Skip to main content
← Back to marker map


JOHN BAILEY

Program
Hometown Heritage®
Subject
People, Site
Location
Town Square, 101 Town Square, Burnsville, NC 28714, USA
Lat/Long
35.9170576, -82.2996099
Grant Recipient
Town of Burnsville
Historic Marker

JOHN BAILEY

Inscription

JOHN BAILEY
ON MARCH 6, 1834, JOHN
BAILEY CONVEYED 100 ACRES TO
EST. BURNSVILLE AS YANCEY
COUNTY SEAT. BAILEY SQUARE
NAMED IN HIS HONOR 1930.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2026

On March 6, 1834, John Bailey sold 100 acres of land to the commissioners appointed by the North Carolina state legislature for the purpose of purchasing land to establish a town site that would be the county seat of Yancey. Yancey County had just been formed the year before from land from two other neighboring counties. John was paid $150 and given the choice of one-half acre lot. The 100-acre plot of land was used to establish the town of Burnsville, and Bailey Square is part of that original land. On September 1st, 1930, the Board of County Commissioners of Yancey County passed a resolution to change the name of the square from Public Square to Bailey Square in honor of John “Yellowjacket” Bailey. It is thought by locals that the nickname “Yellowjacket” was given to Bailey because of his hot temper.