North Carolina has 100 counties, but quite a few of them have no digitized county histories. As always, though, check the STATE list, as there are quite a few biographical volumes available to read online.
FAQ
1. While every county in the state is listed, links are only provided for titles that no longer fall under U.S. copyright laws. All (almost) links connect to free websites.
2. There are a few instances when a book has been digitized, but is only found on a paid site. In that case, no link is inserted, but a note as to the website where it has been found is given.
3. When a state history has also been found in digital format, it is listed in the STATE section that precedes the county list. I have limited STATE entries to those with county histories/biographical volumes in them.
4. There are a number of counties that DO have histories written, BUT they remain copyrighted material. Therefore, if a county has NONE after its name, it doesn’t mean there is no county history, just that none has been digitized. It’s also possible that the only digitized county history is included in one of the state volumes, so be sure to check those entries.
5. If the book is on FamilySearch, you will need a free account to access it. This list does NOT include town histories.
6. When all fifty states have been completed, I will post a PDF of them all.
7. One last note – it is very possible that a book is digitally available on more than one website. I’ve only included links to one site per book.
NORTH CAROLINA
STATE – Sketches of western North Carolina, historical and biographical: illustrating principally the revolutionary period of Mecklenburg, Rowan, Lincoln and adjoining counties, accompanied with miscellaneous information, much of it never before published, Cyrus Lee Hunter, Raleigh News Steam Job Printing, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1877.
STATE: Biographical history of North Carolina from colonial times to the present, Volume 1, Samuel A’Court Ashe, Charles L. Van Noppen & Stephen Beauregard Weeks, Greensboro, North Carolina, 1905-1917.
STATE: Biographical history of North Carolina from colonial times to the present, Volume 2, Samuel A’Court Ashe, Charles L. Van Noppen & Stephen Beauregard Weeks, Greensboro, North Carolina, 1905-1917.
STATE: Biographical history of North Carolina from colonial times to the present, Volume 3, Samuel A’Court Ashe, Charles L. Van Noppen & Stephen Beauregard Weeks, Greensboro, North Carolina, 1905-1917.
STATE: Biographical history of North Carolina from colonial times to the present, Volume 4, Samuel A’Court Ashe, Charles L. Van Noppen & Stephen Beauregard Weeks, Greensboro, North Carolina, 1905-1917.
STATE: Biographical history of North Carolina from colonial times to the present, Volume 5, Samuel A’Court Ashe, Charles L. Van Noppen & Stephen Beauregard Weeks, Greensboro, North Carolina, 1905-1917.
STATE: Biographical history of North Carolina from colonial times to the present, Volume 6, Samuel A’Court Ashe, Charles L. Van Noppen & Stephen Beauregard Weeks, Greensboro, North Carolina, 1905-1917.
STATE: Biographical history of North Carolina from colonial times to the present, Volume 7, Samuel A’Court Ashe, Charles L. Van Noppen & Stephen Beauregard Weeks, Greensboro, North Carolina, 1905-1917.
STATE: Biographical history of North Carolina from colonial times to the present, Volume 8, Samuel A’Court Ashe, Charles L. Van Noppen & Stephen Beauregard Weeks, Greensboro, North Carolina, 1905-1917.
STATE – Sketches from the biographical history of North Carolina, Thomas Merritt Pittman, Stephen Beauregard Weeks & Samuel A’Court Ashe, n.p., 1911
STATE – Historical sketches of North Carolina, from 1584 to 1851, compiled from original records, official documents and traditional statements : with biographical sketches of her distinguished statesmen, jurists, lawyers, soldiers, divines, etc., John Hill Wheeler, Lippincott & Grambo, Phiiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 1851.
STATE – Reminiscences and memoirs of North Carolina and eminent North Carolinians, John H. Wheeler, Columbus Printing Works, Columbus, Ohio, 1884.
STATE – Sketches of North Carolina: historical and biographical, illustrative of the principles of a portion of her early settlers, William Henry Foote, R. Carter, New York, 1846.
STATE – Western North Carolina: a history (from 1730 to 1913), John Preston Arthur, Edward Buncombe Chapter, DAR, Asheville, North Carolina, Edwards & Broughton Printing Company, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1914.
