Ramseytown, North Carolina

Last updated
Ramseytown, North Carolina
Unincorporated community
One of the suspension bridges over the Cane River in Yancey County, NC.jpg
A suspension bridge over the Cane River, Ramseytown
USA North Carolina location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Ramseytown
Location within the state of North Carolina
Coordinates: 36°0′2.40″N82°21′26.48″W / 36.0006667°N 82.3573556°W / 36.0006667; -82.3573556
CountryUnited States
State North Carolina
County Yancey
IncorporatedFebruary 11, 1874
as Ramsey Town Baptist Church
DisincorporatedUnknown
Named for Ramsey Family of Yancey County, NC
Area
 • Total0.79 sq mi (2.0 km2)
 • Land0.715 sq mi (1.85 km2)
 • Water0.075 sq mi (0.19 km2)
Elevation
2,303 [1]  ft (996 m)
Highest elevation
(Julius Knob [2] )
3,822 ft (1,165 m)
Lowest elevation
(Cane River [3] )
2,099 ft (640 m)
Population
 • Estimate 
(2020)
~45
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
28714
Area code 828
GNIS feature ID1022144

Ramseytown, formerly known as Ramsaytown and Ramsey Town Baptist Church, [4] [5] is an unincorporated community in far northern Yancey County, North Carolina, on the Cane River. Yancey County's Ramseytown Township derives its name from the settlement.

Contents

History

A U.S. Post Office bearing the name of Ramsaytown was established on November 5, 1852, with the first postmaster being Abraham Whitsen. It ceased operations on February 29, 1956. [4] The community was incorporated by the North Carolina General Assembly on February 11, 1874 as Ramsey Town Baptist Church, and the municipal limits were defined as a circle of one mile in radius, centered on the local baptist church. It was disincorporated on an unknown date. Alcoholic beverages consisting of 21% alcohol by volume or greater were illegal in the town, and the municipality's council was composed of five members. [5]

During World War I, five men from Ramseytown were drafted. [6]

The official name of the town, as recognized by the federal government, was changed from Ramsaytown to Ramseytown on January 1, 1931. [7]

On April 21, 1948, local railroad engineer Clarence Davenport (July 24, 1894–April 21, 1948) was killed in a boiler explosion near Ramseytown, described as one of the worst locomotive explosions in United States history at the time. The locomotive's fireman also perished in the blast. [8]

The community was home to the Ramsey Mine. [9]

Transportation and infrastructure

U.S. Route 19W runs through the community. [10] The community was formerly served by the Clinchfield Railroad. [8]

Ramseytown shares a fire department, the Egypt-Ramseytown Volunteer Fire Department, with the nearby unincorporated community of Egypt, North Carolina. [11] The department receives $21,037.50 in funding from the State of North Carolina as of 2023. [12]

U.S. Route 19W in Ramseytown US 19W in Ramseytown, NC.jpg
U.S. Route 19W in Ramseytown

Meteorological history

Ramseytown was the site of an EF1 tornado during the Tornado outbreak sequence of August 4–8, 2023. Tornadoes are exceptionally rare in the area. [13]

In Fall 2024, Ramseytown was devastated by Hurricane Helene. The community was only accessible by helicopter due to the destruction of large segments of U.S. Route 19W. As described by National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jonathan Behuniak, “There [was] really no access from the outside world.” Yancey County was one of the hardest-hit areas in the storm, which caused severe damage across Western North Carolina. [14]

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References

  1. ↑ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "National Weather Service". forecast.weather.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  2. ↑ "OpenStreetMap". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  3. ↑ "OpenStreetMap". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  4. 1 2 "Yancey County Post Offices 1833 to 1971 - Alphabetical Order". www.carolana.com. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  5. 1 2 State of North Carolina (1874). Laws and Resolutions of the State of North Carolina, Passed by the General Assembly at Its Session, 1873-'74. Compiled by Turner, Josiah, Jr. (1873-'74 ed.). Raleigh, North Carolina: J. Gales & Son, 1874. p. 382.
  6. ↑ "Local Draft Board Records, Yancey County - North Carolina Digital Collections". digital.ncdcr.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  7. ↑ "Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  8. 1 2 Gardner, Tim (2023-04-21). "Locomotive Explosion Killing Avery County Engineer Ed Davenport Recalled on the Tragedy's 75th Anniversary". High Country Press. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  9. ↑ https://www.mindat.org/loc-27605.html
  10. ↑ "NCRoads.com: U.S. 19-W". www.vahighways.com. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  11. ↑ "Egypt-Ramseytown - wncfirepics". www.wncfirepics.com. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  12. ↑ https://www.ncosfm.gov/2023-fire-grant-recipients/open
  13. ↑ Newman, Anne (16 August 2023). "Tornado touched down in Yancey County, NWS confirms". WYFF4. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  14. ↑ Published, Makiya Seminera (2024-10-10). "National Guard Black Hawks Reach Residents in Remote Mountain Areas Cut Off by Helene". Military.com. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
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