Marshall, North Carolina

Marshall, North Carolina
Town
Main Street
Seal
Location of Marshall, North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°47′50″N82°40′54″W / 35.79722°N 82.68167°W / 35.79722; -82.68167
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Madison
Area [1]
• Total	4.20 sq mi (10.88 km2)
• Land	3.98 sq mi (10.32 km2)
• Water	0.22 sq mi (0.57 km2)
Elevation [2]	1,742 ft (531 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	777
• Density	195.08/sq mi (75.32/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	28753
Area code	828
FIPS code	37-41580 [3]
GNIS feature ID	2406103 [2]
Website	townofmarshall.org

Marshall is a town in Madison County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 872 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Madison County. ^[4]

Marshall is part of the Asheville metropolitan area.

The townsite of Marshall is blocked on one side by the French Broad River and on all other sides by steep mountainous terrain. Madison County residents say Marshall is "a block wide, a mile long, sky high and hell deep." ^[5]

History

The Bank of French Broad, Capitola Manufacturing Company Cotton Yarn Mill, Madison County Courthouse, Marshall High School, Marshall Main Street Historic District, James H. White House, and Jeff White House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ^{[6] [7]}

During the Civil War, Marshall, as the seat of Confederate administration for Madison County, was the scene of conflict with the largely pro-Union rural population. On May 13, 1861, the election day for delegates to the state convention on secession from the Union, a man shot and killed the pro-secession county sheriff after a dispute in which the sheriff had shot the man's son. ^[8]

Later, Confederate authorities restricted the distribution of salt, which was needed to preserve meat in the winter. In January 1863, a group of men raided the salt warehouse in Marshall, then proceeded to ransack the home of Colonel Lawrence Allen of the 64th North Carolina Regiment (the columned house below the courthouse dome in the Main Street photo).

In retaliation, the 64th North Carolina Regiment summarily executed 13 men and boys in the Shelton Laurel massacre. ^[9]

From the 1950s to the 1980s, Marshall was the seat of the Ponder machine, which controlled all the patronage jobs in Madison County.

View towards the Courthouse after the Hurricane Helene flooding in 2024.

The town was impacted by Hurricane Helene in 2024. ^{[10] [11]} The hurricane destroyed several buildings in Marshall, and damaged the town hall. ^{[10] [12]}

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²), of which, 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (6.91%) is water. Marshall is located on the eastern bank of the French Broad River, one of the major river systems of western North Carolina.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	175		—
1890	203		16.0%
1900	337		66.0%
1910	802		138.0%
1920	748		−6.7%
1930	1,132		51.3%
1940	1,160		2.5%
1950	983		−15.3%
1960	926		−5.8%
1970	982		6.0%
1980	809		−17.6%
1990	809		0.0%
2000	840		3.8%
2010	872		3.8%
2020	777		−10.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [13]

2020 census

Marshall racial composition ^[14]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	698	89.83%
Native American	8	1.03%
Asian	3	0.39%
Other/Mixed	30	3.86%
Hispanic or Latino	38	4.89%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 777 people, 346 households, and 195 families residing in the town.

2000 census

Town hall

As of the census ^[3] of 2000, there were 842 people, 390 households, and 225 families residing in the town. The population density was 240.1 people per square mile (92.7 people/km²). There were 443 housing units at an average density of 126.6 per square mile (48.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.57% White, 0.48% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.12% from other races, and 0.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

There were 390 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,188, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $26,172 versus $22,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,245. About 13.7% of families and 23.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.6% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.

In the media

The Amazon Prime Video series The Peripheral shot scenes in the town on September 24, 2021. ^[15]

Independent filmmakers Joel Haver and Dylan Dexter released the film 31 Days in Marshall, North Carolina in 2019. The film was shot entirely in Marshall in 2017, and features multiple townsfolk in both the cast as well as background musical talent. ^[16]

Wiley Cash's 2012 debut novel, A Land More Kind Than Home, is set in Marshall and the surrounding area.

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Marshall, North Carolina
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
5. Pinsky, Mark (April 25, 1994). "The abridgment of Madison County, N.C. : For four decades, the Ponder clan ruled the region as a virtual fiefdom. But a recent voter revolution has the 'dictatorship' in steady decline". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
6. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
7. "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 8/27/12 through 8/31/12. National Park Service. September 7, 2012.
8. Trotter, William R. (1988). Bushwhackers: The Civil War in North Carolina (The Mountains). Winston-Salem, NC: John F. Blair. pp. 9–12. ISBN   0-89587-087-8.
9. Trotter, William R. (1988). Bushwhackers: The Civil War in North Carolina (The Mountains). Winston-Salem, NC: John F. Blair. pp. 221–232. ISBN   0-89587-087-8.
10. Rott, Nathan; Baker, Liz (October 3, 2024). "Shovel by shovel, N.C. towns dig out from Helene mud and debris". NPR. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
11. Oehrli, Ryan (October 2, 2024). "https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/weather-news/article293328019.html". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved October 3, 2024.{{cite news}}: External link in |title= (help)
12. Bergin, Mark; Miller, Eric; Simmons, Brad (October 3, 2024). "Marshall overwhelmed by mud: Residents struggle to dig out after Helene flooding". WRAL. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
13. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
14. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
15. Casey, Johnny (May 26, 2021). "New details emerge on upcoming show production to be filmed in Marshall this fall" . Citizen Times. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
16. Joel Haver (November 28, 2019). 31 Days in Marshall, North Carolina . Retrieved June 26, 2024– via YouTube.

External links

• NC STEP and Marshall, NC