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NC 23: An original state highway. In 1922 it ran from the South Carolina border below Rowland (continued as SC 23 to Dillon and beyond, north to Lumberton (crossing its parent NC 20 - now NC 72), then east along today's NC 41, then "Old NC 41" to end at NC 22 (now NC 87) Dublin.
In 1924, NC 23 was truncated to run only from NC 20 (current NC 72) Lumberton east to Dublin. Lumberton south to Rowland and S.C. became part of NC 70.
NC 23 down to Lumberton and SC
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NC 23 truncated
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In 1925, NC 23 was extended east as a duplex with NC 21 (had been NC 22) to Elizabethtown, then along new primary routing to White Lake and ending at NC 60 (current US 421) south of Clinton.
About 1928, NC 23 was removed from Lumberton to Elizabethtown (became NC 201 from Lumberton to Dublin; remained NC 21 Dublin to Elizabethtown) and instead was routed to replace NC 21 south from Elizabethtown to Whiteville and as new routing from Whiteville to Tabor City, where the route met SC 40 which continued all the way to Charleston.
NC 23 extended to Clinton
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NC 23 rerouted to Tabor City
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In 1930, NC 23 was extended through Clinton with NC 60, then north as new primary routing to Newton Grove, then replaced the short lived NC 220 #1 through Smithfield and Selma before ending at NC 91 (current US 264 ALT) east of Zebulon.
NC 220 #1
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NC 23 extended north
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In 1932, US 701 was assigned to NC 23 from the S Carolina line all the way to US 301 near Smithfield.
In 1933, NC 23 was extended along US 264/NC 91 into Zebulon, then east with US 64/NC 90 (now Shepard School Rd) to Pilot, then north as new primary routing to end at NC 56-59 (just S. Main St now) Louisburg.
In 1934, NC 23 was dropped from the US 701 segment and from Selma to Louisburg NC 23 was renumbered as NC 39. These numberings are still in place except NC 23 used NC 410 from SC to Tabor City and the north half of the 701 Business there; all the Whiteville and Clarkton US 701 Business routes; "Old US 701" in the Ingold area; Lisbon and Beaman Sts through Clinton and a little 701 Business; NC 39 no longer runs to Zebulon; used Bunn Rd north of US 401 in Louisburg.
NC 23 extended to Louisburg
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NC 23 becomes NC 39
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