Avery 17 The boundary line between Ashe and Wilkes was authorized to be changed in 1931. That the boundary line between the counties of Ashe and Wilkes, be, and the same is hereby, changed so as to include all the A. L. Miller land lying South of the public road running along the top of the Blue Ridge Mountain, except the A. L. Miller residence which is not in Ashe County, 70 in the County of Wilkes. An act repealing chapter 425 of the Public-Local Laws of 1931 relative to the boundary line between Ashe and Wilkes was passed in 1933. 71 AVERY Avery County was formed in 1911 from Mitchell, Watauga, and Caldwell. It was named in honor of Colonel Waightstill Avery, a soldier of the Revolution and attorney general of North Carolina. It is in the northwestern section of the State and is bounded by the state of Tennessee and the counties of Watauga, Caldwell, Burke, McDowell and Mitchell. The present area is 247 square miles and the population is 13,560. Commissioners were named in the act establishing the county who were to select two or more sites for the county seat after which the county commissioners were to hold an election and the people were to vote on the sites. Whatever site was selected, it was to be called Newland. Newland, the county seat, was named in honor of W. C. Newland, then lieutenant governor of North Carolina. 72 Beginning at the highest point of Grandfather Mountain, the corner of Watauga, Caldwell and Mitchell counties, and running a direct line to the Hanging Rock Mountain; thence with the dividing ridge to the Turnpike Road in the gap of Bower’s Mountain; then a direct course to the eastern prospect on the eastern end of Beech Mountain; then a direct course to the Buckeye Spring; then down and with the meanders of Buckeye Creek to Beech Creek; then with the meanders of Beech Creek to Watauga River; then with the meanders of the Watauga River to the Tennessee line; then with the Tennessee line to the Grassy Ridge Bald; then a direct line to Spear Top; then with the main height of Yellow Mountain to the highest point on Little Yellow Mountain; then a direct line to Pine Knob; then to the mouth of Gouge’s Creek on Toe River then forty degrees east to ; south Bald Ground on Humpback Mountain at the McDowell County line; then with the McDowell County line to the Burke County line; then with the Burke County line to the Caldwell County line; then with the Burke and Caldwell line to the highest point on Chesnut Mountain; then a direct course to Anthony Creek so as to include all of Carey’s Flats; then to the 73 beginning . ^Public-Local Laws, 1931, Ch. 425. 71 nPublic-Local Laws, 1933, Ch. 122. Public Laws, 1911, Ch. 33; Arthur, p. 213; Manual, 1913, p. 494. T *Public Laws, 1911, Ch. 33..