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Murphy, North Carolina

Murphy is a town in and the county seat of Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. It is situated at the confluence of the Hiwassee and Valley rivers. It is the westernmost county seat in the state of North Carolina, approximately 360 mi from the state capital in Raleigh. The population of Murphy was 1,608 at the 2020 census.

Etymology and history
This area had long been part of the homelands of the Cherokee people. They knew this site along the Hiwassee River as Tlanusi-yi (the Leech Place). They had a legend about a giant leech named Tlanusi, that lived in the river here. The Trading Path (later called the "Unicoi Turnpike") passed by the future site of Murphy, connecting the Cherokee lands east of the mountains with what were known to European colonists as the "Overhill Towns" of Tennessee.

After European Americans began to settle here, they named the site "Hunnington/ Huntington" after A.R.S. Hunter. He established the first trading post prior to 1828, where he would trade with the Cherokee, early European-American settlers, and U.S. Army soldiers on expeditions, or stationed at nearby Fort Butler. He was also appointed as the settlement's first postmaster, erecting the first Post Office in June 1839.

European Americans later renamed the settlement as Murphy for North Carolina politician Archibald Murphey. He was influential in educational advances for the people of North Carolina in the early 19th century. The original spelling of the town was to be "Murphey" but a clerk or stenographer of the North Carolina General Assembly misspelled the name and “Murphy” stuck.

In 1836, during the Cherokee removal known as the Trail of Tears, the United States army built Fort Butler in what is today Murphy. Fort Butler was used as the main collection point by the government for Cherokee east of the mountains. From Fort Butler, the Cherokee were taken over the mountains on the Unicoi Turnpike to the main internment camps at Fort Cass (today Charleston, Tennessee), prior to their forcible removal to territory west of the Mississippi River, in what became known as Indian Territory (today's Oklahoma).

Today, the Unicoi Turnpike is known as the Joe Brown Highway. There are no visible remains of Fort Butler, but the site can be visited and historical markers provide facts and interpretation about its history. In addition, the Cherokee County Historical Museum, located in Murphy, provides information about the Trail of Tears.

A 400-acre tract was surveyed for the town of Murphy in 1837. Cherokee County was formed in 1839 from a portion of Macon County, but Murphy was not incorporated as the county seat until 1851. Harshaw Chapel, the oldest surviving building in Murphy, was constructed in 1869.

In 1888, the railroad reached Murphy, with Georgia and North Carolina Railroad's narrow gauge line built from Marietta, Georgia. In 1891, Southern Railway connected Murphy to Asheville via the Murphy Branch. The L&N line from Georgia was removed in the mid-1980s. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad ran excursions to Murphy on the Murphy Branch between 1988 and 1995. Today the track and right-of-way are still in place, owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, but the line is inoperable. The L&N Depot, built southwest of downtown Murphy in 1901, has been refurbished as a community center.

20th century to present
Murphy began getting paved streets in 1917. The first paved road from Murphy to Georgia opened five years later. A highway from Murphy to Asheville opened in 1926.

Architect James Baldwin designed the Cherokee County Courthouse, located in downtown Murphy, in a Beaux-Arts style. Built in 1927, it is faced with locally sourced blue marble. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with Harshaw Chapel and the Robert Lafayette Cooper House. The county has had multiple prior courthouses; all burned down, or were replaced by improved versions. The first court sessions in the county were held at Fort Butler.

A two-story Carnegie Library was constructed on Peachtree Street downtown in 1919. The library later housed the town's police department and is currently occupied by the Cherokee County Historical Museum. The Nantahala Regional Library, headquartered in Murphy, is the oldest regional library in the state and one of the first regional libraries formed in the United States. It was organized May 1, 1937, and has locations in Cherokee, Clay, and Graham counties. The current headquarters for the Murphy Public Library and the Nantahala Regional Library opened downtown on May 16, 1976. The building was renovated in 2001.

Murphy was the home of the once well-known crafts manufacturer Margaret Studios. This company operated a nationwide chain of gift stores for its woodcraft products and housewares, such as lazy Susans and gift trays.

Murphy High School was constructed in 1925. A new campus was built to replace the high school in 1956. Murphy gained a public swimming pool in 1931. The pool, which was run by the Lions Club, closed in 1997 and a new pool opened around 2006 as part of the Hiwassee Valley Pool & Wellness Center. The new pool was permanently enclosed in 2022.

Folklorist John Jacob Niles based his well-known Christmas song, "I Wonder as I Wander", on a phrase he heard on July 16, 1933, in a song sung by a daughter of traveling evangelists in downtown Murphy. In 1945, Paul Westmoreland wrote his song “Detour (There's a Muddy Road Ahead)" while traveling to Murphy. He debuted the song in the neighboring town of Hayesville.

Murphy's first medical institution was Petrie Hospital, founded in November 1933 by Dr. R.W. Petrie, an eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist. The hospital was a two-story white brick building atop a hill on Peachtree Street downtown. The Sisters of Providence of Holyoke came to Murphy in 1956 to manage Petrie Hospital and renamed it Providence Hospital. The 22-bed Murphy General Hospital was built by Dr. F. V. Taylor in 1941 and closed in July 1969 due to insufficient staff and property. In January 1974 the Murphy Town Council approved spending $4,000 on a study to see whether constructing a new hospital was feasible. Following this study, Providence Hospital closed in 1978, and Murphy Medical Center was founded in nearby Peachtree in 1979.

A new Murphy post office was constructed on Hiwassee Street in 1949, replacing the former location on Tennessee Street. In approximately 1961, the two-mile, four lane Dr. William A. Hoover Bridge was built over the Hiwassee River near Murphy to serve US Route 19. Levi Strauss & Co. opened a plant in Murphy in December 1963 to make jeans. The plant hired 380 employees at its peak. It closed in February 1999. Today, the building is occupied by Snap-on Tools.

On April 3, 1974, an F4 tornado in Murphy killed four people (including two children) and injured 40. It destroyed 45 houses, 45 mobile homes, and caused major damage to 55 other homes. Local damages totaled $13 million (1974). It was the deadliest of four tornadoes that hit the county during the first four days of April in the 1974 Super Outbreak. An EF2 tornado hit Murphy on March 2, 2012, as part of the Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2012. This tornado damaged two schools and affected multiple businesses.

Nearly a year after the March 2012 tornado, debris washed up in the Valley River under the Bulldog Drive bridge and caused the waters to go to the sides, causing strong currents, making a large portion of the bridge collapse. A water system was also damaged and left many businesses east of the bridge without sewer or water. The nearby Murphy High School was without both, with students having to use port-a-potties and carry bagged lunches made at another school.

A four-lane highway was built between Murphy and Andrews around 1977. Walmart's first North Carolina store was constructed in Murphy in 1983 and opened on August 16 (the store relocate to its current location in 1991, and the old building is now a Big Lots, Mexican store, and Mexican restaurant. Store Counts on the 1984-1986 Wal-Mart Annual Reports show that the Murphy store was the only one in the state. Another store would open in 1986. On May 31, 2003 Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph was captured behind a Murphy Save-A-Lot by rookie police officer Jeff Postell.

Mayoral history

 * 1) Harry P. Cooper (c.1929)
 * 2) S.W. Lovingood (1931–)
 * 3) J.W. Franklin (c.1943)
 * 4) L.L. Mason Jr. (c.1963)
 * 5) William Hughes (c.2003–2017)
 * 6) Rick Ramsey (c.2019–2021)
 * 7) Tim Radford (2021–present)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,608 people, 774 households, and 394 families residing in the town.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, the total population was 1,621 people.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,568 people, 725 households, and 440 families residing in the town. The population density was 687.7 PD/sqmi. There were 819 housing units at an average density of 359.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 89.60% White, 5.48% African American, 1.28% Native American, 1.34% Asian, 1.15% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.87% of the population.

There were 725 households, out of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.71.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 24.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,952, and the median income for a family was $35,234. Males had a median income of $30,395 versus $16,908 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,926. About 16.7% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.2% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The economy of Murphy is fairly spread out, with a quarter of the population employed in the management and professional sector; about one fifth of the population are employed in either sales/office or construction, maintenance and extraction sectors. The smallest percentage, at only 1.9% are employed in the farm fishing or forestry sector. Murphy also has a relatively low median income per household, at $24,952.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,952, and the median income for a family was $35,234. Males had a median income of $30,395 versus $16,908 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,926. About 16.7% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.2% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.

