text:
Bollandist

The Bollandist Society (Societas Bollandistarum; Société des Bollandistes) is an association of scholars, philologists, and historians (originally all Jesuits, but now including non-Jesuits) who since the early seventeenth century have studied hagiography and the cult of the saints in Christianity. Their most important publication has been the Acta Sanctorum (The Acts of the Saints). They are named after the Flemish Jesuit Jean Bollandus (1596–1665).

Acta Sanctorum
The idea of the Acta Sanctorum was first conceived by the Dutch Jesuit Heribert Rosweyde (1569–1629), who was a lecturer at the Jesuit college of Douai. Rosweyde used his leisure time to collect information about the lives of the saints. His principal work, the 1615 Vitae Patrum, became the foundation of the Acta Sanctorum. Rosweyde contracted a contagious disease while ministering to a dying man, and died himself on October 5, 1629, at the age of sixty.

Father Jean Bollandus was prefect of studies in the Jesuit college of Mechelen. Upon the death of Rosweyde, Bollandus was asked to review Rosweyde's papers. Bollandus then continued the work from Antwerp.

The task was to search out and classify materials, to print what seemed to be the most reliable sources of information concerning the saints venerated by the Church and to illustrate points of difficulty. Underestimating the magnitude of the undertaking, Bollandus initially thought he could finish the work on his own, but after a few years he had to admit that the undertaking was beyond his individual strength. He was then assigned an assistant, Godfrey Henschenius (1601–81). The first two volumes of the Acta, by Bollandus and Henschenius, were published in Antwerp in 1643.

Unlike Rosweyde and Bollandus, Henschenius was allowed to devote himself exclusively to the writing of the Acta. He solved many problems relating to chronology, geography and the philological interpretation of the sources. February, March, and April (that is, the collected hagiographies of saints whose feast days occur in each month) took up three volumes each, May covered eight, and June seven volumes. By the time of his death, 24 volumes had appeared; moreover, Henschenius left many notes and commentaries for the following volumes. It can therefore be said that the Acta owe their final form to Henschenius.

In 1659, Bollandus and Henschenius were joined by Daniel Papebrochius (1628–1714), who devoted fifty-five years of his life to the Acta. From July 1660 until December 1662, Henschenius and Papebrochius travelled through Germany, Italy and France in order to collect copies of hagiographic manuscripts. Another Bollandist of this period was Jean Gamans.

Carmelite controversy
With publication in 1675 of the first volume of April, the Bollandists became embroiled in a lengthy controversy with the Carmelites. In writing of St. Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem and author of the Carmelite rule, Papebrochius had stated in his preliminary commentary that the tradition universally received by the Carmelites that the origin of the order dated back to the prophet Elijah, who was regarded as its founder, was insufficiently grounded. But learning that the attacks could jeopardize the work of the group, he and his companions decided that the time for silence had passed. From 1681 to 1698 a series of letters, pamphlets and other documents was issued by each side. The Carmelites were supported by a Spanish tribunal, while the Bollandists had the support of Jean de Launoy and the Sorbonne. In November 1698, Pope Innocent XII ordered an end to the controversy.

By the time of the death of Father Papebrochius in 1714, the first six months of the year were practically completed. Work continued in the following years, led by Conrad Janninck among others.

Suppression and relocation (18th century)
By the time the Society of Jesus was suppressed by Pope Clement XIV in 1773, the Bollandists had produced 50 volumes in 130 years. They had also moved from Antwerp to Brussels, where they continued their work in the monastery of the Coudenberg until 1788, when the Bollandist Society was suppressed by the Austrian government of the Low Countries. Their library was acquired by the Premonstratensians of Tongerlo Abbey, who endeavored to carry on the work. The fifty-third volume was published by the abbot of Tongerloo in 1794. The 53 volumes of the first series covered the saints from January 1 to October 14. Four former Bollandists supervised the work.

Refoundation
After the re-establishment of the Society of Jesus in Belgium, a new Society of Bollandists was formed in the second quarter of the nineteenth century under the patronage of the Belgian government. The first volume of the new series appeared in 1845. A collection of 61 volumes was published in Paris between 1863 and 1867. By the end of the 19th century the work was re-oriented, bringing it more in line with the new philological methods. In 1882, a quarterly review on critical hagiography was established under the title of Analecta Bollandiana, which still exists today and publishes supplements to the Acta.

The Bollandists' studies led to the texts of the Missale Romanum, the Liturgia Horarum and the Martyrologium referring to Mary of Magdala. These studies were positively cited in Pope Francis' elevation of the saint's feast day to the status of a liturgical Feast.

The Bollandist Society is the only institution dedicated exclusively to the critical study of hagiography. "There is a lot of ‘fake news’" about saints, said Bollandist Marc Lindeijer, S.J. "We can spend a lifetime correcting Wikipedia." Nonetheless, legends of the saints provide important information for historians and linguistic scholars. Patrick J. Geary says that the tales serve as "a window into the world of people of that time and place.

In fiction
The Bollandist Society has an important role in The Deptford Trilogy by Canadian novelist Robertson Davies. The series' protagonist, though not a Catholic, takes a deep interest in saints and their lives, and his scholarly efforts are welcomed by the Bollandists.

Notable Bollandists

 * Jean Bolland (1596–1665)
 * Godfrey Henschen (1601–1681)
 * Jean Gamans (1606–1684)
 * Daniel Papebroch (1628–1714)
 * Peter van der Bosch (1686–1736)
 * Charles De Smedt (1833–1911)
 * Joseph Van den Gheyn (1854–1913)
 * Hippolyte Delehaye (1859–1941)
 * Paul Grosjean (1900–1964)

title: Bollandist


text:
Polkville, North Carolina

Polkville is a small town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 545 at the 2010 census.

History
The John Lattimore House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Geography
Polkville is located in northwestern Cleveland County. North Carolina Highway 226 passes through the center of the town, leading southeast 12 mi to Shelby and northwest over the South Mountains 31 mi to Marion. North Carolina Highway 182 has its western terminus in Polkville at NC 226, and leads east 25 mi to Lincolnton. North Carolina Highway 10 has its southwestern terminus in Polkville, leading northeast 36 mi to Newton.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Polkville has a total area of 4.8 km2, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 545 people, 231 households, and 157 families residing in the city. The population density was 283.5 PD/sqmi. There were 234 housing units at an average density of 124.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 94.58% White, 3.74% African American, 0.75% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.24% of the population.

There were 214 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $40,875. Males had a median income of $26,797 versus $18,500 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,015. About 16.3% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.0% of those under age 18 and 18.5% of those age 65 or over.

Polkville Rodeo
The Polkville Rodeo is an annual event that takes place in the Mintz Arena at Polkville Baptist Church. This event is sanctioned by the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA) and is presented by F-K Rodeo Company of Charlotte. Advance tickets are available at local businesses as well as those sold at the gate. All proceeds go to benefit church members in their desires to participate in mission trips and disaster relief efforts.

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

title: Polkville, North Carolina


text:
Shelby, North Carolina

Shelby is a city in and the county seat of Cleveland County, North Carolina. It lies near the western edge of the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC Combined Statistical Area. The population was 21,918 at the 2020 census.

History
The area was originally inhabited by Catawba and Cherokee peoples and was later settled around 1760. The city was chartered in 1843 and named after Colonel Isaac Shelby, a hero of the battle of Kings Mountain (1780) during the American Revolution. Shelby was agricultural until the railways in the 1870s stimulated Shelby's development.

In 1916, Thomas Dixon, Jr., the author of The Clansman: A Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan, planned to erect a statue of his uncle Leroy McAfee on the courthouse square. The project was initially met with enthusiasm, until it was announced that Dixon wanted McAfee to wear a Ku Klux Klan mask in the statue. A Confederate monument is located on the west side of the courthouse square, while foreign war monuments stand on the north and south sides.

Nevertheless, the Ku Klux Klan did have a significant presence in Shelby in the 1870s and its crimes were the subject of depositions and affidavits collected by Captain Albion Howe (1841–1873) of the 4th Regiment Artillery.

Textiles later became its chief industry during the 1920s, when production of cotton in Cleveland County rose from 8,000 to 80,000 bales a year. Cotton production peaked in 1948 with Cleveland County producing 83,549 bales, making it North Carolina's premier cotton county. In the 1930s, Shelby was known as "The Leading Shopping Center between Charlotte and Asheville". People from surrounding counties came to Shelby to shop, since there were numerous types of local and chain stores. By 1947, Shelby was a true thriving town with the mills paying among the highest wages in the South. In the 1950s, droughts, insect infestations, and government acreage controls resulted in the decline of cotton as Cleveland County's primary crop.

