Wilkes County is a county located in the state of North Carolina USA. In the 2010 census, the population was 69,340. In May 2016, the population was close to 69,000. The county seat is Wilkesboro, and its largest city is North Wilkesboro. Wilkes County consists of North Wilkesboro, Micropolitan NC Statistics Area.
Video Wilkes County, North Carolina
Histori
The district was formed in 1777 from parts of Surry County and the District of Washington (now the District of Washington, Tennessee). The first session of the county court was held at John Brown's home near where it is now Ford Brown. The act of creating the county became effective on February 15, 1778, and the county celebrated its birthday as 15 February. Wilkes County was named for British political radical John Wilkes, who lost his position as Lord Mayor of the City of London for his support of the colonists during the American Revolution.
In 1799 the north and west of Wilkes County became Ashe County. In 1841 parts of Wilkes County and Burke County were combined to form Caldwell County. In 1847 another section of Wilkes County was merged with parts of Caldwell County and Iredell County to become Alexander County. In 1849, additional parts of Wilkes County and Caldwell County were combined with parts of Ashe County and Yancey County to form Watauga County. Many border adjustments are made afterwards, but nothing generates a new district.
Moonshine and NASCAR birth
Wilkes County was once known as "Moonshine Capital of the World", and is a major producer of illegal homemade liquor. From the 1920s to the 1950s, some young men of Wilkes County made a living by delivering moonshine to major cities in North Carolina. Natives of Wilkes County also use pirated liquor as a tool to barter far beyond the North Carolina border. Many refiners of Wilkes County run white liquor all the way to Detroit, New Jersey and South Florida. As this often involves local police and federal agents chasing cars, the county became one of the birthplace of the stock-car racing sports.
North Wilkesboro Speedway is the first NASCAR (National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing) track; he held his first race on May 18, 1947 and the first NASCAR-approved race on October 16, 1949. The natives of Wilkes County and the inhabitants of Junior Johnson were one of NASCAR's early superstars, as well as a legendary moonshiner. Johnson was featured by writer Tom Wolfe in a 1965 article for the Esquire magazine entitled "The Last Hero of America Is Junior Johnson Yes!", Which gave him a national exposure. Wolfe's live article was later adapted as the movie The Last American Hero (1973), starring Jeff Bridges and Valerie Perrine. Benny Parsons and Jimmy Pardue are two other important NASCAR racers from Wilkes.
North Wilkesboro Speedway closed after the 1996 NASCAR season. Two new owners, Bob Bahre and Bruton Smith, moved the NASCAR North Wilkesboro race to their tracks in Texas and New Hampshire. Speedway Associates, Inc., obtained a three-year lease and started running races and other events on the speedway. However, in May 2011, the group announced that funding had failed and they terminated their rent prematurely.
Maps Wilkes County, North Carolina
Geography and climate
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of ​​757 square miles (1,960 km 2 ), of which 754 square miles (1,950 km 2 ) is ground and 2.6 square miles 6.7 km 2 ) (0.3%) is water.
Wilkes County is located on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains chain. The altitude of the district ranges from 900 feet (375 meters) in the east to over 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) to the west. The Blue Ridge Mountains flow from the southwest to the northeast, and dominate the horizon of the west and north of the district. Thompkins Knob, the highest point in the county, rose to 4,079 feet (1243 meters). The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along the summit of Blue Ridge on the northern and western border of the district. The foot of the hill and the Blue Ridge valley make up most of the central part of the city, with some altitudes exceeding 2,000 feet (610 meters). Stone Mountain State Park, located in the foothills of northern Wilkes County, is one of North Carolina's most popular state parks, and is famous for superb rock climbing and trout fishing. The Brushy Mountains, an isolated pacemaker of the Blue Ridge, form the southern border of the county. Terrain Wilkes County gradually becomes taller and less hilly as one moves east; the far eastern part of the county lies in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The largest river in Wilkes is the Yadkin River, which flows through the center of the county. The three main rivers of other countries, all of which flow into Yadkin, are the Reddies River, Roaring River, and Mulberry Creek. After the tremendous floods of 1916 and 1940, the US Army Corps of Engineers built the Dam Dam and Kerr Scott on the Yadkin River, four miles west of Wilkesboro. Opened in 1962, the dam created a lake with 56 miles of coastline. The lake is used for boating, swimming, fishing, and water skiing; This is especially noted for excellent fishing. Lake W. Kerr Scott is the largest water body in Wilkes.
