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Definitive History of Watauga County Published in 1915 Was Written by John Preston Arthur


Written by: Steve Sudderth, Submitted by the Blowing Rock Historical Society

This article is about the man who is credited with writing the definitive history of Watauga County — John Preston Arthur. He was a teacher, lawyer, orator, poet, and writer/historian. 

J.P. Arthur was born October 21, 1851, in Columbia S.C. to Edward John Arthur and Martha Ann Henry Arthur. He practiced law in Columbia and New York before moving to Asheville in 1887 where he practiced law and worked for the Asheville Street Railway Company. 

In 1904, he began his groundbreaking work on a book that was published in 1914, “Western North Carolina: A History, 1730-1913.” In 1912, he relocated to Boone where he resided at the Blair Hotel until his death on December 6, 1916.  While he was in Boone, he was commissioned by 22 citizens to write a book on the history of Watauga County that was published in 1915, “A History of Watauga County, North Carolina,” which he sold for 1.50 a copy. His writing style was unique in that he covered the big picture history but also customs and personal history.

John Preston Arthur was going to make corrections to his work on Watauga County but he died before he could do so.  These changes recently became known when Rebecca Wright Steele gave me an original copy of his book “A History of Watauga County,” which was part of a collection of books that came from George Sudderth Sr. and which contained a typewritten note with these corrections.  George was the son-in-law of William Thomas Blair, owner of the Blair Hotel, and would have had access to them after JP Arthur passed away.

The following are the exact changes that J.P. Arthur had in his corrections. (Note: The lines are counted from the top of each page.) 

CORRECTIONLinePage
“It” should be “the inscription”                                                                                                        2840
“D.B. Phillips should be “J.B. Phillips”                                                                                            Last132
“1858” should be “1859” according to E. Elbert Greene Esq.                                                           19138
“Cove Creek” should be “New River”                                                                                                28170
“Henry Hamby” should be “Henry Henley”                                                                                          29184
“Sharp’s Creek” should be “Sawyers Creek”                                                                                         15210
“Harley” should be “Hartley”                                                                                                                     1240
Blank should be filled by “Laura Martin”                                                                                                35315
Blank should be filled by “Miss Marilda Ellett first and then Jane Brown”                                        
36
315
“a Ray” should be “Margaret Duke”                                                                                                   5316
Blank should be filled by “Jane Ray”                                                                                                           6316
Blank should be filled by “Catherine Burkett”                                                                                           7316
“Ray(?) should be “Morris”                                                                                                                          19316
“ ried a Ray” should be “ried Ella Ray”                                                                                                       22316
“ a Reeves” should be “Winfield Doub”                                                                                                     23316
“Henry C.” should be Henry W.”                                                                                                                  26316
“1829” should be “1827”                                                                                                                               30331
“Eleline” should be “Emeline A.”                                                                                                                    8332
“Hiram” should be “Wm. Carroll”                                                                                                                 10332
Instead of two Wilson families, there are two accounts of but one family. Both coming from the same ancestor.                                                                                                                                                  

352