This marker is located at the corner of Highway 88 and Little Peak Creek Road which makes for an…read moreeasy enough stop to read the marker. I did not venture to see if there was anything at the mines but the sign and the research was enough. Marker M-28 has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Copper mine operated intermittently, 1850s to 1962. Site of Ore Knob, boom mining town, inc. 1875. Shafts 1 mile N." Ore Knob began in 1855 after a rich copper vein was found near the New River, though the first operation collapsed quickly because hauling ore more than sixty miles to rail made the venture unprofitable. The mine roared back to life in 1873 under Clayton & Company, growing so fast that the surrounding settlement became Ashe County's largest community and was briefly incorporated. Employment peaked above 700 men in the late 1870s, supported by a deep vertical shaft that eventually reached more than 1800 feet and made Ore Knob one of the most significant copper mines in the eastern United States. Falling copper prices shut the operation down in 1883, with only sporadic activity until its final closer in 1962. The site still shows tailings, structural remnants and mineral deposits, and in 1972 a group of Ashe County businessmen purchased the property for about $240,000. [Review 880 of 2026 - 4771 in North Carolina - 26061 overall]

This marker stands at a three-way intersection with plenty of room to stop and read. It points out…read morethe home of a powerful twentieth-century legislator. It has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Congressman, 1911-1953. Chairman, House Ways and Means Committee, 1933-1947, 1949-1953. Home 2/10 miles southeast." I'm not sure why they chose 2/10 and not 1/4 but hey, whatever. As is customary with North Carolina markers, there is more information online. Robert Lee Doughton was born in 1863 in Laurel Springs and grew up in Alleghany County before beginning public service as a farmer‑turned‑state official in the early 1900s. He entered Congress in 1911, ultimately serving twenty‑one consecutive terms and becoming the longest‑tenured chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Doughton played major roles in passing the Social Security Act of 1935 and in securing the creation of the Blue Ridge Parkway. He married twice, raised three children, and died in 1954 at his home in Laurel Springs, where he is buried in the Laurel Springs Baptist Church Cemetery. It is marker M-34 and it was erected in 1987 by the Division of Archives and History. [Review 881 of 2026 - 4772 in North Carolina - 26062 overall]

This marker is on the corner of the Grayson County Courthouse and points out the history of this…read morecity. It has the same text on both sides. It reads, "This place became the county seat of Grayson County in 1850; the first case was tried in the newly erected courthouse in 1851. The present courthouse was built in 1908. Independence was incorporated in 1934." Independence began taking shape in the early nineteenth century as settlement pushed into the highlands of what had recently become Grayson County, and it was officially named to reflect the young nation's patriotic spirit. The town became the county seat after Greenville lost the role, a shift driven by Independence's more central location and growing civic activity. In 1908, the community built the landmark Classical Revival courthouse, designed by Frank P. Milburn, which has anchored the town's identity for more than a century. Independence also played a role in regional commerce as a stop along early roads linking th New River valley to the North Carolina line. The Civil War didn't sweep directly through what is now Independence and no major engagements took place in the immediate area. Grayson County was geographically tucked into the highlands, away from the primary Shenandoah Valley campaigns and the major east‑west troop movements. When I was here, the marker was in very poor condition. Maybe they cleaned it up in the last couple of weeks since my visit? [Review 889 of 2026 - 1540 in Virginia - 26070 overall]

Located at an intersection next to an office and the post office, this marker gives a tragic story…read morethat was worth the research. Marker number KC-10 was erected by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in 2000 and it reads, "Nearby was the home of James and Lovice Sage, whose five-year-old daughter Caty was abducted in 1792. Fifty-six years later her brother Charles located her in eastern Kansas after a Wyandot Indian told him that a woman, named Yourowquains, with similar features to his lived with the Wyandots. Another brother, Samuel, investigated and confirmed that she was their sister. Through an interpreter, Yourowquains told them that a "white man" abducted her. She lived with the Cherokee, before they gave her as a present to the Wyandots, who adopted her. She had three Wyandot husbands and died in Jan. 1853." Caty Sage's story is one of those frontier-era tragedies that stayed alive in local memory because it was so unusual and so unresolved for so long. She grew up in a remote part of Grayson County at a time when small children could disappear without a trace and families had almost no way to search beyond their own valley. Her disappearance became a kind of quiet legend in the Elk Creek community, with her name passed down through family lines long after anyone expected answers. What makes her story remarkable is that she lived an entire adult life inside Native communities, fully integrated, fully accepted, and known by a name that carried meaning only within that world. By the time her brothers finally found her in Kansas, she had lived through multiple migrations, marriages, and cultural shifts, and the life she described to them was one shaped far more by Indigenous identity than by the childhood she barely remembered. She died in Kansas in 1853, still known by her Wyandot name and still living among the people who had adopted her. [Review 893 of 2026 - 1544 in Virginia - 26074 overall]