Shelby was home to a group of political leaders in the first half of the 20th century, that have become known as the "Shelby Dynasty." These political leaders wielded power through the local, State and Federal governments. The most notable of Shelby's political leadership were brothers James L. Webb and Edwin Yates Webb and brothers-in-law O. Max Gardner and Clyde R. Hoey. As governors, NC representatives, and US congressman, the group impacted Shelby life and Shelby's reputation throughout the state.

The architecture of Shelby is noteworthy in that despite being in a rural area, there are magnificent homes and buildings with unique character. Some buildings are county landmarks, such as the Historic Campbell Building and others are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Banker's House, Joshua Beam House, Central Shelby Historic District, Cleveland County Courthouse, East Marion-Belvedere Park Historic District, James Heyward Hull House, Masonic Temple Building, Dr. Victor McBrayer House, George Sperling House and Outbuildings, Joseph Suttle House, Webbley, and West Warren Street Historic District.

Community
Shelby's community of art, music, and government all take place in Uptown Shelby historic district. Uptown Shelby is home to a large square, local businesses, and a variety of restaurants surrounding The Courthouse Square. Re-branded as "uptown" in the 70s to bring town-people back off the highway and away from the mall, this area has been named a "Main Street" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The local pavilion hosts a twice-a-week Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, as well as local concerts. Monthly summer festivals like Shelby Alive and Seventh Inning Stretch, hosted by the American Legion World Series, brings regional music acts to perform in the city. With a low cost of living and a vibrant small town environment, Uptown Shelby has experienced a 10% growth in street level occupancy from 78% to 88%. Uptown Shelby hosts opportunities for active living with groups that engage in cycling, running, crossfit, and yoga. Multiple restaurants and other local businesses are attracting day trippers and shoppers from across the region. Part of the city brand, live music is a part of community with the Earl Scruggs Center and the Don Gibson Theatre.

Other public attractions include walking trails like the thread trail and the Broad River Trail as well as public events. Reoccurring events include the Fall Livermush festival, The Cleveland County fair which is the largest county agricultural fair in North Carolina, The 7thinning Stretch, The Art of Sound, Arts on the Square, and various fundraisers.

Shelby is known throughout the state for its collaborative methods between private, non-profit, and public sector organizations with groups like Leadership Cleveland County.

In 2011, Shelby was named the permanent home of the American Legion Baseball World Series after decades of rotating venues for the event.

Geography
Shelby is located in south-central Cleveland County. U.S. Route 74, a four-lane highway, runs through the city south of the center, and leads east 21 mi to Gastonia and west 27 mi to Rutherfordton.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 54.7 km2, of which 54.6 km2 is land and 0.1 km2, or 0.17%, is water.

Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Shelby has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Shelby was 107 F on July 30, 1952, while the coldest temperature recorded was -11 F on January 31, 1966.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 21,918 people, 8,013 households, and 4,887 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census, there were 19,477 people, 7,927 households, and 5,144 families residing in the city. The population density was 1073.8 PD/sqmi. There were 8,853 housing units at an average density of 488.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 56.88% White, 40.97% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population.

There were 7,927 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% 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 2.97.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,345, and the median income for a family was $38,603. Males had a median income of $30,038 versus $21,362 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,708. About 14.3% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.7% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

Highways
Shelby is served by US Highway 74 and its business route. US 74 Business travels through uptown Shelby along Marion St. and Warren St., giving travelers access to Shelby's growing central business district. Currently, a controlled-access highway (signed as US 74) is under construction from Mooresboro to Kings Mountain, which will bypass Shelby to the north. Upon completion of the project, Charlotte and Asheville will be connected by virtually uninterrupted freeway via Interstate 85, US Highway 74, and Interstate 26.

Shelby is also served by four North Carolina State Highways.
 * North Carolina Highway 18
 * North Carolina Highway 150
 * North Carolina Highway 180
 * North Carolina Highway 226

Airports
Shelby-Cleveland County Regional Airport serves the city and county. The airport is used mostly for general aviation and is owned by the city of Shelby. Commercial air service is provided within a 2-hour drive at Charlotte (CLT), Asheville (AVL), Concord (USA) and Greenville/Spartanburg (GSP).

Education
Cleveland County Schools is the school district for all of Cleveland County, including Shelby.

Prior to January 2004, the city was in Shelby City Schools, a separate school district.

Secondary and intermediate schools include:
 * Shelby High School
 * Shelby Middle School

Elementary schools include: Springmore, Township Three, and Union elementary schools have Shelby postal addresses but are outside of the Shelby corporate limits.
 * Elizabeth Elementary School
 * Jefferson Elementary School
 * James Love Elementary School

Graham and Marion elementary schools closed in 2022, and the former Shelby Intermediate School was to be converted into an elementary school including the former Graham and Marion zones; in other words, it became Elizabeth Elementary School. The building had been Elizabeth Elementary prior to being converted into an intermediate school. The conversion returned it to its former name.

In popular culture
The 2004 film adaptation of Blood Done Sign My Name was filmed in Shelby – as well as the reaping scene in the 2012 film adaptation of The Hunger Games, and the 1982 slasher film Death Screams.

A fictionalized version of the city is the setting of HBO comedy show Eastbound & Down. Filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, it bears little geographic or cultural resemblance to the real place. Actor and writer Danny McBride chose the location as an inspiration because of its size, attitude, and name.

The TV show Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern visited the 2009 Livermush festival in Shelby.

On November 11, 2007, the Oxygen Network's "Captured" aired a profile of The Brenda Sue Brown murder mystery that took place in Shelby in 1966.

Notable people

 * Jo Adell, outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels
 * Bobby Bell, former NFL linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
 * Alicia Bridges, disco singer
 * Jonathan Bullard, NFL defensive end
 * Bill Champion, MLB player
 * Morris Davis, colonel in U.S. Air Force
 * Asha Degree, child reported missing in 2000
 * Thomas Dixon Jr., minister, author
 * Eddie Dodson, bank robber
 * Robert Lee Durham, educator and lawyer
 * Manny Fernandez, "The Raging Bull", professional wrestler
 * David Flair, professional wrestler
 * Charlotte Flair, professional wrestler
 * Margaret Gardner Hoey, First Lady of North Carolina
 * Oliver Max Gardner, 57th governor of North Carolina
 * Alvin Gentry, head coach of the Sacramento Kings of the NBA
 * Don Gibson, singer and songwriter; member of the Country Music Hall of Fame
 * Kay Hagan, former U.S. senator for North Carolina
 * Charlie Harbison, University of Missouri defensive backs coach
 * Tre Harbison, NFL running back
 * Robert Harrill, the Fort Fisher Hermit
 * Keith E. Haynes, Maryland politician, lawyer
 * Norris Hopper, MLB player
 * Hatcher Hughes, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
 * Charlie Justice, NFL player, two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up
 * Doug Limerick, ABC radio newscaster
 * Patty Loveless, country music singer
 * Manteo Mitchell, 2012 Olympics silver medalist in the men's 4x400 metre relay
 * Scottie Montgomery, NFL wide receiver, Oakland Raiders, Arena Football League player, head coach at East Carolina University
 * Kevin Nanney, former professional Super Smash Bros. Melee player
 * Dawson Odums, Southern University football head coach
 * Travis Padgett, 2008 Olympics athlete in the men's 4x100 metre relay
 * Floyd Patterson, heavyweight boxing champion, Boxing Hall of Famer
 * Mel Phillips, former NFL safety, former NFL coach
 * Stephanie Pogue, artist and art educator
 * Nina Repeta, actress known for her role on Dawson's Creek
 * Price D. Rice, U.S. Army Air Corps/U.S. Air Force colonel and member of the Tuskegee Airmen
 * Earl Scruggs, banjo player and composer on Hollywood Walk of Fame
 * Isaac Shelby, soldier and Governor of Kentucky, for whom the city of Shelby is named
 * Charlotte Smith, WNBA basketball player
 * Brandon Spikes, linebacker for the New England Patriots
 * Billy Standridge, NASCAR driver
 * David Thompson, ABA and NBA guard, Basketball Hall of Famer
 * Cliff Washburn, NFL offensive tackle, Houston Texans
 * Jim Washburn, NFL defensive line coach
 * Edwin Y. Webb, politician and judge
 * James L. Webb, politician and judge
 * Fay Webb-Gardner, First Lady of North Carolina
 * Tim Wilkison, former professional tennis player
 * Robert Williams, former NFL cornerback
 * Tom Wright, MLB player

title: Shelby, North Carolina


text:
Waco, North Carolina

Waco is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 321 at the 2010 census.

