Known for its charming communities and picturesque landscapes, a colorful patchwork quilt of farms, fields, and small towns, Stanly County possesses a rich Southern heritage, one forged by its dedication to agricultural development and small-town life. As urban sprawl rapidly encroaches on North Carolina's Piedmont region, it is vital that we remember and preserve our county's history, providing present and future generations a chance to connect to their ancestors' past, one that is truly special with the people of the Tar Heel State. This volume takes you on a visual journey into the Stanly County of yesteryear, where you will stroll through Albemarle's early downtown district, full of horses, wagons, and turn-of-the-century storefronts; where you will explore some of the county's budding rural communities, such as Oakboro, Badin, and Norwood; where you will experience the places in which the people worked, played, and lived, such as the early industrial mills, the farms, the one-room schoolhouses, and early businesses; and where you will meet some of the county's families and individuals, both prominent and everyday, such as a variety of soldiers, politicians, community leaders, farmers, merchants, and athletes.

This volume covers the 3rd Generation of Descendants, 2nd Generation of Descendants, 1st Generation of Descendants, Generation of Peers, and the 1st Generation of Ancestors. Larry has been working on his genealogy for several years and has amassed a substantial amount of information about the Duke Family of Group 2. His collection consists of paper documents, electronic documents, information stored in online databases, and a plethora of information gathered from family members he met online while on his quest for the truth about his family. Jennifer Ann Hatfield, a professional genealogist with 30 years of experience, is credited with igniting Larry's interest in family history and research. After years of arduous work, his family history was finally ready to be released into the public domain. "I believe our gateway ancestor to be William Ducke (Duke), who was born in 1620 in England," writes the author. William most likely came from Devonshire, England, and landed in Warrosquyouke County, Virginia (later known as Isle of Wight County), according to historians. William was sponsored by businessman Justinian Cooper, who sponsored and received land grants for dozens of immigrants to IOW Virginia during the colony's early history. In 1637, William is believed to have made the actual voyage on "The George." In Isle of Wight County, near the Old Cypress Swamp, William Ducke established his home. John Duke, who was born in 1640, was the first group 2 ancestor to be born in colonial America. He married Elizabeth King, and the Duke line of Group 2 was officially "born."