There are several employers for advanced skilled professions, including Moog Components Group, Aegis Power Systems, Murphy Medical Group, Sioux Tools, and Tri-County Community College. Harrah's Cherokee Valley River, a tribal casino that opened in Murphy in 2015, is also a major job supplier.

Additionally, there are two Bitcoin mining operations in Murphy – one by Core Scientific and the other by Atlas Technology Group. The area's low power rates and sprawling landscape are attractive to these operations.

Education
The local public school system is run by Cherokee County Schools, which operates a total of 13 schools across the county: One alternative education option is Murphy Adventist Christian School (K-8). There is also a thriving homeschool community.
 * Murphy Elementary
 * Peachtree Elementary
 * Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle
 * Marble Elementary
 * Martins Creek Elementary/Middle
 * Ranger Elementary
 * Murphy Middle
 * Andrews Middle
 * The Oaks Academy
 * Andrews High
 * Hiwassee Dam High
 * Murphy High
 * Tri-County Early College

Higher education is offered at Tri-County Community College, or several nearby colleges and universities including North Georgia Technical College, Young Harris College, Western Carolina University, Southwestern Community College, and University of North Georgia.

The John C. Campbell Folk School, the oldest and largest folk school in the United States, is located in Brasstown, an unincorporated village near Murphy. It exists partly in Cherokee County and partly in Clay County. This education center focuses on creative folk arts for all ages. The folk school also offers musical concerts and community dance entertainment.

Transportation
Murphy sits just northwest of 19/74/64/129 which runs from just southwest of Murphy to Topton, just before US 129 breaks off. It is easily accessed by motor vehicle.

In-town and in-county transportation is available, for a small fee, via Cherokee County Transit. There are also private taxis for hire.

Western Carolina Regional Airport, known locally as the Murphy Airport, Andrews Airport, or Andrews-Murphy Airport, is located between the cities of Andrews and Murphy.

The closest commercial passenger airports are the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (IATA: CHA) 83 miles and the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (IATA: ATL) 126 miles.

Utilities
Electricity for Western North Carolina is provided by Duke Energy, sometimes referred to as Duke Power. It has a total service territory covering 47000 sqmi Half of its power generation for the Carolinas comes from its nuclear power plants. Some of the power is supplied via solar panel farms located in the Murphy area. There are at least four solar farms, each with more than 4,000 panels. One of the farms, called Martins Creek Solar Project, alone provides "enough electricity to power more than 150 average-sized homes and enough revenue for the district to staff approximately two full-time teachers."

The town of Murphy's power is provided by Murphy Electric Power Board.

Natural gas is supplied by Piedmont Gas, which services North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Industrial and personal waste is landfilled.

Media
The weekly Cherokee Scout based in Murphy is Cherokee County's only newspaper. It was founded in 1889.

WKRK 1320 AM, WCVP 600 AM, and WCNG 102.7 FM are three radio stations currently broadcast from Murphy.

Local TV 4 is a Murphy-based television news station.

Roads and bridges
There are 14.8 miles of roads maintained by the Town of Murphy, while other surroundings roads are maintained by the NC Department of Transportation. The Town receives about $56,000 per year in support of street maintenance. Of notable interest is a historic tee beam bridge located in downtown Murphy, NC, showcasing an early use of haunched, continuous cantilever bridge design.

Healthcare
Murphy and all of Cherokee County are served by Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital, certified by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It is licensed for 191 beds, of which 120 are nursing home beds, 57 are general-use beds, and the remaining 14 are dedicated to Alzheimer's patients.

There are a variety of independent healthcare providers including the areas of general family practice, dental, OBGYN, ENT, sports medicine specialists, chiropractic, pediatrics, and holistic care.

Law enforcement
Murphy and the surrounding unincorporated communities are protected by the Murphy Police Department. In February 2024, the department moved to a new headquarters at 498 Hill St. outside downtown. The new location cost $565,100, plus $70,000 in renovations. The new station, which was built as a bank in 1988, is three times larger than the former headquarters. The department had for decades been located in the basement of the old Carnegie Library at 93 Peachtree Street next to the courthouse. The current chief of police is Tim Lominac.

Cherokee County as a whole is served by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. Dustin D. Smith is the current Sheriff, he has served in that capacity since 2022. The current Cherokee County Jail was built in 2008 and can house around 150 inmates. It replaced the older 1922 jail that has since been demolished.

Mission statement
It is the mission of the Town of Murphy Police Department to increase the quality of life and create a safe environment for all citizens and visitors of the Town of Murphy.

By forming a partnership with the community through Community Policing Initiatives we will work together to protect the lives and property of the citizens through fair, honest and professional enforcement of the laws, crime prevention and community problem solving.

Crime rate
According to the Cherokee County, NC government, the crimes in the area consist primarily of domestic abuse (accounting for greater than 60% of incidents.) Emergency calls have increased in line with population increases. Violent crimes decreased year over year in 2018 by 15.3%, compared to an overall reduction of 7.3% for the entire state of North Carolina.

Geography
Murphy is located east of the center of Cherokee County at the confluence of the Hiwassee River and Valley River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.8 km2, of which 6.2 km2 is land and 0.6 km2, or 9.13%, is water.

Topography
Murphy is located in southwestern North Carolina, approximately halfway between Atlanta, Georgia and Knoxville, Tennessee. The topography consists of gentle rolling hills and mountains with tall peaks, including ranges from 1800 ft to more than 5000 ft elevation. The location in the Blue Ridge Mountains has helped the community retain a fairly rural character, surrounded by wildlife such as bear, deer, fox and recently reintroduced elk.

Climate
Murphy has a humid subtropical climate, (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification, with hot, humid summers and cool to mild winters, with low temperatures significantly cooler than other parts of the Southeast, due in part to the elevation. Like the rest of the southeastern U.S., Murphy receives abundant rainfall, greatest in winter and enhanced by the elevation. Receiving as much as 100 inches per year in some parts, areas of Cherokee County are considered part of the Appalachian temperate rainforest. Blizzards are rare but possible; the 1993 Storm of the Century dropped 15 in in 24 hours with more snowfall continuing up to 38" in some areas, causing widespread power outages and natural disasters.

The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 37.5 °F in January to 74.9 °F in July; there are 20 days of 90 °F+ highs, 106 days of freezing lows, and 4 days where the high stays at or below freezing annually. Extreme temperatures range from −16 °F on January 21 and 22, 1985 up to 100 °F on July 1 and 2, 2012.

Nearby communities
Cities and populated areas within an approximate 15 mi radius of Murphy:

Notable people

 * Abraham Enloe (1762–1841) – remains interred at Harshaw Chapel in downtown Murphy, NC. Alleged to be the biological father of US President Abraham Lincoln
 * Preston Henn – founder of the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop and race car driver
 * Junaluska – 19th-century Cherokee hero famous for actions at Battle of Horseshoe Bend, born in what is now Murphy
 * Jason Harley Kloepfer unarmed man shot by Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Police SWAT Team
 * Carl Pickens – 1992 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Cincinnati Bengals and former All-American wide receiver for the Tennessee Volunteers. Led Murphy High School to state football championships in 1986 and 1987.
 * Eric Rudolph – Best known as the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bomber, caught and arrested in Murphy in 2003 by rookie police officer Jeffrey Scott Postell; now serving multiple life sentences in ADX Florence. Originally from Florida.
 * Phil Voyles – former MLB player for the Boston Braves
 * Hedy West – noted 1960s-era folksinger and songwriter, Murphy High School graduate

title: Murphy, North Carolina


text:
Edenton, North Carolina

Edenton is a town in, and the county seat of, Chowan County, North Carolina, United States, on Albemarle Sound. The population was 4,397 at the 2020 census. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has become a popular retirement location and a destination for heritage tourism.

