Editing Statesville, North Carolina (section)

== History ==
In 1753, [[Scotch-Irish Americans|Scots-Irish]] [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterians]] and [[German Americans|German]] Lutherans, who had originally settled in [[Pennsylvania]], began arriving in what would become Statesville in 1789<ref name="Keever">Keever, Homer M.; ''Iredell Piedmont County'', with illustrations by Louise Gilbert and maps by Mild red Jenkins Miller, published for the Iredell County Bicentennial Commission by Brady Printing Company from type set by the Statesville Record and Landmark, copyright, November 1976</ref> to plant crops in the fertile soil where game and water were also plentiful. The settlement, known as [[Fourth Creek Congregation]], was named for the freshwater stream running to the north of the present-day city center, the fourth creek west of the neighboring settlement of [[Salisbury, North Carolina|Salisbury]]. The center of the settlement was a log cabin where the [[Presbyterians]] worshiped and where the First Presbyterian Church is located today.

[[File:Statesville Old U.S. Court House and Post Office.jpg|thumb|left|U.S. Court House and Post Office in 1900]]
[[File:Statesville Commercial Historic District, Madison Building, Between 125 & 145 East Broad Street, Statesville (Iredell County, North Carolina).jpg|thumb|Madison building in Statesville Commercial Historic District (1982)]]

In 1755, colonial governor [[Arthur Dobbs]] authorized the construction of the colony's frontier fort, which was located approximately {{convert|3|mi|0}} due north of the Fourth Creek settlement. Built and garrisoned by North Carolina provincial soldiers, [[Fort Dobbs (North Carolina)|Fort Dobbs]] defended British North America's western frontier in the colony of North Carolina during the [[French and Indian War]] and [[Anglo-Cherokee War]]. Fort Dobbs combined the functions of a military [[barracks]], fortification, refuge for settlers, provisioning depot and center for negotiations with Native Americans.<ref name="FtDobbs">{{cite web|url=http://www.fortdobbs.org/events|title=Grand Opening of Fort Dobbs|website=fortdobbs.org|access-date=September 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924124848/http://www.fortdobbs.org/events|archive-date=September 24, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

The state legislature divided [[Rowan County, North Carolina|Rowan County]] in 1788, and the new county was named "Iredell" for [[James Iredell]], associate justice of the first Supreme Court during the presidency of [[George Washington]].<ref name="Cheney">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/northcarolinagov1975nort/page/768|title=North Carolina Government, 1585-1974, A Narrative and Statistical History|editor=John L. Cheney, Jr.|year=1975}}</ref><ref name="Assembly1800s">{{cite web|url=https://www.carolana.com/NC/1800s/nc_1800s_general_assembly.html|title=North Carolina General Assemblies, 1800s|author=Lewis, J.D.|website=Carolana.com|access-date=November 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809125920/https://www.carolana.com/NC/1800s/nc_1800s_general_assembly.html|archive-date=August 9, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

One year later, the legislature selected a spot for the county seat. The Fourth Creek Congregation was chosen, and the settlement became known as "Statesville". The 1800 US Census lists the town as "States Ville", which was later combined as "Statesville". In 1800, there were 95 inhabitants in "States Ville", including 68 free white persons and 27 slaves.<ref name='1800Census'>"United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHR8-5KZ : accessed 19 December 2018), States Ville, Iredell, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 675, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 29; FHL microfilm 337,905.</ref>
 
As early as 1833, Statesville's leaders began laying track for railroads to connect the [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]] area of North Carolina with the rest of the country.<ref name="Keever" />

By 1858, Statesville was growing rapidly and soon afterward began leading the state in the production of [[tobacco]] and tobacco products, the manufacture and blending of [[whiskey]], and became a large distribution center for roots and herbs.<ref name="Keever" />

On August 27, 1891, a passenger train derailed on the Bostian Bridge,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Moose |first1=Bill |title=Bostian Bridge Train Wreck {{!}} NCpedia |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/bostian-bridge-train-wreck |website=www.ncpedia.org |publisher=Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press. |access-date=25 October 2023}}</ref> a {{convert|300|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} bridge, and seven cars fell down. About 30 people died in the accident.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/08/27/north.carolina.ghost.train/index.html#fbid=ZGflCJMCHK3&wom=true|title='Ghost train' hunter killed by train in North Carolina|author=Gast, Phil|work=CNN|date=August 28, 2010|access-date=August 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829144340/http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/08/27/north.carolina.ghost.train/index.html#fbid=ZGflCJMCHK3&wom=true|archive-date=August 29, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>