10,000 BC: Native American Hardaway Culture
1607 AD: First Permanent English Settlement in North America at Jamestown, VA
c. 1746: Settlers began to move into the Fork section (in the “V” formed by the confluence of the Rocky and Pee Dee Rivers below Norwood)
c. 1750 – 1770: Western Stanly settled by people of German origin
1765: Meadow Creek Primitive Baptist Church established near present day Locust
1771: Colson’s Inn licensed on highway from Salisbury to Cheraw
1775-1783: American Revolution
1780: Military action between Patriots under William Davidson and Tories at Colson’s
1790: Bethel United Methodist Church established
1799: Town of Allenton established – now under Lake Tillery
1806: Bear Creek Bethel Church established
1816: Typhoid epidemic in Allenton
c. 1820’s – present day: Gold Mining
1822: St. Martin’s Lutheran Church established
1826: Post Office established at Smith’s Store
1830: Kendall’s Baptist Church established
1834: Dr. Francis Kron takes up residence
1840: Montgomery County West (Stanly county) – 5171 people
1841: Stanly County created from Montgomery County
1843: Land donated by Hearn family to create county sea (Albemarle)
1847: Mark’s house built on North 2nd Street in Albemarle
1850: Stanly County population 6,922
1853: Agriculture Society of Stanly County organizes Norwood area
1860: Stanly County population 7,801
1861-1865: American Civil War
1870: Stanly County population 8,315
1880: Stanly County population 10.505
1890: Stanly County population 12,136, Albemarle population 248
1891: Yadkin Railroad built in Stanly County, Bilesville renamed New London
1896: Efird Manufacturing Company established
1898: Albemarle Telephone Company established
1899: Wiscassett Mills Company established, Cabarrus Bank & Trust – first Albemarle Bank
1900-1905: Unsuccessful attempt to dam Yadkin River at Whitney
1904: Lillian Knitting Mill established
1906: Yadkin Brick Company established
1910: Stanly County population 19,909, Albemarle population 2,166, Electrical distribution plan began
1911: First County Agriculture Extension Agent
1911: Winston-Salem Southbound Railroad built across Stanly county from Whitney through Norwood
1913: Railroad built across Stanly County through Stanfield, Oakboro, and Norwood
1913: French-owned Carolina Aluminum Company begins construction of Badin and Narrows Dams
1914-1918: World War I
1915: Furr city incorporated as Oakboro, Carolina Aluminum Co. sells out to ALCOA
1917: Badin Lake formed by the completion of Narros Dam, the tallest concrete structure in the USA at that time
1918: Badin Hospital – first in Stanly County
1919-1928: Consolidation era in Stanly County Schools – 79 schools consolidated into 30 schools
1920: Stanly County population 27,429, Albemarle population 2,691
1923: Contract let on Stanly part of 24/27 to Charlotte, first paved road out of Albemarle
1928: Lake Tillery formed by Carolina Power and Light Co. dam
1930: Stanly County population 30,216 (88% rural), Albemarle population 3,493
1935: Mitchell Home renamed Pfeiffer Junior College
1939-1945: World War II
1940: Stanly County population 32,834 (87% rural), Albemarle population 4,060
1940: Morrow Mountain State Park dedicated
1943: Collins and Aikman comes to Stanly County
1950: Stanly County population 37,130 (68.2% rural), Albemarle population 11,798
1950: Pfeiffer College accredited as 4 year institution
1960: Stanly County population 40,873 (60% rural), Albemarle population 12,261
1961: Ten county high schools consolidated to three
1962: Tuckertown Lake formed
1970: Stanly County population 42,822, Albemarle population 11,126
1971: Stanly Technical Institute organized
1972: New Stanly County Library opened, new Stanly County Courthouse opened
1980: Stanly County population 48,517, Albemarle population 15,110
1991: Stanly County population 51,765, Albemarle population 14,939
2008: Stanly County population 59,614