Edenton served as the second official capital of North Carolina, during the colonial era as the Province of North Carolina, though other than housing the governor's official residence, it did not otherwise house any other governmental functions. It served as capital from 1722 to 1743, when it was moved to Brunswick. The town was the site of the Edenton Tea Party, a protest organized by several Edenton women in 1774 in solidarity with the organizers of the Boston Tea Party. It was the birthplace of Harriet Jacobs, an enslaved African American whose 1861 autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is now considered an American classic. Edenton gained notoriety for a famous wrongful conviction during the Satanic panic era of the late twentieth century. Today, Edenton's local economy is primarily driven by tourism, and as a popular retirement location.

Edenton Colony
In 1658 adventurers from the Jamestown area drifted through the wilderness from Virginia and found a location on the northern shore of a small natural harbor at 36.045°N, -76.615°W, now called Edenton Bay. Edenton Colony was the first permanent European settlement in what is now the state of North Carolina.

Edenton was established in 1712 as "the Towne on Queen Anne's Creek". It was later known as "Ye Towne on Mattercommack Creek" and still later as "the Port of Roanoke". It was renamed "Edenton" and incorporated in 1722 in honor of Governor Charles Eden, who had died that year.

Historic Edenton
Edenton served as the second capital of the Province of North Carolina, from 1722 to 1743, with the governor establishing his residence there and the population increasing during that period.

William Byrd II, who visited the town in March 1729, provides a description of Edenton in his The History of the Dividing Line: "This town is Situated on the north side of Albermarle Sound which is there about 5 miles over. A Dirty Slash runs all along the Back of it, which in the Summer is a foul annoyance, and furnishes abundance of that Carolina plague, musquetas. There may be 40 or 50 Houses, most of them Small, built without Expense. A Citizen here is counted Extravagant, if he has Ambition enough to aspire to a Brick-chimney. Justice herself is but indifferently Lodged, the Court-House having much the Air of a Common Tobacco-House. I believe this is the only metropolis in the Christian or Mohametan world where there is neither Church, Chapel, Mosque, Synagogue, nor any other Place of Publick Worship of any Sect or Religion whatsoever. What little Devotion there may be is much more private than their vices."

A landmark in women's history occurred in Edenton in 1774. Fifty-one women in Edenton, led by Penelope Barker, signed a protest petition agreeing to boycott English tea and other products, in what became known, decades later, as the Edenton Tea Party. The Edenton Tea Party is the first known political action by women in the British American colonies. In fact it so shocked London that newspapers published etchings depicting the women as uncontrollable. Her home, the Barker House, is open seven days a week, without a fee, and is considered by many as Edenton's living room.

Joseph Hewes, a resident of Edenton and successful owner of a merchant marine fleet, was appointed the first Secretary of the Navy in 1776. John Adams said that Hewes "laid the foundation, the cornerstone of the American Navy." Hewes also signed the United States Declaration of Independence.

James Iredell, also of Edenton, was at 38 the youngest member of the first United States Supreme Court. He was appointed by George Washington. His son James Iredell Jr., served as the Democratic-Republican governor of North Carolina and then became a United States senator. His home may be toured through the Historic Edenton Visitors Center.

Easy sea access halted with a 1795 hurricane which silted Roanoke Inlet. Completion of the 1805 Dismal Swamp Canal took business elsewhere by diverting shipping to Norfolk, Virginia. Locals rejected construction of a railroad, a lack that impeded the local economy.

Supreme Court Justice James Wilson, a signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, died in Edenton on August 21, 1798, at age 55, while riding his judicial circuit.

Harriet Jacobs and her brother John were born into slavery in Edenton in 1813 and 1815, respectively. They, and later Harriet's children, were baptized at St.Paul's. Their early childhood was centered around Horniblow's tavern, the town's only colonial hotel, on the northern side of East King Street, just west of Chowan County Courthouse. Twelve-year old John Jacobs was sold at public auction in 1828, probably at Market House (junction Water Street / Broad Street). Both siblings became enslaved to an abusive master, the local physician, Dr. James Norcom, living with him at his house on West Eden Street. In 1835, Harriet Jacobs went into hiding in the house of her grandmother, a freedwoman, on the northern side of West King Street, a few steps from Broad Street. She famously had to stay there concealed in a crawl space for seven years before she was finally able to escape to New York, where she wrote Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, now considered an "American classic".

In 1862, during the Civil War, the Albemarle Artillery was recruited at Edenton by a local attorney named William Badham Jr. Its guns were cast from bronze bells taken from courthouse and churches in the Edenton area. Known as the Edenton Bell Battery, its four howitzers were named the Columbia, St. Paul, Fannie Roulac, and Edenton. Two of the guns, the St. Paul and Edenton, have been returned to Edenton and can now be seen at Edenton's waterfront park.

Edenton enjoyed an economic revival beginning in 1890 led by lumbering, an 1898 cotton mill, and a 1909 peanut-processing plant.

Edenton is the home of the 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse. The lighthouse is called a screw-pile design because of its original support system. Each piling was literally screwed into the river or sound bottom so they would not pull out in heavy storms and hurricanes. The Roanoke River Lighthouse, now located at Edenton, is believed to be the last extant example in the United States of a rectangular frame building built for a screw-pile base. The lighthouse was in commission from 1887 until 1941.

Edenton is home to numerous early houses and public buildings, including the Cupola House. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970, a designation also accorded the 1776 Chowan County Courthouse. The courthouse is still used for official court events. The city is home to the oldest house still in existence in North Carolina, constructed in 1719 before the establishment of the city.

Edenton achieved international notoriety for the Little Rascals Day Care sexual abuse case, the subject of journalist Ofra Bikel's award-winning trilogy of Frontline documentaries: Innocence Lost (1991), Innocence Lost: The Verdict (1993), and Innocence Lost: The Plea (1997).

Geography
Edenton is located in southern Chowan County sits at the north end of Edenton Bay, just north of the confluence of the Chowan and Roanoke rivers, which forms Albemarle Sound.

U.S. Route 17, a four-lane expressway, runs along the northern border of the town, with access from five exits. US 17 leads northeast 27 mi to Elizabeth City and southwest 37 mi to Williamston. Nags Head on the Outer Banks is 72 mi to the east by road, and Raleigh, the state capital, is 136 mi to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Edenton has a total area of 14.4 km2, of which 13.9 km2 is land and 0.5 km2, or 3.55%, is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,460 people, 2,084 households, and 1,177 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,394 people, 1,983 households, and 1,294 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,076.3 PD/sqmi. There were 2,204 housing units at an average density of 439.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 42.86% White, 55.23% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.45% of the population.

There were 1,983 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were married couples living together, 24.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 14.3% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 78.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,241, and the median income for a family was $34,132. Males had a median income of $27,192 versus $18,281 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,264. About 20.3% of families and 25.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.1% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.

Culture
Located in northeastern North Carolina, Edenton is a small unique town known for its authentic 18th-, 19th- and early 20th-century architecture and the stories about the people behind these public buildings and homes. The Lane House dates from 1719 and may be the oldest house in the state of North Carolina. Edenton played a key role in the development of the colonies, the state and the nation. The Cupola House, a registered National Historic Landmark, was built by Francis Corbin in 1758 on the waterfront at Edenton where it stands today. The 1767 Chowan County Courthouse, another National Historic Landmark, has been used since its construction. The Barker House, home of Penelope Barker, the organizer of the first political action by women in the colonies, is operated as a house museum and to interpret colonial history. The home of James Iredell Sr. is in Edenton and operated as a North Carolina Historic Site.

Churches
Edenton has many religious institutions. Some of the churches in the community include:

St Annes Catholic Church c. 1821 First Presbyterian Church of Edenton c. 1946
 * Edenton United Methodist Church
 * Open Door Church
 * St. Paul's Episcopal Church, built c. 1736
 * Edenton Baptist Church
 * Macedonia Baptist Church
 * Kadesh African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

Sports
For two years, 1951 and 1952, Edenton's Historic Hicks Field was home to a professional minor league baseball team. The Edenton Colonials played in the Class D Virginia League in 1951 and the Class D Coastal Plain League in 1952. Since 1998 Hicks Field has served as the home park for the Edenton Steamers of the collegiate summer Coastal Plain League.

