Alleghany County, North Carolina: History
The earliest inhabitants of the area eventually comprising Alleghany County were Cherokee and Shawnee Native Americans. By the late 1700s these people had been displaced by English, German, and Scotch-Irish settlers. The county was formed in 1859 from the eastern part of Ashe County. A group of commissioners selected a site near the center of the county to build a courthouse and established the county seat of Sparta. The county was expanded through annexations at the expense of its neighbors from 1869 and 1903. A portion was moved to Wilkes County in 1909.
In 1894, textile executive Hugh Chatham pushed for the founding of a resort in Roaring Gap. It was reorganized in 1925.
The construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the 1930s led to increased tourism and growth in Alleghany County. In 1936, the regional Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation was founded with the support of the Rural Electrification Act, leading to the eventual expansion of electric utility service in Alleghany. In 1944, the county's first major manufacturer—D&P Pipe Works—opened after relocating from Chicago to Sparta to be closer to supplies of local mountain laurel roots which were used during World War II in the production of wooden tobacco pipes. Due to unreliable electricity, the company relied on its own generator for power, but utility service improved after the war.
Alleghany County's economy grew in the 30 years following World War II with the expansion of manufacturing, aided by the improved electricity service and outside companies' desire to locate their facilities in areas with lower land costs, fewer regulations, and less competitive wages. Tourism also grew with the construction of new summer vacation homes. Service-oriented businesses cropped up along U.S. Route 21 to accommodate travelers driving north out of the state. Use of the highway decreased after Interstate 77 was completed in 1975. D&P Pipe Works, later renamed Dr. Grabow, peaked with about 350 employees before health concerns regarding tobacco smoking led to a decline in demand for pipes in the late 20th century. Between 2000 and 2005, the county lost 60 percent of its manufacturing jobs.