History
A post office called Waco has been in operation since 1880. The town was named after Waco, Texas.

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 328 people, 134 households, and 92 families residing in the town. The population density was 408.2 PD/sqmi. There were 145 housing units at an average density of 180.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 80.49% White, 18.29% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.30% Pacific Islander, and 0.61% from two or more races.

There were 134 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,031, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $27,083 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,081. About 9.1% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Notable person
Floyd Patterson, heavyweight boxing champion

title: Waco, North Carolina


text:
Boardman, North Carolina

Boardman is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 166.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.1 sqmi, of which 3.1 square miles (8.1 km2) is land and 0.04 sqmi of it (0.64%) is water.

2020 census
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 202 people, 79 households, and 54 families residing in the town. The population density was 64.8 PD/sqmi. There were 89 housing units at an average density of 28.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 54.46% White, 44.55% African American, 0.99% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.

There were 79 households, out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 24.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 69.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $20,500, and the median income for a family was $28,333. Males had a median income of $25,500 versus $20,417 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,339. About 19.0% of families and 27.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 28.6% of those 65 or over.

title: Boardman, North Carolina


text:
Bolton, North Carolina

Bolton is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 691 at the 2010 census.

History
Bolton was established in 1899 and named for the Bolton Lumber Company. It became an incorporated community in 1915.

In 1981 undercover agents of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation were investigating corruption in Columbus County as part of the Colcor investigation. As part of their inquiry into election fraud, the agents pretended to be interest in opening a bar in Bolton. They pushed for a referendum to legalize liquor-by-the-drink in the town and paid local politician Herbert Riggins to buy votes in their favor, the first time the FBI had ever attempted to manipulate a public election. The referendum was held on April 30, 1982, with a majority of local residents in favor of legalizing liquor-by-the-drink, though Riggins mostly avoided involving himself in the vote. The North Carolina State Board of Elections later nullified the referendum.

The Colcor affair was followed by a series of other scandals which embroiled the town, beginning with the shooting of the town's first black mayor in 1990 by a white State Highway Patrolman. Civil rights groups responded by launching the "Bolton Movement", a series of protests across the county, which led to the Ku Klux Klan hosting counterprotests in the town. A few years later the mayor and an alderman pled no contest to charges of mismanaging the town's finances. In 2002 the Bolton police chief was placed on administrative leave after allegedly attacking a couple in the town hall who were complaining about police brutality.

Geography
Bolton is located in eastern Columbus County. The town is bypassed to the north by combined U.S. Routes 74 and 76, a four-lane divided highway. US 74/76 leads east 28 mi to Wilmington and west 18 mi to Whiteville, the Columbus County seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.7 sqkm, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 519 people, 254 households, and 160 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 494 people, 198 households, and 138 families residing in the town. The population density was 159.3 PD/sqmi. There were 219 housing units at an average density of 70.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 31.58% White, 63.77% African American, 2.63% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.81% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population.

There were 198 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 20.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% 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 2.97.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,596, and the median income for a family was $33,295. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $21,071 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,400. About 16.6% of families and 22.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 38.8% of those age 65 or over.

title: Bolton, North Carolina


text:
Brunswick, North Carolina

Brunswick is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,119 at the 2010 census.

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

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 973 people, 172 households, and 113 families residing in the town.

2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 360 people, 144 households, and 101 families in the town. The population density was 866.9 PD/sqmi. There were 165 housing units at an average density of 397.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 41.94% White, 55.00% African American, 2.78% Native American, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83%.

Of the 144 households 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 26.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 25.7% of households were one person and 9.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.02.

The age distribution was 23.6% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 73.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.0 males.

The median household income was $15,795 and the median family income was $16,786. Males had a median income of $22,361 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,288. About 37.0% of families and 42.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 72.4% of those under age 18 and 31.1% of those age 65 or over.

title: Brunswick, North Carolina


text:
Cerro Gordo, North Carolina

Cerro Gordo is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 207 at the 2010 census.

History
Cerro Gordo was incorporated in 1874, taking its name from the 1847 Battle of Cerro Gordo in Mexico.

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

Cerro Gordo, meaning 'fat hill,' describes its slightly higher elevation than the rest of Columbus County, although it is in the coastal plain region of North Carolina. The majority of its land is devoted to crops, cows, and hog houses.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 244 people, 90 households, and 68 families residing in the town. The population density was 322.8 PD/sqmi. There were 102 housing units at an average density of 134.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 75.00% White, 18.44% African American, 3.69% Native American, 2.46% Asian, and 0.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.46% of the population.

There were 90 households, out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.3% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $20,000, and the median income for a family was $28,750. Males had a median income of $31,964 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,447. About 21.7% of families and 22.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 14.3% of those 65 or over.

title: Cerro Gordo, North Carolina


text:
Chadbourn, North Carolina

Chadbourn is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,856 at the 2010 census.

History
A post office called Chadbourn has been in operation since 1882. It was incorporated in 1883, being named after a local family engaged in the lumber industry.

Geography
Chadbourn lies within the Carolina Border Belt, a regional network of tobacco markets and warehouses along both sides of the North Carolina-South Carolina border.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.6 sqmi, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,574 people, 797 households, and 387 families residing in the town.

2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 2,129 people, 877 households, and 548 families in the town. The population density was 805.3 PD/sqmi. There were 983 housing units at an average density of 371.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 53.55% African American, 41.94% White, 1.93% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.41% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.97%.

Of the 877 households 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% were married couples living together, 24.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 33.6% of households were one person and 14.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.12.

The age distribution was 28.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.5 males.

The median household income was $24,539 and the median family income was $30,574. Males had a median income of $23,804 versus $20,270 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,290. About 24.3% of families and 31.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.5% of those under age 18 and 25.6% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
U.S. Route 76 passes through the northern part of the town. The old route of U.S. Route 74 passes east–west through Chadbourn. North Carolina Highway 410 moves north–south through the town.

Until 1955, the town was a transfer point for Atlantic Coast Line Railroad passenger trains to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. At Chadbourn, connections could be made to trains bound for Florence, South Carolina, Sumter, South Carolina and Columbia's Union Station, Augusta, Georgia's Union Station to the west, and Wilmington to the east. The final passenger train through the town's station was the passenger train on an Augusta - Sumter - Florence - Chadbourn - Wilmington itinerary. Its final service was in 1965 or 1966, the station taking freight only station by late 1966.

title: Chadbourn, North Carolina


text:
Fair Bluff, North Carolina

Fair Bluff is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States that was devastated by coastal flooding from Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and inundated again by high water by Hurricane Florence in 2018.

Before the two events, the population was 951 at the 2010 census but is believed to be lower following the two disasters, some estimates going as low as 450 people. The shrinking of town's size, and damage from the storms has led to a rapid decline in tax base.

History
Fair Bluff was the name originally given to a bluff overlooking the Lumber River. In 1807 plans were made to build a town upon the lands of John Wooton at the bluff to be known as Wootonton. The town was established but the name was never changed. The community was reincorporated in 1873.

The Powell House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Agriculture has always been a mainstay of the economy in the town. Tobacco was a major commodity grown in the area. By the eighties, tobacco growing subsided. This caused a shift for the town and its citizens. The downtown continued to thrive until the late 1980s when a car dealership moved from the business district to another location. Haphazard town planning saw a mixture of residential, business, and industry all over town. Tens of millions in US government grants poured into the city beginning in the mid-1980s until present day. But the town continued to decline and people left for better opportunities elsewhere. The decline in Fair Bluff was similar to neighboring towns of Tabor City, Boardman, Brunswick, Cerro Gordo, and Chadbourn. A town manager was hired to handle administrative duties of the town,

In 1999, Fair Bluff experienced a devastating flood event.

In 2012, the Police Chief of Fair Bluff Marty Lewis was arrested, tried and convicted for selling and delivering oxycodone and possession with the intent to sell and conspiracy to traffic while acting as police chief. He was sentenced to a minimum of seven years in prison and fined $100,000. On April 9, 2015, Marty Lewis filled an appeal of his case. On November 3, 2015, the verdict was unanimously affirmed by the North Carolina Court of Appeals, leaving in place the 90 to 117-month prison sentence originally imposed. Lewis will not be eligible for parole before November 2022.

