GUNNING

The earliest record of this family is found to be James Hazen Gunning, born and raised in an area of Albert County just east of our present Gunningsville Bridge.  It has been widely accepted that this is the individual for whom the area got its name of Gunningsville.  This family name was one of the first families to settle in this area.  As mentioned James was born here and nothing is known of his parents and where they originated.  We do know that there was no bridge connecting the two settlements on either side of the River.  So the Gunnings operated a ferry.  People from the area wanting to go to the Bend would travel to the Gunning farm and leave their horses in their barns as they went to do their trading.  The original road was at the crown of the hill Old Coach Road, and when the first bridge was built (about 1862), then some of the houses were moved down the hill and a new road was constructed along the river.  The first and second bridges were made of wood, the third of steel and it was replaced with what we now have. The Gunning name has disappeared from our area, the only reference in the phone book is The Gunningsville Baptist Church.

Contact: sshadbolt@rogers.com