Due to its various altitudes, the Wilkes County climate varies greatly. In winter, it is not unusual to be bright with temperatures in the forties in the eastern part of the district, while at the same time snowing or falling with temperatures well below freezing in the mountains of the north, west and south.. In general, Wilkes receives a lot of rainfall, with frequent storms in spring and summer; and rain, snow, hail, and freezing rain all take place during the winter, with increasing frequency with altitude. Bad weather is not common in Wilkes but it happens. Tornadoes are rare, but severe lightning storms can bring strong winds that can break down trees and power lines, and cause hail. Wilkes County is quite remote inland so hurricanes rarely cause problems, but strong hurricanes moving into the interior are fast enough to cause damage, as with Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Due to the many creeks and rivers that flow through its valleys, Wilkes is very prone to severe flash floods. Two of the most memorable floods occurred in 1916 and 1940, killing a number of residents and causing millions of dollars in damage. Since the opening of the W. Kerr Scott Dam in 1962, the Yadkin River has not flooded the area. Although Wilkes County has never experienced a severe earthquake, a fault stretches through the Brushy Mountains, and light ground tremor is not uncommon. On August 31, 1861, an estimated magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the southern part of the county and caused little damage.
National protected area
- Blue Ridge Parkway (section)
Nearby district
Demographics
At the 2010 census, there were 69,340 people, 28,360 households, and 19,683 families living in the area. Population density was 91.91 people per square mile (35.49/km²). There are 33,065 housing units with an average density of 43.84 per square mile (16.93/km²). District racial makeup is 90.60% White or European American, 4.08% African American, 0.19% Native Americans, 0.43% Asia, 0.03% Pacific Islands, 3.33% of other races, and 1.33% of two or more races. Of all races, 5.44% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
There were 28,360 households where 26.76% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.03% were couples living together, 10.50% had non-husbands female households, and 30.60% were not family. Of all households, 26.69% â € <â € In the regions, the population by age is: 22.41% below the age of 18, 7.16% from 18 to 24, 23.96% from 25 to 44, 29.49% from 45 to 64, and 16.99% aged 65 years or older. The median age was 42.4 years. For every 100 women there are 97.69 men. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there are 95.42 men. The average income for households in the area is $ 30,668, and the average income for families is $ 39,670. Men have an average income of $ 30,917 compared to $ 26,182 for women. The per capita income for the county is $ 18,319. Approximately 17.60% of families and 21.50% of the population are below the poverty line, including 32.60% of those under the age of 18 and 13.40% of those aged 65 and older. Religion
Since colonial times, Wilkes County has become a remarkable Protestant Christian. The earliest churches established in Wilkes are Episcopalian and Presbyterian. However, by the 1850s the Southern Baptists had defeated them, and the Baptists remained the dominant church in Wilkes. The district also contains a large number of Methodist congregations, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and non-denominational Protestant Evangelicals. Historically, some Roman Catholics live in Wilkes, but recent immigration from other US countries and especially by Hispanic people has increased their numbers. In contrast, relatively few Jews or other non-Christian religious members settled in this area.
Community
City
- Elkin (also in Surry County)
- North Wilkesboro
- Ronda
- Wilkesboro (county seat)
Place specified census
- Cricket
- Fairplains
- Hays
- Millers Creek
- Moravian Waterfall
- Mulberry
- Pleasant Hill
Unrelated communities
- Clingman
- Darby
- Ferguson
- McGrady
- Parsonsville
- Purlear
- The Roaring River
- Thurmond
Small towns
Politics and government
Since the American Civil War, Wilkes County has been strongly Republican, due to strong Unionist sentiments during the war, resulting from rocky and infertile soil unfit for plantation agriculture. The last Democratic presidential candidate to bring Wilkes County was Andrew Jackson in 1832. The Whig Party dominated politics in the area from 1836 until its dissolution in the mid-1850s. Since the formation of the Republican Party in 1854, Wilkes County has voted Republican in every three election bars: in 1856 he chose Miller Fillmore's "Know-Not", in 1860 for the Unionist Constitution of John Bell, and in 1912 for Progressive Theodore Roosevelt.