In 2016, the town was devastated by flooding on the Lumber River caused by Hurricane Matthew, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of residents. Floodwaters reached the town hall, police department, fire department, a grocery store, and a school. As of June 2018, the rebuilding effort was still underway but several hundred residents who had fled rising floodwaters never returned and a number of businesses remained shuttered.

In September 2018 Fair Bluff was flooded again by the impact of Hurricane Florence, again forcing evacuations and leaving the downtown area under water again, and destroying 72 homes. After Florence, many buildings in the downtown area of the town lay abandoned, with no plans to reoccupy or fix them. The town's only factory closed several months later, and hundreds of residents moved away. The federal government bought out some residents' properties, straining the municipal government's tax base. The town government drew up plans to level the historic business district and turn it into a park, and build a new business district further away from the river.

Government
Fair Bluff has a part-time town manager, assisted by the elected town mayor and town council. The town manager also works for five other deteriorating towns in Columbus County.

Fair Bluff is in the 13th District for the North Carolina Senate, represented by Michael Walters as of September 2014, and in the 46th district for the North Carolina House of Representatives, where, as of September 2021, they are represented by Tabor City native and used car dealer Brenden Jones.

Geography
Fair Bluff is located at 34.31111°N, -79.0325°W (34.311212, -79.032387), The town lies within the Carolina Border Belt, a regional network of tobacco markets and warehouses along both sides of the North Carolina-South Carolina border.

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 1,181 people, 505 households, and 308 families residing in the town. The population density was 547.4 PD/sqmi. There were 588 housing units at an average density of 272.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 59.27% African American, 37.93% White, 0.68% Native American, 1.19% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population.

There were 505 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% were married couples living together, 20.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $17,008, and the median income for a family was $22,969. Males had a median income of $20,764 versus $16,731 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,829. About 31.8% of families and 37.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50.9% of those under age 18 and 24.3% of those age 65 or over.

title: Fair Bluff, North Carolina


text:
Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina

Lake Waccamaw is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The 2010 census population was 1,480. Originally home to Native Americans, Europeans later colonized Lake Waccamaw in the 18th century. The Europeans built naval stores and the discovery of turpentine oil led to the Wilmington-Manchester railroad track being created. A shingle company was later converted to a lumber company. In 1910, a group of townspeople created the Waccamaw Club.

The town surrounds Lake Waccamaw, which features 9,000 acres of diverse wildlife and is a major source of revenue for the town. The lake is bustling with many endemic species of fish, birds, mollusks, and other animals. In 2018, a forty-year ban on hunting alligators was lifted. The town of Lake Waccamaw provides many recreational activities, such as birdwatching and hiking, due to the large population of wildlife and mild terrain.

History
The town of Lake Waccamaw was first inhabited by Native Americans before the Europeans came and colonized the area. Charles the Second of England granted proprietors individual grants to allow them to sail to the new world to bring him back riches and news. By the mid-eighteenth century, Lake Waccamaw had a good number of settlers. People like John Powell, from Virginia, brought cattle. John Powell's son Absalom Powell started to buy land near Lake Waccamaw. John Powell's other son Issac Powell was made the first major of the Brandon, County Durham militia in 1804 and justice of peace in 1806. Issac owned most of Lake Waccamaw.

Lake Waccamaw and nearby city Flemington grew slowly with the help of the Wilmington-Manchester railroad being built. The railroad brought the rural town access to the world. The addition of the railroad also made the settlement grow when the actual freshwater lake was then discovered. However, this growth increased rapidly when the naval stores and turpentine business began to grow.

On January 26, 1869, Charles Oscar Beers started his shingle industry along the southern shore of Lake Waccamaw. Another company also started south of the lake by Henry Bascom Short after Beers started his company. These two companies came together and formed a new company named Short and Beers, which brought more business to the town and created more jobs. Over time, the company went from producing shingles to becoming the North Carolina Lumber Company.

Around 1910, a local group formed the Waccamaw Club. The club served as a gathering place for hunting parties and house parties. The club later disbanded, and the building then became the Waccamaw Hotel. The Lake Waccamaw Depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

The Waccamaw Dam was built in 1926 by the state to prevent the lake from shrinking in dry weather. In 2018, a new bridge that goes over the Waccamaw Dam was finally finished and open for locals.

Geography
The town of Lake Waccamaw is located in eastern Columbus County on the north shore of Lake Waccamaw. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.1 km2, of which 0.01 sqkm, or 0.16%, is water.

Lake Waccamaw is a 9000 acre freshwater lake around and on which is held the annual free fitness event, Take the Lake. Participants may either walk the 15 mi around the lake, paddle 14 mi around, bike 12 mi and walk 3 mi around, or swim 4 mi across the lake, all on Labor Day weekend. No winners are announced, as awards are presented for completion only. Organizers began Take the Lake in reaction to the county being ranked as the least healthy of all 100 North Carolina counties.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,296 people, 654 households, and 443 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,411 people, 529 households, and 356 families residing in the town. The population density was 409.8 PD/sqmi. There were 793 housing units at an average density of 230.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 80.65% White, 15.88% African American, 2.27% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.57% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.

There were 529 households, out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

As of the census of 2017, there were 1,480 people and 1,015 households in Lake Waccamaw, NC. The median price for a housing unit is 252,900.

The largest racial group of the town is White at 83.8%. The next largest group is African American at 9.2%, followed by Native American at 5.4%. The remaining 1.2% of the population are from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Mixed Hispanic or Latino citizens make up 1.6% of the population. Those who identify as female make up 56.9% of the population, whereas males make up 43.1%. Men also have a higher median income than women at $32,969 per year compared to $19,250. The median household income for this area is $50,345, according to American Community Survey in 2017. A fifth of these people (22.3%) live below the poverty line.

According to the United States Census Bureau, there were 55,936 people living in Columbus County, North Carolina in 2017. There are 22,462 households, and 26,305 housing units in Columbus County. Of these households, 23.1% of the population lives in poverty. As of the 2017 data, 63% of the population identifies as white (alone,) and 30.7 of the population identifies as African American.

Government
Lake Waccamaw is governed by a town council which consists of a mayor and a town board. The mayor of Lake Waccamaw, Matt Wilson is supported by the town board, consisting of commissioners Karl Bracey, Frank Carroll, Theresa Mckeithan, and Terry Littrell. Lake Waccamaw has a government staff led by Town Manager Damon Kempski that aids the town with development, construction, economics, and local law. Lake Waccamaw has its own police department, managed by Chief of Police Scott Hyatt, and fire department, led by fire Chief Jerry Gore. Public Works is under the supervision of Kevin Powell

Ecology
Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina is home Lake Waccamaw, a state park and wildlife refuge. The majority of Lake Waccamaw's revenue comes from tourism and tours around the park, as well as research projects conducted on the Lake's endemic species. A wide range of animal species resides in the town of Lake Waccamaw, due to the town being right next to the lake. For having a high pH and alkalinity, Lake Waccamaw is one of the few lakes that can harbor endemic species, which are species only native to one graphic region.

Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers, Swallow-Tailed Kites, and Black Bears are animal species that take refuge on land in Lake Waccamaw State Park. The Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers population has shrunk a measurable amount due to timber harvesting and the maturing of the pine forest that neighbor the lake. The Swallow-Tailed Kite population is the most dense in the town of Lake Waccamaw than in the entire state of North Carolina. Black bears roam the town area and the forest of Lake Waccamaw. The forest are a perfect environment for them because of the opportunity for den sites, food, and coverage from the weather. Brown-headed nuthatches, parula warblers, and white-eyed vireos are also other bird species that inhabit the town and its surroundings.

Aquatic life is very diverse in Lake Waccamaw. There are many fish species the Waccamaw Darter, the Waccamaw Killfish, and the Waccamaw Silverside. Alligators are part of the ecosystem of Lake Waccamaw. There was an uplift on a ban on alligator hunting in March 2018. The ban was removed after being enforced for over 40 years. The reason for the ban was that the alligators were getting over hunted, but now the population is back to normal. Bullfrogs, leopard frogs, and cricket frogs roam the damp environments around Lake Waccamaw. The Waccamaw fatmucket and Waccamaw Spike, which are mollusks, is a prominent in the filtration of the water in the lake. The Venus-hair fern, green-fly orchid, seven-angled pipewort, Narrowleaf yellow pond lily, and water arrowhead are native plants of town Lake Waccamaw. These are considered rare. In 2012, residents reported, and researchers at N.C. State University confirmed, that the invasive aquatic weed hydrilla had infested 600 acre of Lake Waccamaw. There are two known endemic snail species, the Waccamaw amnicola and the Waccamaw Siltsnail.

