I’m very familiar with the property where Bridgewater is proposed to be developed. The land was owned by the Killian family, first by John Killian, who ran a store there at the intersection of what is now 16 and 150. I live on just the other side of the four Lane Hwy. 16 on Highway 150.. I can remember when all of that was open farmland and pasture with a beautiful little pond that John Killian had on the property. John and my grandmother were first cousins. She was very close to JOHNS two sons Carl and Seth.
I know people are all for progress, but it says me to see that land being developed in such a manner . Furthermore, going back in history no one ever referred to that area as chronicle. Chronicle was specifically the little area near Lebanon Church Road and Mountain View Baptist Church Rd.. and a map of Catawba county from 1886 it was listed as chronicle where there was a post office and the Dellinger family had a tavern. That post office was disbanded in 1904 and the mail was then delivered from Maiden.
None of the older people in my family ever referred to Killian‘s crossroads as Chronicle. The only other name I heard used was Punchville was referred to the punch family that lived at the intersection of what is now Highway 150 and E. Maiden Rd.
Your local history is mostly correct. The Chronicle P.O. was, at the time of its existence, the center of the the area called Chronicle. However, after the post office's disillusion, Chronicle continued to appear on maps, indicating specifically the intersection of NC-150 and NC-16, into the 1980s. That intersection has been called Killian Crossroads for many decades in the modern time, but the name Chronicle predates it by potentially centuries. It was named after William Chronicle, a hero of the American Revolution (we have an article on that, too, in our culture section). It was first used officially, as far as we've been able to tell so far, in the 1850s, before the Civil War. Records older than that are difficult to find.
The name wasn't just used for the intersection. It was also used as a name for the area surrounding NC-150 and NC-16. Several correspondents wrote in often to the Lincoln Times News and the Observer in Newton with headlines saying they were from "Chronicle," including most notably David Calvin "King" Wilkinson, after whom the road is named, who wrote under the names "Alpha" and "Omega." The Wilkinson family has deep roots and importance to our area, and we plan to write an article on King Wilkinson soon.
Wilkinson wrote (jokingly, we believe) of a "Mayor of Chronicle," listing several names of individuals in the Chronicle area who were "mayor" at various times. Thus, we can see the name was used colloquially as well.
Newspapers in Lincoln County and Hickory continued to call the area Chronicle as recently as 2008 (which is also the last recorded mention of Killian Crossroads in official records that we have found at this point). Google uses the name Killian Crossroads to refer to the intersection but does not have a name for the area surrounding it.
We chose the name Chronicle because of its historic ties to the revolution, ties to local families like the Wilkinsons, ties to journalism (having had several news correspondents from here), consistent usage over a long period of time, and the fact that is is the only name that was ever legally given to this area through the post office. Plus, it's a much catchier name.
If you would like, contract us via the "contact us" page and we would be happy to provide you with links to any of our research. It's very interesting stuff!
We in no way want to erase the long history the Killian family in Chronicle, and refer to the intersection as Killian Crossroads in several of our articles to date.
We don't believe Crosland Southeast knows any of this. If they do complete the development in this article, they will more likely than not call it simply "BridgeWater," or "BridgeWater of Denver." Calling it "Downtown Chronicle" is our invention.
All of that being said, if you would like to write a longer opposition letter regarding BridgeWater, or any other development, we would gladly publish it in our next edition. We believe in allowing everyone to air his concerns and have his voice heard, whether for or against any issue at hand.
Thank you for your reply. Yes I am well familiar with the author David Calvin King Wilkinson.. he wrote for several of the local papers back in the early 1900s using the ball line either alpha or Omega. One of my uncles by marriage was his grandson.. my grandmother actually had him as a school teacher at the little Mountain school just inside Catawba County on the old Highway 16 in the 19 teens. One of his articles he even mentioned one of my great uncles when he has surgery as a boy. He also reported a lot on John Killian, who ran the local store and the cotton gin at the intersection of 16 and 150.. my family goes back on my grandmother side of the family for over 200 years in that area and none of them ever referred to it as chronicle and a wide area although I admit the post office was where I said it was that near Lebanon Church and mail was delivered there until 1904 when that post office was expanded and the mail was then delivered out of the town of maiden. In the 1920s, the male carrier that serve that area was a man named Jarvis Wilkinson that my grandmother knew.. he wanted to date her, but grandma would never go out with him. So yes, between family history and stories and haven’t lived there my 69 years. I’m well aware of the area.
