
Cabarrus Neighbors Oversee Road Maintenance in 1793 Photo: Public Domain The county courts of pleas and quarter sessions are the primary governing body in North Carolina counties before 1868. The minutes of these courts, which met quarterly to hear all business brought before the county justices, are frequently an invaluable source of historical and genealogical infromation. These minutes are particularly important in the study of Cabarrus history, since many important government functions are recorded only in these minutes. Apparently, the Cabarrus clerks rarely found time to record documents such as apprentice and guardian bonds, tax lists, election records, and even some wills in a separate account. In some cases, a reference in the court minutes to one of these types of documents is the only available information. Another function of the courts of pleas and quarter sessions was the maintenance of county buildings and roads. The minutes show frequent appointments of road