The terrain of the town is also very diverse with forested wetlands, tidal marshes, and longleaf pine forests. The tidal marshes filter pollution of the water and in the 18th and 19th, was used for rice farming. The longleaf pine forest are home to the birds, bears, deer, and other animals the reside in the area of Lake Waccamaw. Prescribed burning is used to keep the growth of the forest under control. Forested wetlands are critical in reducing the risk of flooding and shelter for all organisms. They provide opportunities for feeding on these organisms when the water rises.

Lake Waccamaw
Lake Waccamaw is home to North Carolina's largest natural freshwater lake, and the largest of the North Carolina Bay Lakes at 8,938 acres. Lake Waccamaw is called a Bay Lake not because it is a body of water, but because of the abundance of Sweet Bay, and Red Bay trees growing beside the shore. The lake is roughly 5.2 miles by 3.5 miles in length and is estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000 years old. Numerous other bodies of water feed into Lake Waccamaw including the Waccamaw River, and four smaller creeks, the largest of which is called Big Creek. Lake Waccamaw also has an unusually high PH level is due to an abundance of calcareous formations that underline the bottom of the lake, and have dissolved into Lake Waccamaw over time. These formations have caused steep bluffs on the north shore of the lake where the calcareous mixture is deposited. These calcareous formations do underlie most North Carolinian Lakes, but Lake Waccamaw is the only Bay Lake with these formations.

Lake Waccamaw has many recreation activities available as visitors can camp, fish, hunt, go boating, or picnic. With seven miles of trails to explore, and fifty-two species of game and non-game fish, there is plenty for visitors to do and experience. One of the most popular places to visit and fish at is the Bohemian Girl Scenic Bridge, named in honor of John A McNeil, a celebrated citizen. The bridge completes a 14-mile path around the lake, and has numerous fishing platforms as well as a panoramic view of the lake.

Development of the lake
Many scientists worry about possible contamination of the lake. Lake Waccamaw's water is within the acceptable, pre-established, heath guidelines and legal limits established by the Safe Drinking Water Act. However, there is a high level of chloroform present in the Lake, at 4.43 ppb (parts per billion) out of an allowed 14 ppb. Chloroform is a Trihalomethane that is often used as a fumigant for wheat products, a coolant, and as a cleaning spot remover. Chloroform is a naturally occurring substance, but its presence in water is almost always man-made. The lake itself is not man made, as it is a part of the Bladen Lake group, a group of lakes created by receding ocean waters.

Education
East Columbus High School is located at 32 Gator lane, Lake Waccamaw. Founded in 1992, East Columbus High School receives students from the Lake Waccamaw, Riegelwood, Delco, and Hallsboro residential areas. It incorporates students from the Acme-Delco and Hallsboro Middle Schools. The school has a total of 449 students enrolled with a 14-1 student to teacher ratio. East Columbus high has a graduation rate of 85 percent. The school's mascot is the Gator. Professional basketball player Boubacar Aw attended his senior year of high school at East Columbus.

Lake Waccamaw has a charter school called Flemington Academy. Flemington Academy is partnered with the Boy and Girls Homes of North Carolina. Flemington Academy has a total of 83 students enrolled with a 6:11 student to teacher ratio. It serves grades from 6–12 with a graduation rate of 79 percent. The Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina is the only private boarding school in the county. The Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina is a private boarding school that strives to provide a good education for students age of 6–21 years old who have experienced trauma or been victims of violence. Lake Waccamaw doesn't have any elementary schools, but Columbus County does offer elementary schools in the town Hallsboro which is close. The closest college near Lake Waccamaw is called Southeastern Community College which is only 15 miles away from the town.

Waccamaw Siouans
The Waccamaw Sioux or Waccamaw Siouan are one of eight Indian tribes recognized by the North Carolinian government. The Waccamaw Siouan Indians are not affiliated with the Waccamaw People of North Carolina or the Waccamaw Siouan of Farmers Union South Carolina. The Lake Waccamaw Indians are known as the "People of the Falling Star " because of the humongous meteorite that crashed to earth years ago and created the crater that is now Lake Waccamaw. The Waccamaw Siouan live on the edge of the Green Swamp in a closed, protected swampland refuge. The Waccamaw Indians were originally called the Waccon and then the Waccammassus Indians, but their name was changed to Waccamaw by white settlers as it was more convenient and easy for English settlers to pronounce.

title: Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina


text:
Sandyfield, North Carolina

Sandyfield is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 447 at the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.5 sqmi, of which 3.4 sqmi is land and 0.29% is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 340 people, 115 households, and 90 families residing in the town. The population density was 98.8 PD/sqmi. There were 135 housing units at an average density of 39.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 8.82% White, 86.76% African American, 0.59% Native American, 2.06% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.06% of the population.

There were 115 households, out of which 42.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 21.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. 18.3% 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 2.96 and the average family size was 3.36.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,938, and the median income for a family was $38,125. Males had a median income of $41,250 versus $19,688 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,521. About 14.6% of families and 20.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.6% of those under age 18 and 27.5% of those age 65 or over.

title: Sandyfield, North Carolina


text:
Tabor City, North Carolina

Tabor City is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. It is the southernmost town in the county. It is located just north of the North Carolina/South Carolina line, about 39 mi north of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and is just north of Loris, South Carolina. The population was 2,511 as of the 2010 census.

Pre-European
According to Swanton (1952), before the arrival of the Europeans, the area was home to the Cape Fear Indians, the Waccamaw Indians, and the Saponas.

1670s–1830s
During the Revolutionary War, men from the area joined with the rebels in the Battle of Brown Marsh. The Loyalists won, marking the high point of their efforts to defeat the revolution in the southern theater. Men from the area may have also aided the American forces in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge, which had a much more favorable outcome for the Americans. The Siege of Charleston saw troops from the coastal Carolinas unsuccessfully defend the city from the British.

Early settlers in the area farmed, raised cattle & pigs, and manufactured naval stores. From the longleaf pine trees come products used in shipbuilding. These products or "stores" are turpentine, rosin, tar and pitch. Pitch was needed to coat the hulls of ships to protect them in tropical waters.

Camp meetings filled an ecclesiastical and spiritual need in the unchurched settlements. The Honey Camp meeting site (which became the Green Sea Baptist Church) was one of the first large camp meetings in the region at nearby Green Sea, South Carolina. Population increased and settlement moved inland, which led to the founding of a congregation in the area just north of the state border. Around 1837, the congregation of Mt. Tabor Baptist Church erected their first building, constructed of logs.

1830s–1930s
The original community took its name from the first prominent church in the area, the Mount Tabor Baptist Church(now the Tabor City Baptist Church), which itself is named after the biblical Mount Tabor, and was founded in 1838. A village coalesced around the area of the church which was organized as a town shortly after 1840. The town officially incorporated in 1904. The church was originally located near the intersection of what is now Stake Road and East 5th Street.

Business activity started in Tabor City by the mid-1850s, with the development of a saw mill, turpentine still, grocery store and dry goods store. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad located a station in the town in 1886. The turpentine industry was huge in the area throughout the 19th Century. Many wagonloads of turpentine, rosin and pitch were carried to the rail station in Grist, NC, for shipment to Wilmington, North Carolina and other environs. The town was officially incorporated in 1905. In 1906, William Fowler donated land for the Tabor City Baptist Church, at the site which has been in continuous use since the completion of the construction and is still currently in use, as of April 2023. The new church and sanctuary was completed in 1908.

Mt. Tabor residents were greatly affected by the American Civil War. Many volunteered when the war began and many more were conscripted to fill the ranks as the war decimated the combatants. Men from the area were mainly in two different groups. At war's beginning, eager young men joined Capt. John B. Stanly's Co.(Columbus Guards # 4), 10th Regt NC Infantry (Volunteers), which became Co D, 20th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, NC State Troops, which participated in most of the major battles in the Virginia theater. At Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, more than sixty-five percent of the regiment were casualties, either from wounds or death. Older men were later conscripted into Co. G, 51st NC Infantry Regiment, which performed garrison duty at forts in the Charleston, South Carolina area and Fort Fisher. It also saw limited action in several of the campaigns in eastern Virginia. Townsmen participated in most of the large battles of the Eastern Theater of the war, fighting in the Carolinas and Virginia. In 1865, William T. Sherman's army passed through the area, with outriders foraging for foodstuffs and supplies. The blue columns crossed the Pee Dee River, the Lumber River, and the Cape Fear River, with the cavalry scouting ahead. Mt. Tabor was not spared by Sherman's foragers. Dozens of men never returned home. Widow's weeds were a common sight in this area. Census records in 1870 and 1880 show many households run by widows in South Williams Township.

