By: E.W. Huggins, reprinted 2020, 184 pages, E-BOOK, Index, ISBN #978-1-63914-577-5. Burke County was formed in 1777 from Rowan, which is bounded by Catawba, Cleveland, Rutherford, McDowell, Avery, and Caldwell counties. More than one third of the book is taken up by the most important year, 1778, when pioneers swarmed into this virgin area to take up new land. These records are of extreme value due to the irreparable destruction of major records being burned/destroyed by the Union Army. Records found in this book are Land Entries 1778; Loose papers and Land Entries, Entry takers' Returns; Land Papers; Plats; land Warrants and Surveys; Land Grants Index; Sample Plat and Warrant and Surveys 1779-1790; an Itinerary of 1777; Commissioners appointed to the Courthouse of Morgans borough 1777-1785; Burke County Officials' Bonds and Tavern Bonds 1784-1800, and Miscellaneous papers.