ALAMANCE – A sketch of Alamance County, North Carolina for the colored exhibit to the cotton states and international exposition, Atlanta, Ga. U.S.A., George S. Mabry, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 198_. [FamilySearch Film 1,464,014, Item 12]
ALAMANCE – The history of Alamance: a work for the degree of M.A. at the University of North Carolina, Sallie W. Stockard Magness, Capital Printing Company, Raleigh, 1900.
ALAMANCE – Centennial history of Alamance County, Walter E. Whitaker, Brulington Chamber of Commerce, Burlington and Dowd Printing, Charlotte, 1949.
ALEXANDER – NONE
ALLEGHANY – NONE
ANSON – Anson County in the World War 1917-1919: a compilation of the various activities and services performed during this period of stress, Craighead-Dunlap Chapter, DAR, Edward & Broughton, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1929.
ASHE – Ashe County: a history, Arthur Lloyd Fletcher, Ashe County Research Association, Jefferson, North Carolina, c1963.
ASHE – Miss Chessie’s memories: interesting people, places and stories in Ashe County history recounted, Mrs. C.D. Neal, Ronda, North Carolina, 1982.
AVERY – NONE
BEAUFORT – Some colonial history of Beaufort County, North Carolina, Francis Hodge Cooper, North Carolina University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1916.
BERTIE – The lost town of “Cashy,” 1739-1770, Bertie County, North Carolina, Harry Lewis Thompson, 1967.
BLADEN – NONE
BRUNSWICK – NONE
BUNCOMBE – Asheville and Buncombe County, Foster Alexander Sondley & Theodore Fulton Davidson, Asheville Citizen, Asheville, North Carolina, 1922.
BUNCOMBE – A History of Buncombe County, North Carolina, Volume 1, Foster Alexander Sondley, Advocate Print Company, Asheville, North Carolina, 1930.
BUNCOMBE – A History of Buncombe County, North Carolina, Volume 2, Foster Alexander Sondley, Advocate Print Company, Asheville, North Carolina, 1930.
BURKE – The earliest settlers of Burke County, North Carolina Scotch-Irish, and German, Frank Folsom Fields, n.d. [FamilySearch Film 924097, Item 14]
CABARRUS – Historical papers on Cabarrus County, North Carolina, Committee of North Carolina Colonial Dames, 1935-1936.
CABARRUS – Historical shadows of Cabarrus County, North Carolina, Crabtree Press, Charlotte, North Carolina, c1970. FamilySearch Film 1,730,728]
CALDWELL – Annals of Caldwell County, William W. Scott, News-Topic Printing, Lenoir, 1930.
CALDWELL – Happy Valley, history and genealogy [of the Yadkin River Valley], Thomas Felix Hickerson, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, c1940.
CALDWELL – Here will I dwell: the story of Caldwell County, Nancy Alexander, Rowan Print Company, Salisbury, North Carolina, 1956.
CAMDEN – Three hundred years along the Pasquotank: a biographical history of Camden County, Jesse Forbes Pugh, Old Trap, North Carolina, c1957.
CARTERET – NONE
CASWELL – NONE
CATAWBA – The Catawba soldier of the Civil War: a sketch of every soldier from Catawba county, North Carolina, with the photograph, biographical sketch, and reminiscence of many of them, together with a sketch of Catawba county from 1860 to 1911, George W. Hahn, Clay Printing Company, Hickory, North Carolina, 1911.
CATAWBA – The heritage of Catawba County, North Carolina, Lucille M. Fullbright & Dot R. Price, Catawba County Genealogical Society, Newton, North Carolina, c1986-c2006.
CATAWBA – A history of Catawba County, Charles J. Preslar, Rowan Print, Salisbury, North Carolina, 1954.
CHATHAM – An account of the Cape Fear County, 1731, Hugh Meredith & Earl Gregg Swen, Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 1922.
CHATHAM – An address on the revolutionary history of Chatham County, N.C: delivered at the centennial celebration at Pittsborough, N.C., on the Fourth day of July 1876, Henry Armand London, Cole Printing Company, Sanford, North Carolina, 1894.
CHEROKEE – NONE
CHOWAN – Cradle of the colony: the history of Chowan County and Edenton, North Carolina, Thomas C. Parramore, Edenton Chamber of Commerce, Edenton, North Carolina, 1967.