Notable people

 * William Allen (1803–1879), born in Edenton, later governor of Ohio
 * Penelope Barker (1728–1796), organized first political action by women in the Thirteen Colonies
 * Robert Brown (born 1960), former NFL defensive end for the Green Bay Packers
 * Wes Chesson (born 1949), former NFL wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles
 * Golden Frinks (1920–2004), civil rights leader and SCLC field representative who based his activism around Edenton
 * Jesse González (born 1995), MLS goalkeeper for the FC Dallas
 * Joseph Hewes (1730–1779), a signer of the Declaration of Independence, first Secretary of the U.S. Navy
 * James Iredell (1751–1799), Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
 * Harriet Jacobs (1813–1897), abolitionist and author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, published in 1861 under the pen name of "Linda Brent"
 * John S. Jacobs (1815–1873), Harriet's brother, abolitionist speaker and author of a short slave narrative
 * Samuel Johnston (1733–1816), revolutionary leader and first U.S. senator from North Carolina
 * Zack Valentine (born 1957), Super Bowl-winning Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker; also played for the Philadelphia Eagles
 * Hugh Williamson (1735–1819), Signer of the United States Constitution and member of the Constitutional Congress
 * Big Daddy Wilson (born 1960), electric and soul blues singer and songwriter
 * Adrian H. Wood, educator and writer

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Edenton, North Carolina


text:
Besalú

Besalú is a town in the comarca of Garrotxa, in Girona, Catalonia, Spain.

The town's importance was greater in the early Middle Ages, as capital of the county of Besalú, whose territory was roughly the same size as the current comarca of Garrotxa but sometime extended as far as Corbières, Aude, in France. Wilfred the Hairy, credited with the unification of Catalonia, was Count of Besalú. The town was also the birthplace of Raimon Vidal, a medieval troubadour.

Besalú was designated as a historical national property ("conjunt històric-artístic") in 1966. The town's most significant feature is its 12th-century Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià river, which features a gateway at its midpoint. The church of Sant Pere was consecrated in 1003. The town features arcaded streets and squares and also a restored mikveh, a ritual Jewish bath dating from the eleventh or twelfth century, as well as the remains of a medieval synagogue, located in the lower town near the river. Besalú also hosts the Museum of miniatures created by jeweler and art collector Lluís Carreras.

History
The name Besalú is derived from the Latin Bisuldunum, meaning a fort on a mountain between two rivers. It is also the historical capital of the county of “La Garrotxa”. One key date is the year 894, when Besalú was converted to a county with its own dynasty. The county changed from “L’Empordà” to “El Ripollès”. In the year 1111, Besalú lost its independence, for historical reasons in favor of the county of Barcelona. Centuries later, Besalú started a decadent period, worsened by the redemptions, wars with the French and carlists.

In 1966, Besalú was declared a site of historical and artistic importance.

Monument
The monument is circled by the ancient wall from the c. XII-XIV. Unfortunately only parts of the original walls still exist. The urban configuration of the site is almost identical to the original layout. Without a doubt, the Medieval bridge is the emblem of the town, of an angular design with seven uneven arcs and two towers. The part of the town nearest to the bridge there are many narrow streets that belong to the ancient Jewish quarter. It is in this area where you will find the Miqvé, the purification bath, which date from c. XII, and demonstrate the presence of an important Jewish community. It is the only Romanesque mikvah still remaining in Spain. The street from the medieval bridge leads to the Town Square “Plaça Major”, a square whose arcades date from c. XVI, and used to be the centre of the medieval town.

Important buildings are the Local Government “Ajuntament” dating from c. XVII, the Royal Curia “Cúria Reial”, dating from c. XIV, and the "Casa Tallaferro". The street “Tallaferro” leads to the entrance to the Castle precinct. Inside the precinct there remains one of the towers from the ancient County Castle, and the apse of Saint Mary “Santa Maria” that dates from c. XI. Along with the street “Portalet” these are the remains which best retain the medieval appearance, along with panoramic views of the Roman Bridge.

Leading up from the main street “Carrer Major”, there are the “Casa Romà” (c. XIV) and the parish church of Saint Vincent “Sant Vicenç” dating from c. XI-XII which has very sculpturesque doors and windows. Near to the main Town Square, there is the “Prat de Sant Pere”, wide and spacious which used to be the Cemetery of the Benedictine monastery of Saint Peter “Sant Pere”. Today there only remains the three-nave church and one apse, dating from the c. XI. Also there is the small chapel of Saint James “Sant Jaume” (c. XII) and the “Casa Cornellà” (Llaudes) dating from c. XII and which has a patio with three galleries. Behind the monastery there is the church of the hospital of Saint Julian “Sant Julià”, with one nave and no apse, dating from c. XII, and an outstanding entrance portal.

title: Besalú


text:
Hayesville, North Carolina

Hayesville is a town in Clay County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 311 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Clay County.

Quanassee
This was long an area of indigenous settlement along the Hiwassee River. An earthwork platform mound was built here, likely by people of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture about 1000 CE. It would have been the center of their village.

Later, the historic Cherokee developed a town known as Quanassee at this site. They built their townhouse on top of the mound, to provide a place for communal discussion and reaching consensus. It was one of the numerous "Valley Towns" located along the Hiwassee River in Western North Carolina. It was also along the Trading Path (also called the "Unicoi Turnpike"). That road led from Quanassee west to another town at present-day Murphy, North Carolina, then over the Unicoi Range at Unicoi Gap and down to the Cherokee town of Great Tellico (today Tellico Plains, Tennessee).

Quanassee had several hundred inhabitants by 1550. In 1716, South Carolina officials met with Cherokee leaders in Quanassee to obtain the Cherokee's alliance in the Yamassee War. The next year South Carolina built a trading site in Quanassee to gain Cherokee commodities like deerskins in exchange for manufactured English goods. A Coosa (Creek) war party "cut off" Quanassee in 1725, demolishing the village and enslaving or killing most of its residents. The town was briefly reestablished before the American Revolution; Rutherford expedition forces camped there in 1776. In the 1820s, Baptist missionaries visited Quanassee to preach to families living there.

Fort Hembree
In October 1837, Tennessee militia established Fort Hembree near Hayesville to prepare for deporting the Cherokee. Approximately 1,000 Cherokee people were held prisoner at the fort and removed from the area. The military abandoned Fort Hembree in June 1838, though it was reactivated in 1860 to train soldiers for the Civil War.

After the Cherokee were forced to cede their land, European Americans settled in this rural area and took over what is now known as the Spikebuck Town Mound and Village Site. They cultivated much of the village site, disturbing the topsoil layers. Some excavations were conducted in the 1960s and 1970s. The town mound and village site was listed in 1982 on the National Register of Historic Places as an archeological site.

Clay County acquired the mound site in 2000 and protects it; the Archeological Conservancy acquired the town/village site and farmsteads in 2011.

Hayesville founded
The town was named Hayesville after 19th-century politician George Hayes. When running for representative from Cherokee County in the fall election of 1860, he learned that residents in the southeast end wanted to separate from Cherokee County and get their own county seat, because of the difficulty of traveling to the distant location. With the promise to introduce legislation to this effect, Hayes won a seat in the legislature. In February 1861 the legislation to organize a new county was introduced and passed by the North Carolina General Assembly. The county was named in honor of Kentucky statesman Henry Clay, and the county seat Hayesville, for Hayes. Though Hayesville was an active town since 1861 and town limits were set in 1882, it was not incorporated until March 12, 1913. The first mayor was S.E. Hogsed.

Hayesville High School was founded in 1870 as Hicksville Academy. In the 1890s it was bought by Duke University and offered college courses. After the first wood-frame county courthouse in Hayesville was destroyed by arson in 1870, the brick courthouse currently standing on the town square was constructed in 1888. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In mid-2007, courthouse operations moved to a new justice center built 1 mi west of downtown.

Hayesville's Methodist and Presbyterian churches were the earliest churches in Clay County; both congregations date to 1838. Their present buildings opened in 1943 and 1960 respectively. Truett Memorial, the town's first Baptist church, dates to 1850; its extant stone building opened in 1949. Hayesville’s post office opened May 7, 1868. The county's first official bank opened in Hayesville on May 18, 1910. In October 1920 the railroad came to Hayesville. The Peavine line was completed to Andrews, North Carolina, where it connected with the Southern Railway. The line hauled mainly lumber and was dismantled in 1951.

