Norwood, North Carolina

History

The first settlements in the Norwood area began in the 1740s with settlers from Delaware and other middle Atlantic colonies following Indian trails and rivers. These early settlements were along the local river valleys. One family, the Colsons, chose to settle near the confluence of the Rocky and Pee Dee rivers and built an ordinary, a tavern serving food and providing lodging. The Colsons also operated a mill and a ferry. Anson County granted a permit for Colson's Ordinary in the mid-18th century, at that time Stanly County was part of Anson. That permit may have been the first such granted in North Carolina. During the Revolutionary War Colson's land was the site of a patriot victory over local Tory forces. This is sometimes referred to as the Battle of Colson's Mill, the Battle of Colson's Ordinary or the Fight at Colson's. This area is now known as The Fork, named for the fork of the two rivers.

In the early 19th century at the centerline between the Rocky River and the Pee Dee River a camp meeting place was created. The area became known as Center. In 1826 Methodists built the first church on the camp meeting grounds. More activity and building occurred and the Center area became a trading center. The town of Norwood was incorporated in 1881 and named after the Norwood brothers' store, an early establishment in the Center community that housed the area's post office.

From the History section of Norwood, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.