One of the most difficult parts of researching the history of this area is that it, historically, has rarely had a commonly accepted name. The crossroads has often had a name, but the area around it has almost never had a name. There are undoubtedly some (like Punchville) that are scarcely documented and fell out of favor, but none remained reliably. Killian Crossroads, in the last century or so, has risen to prominence as a name for the Crossroads, but not as much as a name for the wider area.
Thanks to King Wilkinson, the other correspondents, maps, newspapers, and the Post Office, Chronicle was the closest thing we ever got to a name for this "town." The most common references we see to the area are statements like "near the Little Mountain" or "near the farm of X, Y, and Z." Chronicle is the only reference that treats it as a place in and of itself.
Admittedly, our coverage area for this newspaper probably reaches further than the original boundaries of Chronicle did (at least in Catawba County), but we haven't yet made the trip up to D.C. to get the Post Office records that would tell us how big the Chronicle P.O. service area was.
We still strive to focus primarily on Killian Crossroads, and the surrounding few miles (encompassing the area near Butcher Boys, as far as Lineberger's, and west encompassing the Little Mountain). Chronicle is the only name that was ever commonly used, at least for half a century and likely dating back to the revolution, that even remotely encompasses the extent of our coverage area.
I agree and if you do research on that area, you’ll also find that the Linbarger family was very prominent. My great great grandfather was Frederick Hamilton Linebarger who married Susanna Elizabeth Asbury. She was a daughter of Reverend Henry Asbury and granddaughter of Daniel Asbury, who is a circuit Methodist minister originally from Virginia who founded Rehoboth Church in Terrell in 1790. He also was credited with starting Robey’s camp meeting, which was the precursor to rock Springs camp meeting in Denver.
With regard to post offices, I have letters dated 1847 and 1848 mailed to my great great grandfather Marcus Hicks. He lived near Little Mountain and is buried over near what is now the rock quarry off Highway 16. Those letters were addressed to him care of Vesuvius furnace, where there was also a post office.
I’m very familiar with the property where Bridgewater is proposed to be developed. The land was owned by the Killian family, first by John Killian, who ran a store there at the intersection of what is now 16 and 150. I live on just the other side of the four Lane Hwy. 16 on Highway 150.. I can remember when all of that was open farmland and pasture with a beautiful little pond that John Killian had on the property. John and my grandmother were first cousins. She was very close to JOHNS two sons Carl and Seth.
I know people are all for progress, but it says me to see that land being developed in such a manner . Furthermore, going back in history no one ever referred to that area as chronicle. Chronicle was specifically the little area near Lebanon Church Road and Mountain View Baptist Church Rd.. and a map of Catawba county from 1886 it was listed as chronicle where there was a post office and the Dellinger family had a tavern. That post office was disbanded in 1904 and the mail was then delivered from Maiden.
None of the older people in my family ever referred to Killian‘s crossroads as Chronicle. The only other name I heard used was Punchville was referred to the punch family that lived at the intersection of what is now Highway 150 and E. Maiden Rd.
Hi Kim! Thank you for your response!
Your local history is mostly correct. The Chronicle P.O. was, at the time of its existence, the center of the the area called Chronicle. However, after the post office's disillusion, Chronicle continued to appear on maps, indicating specifically the intersection of NC-150 and NC-16, into the 1980s. That intersection has been called Killian Crossroads for many decades in the modern time, but the name Chronicle predates it by potentially centuries. It was named after William Chronicle, a hero of the American Revolution (we have an article on that, too, in our culture section). It was first used officially, as far as we've been able to tell so far, in the 1850s, before the Civil War. Records older than that are difficult to find.
The name wasn't just used for the intersection. It was also used as a name for the area surrounding NC-150 and NC-16. Several correspondents wrote in often to the Lincoln Times News and the Observer in Newton with headlines saying they were from "Chronicle," including most notably David Calvin "King" Wilkinson, after whom the road is named, who wrote under the names "Alpha" and "Omega." The Wilkinson family has deep roots and importance to our area, and we plan to write an article on King Wilkinson soon.
Wilkinson wrote (jokingly, we believe) of a "Mayor of Chronicle," listing several names of individuals in the Chronicle area who were "mayor" at various times. Thus, we can see the name was used colloquially as well.