Strawberries became an important crop in the 1880s when the development of the railroad enabled them to be shipped to markets in the big cities. The Anderson Shingle Company made shipping containers for strawberries. In 1910, Bishop Anderson sold out to W.B. Roberts and David James (Dave) Hughes, three years later Dave Hughes bought out Mr. Robert's interest and it became D.J. Hughes & Company "Manufacturers of Anderson Make Strawberry, Cantaloupe, Peach and Grape Crates, Boxes Made to Order, and Lumber," with a yearly output of 150,000 crates.

Cotton fell out of favor when boll weevils negatively impacted crop production. Tobacco became the golden crop and the Border Belt produced prime flue-cured leaf for tobacco companies around the world. The first tobacco warehouse was built in 1909, which became a major industry for both the town and the surrounding area. By 1925, the town had several tobacco auction warehouses, two tobacco re-drying warehouses, and a tobacco prizery(a packing plant where tobacco was packed into hogsheads for shipment to tobacco companies in Virginia), all within a block of the railroad tracks. The dominance of tobacco in the community continued until the 1990s. By 2022, only a few largescale farmers still grow tobacco in the area.

The First World War took men from the town and deposited them in the trenches of France where they helped the Allied Forces achieve victory against the Central Powers.

Originally named 'Mt. Tabor', many would shorten the name to 'Tabor' when writing correspondence. With mail delivery by the USPS, Tabor would be confused with Tarboro, North Carolina due to the similarities in spelling. By 1935, US Postal authorities demanded a name change and since Tarboro was much larger, Mt Tabor was told to pick another name. The town denizens picked Tabor City as they expected phenomenal growth for the future of this tiny village.

In May 1925, there were no paved streets, no fire department, nor a municipal water supply. Businesses included: a crate factory, several tobacco industries, a power plant, churches, train station, US Post Office, a hotel, a telephone exchange, many businesses, a prizery(tobacco packing house), agricultural, commercial, and industrial warehouses, a grist mill, a concert hall, and schools. Tobacco was the main industry.

During the later 1920s, a boarding house opened, often the choice of traveling businessmen, tobacco buyers, and hunters. The owner of the business, would cook for her guests, leaving the pots on the stove for the boarders to serve themselves. A night's stay, including supper and breakfast was $2.00 per day. The business was operated by the family for three generations. The original buildings burned in 1971 and were rebuilt, operating with monthly rental units and a restaurant until 2018. It is now an event venue under new owners.

By February 1934, the face of downtown was formed. A modern-day person would recognize many familiar buildings that appear on the Sanborn Fire Insurance Co. maps of the town for that year. There was a municipal-owned water source from a deep well. A 75,000 gal elevated water tank on a 75 ft steel tower rose above the town. There was one mile of 6" & 8" water lines, giving 45 lbs of domestic & fire water pressure. Businesses noted on those maps included: factories, commercial, and agricultural warehouses, churches, many commercial enterprises, schools, movie theatre, US Post Office, a town hall, a waterworks plant & water tower. Tobacco was the main industry.

1940s–1970s
The Second World War saw many young men of the town face combat in both the European and Pacific Theaters of war. The war economy brought prosperity to the town and saw an expansion of new businesses began by war veterans taking advantage of GI Bill loan provisions. During the 1940s and 1950s, the area had at least two movie theaters. There were also several drive-in movie businesses. Gas stations appeared at the town's major intersections. The first supermarkets also opened replacing the smaller general stores that had previously served the public. Several car dealerships came to the town. The first Yam Festival was organized and held in 1948.

The Tabor City Tribune is a weekly newspaper established by W. Horace Carter (a Stanly County native) in 1946. In 1950, after witnessing a Ku Klux Klan motorcade going through town, Carter began writing a series of editorials and reports critical of Klan activity. The Klan began a recruiting campaign in 1950, and were later convicted of flogging people and other offenses, based largely on Carter's work. Along with the Whiteville News Reporter, the Tribune was awarded the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its editorials against the Ku Klux Klan. The Pulitzer Prize citation stated that the newspapers were awarded the prize "for their successful campaign against the Ku Klux Klan, waged on their own doorstep at the risk of economic loss and personal danger, culminating in the conviction of over one hundred Klansmen and an end to terrorism in their communities." The newspapers were the first weeklies to win a Pulitzer Prize. The name of the Tabor City Tribune was changed to the Tabor-Loris Tribune in 1996. The small W. Horace Carter Newspaper Museum in Tabor City at the Tabor-Loris Tribune offices has exhibits on Carter's life and work. A documentary of the struggles between Carter and the Klan, titled The Editor and the Dragon: Horace Carter Fights the Klan, was shown on the North Carolina Public Broadcasting System in 2013, on the 50th anniversary of the struggle. In addition, part of Carter's story was entered into the Congressional Record in 2007. Carter's death in 2009 was noted in The New York Times. Even with the Tribune's crusade against racism and the Klan, now in 2022, there is a business covered with Confederate flags which sells Klan and other racist merchandise on the main road coming into town. Thus, the battle against racism is at a stalemate in light of Carter's crusade in the 1950s.

The Tabor City Methodist Church began services in 1953.

Due to crimes in the area in the late 1950s and 1960s, especially fights at local bars, Tabor City earned the nickname "Razor City". Even though many of the crimes occurred just across the border in South Carolina, the Razor/Tabor near-rhyme stuck.

An economic downturn and severe recession, plus skyrocketing fuel costs, in the early/mid-1970s resulted in business closures and poverty becoming the norm for many families.

1980s–2010
By the eighties, tobacco use began declining. Along with global recession, the town and its people took another severe hit. More businesses closed and parts of downtown looked deserted as empty buildings fell into disrepair. Tens of millions in US government grants poured into the city beginning in the mid-1980s until present day. The decline in Tabor City was similar to neighboring towns of Fair Bluff, North Carolina, Broadman, North Carolina, Brunswick, North Carolina, Cerro Gordo, North Carolina, and Chadbourn, North Carolina. A town manager was hired to handle administrative duties of the town,

The year 1984, saw a group of townspeople come together to promote economic development in the town. An investment fund was accumulated through donations. Several projects were completed over the following decades. Most projects have seen the group acquire properties which end up receiving multimillion-dollar government grants.

The dismissal of Police Chief Willie Gore in 1993 sparked a period of weekly protest marches since many felt the chief's dismissal was racist in nature. The marches were peaceful, though overreaction by the all white police force led to the mostly African American crowd being met with pepper spray on multiple occasions.

In late 1997, a massive facelift was performed on two blocks of S. Main Street in the downtown area. Southern Living magazine made contact with town leaders about an article they were doing about Christmas celebrations in small southern towns. For many decades, the town traditionally held an annual daytime Christmas parade. Storefronts were painted, new retro lampposts installed, and other aesthetic improvements costing tens of thousands of dollars were made in order to have a nighttime Christmas parade. A photo of the parade and short write-up were included in an article in the December 1997 issue of Southern Living magazine.

Today, the town focuses on agriculture, light manufacturing, retail and tourism. In addition, a large state prison provides many jobs for the area. Being so close to the coastal areas of Myrtle Beach and the Brunswick County beaches has led to a growth in the area housing industry.

The Centennial Clock celebrating the town's 100th anniversary was installed on Main Street. It was donated by a local business leader. The Freedom Flag Trilogy, which is located at the entrance to town on Hwy 701N, was first flown July 4, 2007.

2011–present
A local citizen donated the lot containing the ruined front brick wall of the former Ritz theater to the town. Millions in government grants resulted in a complete rebuild effort that was completed in 2014. The former theater is now the Ritz Center, a community center for the arts. The mayor of the town has a comedy act that is a frequent performer. The building sits empty for much of the year.

In 2014, the Chapel Hill, North Carolina band, Campfires and Constellations, memorialized the town in their song about drug smuggling, "Fast Burn to Tabor City".

On October 25, 2018, it was announced the Todd House would close after 100 years of operation.

Town welcome signs were amended in 2019 to recognize country music legend Stonewall Jackson, a Tabor City native.

