Wake County was formed in 1771 from parts of Cumberland, Johnston and Orange Counties. The first court house was built at a village originally called Wake Courthouse, now known as Bloomsbury. In 1771, the first elections and court were held, and the first militia units were organized. Later on, in 1787 parts of Wake County were included in Franklin County, and in 1881, part went to Durham County. The county was named after Margaret Wake, the wife of colonial Governor William Tryon. Raleigh was established in 1791 on 1,000 acres of land and was named after Sir Walter Raleigh. During the colonial period, the State capitol was located in New Bern. Later, Raleigh became the capitol.
