NC 90 in 1922
1922 Auto Trails

In 1922 (bridge date), NC 90 was removed from SR 1336 Northwoods Country Rd near Heartsease.
In 1924, NC 90 was removed from SR 1300 Mackeys Rd/NC 308/SR 1322 Mackeys Ferry Rd/abandoned ferry/SR 1321 Mackeys Creek Rd/NC 308 east of Plymouth and put on today's NC 32 corridor to reach Pleasant Grove via Roper.
In 1925 (bridge date), NC 90 was rerouted at Eagle Rock to reach Zebulon via Wendell, then bypass Wakefield. The old route was NC 97 via Lizard Lick; NC 96 Zebulon to Wakefield, SR 1001 Pearces Rd, SR 2342 Tippett Rd

NC 90 through Wakefield 1923 Auto Trails

NC 90 through Wendell and Zebulon 1926 Official

Also about 1925 (NCDOT), NC 90 was removed from SR 1600 N Ridgewood road out of Princeville; removed from SR 1138 Broad St, SR 1407 Barnhill Rd/Old Williamston Rd, and SR 1409 Wildcat Rd between Parmele and Williamston; removed from SR 1504 Islands Rd/SR 1503 Old No. 90 cutoff east of Williamston; removed from SR 1562 Poplar Church Rd, SR 1561 Elijah Lee Rd, abandoned routing, and SR 1563 Grey Farm Rd between Jamesville and Dardens
About 1926, NC 90 was given a more direct route from Scuppernong to Columbia, leaving behind SR 1304 Benson Rd, SR 1142 Back Rd/Meadow Ln/Main through Creswell, SR 1159 1st St, SR 1158 St Davis Rd, SR 1115/1114 Chapel Hill Rd and SR 1113 Travis Rd. It is unclear if NC 90 used today's NC 94 where it dips from the closed causeway or if it used SR 1110 Travis Rd (Old Columbia Rd on some maps).
Also in 1927, NC 90 was extended west through Raleigh with NC 50 through Cary to Apex, then west as new primary routing to Pittsboro. NC 90 then replaced NC 75 west through Asheboro, Lexington, Mocksville, Statesville, and Taylorsville to end either at NC 18 (now Lower Creek Dr at Taylorsville Rd) or followed NC 18 to end at the NC 17-18 junction (Harper Ave at Mulberry St) in central Lenoir.
About 1928 (NCDOT), NC 90 was rerouted away from Yadkin College via a new bridge over the Yadkin River. The original route is SR 1194 Yadkin College Rd until 1.7 miles past Yadkin College, then veers right on an unmarked gravel road for another half mile or so to the abandoned Fulton Ferry area; NC 801, then SR 1612 Fulton Rd and SR 1611 Fork Bixby Rd
In 1929, NC 90 was rerouted east of Statesville to use modern US 64 to NC 901. The route from Mocksville to Statesville changed multiple times in the 1920s per official maps. It appears the last route before this used US 21 to Dunlap, then Dunlap Gate Rd to Old Mocksville Rd over to NC 901

Also in 1929, NC 90 was extended east as new primary routing from Columbia, using Road St to hug Albermarle Sound around to end at Fort Landing.

NC 90 original Raleigh route - New Bern/Hill/Milburnie 1926 Auto Trails

NC 90 using New Bern all the way 1930 Wake County

In 1932, US 64 was assigned to NC 90 from Statesville east to Fort Landing.
Also in 1932, NC 90 was put on rebuilt routing from Mocksville to Fork. Surviving segments: Depot St out of Mocksville; SR 1602 Juhn Crotts Rd; SR 1605 Garwood Rd/abandoned/Sheridan Ln/most of SR 1694 Hawthorne Rd; most of SR 1607 Aubrey Merrel Rd.
Also in 1932, NC 90 was put on a new direct route between Pittsboro and where B. Everett Jordan lake is now. The old route was: SR 1943 Hanks Chapel Rd (used SR 1945 Hanks Loop Rd), then abandoned routing across the Haw River, then used the E-W portion of SR 1941 Seaforth Rd across Pea Ridge Rd, then northeast on abandoned routing across across Parkers Creek and across the Seaford Beach land access, then picked up abandoned routing to the north of the current main Jordan Lake bridge to the pre-Jordan Lake routing of US 64. Special thanks to Lukas Salay for identifying this early NC 90 routing.

This map shows the 1927 routing of NC 90...notice the intersections around the Haw River crossing and where they are on the 1938 map
1930 Chatham County

US 64 on direct routing...as you can see, the 1930 map is poorly drawn
1938 Chatham County

NC 171 Lenoir to Edgemont 1929 Official

NC 90 replaces NC 171 1935 Official

Between 1939-44, NC 90 was extended east to its current ending, replacing what had been US 64's routing through town.

NC 90 not in central Statesville 1936 Iredell County

NC 90 extended back east 1944 Iredell County

Between 1958-62, NC 90 was removed from SR 1565 Lower Creek Dr and a bit of SR 1564 Taylorsville Rd northeast of Lenoir
In June 1964 (NCDOT), NC 90 was rerouted in Lenoir. Originally it used Harper St west to Main St north. Now NC 90 WB left Harper via Mulberry, then used W St to the courthouse and Main St. NC 90 EB still used Main to Harper.
In 1966 (bridge dates), NC 90 was removed from SR 1789 Log Cabin Pl and SR 1348 Old NC 90 between Lenoir and Taylorsville.
Between 1980-82, NC 90 was rerouted in Lenoir again where NC 90 WB left Harper on Ridge St to W Ave.

In Aug 1992 (NCDOT), US 64/NC 90 was removed from Front St west of Newton Dr and instead uses Newton Dr and Carner Bagnal Blvd in western Statesville.

NC 90 using Front St in West Statesville 1990 Iredell County

NC 90 removed from Front St in West Statesville 1999 Iredell County

In May 2005 (NCDOT) then reaffirmed in Dec 2012 (NCDOT), NC 90 was removed from central Lenoir. NC 90 was moved onto US 321 around the north of town to Valmead, then south on what had just been US 321-A to get back to its route heading west to Edgemont.

NC 90 through Lenoir up through 1964 1962 Caldwell County

NC 90 splits up 1968 Caldwell County

NC 90 WB split changes 1982 Caldwell County

NC 90 removed from Lenoir entirely 2020 Caldwell County