The main governing body in Wilkes County follows a board-manager form of government with five members of the Board of Commissioners and the Area Manager. The current County manager is John Yates. The current Commissioners are: Keith Elmore (Chair), Gary D. Blevins (Vice Chair), David Gambill, Gary L. Blevins, and Eddie Settle.
Wilkes County is a member of the High Level State Government Council.
At the North Carolina General Assembly, Wilkes was represented by Shirley B. Randleman (district 30) in the Senate, and by Jeffery Elmore (district 94) in the House.
In the US Senate, counties are represented by Richard Burr and Thom Tillis. Wilkes is entirely in the Fifth District of US House, represented by Virginia Foxx.
Wilkes County's economic struggles since 2000, and the district's strong support for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election and beyond, have led to Wilkes being clearly displayed in many stories and articles by national news media such as The New York Times, NBC News , PBS NewsHour , US News & amp; World Report , and MSNBC .
Hospital
Wilkes Medical Center opened in 1952 as Wilkes General Hospital. In 2017, Wake Forest Baptist Health brought the hospital, at that time known as Wilkes Regional Medical Center, into their system. WMC is the largest hospital in northwest North Carolina and is the fourth largest company in Wilkes County. West Park, formerly a large shopping center built in the 1970s, began in 2000, transformed into a large medical park with many offices for doctors, medical specialists, pharmacists, physical therapists, and other medical and health fields.
Economy
Despite its relatively rural character and relatively small population, Wilkes County has been the birthplace of many large industries. Lowe's, the second largest home improvement chain in the country (after The Home Depot) began in Wilkes County in 1946. Until 2003, Lowe had a corporate headquarters in Wilkes County, but the company has moved most of the company's functions to Mooresville, North Carolina , the outskirts of Charlotte, North Carolina are growing rapidly. However, Lowe's office in Wilkesboro still holds many corporate departments, and Lowe remains the second largest employer in the district. A telecommunications company, Carolina West Wireless, started in Wilkesboro in 1991 and is also headquartered in the area.
Other industries that started in Wilkes County were Lowes Foods (now headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina) and The Northwestern Bank, formerly the fourth largest banking network North Carolina to join First Union Bank in 1986. The Carolina Mirror Company at North Wilkesboro, founded in the 1930s, has for many years been the largest mirror factory in America. Currently Gardner Glass Products Inc. still producing mirrors in North Wilkesboro. Holly Farms, in Wilkesboro, was the largest poultry producer in the Southeast United States until it was purchased by Tyson Foods in 1989. Wilkes County remains one of the largest poultry producers in the Eastern United States, and many of these dairy farmers are poultry. farmer for Tyson Foods. Tyson is the largest company in Wilkes.
Like many rural areas of North Carolina, Wilkes County has suffered since 1990 from the closure of almost all of its textile and furniture factories, which form a major part of its economic base. Most of these factories have moved to low-wage locations in Latin America and Asia, especially China and Vietnam. According to the Stateline , the number of Wilkes County residents employed in manufacturing fell from 8,548 in 2000 to about 4,000 in 2015, a reduction of more than 53%. From 2000 to 2014, the average household income in Wilkes declined by more than 30%. However, from 2014 to 2017 the average household income increased by almost 22%, and by 2017 Wilkes was ranked 47th of 100 counties for "economic pressure" by the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
Wine region
Wilkes County is part of Yadkin Valley AVA, the American Veterinary Area. Grapes made from grapes grown in Wilkes County may use the Yadkin Valley designation on their label. With the decline of tobacco farming, some farmers in Wilkes switched to wine making, and hired experts from Europe and California for help. As a result, wine making is increasingly popular in Wilkes and surrounding counties.
In May of each year, Wilkes county celebrates the new wine industry with the Shine to Wine Festival, held in downtown Wilkesboro North.
