Around 1937 (definitely by 1938), 200 was extended north over a previously unnumbered road to N.C. 27 in Stanly County. 

Between 1942 and 1946, 200 was extended further north, to its current terminus at U.S. 601. See, the state was doing stuff with its roads during the war. 601 back then wasn't called 601, though; it was called N.C. 151.

The second 201 was renumbered to N.C. 41 in late 1933 or early 1934, and 201 hasn't been used since.

202 dates from the early 1920s. The original U.S. highway system had 202 as part of U.S. 17, but during the great renumbering of 1933, 202 and 17 were eschewed in favor of U.S. 76.

The 1932 Gousha map at right shows the original 204, as well as the original 203 and the second 206. 

In late 1934 or 1935 -- a year after the great renumbering -- 204 was renumbered to N.C. 77, which later on became modern-day N.C. 177. At the time 204 was renumbered, its continuation into South Carolina was called S.C. 98 (it's now S.C. 177). Weird.

The first 205 ran from Kings Mountain (Cleveland County) south through Grover and into South Carolina. This is now N.C. 216 and U.S. 29. The 1927 Clason's Touring Atlas at right shows this routing, as well as that of the old N.C. 207. 

When U.S. 29 was born in 1927, it ran entirely over the old 205. Eventually, 205 was obviated during the great renumbering of 1933. 

Today's 205 was born soon after the great renumbering. The road shows up on 1935 maps, and it hasn't changed since then. Although the original N.C. 20 had been eliminated when today's 205 got its routing, 205 still acts like it could have obeyed the state's original numbering system.

The second 206 was born around 1932, and ran from Hamlet (Scotland County) south to N.C. 203, almost making it to the South Carolina line. See the N.C. 204 map above. Around 1934, this 206 was renumbered to N.C. 78. 

North Carolina sure liked to play around with its early 20x highways, didn't it?

The first 207 was born around 1926. It was a straight renumbering of the original N.C. 206. See the map above in the N.C. 205 entry. Why did the state needed to change 206 to 207? I have no idea. As previously mentioned, the state liked to play around with its 20x's in the early years. Anyway, 207 eventually became part of U.S. 221 (today its pavement serves as U.S. 221A), and was done away with in the great renumbering of 1933. 

Today's 207 was born around 1947, and was signed over a previously unnumbered road. S.C. 207 beat it by a year or two.

At the Haywood/Madison line, 209 passes through Betseys Gap, at an elevation of almost 4000 feet. Further north, 209 runs follows the Spring Creek, and goes through the whimsically-named settlements of Luck and Trust. Elevations are about 2600 feet at Lake Junaluska, and about 1400 feet at Hot Springs. N.C. 209 can also be used to get to remote Max Patch Mountain, near the Tennessee line.

But you don't really think that's the size of it, do you? Not at this Web site, you don't. N.C. 209 takes the THoNC Longevity Award for the longest of the state's original highways that survive today unchanged. The only change of any import that has been made to 209 in the last 75 years is that at some point the state paved it. Nearby N.C. 208 and 211 haven't changed since the early 1920s, either, but they're both considerably shorter than 209 is. On the other hand, if the state ever decided to demote some highways it didn't really need down to secondary roads, these should probably be the first three to go. 

Highway 209 goes through territory that's far less appreciated than the nearby Great Smoky Mountains area is. But 209's still a great backcountry road. Of course that's this site's way of saying it's superbly twisty and desolate, but just as importantly, this road seems frozen in time. It's reminiscent of parts of N.C. 194; you almost feel like you don't belong there. But let the tourists have their Maggie Valley and Newfound Gap. Just give me Luck and Trust.