Speculation of Land for Gold
Prior to the Formation of Stanly County NC NORTH CAROLINA GOLD MINE COMPANY
Lands owned by Dr. William Thornton in present day Stanly County
Plat maps drawn in 1794.

Most of us realize that the study of history in Stanly County begins with the undertanding that many needed records were destroyed in the Montgomery County Courthouse fire. But at other crucial times in our history, political will, the needs of German settlers, land speculation and the discovery of gold came together making it difficult to prove and distiguish legal land ownership. Over 50,000 acres of land purchased in 1795 was held intact until the mid 1840's. While many people owned lands within these tracts, the eventual selling and break-up of the larger tracts caused great confusion as to the true location of land bounaries. The following webpage traces these large tracts from their early ownership through to the break-up of the lands when owned by the estate of Dr. William Thornton, designer of the United State Capitol Building. Land records and two North Carolina State Supreme Court cases will be used to illustrate events as they happened:

Land and Gold Prior to the Formation of Stanly County NC

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