Stray Dogs Will Be SHOT ~ Dellview, North Carolina

Town of Dellview ~

Now this will definitely cement the idea that we all are 'backwood heathens'..shaking my head over this one, y'all!

Important Reminder: These are DISTANT cousins..Grin. Yahoo.
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Population: 16

The Town of Dellview is located in the Muddy Creek Watershed. Van Dellinger's grandfather and uncles, Tom and Henry Dellinger, incorporated the town to keep stray dogs from harassing their families. The town collects no taxes from its residents, almost all of whom are relatives. Dellview also doesn't request any state money. The town has no police department, no water or sewer system.


Dellview is the most unusual of the incorporated towns in Gaston County. It was chartered by the Dellinger family in order to control stray dogs that were preying on their poultry farm. It is located just beyond Cherryville in the northern part of the County.

With a population of 16 (1990 Census figures), it was the smallest municipality in the state, and arguably the smallest incorporated town in the United States. Its population is currently 16, and was at one point as low as 10.


**Dellview ~ Since it is inactive, the town has no elected officials or municipal elections, and is now governed by Gaston County.

Dellview Road, the community's only paved road, forms the town's northern border.
Dellview was incorporated as a town in 1925 as a political gesture. Gaston County law prohibited the shooting of stray dogs that crossed onto a citizen's land. The law was disliked by two families of the Dellinger name, who were both poultry farmers. They complained that stray dogs were raiding their chicken coops on their farms, which neighbored each other. To remedy the situation, the Dellingers petitioned fellow kinsman David P. Dellinger, who was a North Carolina State Representative, to propose a bill to the General Assembly for incorporating the Dellingers farms into a town known as "Dell"view (Dellview is the clipped form of Dellinger merged with the word "view"). The bill passed, formally incorporating the town in 1925. Immediately thereafter, the town leaders passed an ordinance allowing for the citizens to shoot any stray dog that crosses onto their property.

No one for Dellview responded to a Census Mapping Survey in 1978, and as a result, the town was declared inactive, and thereby the governing rights were transferred fully back to Gaston County. In 1980, the decision was reversed after a citizen petitioned, but the town was declared inactive once again on the Census 2000. For many years, the town of Dellview enjoyed the distinction of being the smallest incorporated community in the state.

*David P. Dellinger, Former NC State Representative is buried in Mt. Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Cherryville, Gaston County, North Carolina.






I believe that this line of Dellingers descend down from Johann Valetin Dellinger, brother to our Johannes Philipp (Pioneer) Dellinger, Sr.


The ‘Senior’ “John Phillip” was the father of our Johan "John" Philip Dellinger, Jr., who married Barbara Whitener.

According to my 'relationship calculator'….drum roll please….grin.

This would make Johann Valetin Dellinger my (and yours if you are from my generation) 6th Great Grand Uncle.

Johann Valentin’s son, George "Indian Creek" Dellinger, is also buried in this cemetery.
(Mount Zion Baptist in Cherryville, NC.)

George “Indian Creek “ Dellinger was my 1st Cousin , 7 Times Removed. Whew.


b. 1756, d. 1833.