Thigpen's Trace 1704

How many of you have heard of this major military route? During Queen Anne's War, emphasis was placed on the need to transport supplies through the southern colonies by wagon. James Thigpen instructed his men to clear a path from Virginia through Carolina and westward towards the Mississippi River. This road, known as Thigpen's Trace, is the first documented wagon route in the state of North Carolina. I have continuously researched the exact path of Thigpen's Trace for decades. I've opened this discussion to share our findings and to encourage others to share their knowledge and information with the group.

The Barnwell-Hammerton map below demonstrates how the road traveled through North Carolina during 1715. As you can see, a southwesterly direction guides the road until it reaches the Catawba Nation along present-day South Carolina border. Additional information can be found in the journal of John Lawson dated 1709. Lawson traveled the interior sections of Carolina for promising future settlement locations. The team of explorers describe the landscape, the Native tribes and their communities as well as the various paths and trails. Thigpen's Trace was the main route they used during their months of traveling.

Our current investigation pertains to the order or contract given to Thigpen to initiate the construction of the road. We have obtained clues from England and personal correspondence from North Carolina Royal Governor Moore about the road. But we would like to see the original given order and the specifics associated with it. Also, our current investigation continues to plot the exact route of the road and to signify the obvious changes that occurred over the years. Several sections of the original roadbed are still in use today. Dating over 320 years, portions in North and South Carolina are attributed to Thigpen's Trace. One good example of how the road changed from 1704 to 1733 is the Moseley Map of North Carolina. During this period, Thigpen's Trace quickly became a major trading route with the local Native tribes, namely the Saponi, Catawba, Cherokee, Saura, and Occaneechi. Other people were living in the area that were not associated with the local tribes, such as migrating families from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. We have documented numerous surnames living along the road as early as 1709 and vastly growing in numbers from 1730 onward.