In 2019, town leaders continued to develop a plan for a light rail link from the town to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina tourists via Conway. A matter to be addressed is how to get beach tourists to Conway in order to use the rail service. The Town Depot project, renamed the Community Center, is being built adjacent to the railroad tracks behind the town library. Community Center construction began in 2021 and is scheduled to be completed in April 2022. Myrtle Beach city leaders are busy converting their railroad corridor to a 2.5 mile public trail for pedestrians and bikes

Climate
Tabor City has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with the following characteristics:

Winters are generally mild with January highs in the mid 50s °F (11–14 °C) and lows in the mid 30s °F (1–3 °C). Snowfall does not occur in most years, and when it does, is generally light.

Spring is reasonably lengthy, beginning in late February and lasting to early May. The presence of abundant dense vegetation in the area causes significant pollen dusting in the springtime that tends to turn rooftops and cars yellow.

Summer brings high humidity with temperatures usually in the upper 80s to lower 90s °F (31–34 °C). Heat indices can easily break the 100 °F mark, though the actual temperature does not in most years. Due to the proximity of warm Atlantic Ocean waters, the area may be hit by a hurricane during the summer, at an average of once every seven years- although most are of a low level. About 40% of the annual rainfall is delivered from July to September.

Autumn is also generally humid at the beginning, with the same tropical threats from hurricanes as in the summer. Some of the deciduous trees may lose their leaves; however most trees in the area are evergreens and therefore remain green year-round.

Culture
The North Carolina Visitors Center in the middle of town, on business highway 701, assists tourist and locals with these and other activities. The visitor center underwent a series of improvements, funded partially by a $100,000 North Carolina Department of Transportation allocation. As of 2022, the volume of visitors to the center is minuscule.

The North Carolina Yam Festival takes place on the fourth Saturday in October. The festival celebrates with crafts, train rides, classic cars and trucks, arts and vendors. Also during the Yam festival, an annual art show is held, and a "Miss Yam Festival" pageant is held for various age groups. The annual parade is considered a highlight of the festival.

Based somewhat on the success of the fall Yam Festival, an annual spring festival, the Spring Fling, began in 2013, celebrating the Town and people of the area. This week-long festival offers several activities.

Lake Tabor is a one-star rated, 2 acre lake where boating events are often held. Lake Tabor went dry in 1998 after hurricane floods destroyed the retention dam. The dam was rebuilt and the lake restored. It was closed for a part of the 2013, and 2014 summer due to algae infestations. The Lake Tabor dam is still in danger during hurricane flooding events.

The area boasts several restaurants and shops, and Tabor City has several parks and athletic fields as part of the Columbus County Parks and Recreation Department. A business in town offers access to batting cages. Hunting and fishing are popular activities, as well as the over 100 golf courses within 40 mi of the town. A local campground has a small waterpark. A Fourth of July festival celebrating both past and current military personnel is held annually, with fireworks, food, and other activities. There is normally no charge for this event.

An old train depot today serves as a small museum that operates primarily during the Yam Festival. A retired caboose is one of the displays available for exploration.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,781 people, 968 households, and 617 families residing in the town.

2010 census
As of the United States census of 2010, there were 2,511 people, 1,095 households, and 627 families residing in the town. The population density was 852.2 PD/sqmi. There were 1,239 housing units at an average density of 379.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 59.2% White, 36.2% African American, 1.1% Native American, 0.02% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity were 2.3% of the population. Of the 1,095 households, 23% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.5% were married couples living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.99. The town has shown marked growth in the last 14 years. In the town, the population was spread out, with .4.2% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 20 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. The median income for a household in the town was $25,469, and the median income for a family was $40,044. Males had a median income of $32,528 versus $20,804 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,922. About 16.9% of families and 21.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under age 18 and 22.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economic conditions
Since the 1970s, Tabor City has been beset by poverty and high unemployment, especially as the agricultural based economy of the past was no longer viable. Today, the town focuses on agriculture, light manufacturing, retail and tourism. A large state prison provides many jobs for the area. The town is served by two grocery stores, three drug stores, a number of restaurants, three banks and a credit union. Overall, the town has seen a steady decline in the commercial sector over the past 30 odd years. The downtown was thriving through the eighties, and since then it has seen vacant storefronts become more common, with dilapidated buildings throughout the downtown area. Poor city planning has industrial sites scattered throughout the small town with all residents impacted by heavy commercial and industrial traffic. This has significantly impacted residential property values throughout the town. The Tabor City Chamber of Commerce maintains a both a Facebook presence and its own website. The town has also upgraded its water, sewer and roads, in hopes of attracting new businesses but little has materialized. As of January 2022, the poverty rate is 47%, with a per capita income of $12,555 (national per capita income is $29,829). In 2019, the town manager was paid $127,923 according to public records. This salary is 308 percent higher than average.

The Tabor City Industrial Park is located just northwest of town, a 36-acre certified industrial site perfect for small to medium-sized users seeking 5 to 10 acres of land. Existing tenants include a small packaging warehouse and the Tabor City Business Development Center, while most of the property has sat vacant for most of the existence of the park. A packaging company, owner and publisher of the Tabor-Loris Tribune, founded in 1946, continues to be a major employer for the area. It has sites throughout the town with almost every residential area being interspersed with industrial sites and associated traffic. They also operate a large facility offshore in the Dominican Republic.

R.J. Corman Railroad Group operates the rail line servicing the town.

Geography
The town lies within the Carolina Border Belt, a regional network of tobacco markets and warehouses along both sides of the North Carolina-South Carolina border.

Tabor City is approximately 30 mi from the ocean at North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and is due north of Myrtle Beach, SC.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.2 km2, all land. It is located on the border with South Carolina, approximately 30 mi inland from the Atlantic, 28 mi north of Myrtle Beach, and 58 mi west of Wilmington. Lake Tabor, a 149 acre lake, is on the eastern side of town.

U.S. Route 701 runs through the town in a generally north–south direction, while North Carolina Highway 904 generally runs thorough the town in an east–west direction. The two highways intersect at the center of town. In addition, a business loop of US 701 serves also as the main business corridor in Tabor. North Carolina Highway 410 starts at the NC/SC state line before going through the town and continuing on to Chadbourn, North Carolina

Nearest cities:
 * Cerro Gordo, North Carolina (4.3 miles)
 * Chadbourn, North Carolina (14 miles)
 * Loris, South Carolina (7 miles)
 * Longs, South Carolina (13.27 miles)
 * Conway, South Carolina (15.36 miles)
 * Whiteville, North Carolina (19.30 miles)
 * Aynor, South Carolina (16.5 miles)
 * Nichols, South Carolina (18.4 miles)

Nearest city with pop. 50,000+: Wilmington, North Carolina (57.2 miles, pop. 126,000)

Nearest city with pop. 200,000+: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (43.2 miles, pop. 528,733)

Government
Tabor City has a town manager, assisted by the elected town mayor and town council.

Past mayors have included:
 * W. A. Williams – 1953
 * Howard Harrelson 1957–1969
 * Robert Soles Sr
 * Marion Baxter

Tabor City is in the 13th District for the North Carolina Senate, represented by Michael Walters as of September 2014, and in the 46th district for the North Carolina House of Representatives, where, as of September 2021, they are represented by Tabor City native and used car dealer Brenden Jones. Tabor City is in United States House of Representatives' North Carolina 7th Congressional District, NC-7. The current Representative as of January 2022 is David Rouzer.

The city offers its own water and sewer treatment plant and is connected to the Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority.

Police and fire
Tabor City has its own police department. As of January 2022, the police chief is Donald Dowless. Several officers have run afoul of the law. Since 2019, Tabor City Police Department has maintained community out reach through an official Police Department page on Facebook. A Tabor City Jail was in operation as of 1939. As of 2014, the police department takes any persons needing detaining to the Columbus County Detention Center in Whiteville, NC. In addition, the city is also served by the Columbus County Sheriff. As of April 2021, the sheriff is Jody Greene. The Tabor City Court house is located on 5th street, and hears district court cases on an as needed basis. Superior Court cases for the area are heard in the Whiteville Courthouse. The crime rate in Tabor City is higher than the national average. Property crimes being 150% higher than the national average. There were 19 registered sex offenders living in Tabor City, North Carolina as of January 21, 2022. The ratio of all residents to sex offenders in Tabor City is 217 to 1.

