Carroll County Chronicles Fall 2020

County Line Dispute

When Carroll County was lopped off of Grayson County in 1842, much of the territory of the two counties was wild and undeveloped. Therefore, no one questioned exactly where the dividing line was between the two counties. This attitude was prevalent until the early twentieth century when the cotton mill was being built at Fries. The town of Fries grew and so did the tax base. Both Carroll and Grayson now laid claim to the area where Fries was located, but the potential taxes that would be paid quickly caused questions to arise as to whether Fries was actually in Carroll or Grayson. Up until then, no one had much cared.

Newspapers in the state picked up on the dispute and probably tell the story best.

Richmond Dispatch – December 22, 1901

The people of Carroll and Grayson Counties are still contending over their county line. The Carroll people say that when it is properly run, the big cotton mill which is in the course of erection at Fries, and which is one of the largest and most valuable in the South, will be in Carroll County. This, the people of Grayson deny. They seem determined to hold on to Fries.

Judge Oglesby of Carroll County has appointed a committee to meet a like committee from Grayson to take steps to settle the controversy.

Richmond Times - December 18, 1902

Grayson gets Several Good Taxpayers from Carroll The commissioners who were appointed to settle the boundary line between Carroll and Grayson counties have made their report. By this report, the county of Grayson gets several good taxpayers that heretofore have been paying their taxes in Carroll. They marked the line by setting up stones every mile and where the public roads crossed the line, Grayson County retains the whole of the town of Fries, which started the contention on the part of Carroll County.

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