Anson County, Large to Small

Anson County, North Carolina was formed in 1750 from Bladen County. It was named for the British Baron, George Anson, who circumnavigated the globe from 1740 to 1744 and later became First Lord of the Admiralty.
Like Bladen, its parent county, Anson County was originally a vast territory with indefinite northern and western boundaries. Division began in 1753, when its northern part became Rowan County. In 1762, Mecklenburg County was created from the western part of Anson County. In 1779, the northern part of what remained of Anson became Montgomery County, and the segment east of the Pee Dee River became Richmond County. Finally, in 1842, the western part of Anson County was combined with the southeastern part of Mecklenburg County to create Union County.