Tiger’s Store downtown is thought to be the oldest continuously operating business in Clay County. It was established around 1899 in Shooting Creek and moved to Hayesville around 1908. Hotels began appearing in Hayesville in the 1920s. Clay County had a silent film theater in the 1920s. Later, the Hayesville Theater operated from the 1940s to the 1960s and live music was performed after film showings. Traveling music groups including Lester Flat and Earl Scruggs, Carl Story, Minnie Pearl, and Hank Williams performed at Hayesville High School in the 1940s and 50s. In 1945, Paul Westmoreland debuted his song “Detour (There's a Muddy Road Ahead)" in Hayesville. He wrote the song while on his way to Murphy. As of 2024, there are no movie theaters in Clay County.

On January 22, 1922, a midnight fire destroyed nearly all of downtown Hayesville, including several stores, the highway commission office and records, and the U.S. Post Office. The fire started at DeWease’s Hardware Store and was reportedly set intentionally to collect insurance money. The town’s current post office building was constructed in 1965.

Late 20th century to present
Clay County is featuring Cherokee heritage sites as part of its community redevelopment to emphasize its unique character. In addition to the Spikebuck Town Mound, it supports other Cherokee resources in Hayesville: the Quanassee Path, which highlights five Cherokee features on a walking path around Hayesville; the Cherokee Homestead Exhibit, with reconstructions of traditional summer and winter houses and a corn crib; and the Cherokee Botanical Sanctuary. In addition the CCCRA sponsors an annual Cherokee Heritage Festival.

Clay County's public library started in a two-story building on Hayesville's town square. At some point it moved to a small room in the county courthouse. In 1940 it became part of the Nantahala Regional Library system and hired its first librarian, Ellen Scroggs, in 1943. A new $80,000 library building opened on Sanderson St. downtown on June 25, 1967. It was named in honor of local-born Dr. Fred A. Moss, who contributed $10,000 towards its construction and donated books. Today Moss Memorial Library is the only public library in Clay County.

In the early 1940s Chatuge Dam was constructed near Hayesville by the Tennessee Valley Authority, creating Chatuge Lake. It was the tallest earthen dam in the world until the Aswan Dam was built in Egypt in 1964. In 2017, the dam was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hayesville's annual Festival on the Square began in 1980. Despite being a small town, in the 1980s Hayesville gained the only community theatre in far-west North Carolina. The Peacock Playhouse was constructed on Church Street by Lillith Lidseen. Born in Sweden in 1904, Lidseen moved with her parents to Chicago and studied fine arts at Wellesley College. After her brother Edwin established a pipe manufacturing business in Warne, she moved nearby. Nonprofit volunteer organization the Licklog Players (named after the local Licklog Creek) began performing shows at Hayesville High School's auditorium in 1978 and Lidseen was asked to direct Brigadoon. Due to the community's enthusiastic response, she decided that the area needed a professional theatre venue and built a three-story, 250-seat playhouse near downtown. Plans were drawn up in March 1981 and construction began in 1983. The first show performed at the theatre was The Curious Savage by the Licklog Players on June 6, 1986. Lidseen died in January 1987 before she was able to see a production in her theatre. The Lilith Lidseen Performing Arts Association was formed in 2007. It raised $800,000 to buy the building in 2009 and renovate it. After performing more than 100 plays at the venue, the Licklog Players moved to a strip mall and shut down after their 2014 season. Today the Peacock Performing Arts Center offers dozens of events per year, ranging from comedies to concerts.

In 2003 the US 64 bypass through Hayesville was expanded into a four-lane highway. NC 69 from Hayesville to Georgia was widened to four lanes in 2024. The Clay County Recreation Center was built in 2007 in Hayesville and it was expanded in 2013.

Mayoral history

 * 1) S.E. Hogsed (1913)
 * 2) Wm. H. Harrison (1913–1914)
 * 3) W.T. Hunt, Sr. (1915)
 * 4) G.H. Haigler (1915–1917)
 * 5) T.C. Scroggs (1919)
 * 6) J.B. Gray (1920–1922)
 * 7) O.L. Anderson (1923)
 * 8) Neal Haigler (1924)
 * 9) R.E. Crawford (1925)
 * 10) W. J. Winchester (1929)
 * 11) James Penalnd (1936)
 * 12) W.L. Matheson (1937)
 * 13) T.C. Gray (1938–1946)
 * 14) Fred D. Pass (1947–1948)
 * 15) Glenn Byers (1948–1951)
 * 16) H.M. Crawford (1953)
 * 17) Christine Prater (1955)
 * 18) James H. Walker (1957–1961)
 * 19) Donald S. Weaver (1962–1966)
 * 20) M. Cloe Moore (1967–1969)
 * 21) C.A. Carroll (1970–1972)
 * 22) Paul "Bud" Vaught, Jr. (1973-1998)
 * 23) Gwen Weaver (1999-2003)
 * 24) Harrell Moore (2004-2012)
 * 25) Harry Baughn (2013–2021)
 * 26) Joe Slaton (2021–present)

Education
The local public school system is run by Clay County Schools, which operates four separate schools located on a central campus in Hayesville: The schools serve about 1,200 students total.
 * Hayesville High School
 * Hayesville Middle School
 * Hayesville Elementary School
 * Hayesville Primary School

Higher education is offered nearby at Tri-County Community College,. Young Harris College, and Western Carolina University.

The oldest and largest folk school in the United States, the John C. Campbell Folk School, is located in Brasstown, an unincorporated community that exists partly in Cherokee County and partly in Clay County. The school focuses on creative folk arts for all ages and offers community dance and concert entertainment.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.4 sqmi, all land.

The Hiwassee River flows along the outskirts of Hayesville.

Climate
According to the Koppen climate classification, Hayesville has a humid subtropical climate, with cool winters and hot summers.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 461 people, 161 households, and 83 families residing in the town.

2010 census
At the census of 2010, there were 311 people, 147 households, and 84 families residing in the town. The population density was 666.6 people per square mile. There were 171 housing units at an average density of 384.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 99.33% White, 0.34% African American, and 0.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.

There were 147 households, out of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.9% were non-families. 42.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 24.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $20,000, and the median income for a family was $30,938. Males had a median income of $21,667 versus $16,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,281. About 7.7% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under the age of eighteen and 8.2% of those 65 or over.

Nearby communities
This diagram has a radius of 30 km from Hayesville.

Notable people

 * Leon P. Crawford – Republican mayor of Clemson, South Carolina from 1946 to 1965
 * Mark Linkous – musician of the band Sparklehorse, lived in Hayesville for a few years and operated a recording studio in the area
 * George Washington Truett – Southern Baptist clergyman and 47-year pastor for the First Baptist Church of Dallas

title: Hayesville, North Carolina


text:
Belwood, North Carolina

Belwood is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 950 at the 2010 census.

History
Belwood was incorporated in 1978. The name of the town means "beautiful woods."

Geography
Belwood is located in northeastern Cleveland County. The northeast border of the town follows the county line, with Lincoln County to the east.

North Carolina Highway 18 (Fallston Road) passes through the town, leading south 14 mi to Shelby, the county seat, and north 25 mi to Morganton.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Belwood has a total area of 31.9 km2, of which 0.02 km2, or 0.05%, is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 857 people, 349 households, and 251 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 962 people, 373 households, and 280 families residing in the town. The population density was 78.2 PD/sqmi. There were 410 housing units at an average density of 33.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.22% White, 3.85% African American, 0.10% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.98% of the population.

There were 373 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $31,471, and the median income for a family was $40,417. Males had a median income of $30,139 versus $19,118 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,323. About 9.5% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.1% of those under the age of 18 and 7.9% of those aged 65 or over.

title: Belwood, North Carolina


text:
Boiling Springs, North Carolina

Boiling Springs is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States and is located in the westernmost part of the Charlotte metropolitan area, located approximately 50 miles away from the city. As of the 2010 census, the town's population was 4,647. It is home to Gardner–Webb University. The town is named after the natural spring found on the university's property, which feeds a small lake.