CHOWAN – Economic and social history of Chowan County, North Carolina, Warren Scott Boyce, Columbia University, New York, 1917.
CLAY – A history of Clay County, North Carolina, Guy Padgett, n.p., 1976.
CLEVELAND – The Sandy Run settlement and Mooresboro, Virginia Greene DePriest, Shelby, North Carolina, 1978.
COLUMBUS – NONE
CRAVEN – Some colonial history of Craven County, Francis Hodges Cooper, North Carolina Historical Society, n.d. [FamilySearch Film 1,730,139]
CUMBERLAND – NONE
CURRITUCK – NONE
DARE – NONE
DAVIDSON – Index to The Dutch Settlements on Abbots Creek, Cora Miller, North Carolina, 1981.
DAVIDSON – Centennial history of Davidson County, North Carolina, Jacob Calvin Leonard, Edwards & Broughton, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1927.
DAVIE – NONE
DUPLIN – Evolution of Duplin County as a political subdivision of North Carolina and its early inhabitants, L.A. Beasley, typescript, North Carolina Department of Archives and History, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1962. [FamilySearch Film 296802, Item 1]
DUPLIN – Historical sketch of Duplin County, L.A. Beasley, typescript, North Carolina Department of Archives and History, 1962. [FamilySeaerch Film 296802, Item 2]
DUPLIN – Historical sketch of Duplin County, William Dickson (died 1820), typescript, North Carolina Department of Archives and History, Raleigh, North Carolina, c1820. [FamilySearch Film 296802, Item 3]
DURHAM – Durham County, economic and social, William Merrimon Upchurch & Marion Butler Fowler, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1918.
EDGECOMBE – Early history of Tarboro, North Carolina: Also collated colonial public Claims of Edgecombe County, and Easter Sunday in Savannah, Ga, Gaston Lichenstein, W.E. Jones Book and Job Printer, Richmond, Virginia, 1908.
EDGECOMBE – History of Edgecombe County, North Carolina, J. Kelly Turner & Jno. L. Bridgers, Jr., Edwards & Broughton, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1920.
FORSYTH – Forsyth: a county on the march, Adelaide Lisetta Fries, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1949.
FORSYTH – Forsyth County, Adelaide Lisetta Fries, Stewarts’ Printing House, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 1898.
FORSYTH – Forsyth county: economic and social; a laboratory study at the University of North Carolina, Department of Rural Social Economics, Charles Nathaniel Siewers, O.G. Dunn, New Bern, North Carolina, 1924.
FRANKLIN – Historical sketches of Franklin county, Edward Hill Davis, Edwards & Broughton, Raleigh, North Carolina, c1948.
GASTON – History of Gaston County, Minnie Stowe Puett, Observer Printing House, Charlotte, North Carolina, c1939. [FamilySearch Film 1,730,132]
GASTON – Gaston County: economic and social, Samuel Huntington Hobbs Jr., University of North Carolina, 1920.
GATES – NONE
GRAHAM – Graham County centennial, 1872-1972, Robbinsville, North Carolina, 1972.
GRANVILLE – Granville County, North Carolina potpourri, Virginia Reavis Lyle, Vee El Ancestral Studies, Nashville, Tennessee, 1969. [FamilySearch Film 1,730,145]
GRANVILLE – Manuscript history and genealogies of Granville County, North Carolina, 1749-1900, Thomas McAdory Owen, c1920. [FamilySearch Film 478500]
GREENE – NONE
GUILFORD – The history of Guilford County, North Carolina, Sallie Walker Stockard, Gaul Ogden Company, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1902.
HALIFAX – History of Halifax County, William Cicero Allen, Cornhill company, Boston, 1918.
HALIFAX – Halifax County: economic and social, Sidney B. Allen & R. Stanford Travis, Jr., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1920.
HALIFAX – The Spirit of Roanoke; a Pageant of Halifax County History, Herald Publishing Company, Roanoke Rapids, 1921.
HARNETT – NONE
HAYWOOD – The Annals of Haywood County, North Carolina: historical, sociological, biographical and genealogical, William Cicero Allen, n.p., 1935.
