McDowell County, North Carolina
| McDowell County, North Carolina | ||
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McDowell County Courthouse in Marion
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 Location in the U.S. state of North Carolina |
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 North Carolina's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1842 | |
| Named for | Joseph McDowell | |
| Seat | Marion | |
| Largest city | Marion | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 446 sq mi (1,155 km2) | |
| • Land | 441 sq mi (1,142 km2) | |
| • Water | 5.4 sq mi (14 km2), 1.2% | |
| Population | ||
| • (2010) | 44,996 | |
| • Density | 102/sq mi (39/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 11th | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www |
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McDowell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 44,996. Its county seat is Marion.
McDowell County comprises the Marion, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Hickory-Lenoir, NC Combined Statistical Area.
Archaeological excavations performed by Dr. David Moore, during the early 1980s, revealed the earliest inhabitants of McDowell County to be from the Mississippian and Woodland eras. Dr. Moore discovered evidence in an area close to the Catawba River in and around an unusual topographical site known as Round Hill. These early Native Americans lived in this section prior to Juan Pardo's exploration of the region.
Cherokee and Catawba Indians were known inhabitants of what is now McDowell County.
In 1566, the Spanish explorer Juan Pardo came to Western North Carolina traveling through the area that is now McDowell county. His purpose was to acquire territory for Spain, but he had also hoped to find precious metals. Pardo and his men built a log blockhouse at the headwaters of the Catawba River. Apparently intimidated by the formidable range of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the home of the Cherokee Nation, Pardo left the area the following year.
In 1748, "Hunting" John McDowell received a land grant for property known today as "Pleasant Gardens" including acreage originally located from Swan's Pond (Catawba County) up the Catawba River west to present day Marion and into the region known as Buck Creek. During a hunting expedition with his friend Henry Weidner, the two came upon a lush green valley with thousands upon thousands of acres of virgin forest. During that time, it was customary when settling a dispute to engage in a "friendly" wrestling match. McDowell came out the winner.
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