Transportation
Wilkes County is home to several NC and US Highways, as well as airports and public transport. Wilkes is also one of the twenty-seven districts that the Blue Ridge Parkway passes.
Flights
- Wilkes County Airport
Main highway
Public Transport
The Wilkes Transportation Authority serves Wilkes County by bus and van along scheduled routes and rural services.
Education
The Wilkes County School system has 22 schools ranging from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade, including early high school. 22 schools are separated into 5 high schools, 4 secondary schools and 13 primary schools. There is only one charter school in Wilkes County: Bridges Charter School on State Road, North Carolina. The Elkin City Schools district also covers part of Wilkes. Wilkes County has three private schools, all three associated with one of the larger Protestant Christian churches in the area. The largest private school in Wilkes is Millers Creek Christian School. In recent years, the number of students who attend school at home in Wilkes continues to increase, while public school enrollment has declined. The only college in Wilkes is the Wilkes Community College (WCC), a two-year public college at the North Carolina Community College System.
Wilkes County is served by the Appalachian Regional Library.
Events and festivals
Wilkes County has a strong musical roots, and the roots are featured on the Battle of the Bands. Held in downtown North Wilkesboro in September, this rock festival features 20 professional and amateur bands from across the region, performing original music and competing for cash awards and, in some cases, record labels.
It also hosted the annual Shine to Wine Festival , also in downtown North Wilkesboro. Organized on the first Saturday of May, the Shine to Wine festival honors the growing heritage of the Moonshine Capital of the World to what is now recognized as a strong viticulture industry.
Wilkes County is also home to the annual Apple Brushy Mountain Festival, held in downtown Wilkesboro North during the first weekend in October. The festival, which attracts over 160,000 visitors annually, is one of the largest arts and crafts exhibitions in the Southern United States.
MerleFest
In 1988 the legendary, Grammy-winning folk music guitarist Doc Watson and Bill Young started the Doc Watson Festival (later renamed MerleFest music festival) in Wilkesboro. Held on the campus of Wilkes Community College, and named in honor of Dew's late son Merle Watson, MerleFest has grown into one of the largest folk music and bluegrass festivals in the United States, attracting an average of over 75,000 music fans annually. The festival has been a major fund-raiser for colleges, and brings more than $ 10 million in estimated business and tourism revenues to Wilkes County and surrounding areas each year.
Media
Wilkes County has two local newspapers:
- Wilkes Journal-Patriot - Founded in 1906,
is published three times per week. - Wilkes Recordings - Published once a week, usually focusing on local art scene in Wilkes.
County has three radio stations:
- WKBC-FM (97.3 FM) - Adult contemporary music (Hot AC) and main station for soccer and basketball matches near Appalachian State University.
- WKBC (AM) (800 AM) - American country music.
- WWWC (AM) (1240 AM & amp; 100,1 FM) - Southern Gospel Music and local news and high school sports news.
Wilkes County is also home to GoWilkes.com , an internet media source that allows citizens to discuss current events and local events in real time. GoWilkes.com was selected as a Small Business in 2004 by the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce.
Famous people
Daniel Boone (1734-1820), explorer and pioneer, lived in Wilkes County for several years and married a native of Wilkes before moving west to Kentucky.Tom Dooley
As mentioned above, another famous Wilkes resident is Tom Dula (Dooley), a veteran of the American Civil War Confederation who was tried and hanged shortly after the war for the murder of his fiancée, Laura Foster. To this day many people believe that one of Dula's jealous ex-boys killed Laura Foster, that Dula is innocent of the crime, and that she accepts errors just to protect her former lover.
The case was given national publicity by newspapers such as The New York Times and New York Herald, and thus became a popular legend in the Southern countryside. Dula's legend was popularized in 1958 by the best-selling Kingston Trio song "Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley." Dula's story also turned into a 1959 film starring Michael Landon as Dula, and every summer, Bleu Moon Productions presents an outdoor drama based on the story.
In 2001, Tom Dula was released from all charges by the county.
See also
- List of Historic Historic Places of Interest in Wilkes County, North Carolina
References
External links
- Official website
- Wilkes Community College
- Wilkes County Chamber of Commerce
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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