I've just spotted the Robert L. Doughton marker a few miles away in Laurel Springs and now, the…read moremarker for his brother here in downtown Sparta. Yes, brothers. Rufus was the elder and spent much of his career in North Carolina state politics. The marker is in front of the Alleghany County Courthouse and reads, "Legislator, 14 terms. Lieutenant Governor, 1893-1897. Headed Revenue & Highway Commissions. Was University of North Carolina Trustee for 56 years. Office was 30 feet west." Brothers Rufus and Robert Doughton were major political figures who shaped both state and national policy, with Rufus rising through North Carolina's legislature and Robert serving long‑term in Congress. Rufus, born in 1857 in Laurel Springs and educated locally and at the University of North Carolina, built a legal career in Sparta before winning his first legislative seat in 1887 and eventually serving as lieutenant governor. He remained a powerful advocate for western North Carolina, backing the state's landmark 1921 highway bond program and later serving as Commissioner of Revenue and chairman of the Highway Commission. Rufus retired from public life in 1933 and died in 1945, leaving a legacy closely intertwined with his brother's long federal career. [Review 883 of 2026 - 4774 in North Carolina - 26064 overall]

There are 30+ tripoints in the United States that are accessible. These are corners where three…read morestates meet and some borders are rivers. Can't get to them! There is also the famous Quad Corners where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet. But I'm not out west. I'm driving across Tennessee and into Virginia today so I detoured for this spot that exists along a few invisible lines. This tripoint is not at all easy to reach. About an hour off I-81 and then the last three or so miles are a dirt and gravel single-lane "road" that is past the sign that says "State maintenance ends here" because yeah, it does. And then you get to a point that I would not recommend for anything but a high clearance vehicle such as a jeep or such. I opted to leave the Sprinter van on the side of this turn around. This last 3/4 mile is a walk on a dirt and stone road. Because it had rained lately, there were some four-wheeler tracks and I noticed some deer prints in the mud as well. On the second hill where the treeline begins you'll find this very small marker. It's only three inches across but it's a rare spot and here you are. Enjoy the hike and remember - never hike alone and always bring a friend! Most of the road has no cellular coverage but I was surprised that I had three bars of LTE at the very peak. NOTE: I'm sure Yelp is going to do weird things with the pin placement. The spot is on Pond Mountain Road in Whitetop, Virginia. The Google Maps pin is correct. [Review 20338 overall - 1437 in Virginia - 1316 of 2023.]

"We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident" feels like the right line to have in mind when you walk…read moreip to the Charters of Freedom installation at the current Ashe County Courthouse in Jefferson. There are a number of these around the US and this set was installed here in 2014. It sits on the hilltop approach in front of the courthouse. The replicas of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights are arranged so that you can take your time with them before you even reach the front steps. I stopped by on a quiet Friday afternoon and with the building locked up, it made for easy parking and uninterrupted photos. The installation is clean, well maintained, and fits naturally with the Honor Roll memorial nearby. It's a thoughtful addition to the courthouse grounds and a nice reminder of the documents that shape the work happening inside. [Review 874 of 2026 - 4765 in North Carolina - 26055 overall]

The Alleghany County Courthouse in Sparta, NC, is a working courthouse. It was built in 1933 after…read morea huge fire in 1932 destroyed a block of businesses in Downtown Sparta, including the 1909 county courthouse. The original 1933 brick structure was designed by prominent architect Harry Barton and constructed by the Fowler-Jones Lumber Company, using the neoclassical design to restore its presence in Downtown Sparta. It was built during the Great Depression, so the lean times meant fewer lavish features. The building's front facade layout features a classic tetrastyle (four-column) Tuscan order portico that greets visitors at the sidewalk. It was built to be the center of Downtown Sparta. It was built in an H-shape design to allow more natural light into the courthouse and offices, which was a popular design in the early 20th century. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 10, 1979. The 1933 courthouse was eventually outgrown; it needed to be expanded and did not meet ADA standards or have needed safety measures. An extensive interior remodel of Barton's layout was completed on July 1, 2025. The modern upgrade ensured the courthouse met strict fire codes and safety measures for entering the building. They were able to do all this without changing the historical facade, simply making better use of what was inside. The court handles district court cases, divorces, misdemeanors, traffic court, child custody, and civil cases. Superior court handles civil cases over $30,000, felony cases, and appeals from the district court. Additionally, the Clerk of Superior Court manages the complete archive of county court records, estates, wills, and electronic eFiling systems. The Sheriff's Office Security Annex provides secure, separate holding cells and controlled transit corridors to keep inmates completely isolated from the public during high-profile felony hearings. Needless to say, this is an incredibly busy building!

My 81st North Carolina county courthouse, out of the 100 counties, I arrived here as the sun was…read moresetting which made for a great photo opportunity with the light as it faces southwest into the sunset. Late on Friday so the courthouse was closed, but I was able to walk around and appreciate the beauty and structure easily. The Alleghany County Courthouse in Sparta is one of those buildings that rewards a stop even if you're just passing through, a solid early twentieth-century civil landmark completed in 1910. It was designed by Wheeler & Runge, the same firm responsible for several western North Carolina courthouses. It is a Classical Revival structure with the symmetry, brickwork, and restrained ornament that defined the era's public architecture. Alleghany County itself was formed in 1859 and named for the Allegheny Mountains, reflecting the region's geography rather than a person. Even with later updates, the courthouse still anchors downtown Sparta with the kind of confident, small-county presence that makes these stops worth seeking out. [Review 884 of 2026 - 4775 in North Carolina - 26065 overall]