Johnston County Revisited

Created in 1746, Johnston County is located along the fall line between North Carolina’s Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions. Smithfield, on the Neuse River, has been the county seat since 1771. In 1856, Johnston County became part of the Fertile Crescent along the east-west North Carolina Railroad, which spawned the thriving towns of Princeton, Pine Level, Selma, and Clayton. In the 1880s, a north-south rail line, eventually known as the Atlantic Coastline, brought Kenly, Micro, Four Oaks, and Benson into existence. Johnston County boasts film legend Ava Gardner, bootleg kingpin Percy Flowers, Vicks VapoRub, and other local claims to fame. It is still a farming county, although recent growth from the Research Triangle region has brought marked changes to the rural landscape. In recent years, Wilson’s Mills and Archer Lodge have gained corporate status. These historical images tell a story not only of the extraordinary people who have called Johnston County home but also of the ordinary, everyday individuals who have left their mark.

Created in 1746, Johnston County is located along the fall line between North Carolina's Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions. Smithfield, on the Neuse River, has been the county seat since 1771. In 1856, Johnston County became part of the Fertile Crescent along the east-west North Carolina Railroad, which spawned the thriving towns of Princeton, Pine Level, Selma, and Clayton. In the 1880s, a north-south rail line, eventually known as the Atlantic Coastline, brought Kenly, Micro, Four Oaks, and Benson into existence. Johnston County boasts film legend Ava Gardner, bootleg kingpin Percy Flowers, Vicks VapoRub, and other local claims to fame. It is still a farming county, although recent growth from the Research Triangle region has brought marked changes to the rural landscape. In recent years, Wilson's Mills and Archer Lodge have gained corporate status. These historical images tell a story not only of the extraordinary people who have called Johnston County home but also of the ordinary, everyday individuals who have left their mark.

James Redfearn was born between 1705 and 1711, probably in Virginia or Maryland. He married Rachel and they had seven children. He probably died in Guilford County, North Carolina between 1768 and 1779. Descendants and relatives lived mainly in North Carolina, Arkansas, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and California.

After the publication of Images of America: Ashe County, requests poured in for a second volume. In response to this demand, the Ashe County Historical Society has compiled another collection of over 200 captivating black-and-white photographs along with historical information about this beloved corner of the High Country.Ashe County Revisited focuses on the distinctive geographical features of Ashe County and how the geography shaped the remarkable pioneers who settled the region. These hardy folk came from the relative security of the Piedmont and valleys of Virginia and North Carolina to a mountainous region dominated by 5,000-foot peaks, fertile bottomland, and vast stretches of timberland and meadowland. They forded the many streams feeding the two forks of the New River and carved roads around and through sheer granite walls. They mined ore from the mountains and felled vast timber resources before replanting the forests and developing new industries. The character of Ashe County reflects how these pioneers learned to live with the demands of the harsh mountainous environment. The residents of the county and their myriad accomplishments are celebrated once again in a stunning visual history.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Lawrence Routh was born about 1660 in Hawes, Yorkshire, England and married Anne Metcalfe. They immigrated in 1688 to Easton, Talbot Co., Maryland and moved to Chester Co., Pennsylvania. He died in 1691 and his widow married Humphrey Johnson and had several more children.