History
People began settling the area around the namesake boiling springs in 1843. The first families to settle were the Hamricks, the Greenes and the McSwains. It was only appropriate that the settlement be named Boiling Springs. One of the first buildings was Boiling Springs Baptist Church, built in 1847 about 100 yards from the springs. Boiling Springs was known as a sleepy community, with no railroads, no industries, few stores and no paved streets. At the turn of the 20th century, Kings Mountain Baptist and Sandy Run Associations began looking for a place to build their denominational high school and chose Boiling Springs because it was geographically situated between the two associations and because the Boiling Springs community made concerted efforts to attract the school. The Boiling Springs High School boarding institution opened for business in 1905. School authorities felt that neither intoxicating drinks nor cigarettes should be sold near the school, so in 1911 the town was incorporated in order to ban the sale of such items. Town limits were decided by drawing a mile and a half radius from the school's original bell tower.

Incorporation of the town proved to be a major step forward because it provided a government that could function and enable the town not only to grow but to furnish water, police and fire protection, paved streets and garbage collection for the town and the school. As time progressed the growth of the town was largely tied to the growth of the Boiling Springs High School which became the Boiling Springs Junior College in 1928, Gardner Webb Junior College in 1942, and finally after achieving status as a senior college and developing several graduate programs, Gardner–Webb University in 1993.

Voters approved ordinances to allow for the sale of beer, unfortified wine, and malt beverages within town limits in 2018.

E. B. Hamrick Hall and the Irvin-Hamrick Log House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography
Boiling Springs is located in southwestern Cleveland County. North Carolina Highway 150 passes through the town, leading east 9 mi to Shelby, the county seat, and south 13 mi to Gaffney, South Carolina. The South Carolina border is less than 6 mi south of the town. Mooresboro is 4 mi north. Charlotte, approximately 50 mi east, is the closest major city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 11.5 km2, all land. The Broad River runs 3 mi south of the town, and is the location of the Broad River Greenway, providing recreational facilities, activities and trails.

Government
The Town of Boiling Springs' Council-Manager form of government with a Mayor and five Councilmen (one of whom serves as Mayor Pro-Tem) who are each elected at-large in staggered four year terms. The Town Council appoints a town attorney and town manager to advise the council and oversee the town's operations. All other staff report to the town manager, who manages the day-to-day operations.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,615 people, 1,144 households, and 877 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,866 people, 1,117 households, and 832 families residing in the town. The population density was 891.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,184 housing units at an average density of 273.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 89.29% White, 8.67% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.41% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.40% of the population.

There were 1,117 households, out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the town the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 30.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $48,861, and the median income for a family was $54,837. Males had a median income of $38,098 versus $24,559 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,984. About 3.6% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

 * Gardner-Webb University (private accredited university)
 * Willow Tree Community School (private school)
 * Crest Middle School (Cleveland County Public Schools)
 * Crest High School (Cleveland County Public Schools)
 * Boiling Springs Elementary (Cleveland County Public Schools)
 * Springmore Elementary (Cleveland County Public Schools)

Transportation
Air travel Roads  Pedestrian and bicycle
 * Charlotte Douglas International Airport is located 46 mi east of Boiling Springs.
 * Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is located 47 miles (76 km) south of Boiling Springs.
 * Shelby Cleveland County Regional Airport is 4 mi east of Boiling Springs.
 * NC Route 150 runs directly through town.
 * US Route 74 passes 3 mi north of the town.
 * Interstate 85 is 13 miles (21 km) south and 25 miles (40 km) east of the town.
 * A bike lane along NC 150 (South Main) connects to the Broad River Greenway.
 * Pedestrian facilities are limited.

Notable people

 * W. J. Cash, author
 * Blake Lalli, former MLB player
 * Gerald R. Murray, 14th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
 * Ron Rash, poet, short story writer, and novelist
 * David Thompson, former NBA player

title: Boiling Springs, North Carolina


text:
Casar, North Carolina

Casar is a small town in northern Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 297 at the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 sqmi, all land. According to locals, Casar was originally incorporated as Race Path in 1890. In 1903, the name was to be changed to Caesar, but Joe Meade with the US Postal Service sent off the application for incorporation, the name came back misspelled and the town officially became Casar.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 308 people, 132 households, and 93 families residing in the town. The population density was 176.0 PD/sqmi. There were 145 housing units at an average density of 82.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 99.35% White and 0.65% African American.

There were 132 households, out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,875, and the median income for a family was $30,179. Males had a median income of $24,375 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,486. About 18.6% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under the age of eighteen and 13.2% of those 65 or over.

title: Casar, North Carolina


text:
Earl, North Carolina

Earl is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 260 at the 2010 census.

History
Earl incorporated in 1889, and was named for local landowner Abel Earl.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 234 people, 100 households, and 64 families residing in the town. The population density was 285.5 PD/sqmi. There were 109 housing units at an average density of 133.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 86.32% White, 11.97% African American, 0.85% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.56% of the population.

There were 100 households, out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,625, and the median income for a family was $35,714. Males had a median income of $27,292 versus $19,318 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,016. About 7.6% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 13.6% of those 65 or over.

title: Earl, North Carolina


text:
Fallston, North Carolina

Fallston is a hamlet in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 607 at the 2010 census.

History
Fallston was settled in the 1880s and incorporated in 1893, and named for John Z. Falls, Sheriff of Cleveland County.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.2 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 603 people, 230 households, and 180 families residing in the town. The population density was 277.2 PD/sqmi. There were 254 housing units at an average density of 116.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.19% White, 2.99% African American, 0.17% Asian, 0.66% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.

There were 230 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,000, and the median income for a family was $41,042. Males had a median income of $33,125 versus $25,139 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,415. About 13.1% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those age 65 or over.

title: Fallston, North Carolina


text:
Grover, North Carolina

Grover is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 708 at the 2010 census.

History
Grover is classified as a small town where railway and highway routes Interstate 85 and U.S. Route 29 cross the state line between North Carolina and South Carolina. It was previously named Whitaker and legally was in South Carolina. The name change to Grover in 1885 was in honor of President Grover Cleveland. Gingerbread Row, (Cleveland Avenue - NC Highway 226) has an antique look with many restored homes in beautiful colors.

A railroad-dominated town started when the Atlanta Charlotte Airline Railway placed a turntable for engines to be spun. They operated from the 1880s to the 1920s and Southern Railway (U.S.) continues to carry passengers to this day (now known as Norfolk Southern). Mail drops and pickups by train occurred several times per day in Grover often with the mail bag put on a hook while the train came through at speed. Amtrak also operates on the line (under permission) and carries passengers from Atlanta to Charlotte, Richmond, Boston, and New York City. George W. Bush made a rail stop in Grover during his U.S. Presidential campaign.

Grover is also home to international companies like Eaton, Commercial Vehicle Group, Southern Power, 84 Lumber, Uniquetex, and the US Presidential Culinary Museum and Library. Hatcher Hughes previously lived in Grover and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1924 for his Broadway play, Hell-Bent Fer Heaven, a show about his own people from the area of the foothills - where Grover is located. He was a professor at the Ivy League college Columbia University. The Hambright (Hambrecht) family of Philadelphia and Prussia lives in Grover and built the tallest and largest mansion there in 1879 under the guidance of Doctor Alfred Frederick Hambright (Hambrecht). Grover also hosts a former White House Chef and manager of the Presidential resort and conference center Camp David, Martin CJ Mongiello, who lives there.

Grover is a part of Cleveland County, North Carolina. The county is named after Colonel Benjamin Cleveland (Cleaveland - Thorkil de Cleveland of Cleveland County York, England in the year 1066) - of the King's Mountain battle - a companion of Colonel Frederick Hambright (with his son John by his side) during the Revolutionary War. Grover holds as many North Carolina Official Historical Markers as the county seat of Shelby. It was the town of entry by The Marquess, Lord Charles Cornwallis when he invaded North Carolina with his cavalry, artillery, and army. The butcher of New Jersey, Major Patrick Ferguson, also camped near parts of present-day Grover, prior to battle on King's Mountain, a local mountain range named after the King Family that lived there. In 1887, the legislature voted to change the name of Grover's County - to the more utilized English word version of, "Cleveland", from its previous version of Cleaveland. President Grover Cleveland had been in office since 1885 (the first Democrat elected after the American Civil War).