HAYWOOD – Centennial of Haywood County and its county seat, Waynesville, North Carolina, William Cicero Allen, Courier Printing, Waynesville, North Carolina, 1908.
HENDERSON – The story of Henderson County, Sadie Smathers Patton, Miller Printing Company, Asheville, 1947. Reprint 1976.
HERTFORD – The colonial and state political history of Hertford County, North Carolina, Benjamin Brodie Winborne, Edwards & Broughton, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1906.
HERTFORD – Hertford County, the first two hundred years: 1584-1789, Hertford County Bicentnnial Commission, Winton, North Carolina, 1976.
HOKE – NONE
HYDE – NONE
IREDELL – NONE
JACKSON – NONE
JOHNSTON – Johnston County: economic and social, William Marsh Sanders Jr. & George Young Ragsdale, Smithfield Observer, Smithfield, 1922.
JONES – NONE
LEE – NONE
LENOIR – Annals of progress: the story of Lenoir County and Kinston, North Carolina, William Stevens Powell, State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1963.
LENOIR – History of Lenoir County: from the Industrial issue of the Free Press, Saturday, September 2, 1899. [FamilySearch Film 19240]
LENOIR – The story of Kinston and Lenoir County, North Carolina, Talmage Johnson & Charles R. Holloman, Edwards & Broughton, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1954.
LINCOLN – Annals of Lincoln County, North Carolina: containing interesting and authentic facts of Lincoln County history through the years 1749-1937, William Lander Sherrill, The Observer Printing House, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1937. Reprint 1967. [FamilySearch Film 873832, Item 2]
LINCOLN – The history of Lincoln County, Alfred Nixon, Lincoln County Historical Society, 1978.
MACON – Macon County, North Carolina, Henry Stewart Jr., Blue Ridge Printing, Highlands, 1902. [FamilySearch Film 1,730,124]
MADISON – NONE
MARTIN – Martin County history, Francis M. Manning & W.H. Booker, Enterprise Publishing Company, Williamston, North Carolina, 1977.
MCDOWELL – NONE
MECKLENBURG – History of Mecklenburg county and the city of Charlotte, from 1740 to 1903, Volume 1, Daniel Augustus Tompkins, Observer Printing House, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1903.
MECKLENBURG – History of Mecklenburg county and the city of Charlotte, from 1740 to 1903, Volume 2, Daniel Augustus Tompkins, Observer Printing House, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1903.
MECKLENBURG – The history of Mecklenburg county from 1740 to 1900, John Brevard Alexander, Observer Printing House, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1900.
MECKLENBURG – Reminiscences of the past sixty years, John Brevard Alexander, Ray Printing Company, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1908.
MITCHELL – NONE
MONTGOMERY – Pattern of timeless moments: a history of Montgomery County, Mable S. Lassiter, Montgomery Herald, Troy, North Carolina, 1975.
MOORE – The county of Moore, 1847-1947, a North Carolina region’s second hundred years, Manly Wade Wellman, Moore County Historical Assocation, Southern Pines, North Carolina, 1962.
MOORE – A history of Moore County, North Carolina, 1747-1847, Blackwell P. Robinson, Moore County Historical Association, Southern Pines, North Carolina, 1956.
MOORE – Errata and addenda for Blackwell P. Robinson, A history of Moore County, North Carolina, 1847-1947, Rassie Everton Wicker & J. Atwood Whitman, Moore County Historical Association, Southern Pines, North Carolina, 1984.
NASH – NONE
NEW HANOVER – A history of New Hanover County and the lower Cape Fear region, 1723-1800, Volume 1, (no Volume 2 ever published), Alfred Moore Waddell, Wilmington, North Carolina, 1909.
NORTHAMPTON – NONE
ONSLOW – The commonwealth of Onslow: a history, Joseph Parsons Brown, Owen G. Dunn Company, New Bern, North Carolina, 1960. [FamilySearch Film 1,730131]
ONSLOW – Hargett-Thompson Onslow County, North Carolina, Sybil Hyatt, Kinston, North Carolina, 1948.
ORANGE – The age of Orange: political and intellectual leadership in North Carolina, 1752-1861, Ruth Blackwelder, W. Loftin, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1961.
