. There is also speculation that we are related to the historical figure Daniel Boone; I remember as a child Grandma Lillian (Weaver) Somers telling me that we were related to him.

Samuel and Elizabeth married in August of 1801 and had approximately 10 children. (Source: Samuel Little/Elizabeth Boone (ronulrich.com)).  Their daughter Emily (b. 1816) married Alfred S. Weaver (b. 1809) in October of 1834. They had 3 children all recorded as born in Tennessee. (Source: Alfred S. Weaver/Emily Little (ronulrich.com)) Our branch of the Weavers is traced back to their youngest son, Alfred Green Chance Weaver, a man of courage and principle who fought in the War Between the States for the Union Army. I think he learned some of his patriotism from his mother Emily who was born in Rowan County. Here is some history of her birth place:

 Rowan County (1753) - North Carolina History Project

Written by Jonathan Martin:
In 1753, nearly 350 residents of Anson County petitioned the North Carolina legislature to form a separate county. Rowan County was the result of the petition, and at the time of its incorporation, the county was named in honor of the governor of North Carolina, Matthew Rowan. Two years after the county’s establishment, Salisbury was determined the county seat of Rowan, and the town most likely received its name in honor of the town in England. During the 1800s, Salisbury was the economic and political center of western North Carolina.

Communities in Rowan County other than Salisbury include Bear Poplar, China Grove, Craven, Spencer, and Faith. In addition, the sprawling city of Kannapolis, a town mostly located in Cabarrus County, extends into Rowan County. Several natural features distinguish Rowan County, such as rivers (Yadkin River), creeks (Beaverdam and Panther Creeks), and mountains (Dunn Mountain).

The Saponi and Catawba were the first Native Americans to reside in present-day Rowan County. German and Scotch-Irish settlers, from the northern colonies of Pennsylvania and Virginia, traveled the Great Wagon Road to Rowan. Farmers took advantage of the fertile soil in Rowan and the county grew throughout the 1740s and 1750s. As the Revolution neared, county residents became more involved in politics and the fight for independence. Rowan citizens eventually composed the Rowan Resolves, an article composed in support of American Independence. The Rowan Resolves have been considered by historians and some Rowan County citizens as one of the first documents proclaiming North Carolina’s involvement in the American Revolution.

A book I am presently reading is the History of Rowan County North Carolina, Containing Sketches of Prominent Families and Distinguished Men  by Rev. Jethro Rumple published in 1881, in which I have found references to the Boone and Little families. 

Rev. Rumple also points out that the early settlers were mostly Scots Irish and German, with the predominate churches Presbyterian and Lutheran/German Reformed. The citizens were of a high Christian character and "comprehended all the great doctrines of civil liberty." On August 8, 1774 they wrote their own list of seventeen resolutions (the Rowan Resolves mentioned above) which were recorded nearly a year before the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. This was almost two years before our national Declaration of Independence was adopted.

Our Rowan County and North Carolina heritage is one of liberty and the true Christian religion.

~~~~~~~~~

Dear Father in Heaven,

Thank You for the men and women who settled Rowan County, North Carolina, and the rich legacy of Christianity and patriotism they passed on to their descendents. Please forgive us for often ignoring that heritage and taking our freedoms for granted. Please lead us to repentance and appreciation for the sacrifices our ancestors made for us.

In Lord Jesus Name I pray, amen.

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