This portion of history affected local matters. A German bachelor, Grover Cleveland, was ill at ease at first with all the comforts of the White House. "I must go to dinner," he wrote to a friend, "but I wish it was to eat a pickled herring, a Swiss cheese, and a chop at Louis' instead of the French stuff I shall find." He gained advance publicity and coverage as did the town of Grover. A portion of the original plan encompassed renaming the town after the President's first name to attain notice. In June 1886, this predicament would be fixed for Grover. President Cleveland married 21-year-old Frances Folsom; he was the only President ever married in the White House. This historic event and the ensuing honeymoon took on news attention. The name change of Grover's county took on epic proportions shortly after this event. The town, White House and county historically affected each other in an unpredicted manner. In 1887, Cleaveland County held a referendum and vote to change its name to the more popular spelling of, "Cleveland". The latest, mistaken report of this (verified July 2008) with a letter delivered by the US Postal Service, from the White House Historical Society to The Inn of the Patriots, 301 Cleveland Avenue, Grover Cleveland, NC 28073. No such town exists in America.

Cleveland Avenue (Route 226) runs through Grover - parallel to Main Street. Many Hambright's (Hambrecht's), Hamrick's and Herndon's lived on Cleveland Avenue. Today, the Shiloh Presbyterian Church (built in 1905) remains next to Doctor Alfred Hambright's (Hambrecht) home that was built after the Civil War. A statue was dedicated to Colonel Frederick Hambright (Hambrecht Prussian family) and US Marine Corporal, Clyde Furman Horton on July 1, 2008. The Shiloh Presbyterian Church Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

Many other prominent names dominate the makeup of Grover and are listed repeatedly in reference level books of the Cleveland County Library System, families like Herndon, Hambright (Hambrecht), Hamrick, Rountree, Keeter, Graham, Cleaveland, Cleveland, Scruggs, and Goforth. Within the history of Grover - it is often confused with President Grover Cleveland versus Benjamin Cleveland and where the names came from. Although, each Cleveland are related - going back to Amos Cleveland, of Massachusetts and Cleveland, Ohio.

Grover is in the process of restoring itself to a town with a 'turn-of-the-century look and feel'. Its train and spinning engine turntable with history applied for such in a 2010 North Carolina Main Street program. The current mayor is Bill Willis. The town historian for a long period was Doctor Cobia Goforth who died in late 2017.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 sqmi, of which 1.0 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi (2.94%) is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 802 people, 272 households, and 187 families residing in the town.

2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 698 people, 280 households and 206 families residing in the town. The population density was 706.2 PD/sqmi. There were 313 housing units at an average density of 316.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 91.12% White, 7.16% African American, 0.72% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.43% of the population.

There were 280 households, of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.92.

26.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.

The median household income was $32,083 and the median family income was $43,000. Males had a median income of $33,977 and females $25,769 for females. The per capita income was $16,132. About 13.5% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

 * I-85 (SC).svg I-85—Exits SC 106 & NC 2 serve the town. There is an SC Welcome Center at milemarker SC 103 and NC 3. Grover straddles the state line.
 * US 29.svg US 29—two and four lanes. Runs through the downtown area and serves next to the CSX railroad tracks and alongside Main Street.

Education
There is one public elementary school, Grover Elementary, located in the town. Numerous, public, middle and high schools are located nearby in Kings Mountain, NC. Kings Mountain High School is the largest in the region and is listed as the 199th best high school in North Carolina.

title: Grover, North Carolina


text:
Kingstown, North Carolina

Kingstown is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 681 at the 2010 census.

History
Named in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., Kingstown was incorporated in 1989. The town was originally known as "Kingston," but adopted its current name to avoid confusion with Kinston, North Carolina.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 sqmi, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 656 people, 194 households, and 135 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 845 people, 258 households, and 210 families residing in the town. The population density was 480.0 PD/sqmi. There were 273 housing units at an average density of 155.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 4.38% White, 92.78% African American, 1.18% Asian, 0.95% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.42% of the population.

There were 258 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 29.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.6% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.24 and the average family size was 3.59.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.6% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,054, and the median income for a family was $33,281. Males had a median income of $24,583 versus $20,903 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,956. About 18.4% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over.

title: Kingstown, North Carolina


text:
Lattimore, North Carolina

Lattimore is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 488 at the 2010 census.

History
A post office called Lattimore has been in operation since 1886. The town was named for an early settler.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 419 people, 119 households, and 79 families residing in the town. The population density was 419.9 PD/sqmi. There were 127 housing units at an average density of 127.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.14% White, 2.15% African American, 0.24% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.

There were 119 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 17.9% under the age of 18, 36.0% from 18 to 24, 19.3% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,063, and the median income for a family was $38,500. Males had a median income of $21,875 versus $17,708 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,302. About 10.8% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 18.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Lattimore is the home of Ambassador Baptist College, a private Bible college dedicated to training "God's servants for God's service". The college was founded in 1989 by Evangelist Ron Comfort in the nearby city of Shelby, but was moved to Lattimore in 1997.

title: Lattimore, North Carolina


text:
Lawndale, North Carolina

Lawndale is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States, situated along the First Broad River. The population was 606 at the 2010 census.

History
Lawndale developed in the late 19th century around the Cleveland Mills plant established by Major H.F. Schenck. The town was named for the green lawns of the houses where many of the mill's workers lived. Schenck's daughter and son-in-law opened the Piedmont Academy in 1897, and rail service to Shelby began two years later. Lawndale was incorporated in 1903.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.9 sqmi, of which 0.8 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi  (5.81%) is water.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 642 people, 270 households, and 180 families in the town. The population density was 791.6 PD/sqmi. There were 300 housing units at an average density of 369.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 74.45% White, 22.27% African American, 0.62% Asian, 2.34% from other races, and 0.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.80%.

Of the 270 households 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 30.4% of households were one person and 18.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.92.

The age distribution was 21.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males.

The median household income was $30,250 and the median family income was $36,023. Males had a median income of $26,484 versus $19,792 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,002. About 14.5% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.5% of those under age 18 and 21.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

 * Alicia Bridges - disco singer-songwriter

title: Lawndale, North Carolina


text:
Light Oak, North Carolina

Light Oak is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 691 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Light Oak is located in southeastern Cleveland County and is bordered on the west and south by the city of Shelby, the Cleveland County seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.7 km2, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 697 people, 388 households, and 218 families residing in the CDP.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 779 people, 240 households, and 191 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 518.2 PD/sqmi. There were 255 housing units at an average density of 169.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 16.94% White, 82.16% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.51% Asian, and 0.26% from two or more races.

There were 240 households, out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 27.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $28,472, and the median income for a family was $32,794. Males had a median income of $20,550 versus $16,989 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $13,016. About 20.7% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 51.9% of those age 65 or over.

title: Light Oak, North Carolina


text:
Mooresboro, North Carolina

Mooresboro is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 311 at the 2010 census.

History
Mooresboro was settled in the 1780s, it was incorporated as a town in 1885, and its charter was repealed in 1943. It was named for Lem Moore, an early settler.

The Henrietta-Caroleen High School was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 314 people, 131 households, and 94 families residing in the town. The population density was 178.3 PD/sqmi. There were 140 housing units at an average density of 79.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 88.22% White, 11.46% African American and 0.32% Pacific Islander.

There were 131 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,125, and the median income for a family was $36,500. Males had a median income of $29,219 versus $27,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,791. About 8.5% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.4% of those under age 18 and 28.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Chris Hamrick (b.1966), professional wrestler
 * Tyler White (b.1990), Major League Baseball player

title: Mooresboro, North Carolina


text:
Patterson Springs, North Carolina

Patterson Springs is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 622 at the 2010 census.

