This content is from the North Carolina Gazetteer, edited by William S. Powell and Michael Hill. Copyright © 2010 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

Some place names included in The North Carolina Gazetteer contain terms that are considered offensive.

"The North Carolina Gazetteer is a geographical dictionary in which an attempt has been made to list all of the geographic features of the state in one alphabet. It is current, and it is historical as well. Many features and places that no longer exist are included; many towns and counties for which plans were made but which never materialized are also included. Some names appearing on old maps may have been imaginary, but many of them also appear in this gazetteer.

Each entry is located according to the county in which it is found. I have not felt obliged to keep entries uniform. The altitude of a place, the date of incorporation of a city or town, may appear in the beginning of one entry and at the end of another. Some entries may appear more complete than others. I have included whatever information I could find. If there is no comment on the origin or meaning of a name, it is because the information was not available. In some cases, however, resort to an unabridged dictionary may suggest the meaning of many names."

--From The North Carolina Gazetteer, 1st edition, preface by William S. Powell

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Place Description
Swain County

was formed in 1871 from Jackson and Macon Counties. Located in the SW section of the state, it is bounded by the state of Tennessee and by Graham, Cherokee, Macon, Jackson, and Haywood Counties. It was named for David L. Swain (1801-68), governor of the state and president of the University of North Carolina. Area: 544 sq. mi. County seat: Bryson City, with an elevation of 1,736 ft. Townships are Charleston, Forneys Creek, and Nantahala. The Qualla Boundary of the Cherokee Indians, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Nantahala National Forest, and Fontana Lake occupy much of Swain County. Produces corn, poultry, livestock, furniture, textiles, apparel, leather goods, gaming proceeds, hay, candy, crushed stone, and feldspar.

Swains Mill Pond

approx. 2 mi. long, on Deep Swamp Branch just before it enters the Chowan River in SE Hertford County. Formerly Taylor Pond. Est. ca. 1720.

Swallow Fork

W Haywood County in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, rises near lat. 35°42'11" N., long. 83°07'47" W., and flows NW into Big Creek.

Swamp Creek

rises in SE Bertie County and flows NE into Cashie River.

Swampy River

See Black River.

Swan Corner

community in N Pamlico County on Chapel Creek. Named for local Swan family.

Swan Creek

rises in E Pamlico County and flows SE into Pamlico Sound.

Swan Island

NE Currituck Sound 2 mi. S of Knotts Island, N Currituck County. Approx. ½ by ¼ mi. in size. Site of Swan Island Club, duck-and goose-shooting club owned by wealthy Bostonians.

Swan Islands

three islands in Pamlico Sound in N end of Carteret County.

Swan Mountain

central Buncombe County, extends from the junction of Swope and Bull Creeks to High Swan (peak).