NC 294 heading to Georgia

NC 60 appears

The first NC 60 was an original state highway running from NC 40 (current US 117) Castle Hayne all the way to the Tennessee State Line northwest of Boone. In 1930 NC 60 picked up US 421 from Boone to Greensboro and in 1931 US 421 picked up NC 60 all the way to Castle Hayne. West of Boone NC 60 picked up US 321 in 1930 as well.
Here is a geographic look at NC 60 in detail from the mountains to the coast:

NC 60 began at the Tennessee Line at Zionville in Watauga County, and proceeded on "old US 421" south through Mabel, Mast and Amantha before using US 321 south from Sugar Grove. NC 60 then used current US 321-421 over to Boone.
East of Boone, NC 60 used today's 421 out to Rutherwood. NC 60 used the "old NC 60" route that went near the South Fork New River over to Laxon, then picked back up modern 421 through Deep Gap and descending the Blue Ridge. Once east of Maple Springs, original NC 60 veered north on "Old US 421" for a distance then veered north on "Old NC 60" through Purlear over to Millers Creek.
NC 60 was rerouted in 1930, bypassing Purlear to use "Old US 421" to Millers Creek and in 1931 NC 60 used modern US 421 in the Laxon area amid other modernizations in the Boobe-Wilkesboro corridor.

NC 60, 41 miles from Boone to Millers Creek

NC 60, 35 miles from Boone to Millers Creek

NC 60, 33 miles from Boone to Millers Creek

After picking up NC 16, NC 60 followed today's "Old US 421" (Boone Trail) to Cricket, then Forrest Ave east into North Wilkesboro. NC 60 then headed south on today's NC 18-268 to Wilkesboro, then used Main St-Old US 421 to exit town to the east.
East of Wilkesboro, NC 60 headed northeast along Mathis Mill Rd (DeLorme) which MSN maps labels as "Old NC 60" through Dellaplane, then cut further east (Mathis Mill Rd drops south) on "Old NC 60" to Clingman and dropping southeas to Cycle just inside Yadkin County. NC 60 then picked up Main St over to Brooks Crossroads.
In 1930, NC 60 was taken off the "Old NC 60" routing from Wilkesboro to Cycle to instead use "Old US 421" which it followed through Call and Antioch, then Wilkes-Yadkin Rd over to New Castle followed by another "Old US 421" to Cycle.

NC 60 through Dellaplane to Yadkin County

NC 60 directly to Yadkin County

From Brooks Crossroads (NC 26 then), NC 60 followed Main St through Brooks Crossroads and Branon, then continuing on Main St through Yadkinville. From there, NC 60 followed East Main St which becomes Yadkinville Rd all through Yadkin County, crossing the Yadkin River after passing through Enon. In Forsyth County the road continues as Yadkinville Rd until it meets today's NC 67 near Old Town.
NC 60 originally entered Winston-Salem via Reynolda Rd then cut south on Stratford Rd NW over to 1st St. NC 60 then angled northwest on Burke St to 4th St which NC 60 followed east to Main St, which NC 60 followed south. NC 60 then followed Waughtown Rd east to Kernersville Rd to go to Kernersville.
In 1926, NC 60 was rerouted to follow Reynolda Rd to Summit St south to 4th, then to Main St where it went north to 5th (which had been NC 65 up to then) and followed 5th out of town. NC 60 then followed Old Greensboro Rd, then Mountain Rd through Guthrie to Talleys Crossing. From there, NC 60 followed today's NC 66 to Kernersville.
The old route to Kernersville became part of NC 77; Kernersville Rd became secondary, although was later NC 771.

NC 60 through Waughtown to Kernersville

NC 60 directly Kernersville

By 1932, NC 60 moved off Summit to 4th and instead used West End Blvd, then Broad St, then looped east to 5th St.

NC 60 W-S routing (1921-1925)

NC 60 Greensboro (1933-34)

NC 60 altered in western W-S

NC 60 followed E. Mountain St out of Kernersville, then Old Greensboro Rd loop to West Market St. NC 60 followed this through Colfax, Friendship and Guilford into western Greensboro where it veered onto Walker Ave to enter Greensboro (Walker runs into Market a little west of Holden Rd). NC 60 followed Aycock Rd in Greensboro north from Walker to Market St, then to Edgewood St, then south to Washington St, then east to Elm St, then south to Asheboro St (ML King Blvd today), which NC 60 used to exit Greensboro to the southeast.
In 1933, NC 60 was given a new western approach to Greensboro, using Market St all the way from Guilford without using Walker St (went unnumbered) or Aycock St (remained part of US 29-70 for a while).

NC 60 Greensboro (1921-1932)

NC 60 Greensboro (1933-34)

NC 60 followed today's Liberty Rd to Julian, then continued southeast on "Old 421 Road". Near Liberty, it followed Greensboro Rd and S. Fayetteville St, before exiting to the southeast on yet another "Old 421 Rd." NC 60 went through Staley and Siler City on this road. Just before this road meets back up with modern US 421, NC 60 headed out on "Old US 421" to the communities of Bonlee and Bear Creek.
NC 60 continued to Main St through Goldston, then Murchison St through Gulf. It then picked up R. Jordan Rd east to cross the Deep River on Cumnock Rd which it followed back to modern US 421.
NC 60 moved to the modern US 421 corridor to cross the Deep River about 1930.

NC 60 through Cumnock

NC 60 straightened out

NC 60 followed modern US 421 into Sanford on Horner Blvd. NC 60 veered onto S. Lee St to go to Jonesboro Heights, then followed today's NC 78 and NC 42 east to Broadway Rd. NC 60 headed east on Broadway Road to Main St through Broadway, which turns into Seminole Rd at the Harnett County Line.
NC 60 picked up modern 421 again until the settlement of Ryes, where it veered south on "old US 421" to Arlington and Mamers. It appears this route met up with today's NC 27 to enter Lillington, then followed Main St north over the Cape Fear River. NC 60 followed US 421 to Buies Creek and used Leslie Campbell/Marshbanks through Buies Creek. NC 60 used modern 421 to Erwin, then Erwin Rd to get to Dunn.
The 1922 Auto-trails Map shows NC 60 staying south of the Cape Fear River along Ross Rd, Titan Roberts Rd and Bunn-Level-Erwin Rd and using NC 217 into Erwin.

NC 60 avoids Buies Creek

NC 60 through Buies Creek

From Dunn, NC 60 more or less followed today's 421 through Spiveys Corner and down towards Clinton, except a short old US 421 loop near the Sampson-Harnett Line and Kitty Fork Rd through Kitty Fork. NC 60 used McKay Rd and Lisbon Av to go through Clinton, then followed today's US 701 Bus back down to today's US 421.

NC 60 followed modern 421 down to Quewiffle Rd, which NC 60 used to go through Taylors Bridge, then back on modern 421 through Delway. NC 60 then followed modern 421 down to Harrells, using Wildcat Rd, and a piece of NC 41-411 before continuing south on modern 421. NC 60 veered east at today's NC 210 and followed it through Long Creek to NC 133, then along today's NC 133 to then-NC 40 (current US 117) Castle Hayne where NC 60 ended. I have one map that shows NC 60 heading to Wilmington, a 1932 Texaco map. Perhaps when US 421 was extended south to Wilmington NC 60 was sent to Wilmington as well.

NC 60 extended to Wilmington?