History
Patterson Springs was originally a small farming community called "Swangs", with only a train depot and a post office. William George Patterson bought the land that held three springs from the "Epps" family. Patterson hoped that the supposed healing powers of these springs would help heal his son, Billy, who had poor health. Eventually, news of the supposed healing powers of these springs spread, and Patterson created a thirty to forty room resort to house travelers and merchants. The resort, which was one of several in the area, mainly attracted people from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. When the attendees of the resort were not at the springs, Patterson offered lawn bowling and a dance every Saturday night. In 1885, the name "Swangs confused the railroad people so they convinced the post office to change it to Patterson Springs and the government officials agreed. In 1915, a school building was created, housing all eleven(not 12) grades. Another was built in 1923, which housed grades one through eight, while the High School students attended No. 3 High School. In the 1960s, the post office closed, then in the 1970s, both schools closed. The train depot no longer exists. Most students now attend Township No. 3 Elementary School, Crest High School, or Pinnacle Classical Academy.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.9 sqmi, all land.

The community is located at the southern end of conjoined state highways NC 180 and NC 226.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 620 people, 254 households, and 169 families residing in the town. The population density was 682.1 PD/sqmi. There were 272 housing units at an average density of 299.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.48% White, 3.23% African American, 0.16% Native American, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population.

There were 254 households, out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,368, and the median income for a family was $34,500. Males had a median income of $31,591 versus $25,577 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,092. About 10.4% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Ticona, a German-based maker of polymers, operates a large facility in Patterson Springs, and is the town's major employer. Although the company labels the facility as being in Shelby, and the facility's postal mailing address is Shelby, the plant is actually located near Patterson Springs.

In popular culture
In the satirical TV show The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert has repeatedly mentioned that he spent his early TV career days at the fictitious TV station WPTS, situated in Patterson Springs. This is usually accompanied by a video excerpt from his work there.

title: Patterson Springs, North Carolina


text:
Empúries

Empúries (Empúries ) was an ancient city on the Mediterranean coast of Catalonia, Spain. The city Ἐμπόριον (Ἐμπόριον, Emporion, meaning "trading place", cf. emporion) was founded in 575 BC by Greek colonists from Phocaea. After the invasion of Gaul from Iberia by Hannibal the Carthaginian general in 218 BC, the city was occupied by the Romans (Latin: ). In the Early Middle Ages, the city's exposed coastal position left it open to marauders and it was abandoned.

Empúries is located within the Catalan comarca of Alt Empordà on the Costa Brava. The ruins are midway between the town of L'Escala and the tiny village of Sant Martí d'Empúries.

History

Empúries was founded on a small island at the mouth of the river Fluvià, in a region inhabited by the Indigetes (at the present time, the mouth of the Fluvià is about 6 km to the north). This city came to be known as the Palaiapolis, the "old city" when, towards 550 BC, the inhabitants moved to the mainland, creating the Neapolis, the "new city".

After the conquest of Phocaea by the Persian king Cyrus II in 530 BC, the new city's population increased considerably through the influx of refugees. In the face of strong pressure from Carthage, the city managed to retain its independent Hellenic character. Political and commercial agreements were concluded with the indigenous population long settled in the nearby city of Indika. Situated as it was on the coastal commercial route between Massalia (Marseille) and Tartessos in the far south of Hispania, the city developed into a large economic and commercial centre as well as being the largest Greek colony in the Iberian Peninsula.

During the Punic Wars, Empúries allied itself with Rome, and Publius Cornelius Scipio initiated the conquest of Hispania from this city in 218 BC by sending his brother Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus there with Roman troops.

After the conquest of Hispania by the Romans, Empúries remained an independent city-state. However, in the civil war between Pompey and Julius Caesar, it opted for Pompey, and after his defeat it was stripped of its autonomy. A colonia of Roman veterans, named Emporiae, was established near Indika to control the region.

From that time onwards, Empúries began to decline, obscured by the power of Tarraco (Tarragona) and Barcino (Barcelona). At the end of the 3rd century it became one of the first cities in Spain to admit Christian evangelists. In that century, too, the Greek town was abandoned while the Roman town survived as a mint and the largely ceremonial seat of a coastal county, Castelló d'Empúries, until the Viking raids of the mid-9th century. Coinage began again under count Hugh II of Empúries (1078–1117).

Archaeological remains
Although the precise location of the town was known since the 15th century, it was only in the 20th century that systematic excavations were carried out. The site is known as Ampurias. The first official excavations started in 1908 and were held by the Junta de Museus de Barcelona and directed by Emili Gandia i Ortega under the instructions of Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Pere Bosch-Gimpera. These excavations are still going on.

Palaiapolis
The island on which the Palaiopolis was situated is now part of the mainland and is the site of the mediaeval village of Sant Martí d'Empúries. The former harbour has silted up as well. Hardly any excavation has been done here.

After the founding of the Neapolis, the old city seems to have functioned as an acropolis (fortress and temple). Strabo mentions a temple dedicated to Artemis at this site.

Neapolis
The Neapolis consisted of a walled precinct with an irregular ground plan of 200 by 130 m. The walls were built, and repeatedly modified in the period from the 5th to the 2nd century BC. To the west the wall separated the Neapolis from the Iberian town of Indika. In the south-west part of the city were various temples, replacing an older one to Artemis, such as a temple to Asclepius, of whom a marble statue was found. In the south-east part was a temple to Zeus-Serapis. The majority of the excavated buildings belong to the Hellenistic period. In addition to houses, some of which are decorated with mosaics and wallpaintings, a number of public buildings have come to light, such as those in the agora and the harbour mole. In the Roman period, thermae and a palaeochristian basilica were built.

To the south and east of the new city was an area that served as a necropolis.

Roman city
Only about 20% of the Roman city (municipium) has been excavated. The city has the typical orthogonal layout of Roman military camps, with two principal roads meeting at the forum. The Roman city is considerably larger than the Greek one. During the Republican period a temple was built dedicated to the Capitoline Triad: Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. During the reign of the emperor Augustus a basilica and curia were added.

In the eastern part of the town a number of large houses have been excavated, with an inner courtyard, numerous annexes, floor mosaics, and paintings. In the 2nd century the town was surrounded by a wall without towers. An amphitheatre and palaestra were built outside the wall.

Necropolis
The necropolis of Empúries remained in use for a very long period, from the 7th century BC up to the Middle Ages, but many tombs were looted. Martín Almagro Basch wrote two books collecting all data on the majority of cemeteries in the area. There are four types: early Greek and Iberian, late Republican, early Roman Empire and late Roman Empire.

Early Greeks and Iberians (6th–3rd century BC)
Burials were located in the southern and western sides of Neapolis. The western sector was occupied by the so-called necropolis of the wall northeast. Inhumation (Greeks) predominated while a third of burials were cremations (Iberians).

Late Republican (2nd–1st century BC)
The ancient necropolis remained in use with inhumations and cremations, possibly Greek and indigenous from the Neapolis. Cremations predominated in another group, possibly of Roman origin, whose cemetery is located on the north side of the neighboring hill of Les Corts, located southwest of the city. This necropolis was in use particularly during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. Archaeologists found small mounds built with square blocks of stone with the remains of cremation in the middle.

Early Roman Empire (1st century BC – 2nd century AD)
No burials have been found clearly from the second quarter of the 1st century BC until the reign of Augustus (about 35 years). Cremation burials then predominated until the reign of Emperor Flavian (at the end of the 1st century AD) around a hillside where the Roman city is located.

Burial rituals changed in the 2nd century AD, with only inhumations found.

Late Roman empire (3rd – 6th century)
Precise chronologies are hampered by the lack of grave goods in tombs. The whole area of the ancient Greek city was filled with inhumation burials, perhaps related to the worship of the early Christian basilica or Cella Memoria, situated there. Burials are also in many of the ancient necropolis of earlier times (as Bonjoan, in use for a thousand years) and in new ones. It is possible they were related to the Roman villae located near them. There is a monument of El Castellet and nearby tombs.

The Archaeology Museum of Catalonia
The branch of the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia in Empúries (MAC-Empúries) offers visitors an experience in direct contact with the archaeological remains there. A visit to the Greek city and the Roman city are complemented by a tour through the museum, which showcases representative objects from the history of the site that have been uncovered in the years of excavations in Empúries. The museum has parking facilities and the site may be reached by a traffic-free coastal walk from L'Escala.

title: Empúries