Copyright Notice: This content is from the North Carolina Gazetteer, edited by William S. Powell and Michael Hill. Copyright © 2010 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

This content is from the North Carolina Gazetteer, edited by William S. Powell and Michael Hill. Copyright © 2010 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

Some place names included in The North Carolina Gazetteer contain terms that are considered offensive.

Preface to the 2nd edition
Preface to the 1st edition
Acknowledgments
Tips for Searching the Gazetteer

"The North Carolina Gazetteer is a geographical dictionary in which an attempt has been made to list all of the geographic features of the state in one alphabet. It is current, and it is historical as well. Many features and places that no longer exist are included; many towns and counties for which plans were made but which never materialized are also included. Some names appearing on old maps may have been imaginary, but many of them also appear in this gazetteer.

Each entry is located according to the county in which it is found. I have not felt obliged to keep entries uniform. The altitude of a place, the date of incorporation of a city or town, may appear in the beginning of one entry and at the end of another. Some entries may appear more complete than others. I have included whatever information I could find. If there is no comment on the origin or meaning of a name, it is because the information was not available. In some cases, however, resort to an unabridged dictionary may suggest the meaning of many names."

--From The North Carolina Gazetteer, 1st edition, preface by William S. Powell

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Place Description
Wagoner

community in E central Ashe County.
Wagram

town in E Scotland County. Known first as Montpelier, then (around 1900) as Fontcal. Inc. 1911 as Wagram. Probably named for the Austrian town where a battle was fought in 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars. Alt. 250.
Wagstaff Store

community in W Person County.
Wahoo

community in NW Alexander County on Middle Little River.
Wahtom Pocosin

NW Bertie County.
Wahtom Swamp

rises in NW Bertie County and flows SE into Cashie River.
Wailes

community in SW Mecklenburg County served by post office, 1892-1902.
Wainwright Island

in Core Sound, NE Carteret County; approx. 2/3 mi. long. Probably named for James Winwright or Wainwright.
Wake County

was formed in 1771 from Johnston, Cumberland, and Orange Counties. Located in the E central section of the state, it is bounded by Johnston, Harnett, Chatham, Durham, Granville, and Franklin Counties. It was named for Margaret Wake (1733-1819), wife of Governor William Tryon. Area: 867 sq. mi. County seat: Raleigh, with an elevation of 363 ft. Raleigh is also the state capital. Townships are Barton Creek, Buckhorn, Cary, Cedar Fork, Holly Springs, House Creek, Leesville, Little River, Marks Creek, Meredith, Middle Creek, Neuse River, New Light, Panther Branch, Raleigh, St. Marys, St. Matthews, Swift Creek, Wake Forest, and White Oak. Produces tobacco, corn, wheat, oats, cotton, poultry, dairy products, hogs, livestock, farm machinery, concrete products, baked goods, textiles, cottonseed oil, apparel, furniture, pharmaceuticals, packaged foods, software, nursery products, strawberries, pumpkins, crushed stone, and fabricated metals.
Wake Court House

See Raleigh.