ORANGE – Orange County, 1752-1952, Hugh Talmage Lefler & Paul Woodford Wager, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1953.
PAMLICO – Pamlico County, 100 years, 1872-1972, Pamlico County Historical Society, New Bern, North Carolina, 1972.
PASQUOTANK – A historical sketch of ancient Pasquotank county, North Carolina, 1586?-1793, Jerome B. Flora, typescript, 1952. [FamilySearch film 599081, Item 7]
PASQUOTANK – Pasquotank 1660-1776: a bicentennial project, Fred P. Markham III, 1976.
PENDER – History of Pender County, North Carolina, Mattie Bloodworth, Dietz Printing, Richmond, Virginia, 1947.
PERQUIMANS – NONE
PERSON – Reminiscences: a sketch and letters descriptive of life in Person county in former days, Alexander Roundtree Foushee, Seeman Printing, Durham, 1921.
PITT – Sketches of Pitt County: a brief history, 1704-1910, Henry T. King, Edwards & Broughton, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1911.
POLK – Sketches of Polk County history, Sadie Smathers Patton, Hendersonville, North Carolina, 1950.
RANDOLPH – Reminiscences of Randolph County, J.A. Blair, Reece & Elam Book and Job Printers, Greensboro, North Carolina, 1890. [FamilySearch Film 1,688,882, Item 1]
RANDOLPH – Randolph County: economic and social, Fred Burgess, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1920.
RICHMOND – NONE
ROBESON – The state of Robeson, Robert C. Lawrence, Lumberton, North Carolina, 1939. [FamilySearch Film 1,730,133]
ROCKINGHAM – Here and there in Rockingham County, North Carolina, Bettie Sue Gardner, Reidsville, North Carolina, 1959.
ROCKINGHAM – Rockingham County, economic and social, Rockingham County Club, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1918.
ROWAN – A History of Rowan county, North Carolina: containing sketches of prominent families and distinguished men, Jethro Rumple, Salisbury, North Carolina, 1881.
ROWAN – Index to Carolina Cradle, Jo White Linn & Robert Wayne Ramsey, 197_.
ROWAN – The Rowan story, 1753-1953: a narrative history of Rowan County, North Carolina, James S. Brawley, Rowan Print Company, Salisbury, North Carolina, 1953.
ROWAN – Sketches of old Rowan, George Raynor & Aubrey Atkinson, American Association of University Women, Salisbury Chapter, 1960.
ROWAN – A colonial history of Rowan county, North Carolina, Volumes 16-19, Samuel J. Ervin, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1917.
RUTHERFORD – NONE
SAMPSON – NONE
SCOTLAND – Peden collection: historical records, 1800-1968, of Scotland County, North Carolina, Margaret S. Peden, North Carolina Division of Archives and History, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1970 [FamilySearch Film 833464]
STANLY – NONE
STOKES – The heritage of Stokes County, North Carolina, John R. Woodard, Stokes County Historical Society, Germanton, North Carolina, 1981.
SURRY – History of Surry County: or annals of northwest North Carolina, Jesse Gentry Hollingsworth, c1935.
SWAIN – NONE
TRANSYLVANIA – NONE
TYRRELL – History of Tyrrell county, David E. Davis, James Christopher Print, Norfolk, Virginia, c1963. [FamilySearch Film 1,730,138]
UNION – NONE
VANCE – Historic Vance County: and “happy, healthy, hustling Henderson,” John Bullock Watkins, Henderson, North Carolina, 1941.
WAKE – Wake County: Economic and Social, Wake County Club, University of North Carolina, 1918.
WARREN – NONE
WASHINGTON – NONE
WATAUGA – A history of Watauga County, North Carolina: with sketches of prominent families, John Preston Arthur, Everett Waddey Company, Richmond, Virginia, 1915.
WATAUGA – History of Watauga County, a souvenir of Watauga Centennial, Boone, North Carolina, Daniel J. Whitener. [FamilySearch Film 20148]
WAYNE – History of Wayne county, Frank Arthur Daniels, Wayne County Court, c1914.
WILKES – Historical sketches of Wilkes County, John Crouch, Wilkesboro, North Carolina, 1902.
WILSON – NONE
YADKIN – NONE
YANCEY – NONE