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The earliest settlers came to the Elkin area around 1740, many of whom were attracted to the land along the Yadkin River and the Big Elkin Creek. The land was dense with hardwood trees which provided charcoal to aid in the production of iron, as well as supplying boards used in the building of Old Salem.
Among the first settlers were Richard and Sarah Ransome Gwyn. Richard Gwyn, who made his way from Gwyns Island, Virginia, was killed in the Revolutionary War. Gwyn’s grandson — also named Richard — first established a general store and gristmill just across the river in Jonesville (originally incorporated as Martinsboro in 1811) and became postmaster there.
As his business prospered, Gwyn, who is considered the “founding father of Elkin,” began purchasing land on the north side of the river, acquiring around 6,000 acres. In 1840, he retired as postmaster and turned over the operation of his general store to two of his sons. Gwyn built a new home across the river just west of the Big Elkin Creek and built a gristmill powered by the swift-moving creek that drew customers as far away as Salisbury to have their
corn ground.
In 1847, Gwyn built a small cotton mill — Elkin Manufacturing Company — and four years later built a store. Recognizing a need for education, he built a one-room building in 1850 that served as both a chapel and school for the growing community. During the Civil War, the cotton mill continued to operate, producing fabric for Confederate uniforms. Most early Southern textile mills were damaged or destroyed during the war, but Elkin’s mill survived intact and fully operational.
In 1868, Gwyn retired from public life, dividing his property among surviving children — leaving the next generation of Gwyns to start businesses of their own.
Realizing the need for a bridge across the Yadkin River to neighboring Jonesville to allow their grist mill and store to serve a much larger area, the Gwyns and Alexander Chatham formed a stock company, drew up plans and completed the covered bridge joining Elkin and Jonesville in 1872. At the time, it was the longest wooden suspension bridge in the world with a span of 210 feet.
The opening of the bridge increased the commercial growth of the area. It allowed more and more wool to be brought in, eventually leading to the formation of the Elkin Valley Woolen Mill, started by two Gwyn brothers and Chatham. The new companies brought men to Elkin who would later start businesses of their own and serve as leaders in the community.
The Elkin and Alleghany Railroad opened in 1911, covering a span of 12 miles. Also in 1911, two brothers, W.E. and Grady Nichols, began publishing a newspaper, The Tribune, in a small print shop with a hand press that could only print one page at a time. Elkin’s first newspaper, the Elkin Times, was published in the back of R.L. Hubbard and John Roth’s hardware store in 1891.
Enjoy Downtown Elkin's rich history and character as you shop and dine downtown.
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The covered bridge joining Elkin and Jonesville opened in 1872. At the time, the bridge was the longest wooden structure in the world with a span of 210 feet. It was a toll bridge --the crossing fee was five cents. (Photo courtesy of the Elkin Historical Collection and the Surry County Historical Society)
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Click & Company was one of the first buildings built along Main Street and now houses Yadkin Valley Bank's Corporate Offices. (Photo courtesy of the Elkin Historical Collection and the Surry County Historical Society)
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Dick Grier's Grocery promised "delivery service anywhere in the city limits within three minutes, day or night. Day phone 89. Night phone 129." (Photo courtesy of the Elkin Historical Collection and the Surry County Historical Society)
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