NC 64 Carthage to Greensboro 1933 official

NC 22 Carthage to Greensboro 1936 official

In 1940 or 1941, NC 22 was rerouted at High Falls. Originally, NC 22 jutted east a mile or so on River Rd before crossing the Deep River on Sessom Rd (22 did not cross Buffalo Creek at all unlike today)

NC 22 initial Highfalls routing 1939 official

NC 22 modern Highfalls routing 1941-42 official

Between 1945-49, NC 22-902 was straightened out through Bennett, leaving behind a zig-zag routing using Buffalo and Catham Sts plus NC 902.

NC 22 initial Bennett routing 1944 Chatham County

NC 22 modern Bennett routing 1949 Chatham County

About 1951, NC 22 was extended along NC 27 to Carthage, then as new routing southeast to NC 2 like today, and also replaced a small bit of NC 2 south to US 1 Southern Pines (just May St now).
Between 1954-57, NC 22 was removed from Legion Hut Rd and Shady Lane Rd south of Carthage.
Although May St is shown as secondary on the 1962 Moore County map, NC 2 and NC 22 continued to run east of the US 1 bypass. However, Official maps starting in 1967 or 1968 show NC 22 south was truncated to its current routing leaving behind Midland, Broad and Vermont Sts.

NC 22 extended south of Carthage 1952 Shell

NC 22 usurps NC 2 into Southern Pines 1953 Moore County

NC 22 current south ending 1968 Official

In March 1967 (NCDOT), the north end of NC 22 was shifted a couple miles further south on US 421, leaving behind Pleasant Garden Rd.
In October 2002 (NCDOT), NC 22 was truncated to NC 62 Climax leaving behind a bit of NC 62; SR 3621 Appomattox Rd; SR 3418 Neeley Rd; and SR 3505 Pleasant Garden Rd

NC 22 north end (1934-67) 1965 Official

NC 22 north end (1967-2003) 1968 Official

NC 22 north end (since 2004) 2004 Official

In 2009, NC 22 was realigned to be further west of the Moore County Airport, leaving behind SR 1953 Poverty Hill Cir; abandoned routing; SR 1954 Aviation Dr.

The first NC 22 was an original state highway. Initially it ran from its parent NC 20 (now Bus. US 74-76) Whiteville to Fayetteville, then northeast through Dunn, Benson, and Smithfield before ending at NC 40 (precursor to US 117) south of Wilson.
In 1924, NC 22 was placed on US 301's current routing between Selma and the Wilson area via Lucama. It is not entirely clear what the original routing was but it definitely used Old Route 22 (cutoff by I-95 in Kenly); Edgewood Dr in Kenly; St Mary's Church Rd all the way past I-795; Craft Ln (cutoff by I-587); Turnage Rd

NC 22 north of Fayetteville 1923 Official

NC 22 rerouted through Lucama 1924 Official

In 1925, NC 22 was removed from the Fayetteville to Whiteville routing in favor of NC 21 (today this is US 701 Bus and US 701 from Whiteville to Elizabethtown; NC 87 Bus; NC 87; Wilmington Hwy; NC 24; Ramsey St. Instead NC 22 was sent from Fayetteville through Lumberton down to the South Carolina line which was a renumbering of part of NC 70.
In late 1926, US 217 was assigned to the entirety of NC 22.
In 1932 US 217 was renumbered as US 301.
In 1934, NC 22 was dropped from the route, which remains US 301 today except Raynham to Lumberton uses old US 301; in Lumberton used Pine St; in Fayetteville used Gillespie St, Clinton Rd, and Dunn Rd; in Dunn used Broad St between Clinton Ave and Ellis Ave; in Smithfield used Market St between 3rd and Brightleaf; used Dixie Inn Rd at its north end

NC 22 down to Whiteville 1924 Auto Trails

NC 21 swaps with NC 22 1925 Official