The Tabor City Fire Department, led by Chief Jeff Fowler, serves the city and assists several volunteer departments within the county. Cooperation is often necessary with various South Carolina departments. New trucks were delivered in 1939, 1947 and 1955. There was no fire department in existence in 1925. In February 1934, the fire department consisted of a chief, 14 men, one fire station, a Ford Model A truck with a Barton Pumper(capacity 300 g.p.m.), 1000 ft 2-1/2" hose, 2-35 gal. chemical tanks, & 500 ft 2-1/2" hose. There were 3 fire alarm boxes and the town hall had an electric siren mounted on the roof.

One of the largest North Carolina Prisons, the Tabor City Correctional Institution is operated within the city limits. The construction of the Tabor City Correctional Institution (TCI) began in May 2006 and was completed in April 2008. TCI is located over two miles (3 km) northwest from the center of Tabor City, and its site was annexed by the town. The prison is not located continuously with the city. The cost to build the prison was approximately $94 million, The Tabor City Prison officially opened on August 18, 2008. Crime rates have risen due to the numerous prison guards that commit serious offenses, such as drug smuggling, hit-and-run, murder-for-hire, etc.

Media
In addition to the Tabor-Loris Tribune, published weekly since 1946, the town is served by AM-1370 station WTAB. The feed is also available on line at WTAB RADIO – 1370 AM.

For a while, from 1965 to 1998, WYNA served as the sister station to WTAB and was located in Tabor City. In 1998, Pamplico Broadcasting bought the station, which played country music at that time, and increased its power from 3,000 to 25,000 Watts. After stunting with classical music in October and November 1998, and Christmas music in December, WYNA went off the air in preparation for a move that included changing its community of license to Calabash, North Carolina.

WGHW has a translator in the area to widen its broadcast area.

Television, radio and daily newspapers from Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence and Myrtle Beach are easily accessible to the residents of the city. The Myrtle Beach Sun News, Wilmington Star-News, and the Fayetteville Observer are available daily to the area. The Whiteville News Reporter is available twice a week as well. Most provide at least some measure of coverage for the town.

Schools
A circa 1870 one-room school house was restored by the historical societies of Tabor City and Columbus County. This school house was built in 1870 using a floor plan and building technique which had been in use since 1820. This building was purchased and donated to the town of Tabor City by a local benefactor.

Tabor City is home to South Columbus High School. Tabor City High School was in operation from the 1920s until 1992. The former high school campus became Tabor City Elementary School. Tabor City Middle School houses grades 6 through 8 and is housed in the former all-black Douglass School facility. After desegregation ended, Douglass School became Tabor City West Elementary School. These schools are part of the Columbus County School System.

Tabor City Post Office
The Tabor City Post Office was in operation as early as the 1880s.

In May 1925, it was located near the north corner of Railroad St. & 5th St. It is noted at this location on the 1925 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map. In February 1934, it was located on the north corner of Railroad St and 4th St. It is noted at this location on the 1934 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map.

A new location was opened in 1942, and included delivery to some areas in South Carolina. A new route was established in 1947, which was the longest highway post office route in the U. S. with a 360-mile daily run. Growth necessitated a new building in 1964, still in use as of January 2022. The post office for Tabor city is located at 200 East 5th street.

South Carolina delivery from the Tabor City Post Office was terminated in 1981, and transferred to the Loris, SC post Office.

Notable people

 * W. Horace Carter, newspaper editor, Pulitzer Prize winner
 * Joseph Chambers, noted Pentecostal author, pastor in Tabor City, 1957–1958
 * Amanda Dowe, American professional basketball player
 * Golden Frinks, an American civil rights activist and a Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) field secretary
 * Stonewall Jackson, country music star in the 1950s
 * Brenden Jones, politician, NC House of Representatives, 2016 to present
 * R. C. Soles, Jr., politician/lawyer, NC House 1968–1976, NC Senate 1977–2011, longest-serving North Carolina legislator
 * Wilmer Watts, an American old time singer, banjo player and bandleader in the 1920s, who did the first known recorded version of "The Midnight Special"
 * Taffy Wright, Major League Baseball Player, 1938–1949 Finished an 11 season MLB career with a batting average of .311

title: Tabor City, North Carolina


text:
Whiteville, North Carolina

Whiteville is a city in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,394 at the 2010 census. It is the most populous city in Columbus County and is the county seat.

History
Columbus County was created in 1808. In 1810, a community was platted on land owned by James B. White for the purpose of creating a county seat and establishing government buildings. It was originally known as White's Crossing before being incorporated under its present name in 1832. A post office called Whiteville has been in operation since 1821. The town was sacked by Union forces during the latter stages of the American Civil War.

In 1950, Whiteville fielded a professional minor league baseball team in the Class D Tobacco State League. The Whiteville Tobs club lasted only one season before disbanding with the entire league.

The Columbus County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Geography
Whiteville is located in north-central Columbus County within the Carolina Border Belt, a regional network of tobacco markets and warehouses along both sides of the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Combined U.S. Routes 74 and 76 bypass the city on its north side and lead east 46 mi to Wilmington. US 74 leads northwest 32 mi to Lumberton, and US 76 leads west 67 mi to Florence, South Carolina. U.S. Route 701 passes through the western side of Whiteville, leading north 23 mi to Elizabethtown and southwest 44 mi to Conway, South Carolina.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Whiteville has a total area of 14.1 km2, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,766 people, 2,153 households, and 1,337 families residing in the city. Between 2010 and 2020, the town lost 11.64 percent of its population.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,148 people, 2,191 households, and 1,336 families residing in the city. The population density was 957.5 PD/sqmi. There were 2,450 housing units at an average density of 455.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 60.51% White, 36.67% African American, 0.64% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.

There were 2,191 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 20.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 36.3% 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 2.22 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.9 males.

Less than a fourth of the citizens hold a bachelor's degree.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,455, and the median income for a family was $34,128. Males had a median income of $35,074 versus $23,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,337. About 19.0% of families and 26.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.0% of those under age 18 and 33.7% of those age 65 or over, resulting in over a third of the residents living in poverty.

Education
The Whiteville City School system includes the following schools:
 * Whiteville High School
 * Southeastern Early College High School
 * Columbus Christian Academy
 * North Whiteville Academy
 * Central Middle School
 * Edgewood Elementary School
 * Whiteville Primary School

Whiteville High School, home of the Wolfpack, competes in the NCHSAA 2A sports division and has won 19 state championships: nine in baseball (1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018), four individual track championships, one in team golf (1986), two in football (1965 and 1987), and three in basketball (1969, 1999, and 2000).

Waccamaw Academy, which opened in 1968, closed in 2012.

Southeastern Community College is located a few miles to the west of Whiteville.

Arts and culture
The city is the site of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville, a satellite museum of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

Annual events include the North Carolina Pecan Harvest Festival. In addition, the state-recognized Waccamaw Siouan tribe holds an annual powwow in October with numerous public events.

The News Reporter, the official newspaper that serves Columbus County, is based in Whiteville. It has been published since 1896.

The stretch of U.S. Route 701 through Columbus County is named for Whiteville's founder, James B. White, who was elected as Columbus County's first state senator.

Representation in other media

 * Whiteville was the site of filming for the courthouse-burning scene in the 1996 Bastard out of Carolina, adapted from Dorothy Allison's novel of the same name.

Transportation
Although the railroad tracks leading from west of town toward Lake Waccamaw have long been disconnected, Whiteville is served by the Columbus County Municipal Airport and several highways, which include U.S. Route 74, U.S. Route 76, U.S. Route 701, North Carolina Highway 130, and North Carolina Highway 131.

Notable people

 * A. R. Ammons, American poet who won the National Book Award for Poetry in 1973 and 1993
 * Ulysses Currie, American politician who represented Maryland
 * Dax Harwood, professional wrestler for AEW
 * Dewey L. Hill, politician
 * MacKenzie Gore, professional baseball player and third overall selection in 2017 MLB Draft
 * Tommy Greene, MLB pitcher
 * Pat Lennon, MLB outfielder
 * Chester McGlockton, three-time All-Pro NFL defensive tackle
 * Millie and Christine McKoy, conjoined twins
 * Jane McNeill, stage, film, and television actress
 * Ida Stephens Owens, first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in physiology from Duke University, in 1967
 * Charlie Ripple, MLB pitcher
 * Reggie Royals, professional basketball player
 * Ralph E. Suggs, retired Real admiral in the United States Navy
 * Chris Wilcox, NBA player
 * Maggie Will, professional golfer and three-time winner on the LPGA Tour
 * Harvey D. Williams, African-American U.S. Army major general
 * Mike Wright, MLB pitcher

title: Whiteville, North Carolina