Newspapers in Lincoln County and Hickory continued to call the area Chronicle as recently as 2008 (which is also the last recorded mention of Killian Crossroads in official records that we have found at this point). Google uses the name Killian Crossroads to refer to the intersection but does not have a name for the area surrounding it.
We chose the name Chronicle because of its historic ties to the revolution, ties to local families like the Wilkinsons, ties to journalism (having had several news correspondents from here), consistent usage over a long period of time, and the fact that is is the only name that was ever legally given to this area through the post office. Plus, it's a much catchier name.
If you would like, contract us via the "contact us" page and we would be happy to provide you with links to any of our research. It's very interesting stuff!
We in no way want to erase the long history the Killian family in Chronicle, and refer to the intersection as Killian Crossroads in several of our articles to date.
We don't believe Crosland Southeast knows any of this. If they do complete the development in this article, they will more likely than not call it simply "BridgeWater," or "BridgeWater of Denver." Calling it "Downtown Chronicle" is our invention.
All of that being said, if you would like to write a longer opposition letter regarding BridgeWater, or any other development, we would gladly publish it in our next edition. We believe in allowing everyone to air his concerns and have his voice heard, whether for or against any issue at hand.
Best,
The Editorial Team
Thank you for your reply. Yes I am well familiar with the author David Calvin King Wilkinson.. he wrote for several of the local papers back in the early 1900s using the ball line either alpha or Omega. One of my uncles by marriage was his grandson.. my grandmother actually had him as a school teacher at the little Mountain school just inside Catawba County on the old Highway 16 in the 19 teens. One of his articles he even mentioned one of my great uncles when he has surgery as a boy. He also reported a lot on John Killian, who ran the local store and the cotton gin at the intersection of 16 and 150.. my family goes back on my grandmother side of the family for over 200 years in that area and none of them ever referred to it as chronicle and a wide area although I admit the post office was where I said it was that near Lebanon Church and mail was delivered there until 1904 when that post office was expanded and the mail was then delivered out of the town of maiden. In the 1920s, the male carrier that serve that area was a man named Jarvis Wilkinson that my grandmother knew.. he wanted to date her, but grandma would never go out with him. So yes, between family history and stories and haven’t lived there my 69 years. I’m well aware of the area.
One of the most difficult parts of researching the history of this area is that it, historically, has rarely had a commonly accepted name. The crossroads has often had a name, but the area around it has almost never had a name. There are undoubtedly some (like Punchville) that are scarcely documented and fell out of favor, but none remained reliably. Killian Crossroads, in the last century or so, has risen to prominence as a name for the Crossroads, but not as much as a name for the wider area.
Thanks to King Wilkinson, the other correspondents, maps, newspapers, and the Post Office, Chronicle was the closest thing we ever got to a name for this "town." The most common references we see to the area are statements like "near the Little Mountain" or "near the farm of X, Y, and Z." Chronicle is the only reference that treats it as a place in and of itself.
Admittedly, our coverage area for this newspaper probably reaches further than the original boundaries of Chronicle did (at least in Catawba County), but we haven't yet made the trip up to D.C. to get the Post Office records that would tell us how big the Chronicle P.O. service area was.
We still strive to focus primarily on Killian Crossroads, and the surrounding few miles (encompassing the area near Butcher Boys, as far as Lineberger's, and west encompassing the Little Mountain). Chronicle is the only name that was ever commonly used, at least for half a century and likely dating back to the revolution, that even remotely encompasses the extent of our coverage area.
I agree and if you do research on that area, you’ll also find that the Linbarger family was very prominent. My great great grandfather was Frederick Hamilton Linebarger who married Susanna Elizabeth Asbury. She was a daughter of Reverend Henry Asbury and granddaughter of Daniel Asbury, who is a circuit Methodist minister originally from Virginia who founded Rehoboth Church in Terrell in 1790. He also was credited with starting Robey’s camp meeting, which was the precursor to rock Springs camp meeting in Denver.
With regard to post offices, I have letters dated 1847 and 1848 mailed to my great great grandfather Marcus Hicks. He lived near Little Mountain and is buried over near what is now the rock quarry off Highway 16. Those letters were addressed to him care of Vesuvius furnace, where there was also a post office.