Wilkesboro, North Carolina

Last updated

Wilkesboro
Town
Wilkesboro NC Old Courthouse.jpg
Former Wilkes County Courthouse, now the Wilkes Heritage Museum
Wilkesboro, NC Town Flag.png
Flag
Wilkesboro, North Carolina seal.png
Seal
Motto: 
Where the Mountains Begin
NCMap-doton-Wilkesboro.PNG
Location of Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Coordinates: 36°08′33″N81°10′30″W / 36.14250°N 81.17500°W / 36.14250; -81.17500 [1]
County Wilkes
State North Carolina
Country United States
Named for John Wilkes
Government
 • Typemunicipal
Area
[2]
 • Total6.43 sq mi (16.64 km2)
 • Land6.43 sq mi (16.64 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[1]
991 ft (302 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total3,687
 • Density573.76/sq mi (221.52/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
28697
Area code 336
FIPS code 37-74020 [3]
GNIS feature ID2406886 [1]
Website wilkesboronc.org

Wilkesboro is a town in and the county seat of Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. [4] The population was 3,687 at the 2020 census. [5] The town is located along the south bank of the Yadkin River, directly opposite the town of North Wilkesboro. Wilkesboro is a Small Town Main Street community and has recently revitalized its historic downtown to include the Carolina West Wireless Community Commons, Wilkes Communications Pavilion, Heritage Square and Splash Pad. Cub Creek Park is adjacent to the downtown and contains many amenities, which include baseball, walking trails, mountain biking trails, trout fishing, dog park, basketball, tennis, and pickleball courts, picnic shelters, etc. Wilkesboro is also the home of the annual MerleFest, Carolina in the Fall, and Brushy Mountain Peach & Heritage festivals.

Contents

History

Wilkesboro was founded in 1800 and quickly designated as the county seat. The town is built atop a low, broad ridge which runs for over a mile along the south bank of the Yadkin River. For many decades a popular historic spot in Wilkesboro was the "Tory Oak", a large oak tree from which Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, a well-known Wilkes County patriot during the American Revolutionary War, hanged Loyalist militia leaders who supported the British King and opposed American independence from Britain. The oak was located behind the old Wilkes County courthouse. During the Civil War, many of Wilkesboro's residents remained loyal to the Union and opposed the Confederacy. In March 1865 General George Stoneman, a Union cavalry leader, led a raid through the town. Shortly after the war ended, Tom Dula (Dooley), a Confederate veteran, was tried and hanged for the murder of his fiancée, Laura Foster. Many people were convinced that one of Dula's jealous ex-girlfriends murdered Foster, and that Dula was innocent of the crime. Dula's story was turned into a top-selling ballad in 1958 by The Kingston Trio, the title of which was Tom Dooley. The story was subsequently turned into a 1959 movie starring Michael Landon as Dula, and each summer the Wilkes Playmakers present a popular play based on the story.

The Robert Cleveland Log House, Downtown Wilkesboro Historic District, Federal Building, J. T. Ferguson Store, Thomas B. Finley Law Office, J. L. Hemphill House, Johnson-Hubbard House, Old Wilkes County Jail, St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Cemetery, Wilkes County Courthouse, Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church, and Wilkesboro-Smithey Hotel are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [6]

Demographics

2020 census

Wilkesboro racial composition [7]
RaceNumberPercentage
White (non-Hispanic)2,72573.91%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)3278.87%
Native American 60.16%
Asian 1223.31%
Other/Mixed 1654.48%
Hispanic or Latino 3429.28%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,687 people, 1,386 households, and 808 families residing in the town.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 3,413 people living in Wilkesboro. The population density was 622.5 inhabitants per square mile (240.3/km2). The racial makeup of Wilkesboro was 81.5% White, 8.9% African American, 3.0% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 4.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. [8]

The population of Wilkesboro was spread out, with 21.7% being under the age of 20, 6.1% from 20-24, 21.9% from 25-44, 25.6% from 45-64, and 24.5% being 65 and over. The median age was 45.2 years old, more specifically 40.8 for males and 49.5 for females. [8]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880 200—
1890 33668.0%
1900 63488.7%
1910 79926.0%
1920 8141.9%
1930 1,04228.0%
1940 1,30925.6%
1950 1,3704.7%
1960 1,56814.5%
1970 2,03830.0%
1980 2,33514.6%
1990 2,57310.2%
2000 3,15922.8%
2010 3,4138.0%
2020 3,6878.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]

Economy

Wilkesboro's largest industry is the Tyson Foods poultry processing plant; it is one of the largest poultry plants east of the Mississippi River. [10]

Local communication companies, Wilkes Communications and Carolina West Wireless are based in Wilkesboro. [11]

Education

Wilkesboro is served by the Wilkes County Schools system. Most of Wilkesboro's high school students attend Wilkes Central High School; it is located in the adjacent community of Moravian Falls. Wilkes Early College, based at Wilkes Community College, and one charter school, Bridges Charter School in State Road, North Carolina, offer other high-school options to Wilkesboro's students. [12] Middle school students in Wilkesboro attend Central Wilkes Middle School, located in Moravian Falls, while the elementary schools that serve the town are Wilkesboro Elementary, Moravian Falls Elementary, and CC Wright Elementary.

Wilkesboro is the home of Wilkes Community College, a public, coed, two-year college within the North Carolina Community College System. The college's enrollment is typically around 3,500 students.

Media

Wilkesboro Town Hall Wilkesboro Town Hall.jpg
Wilkesboro Town Hall

Wilkesboro is served by a few media sources based in nearby North Wilkesboro. The Record of Wilkes is published weekly and Journal-Patroit is also published weekly. Wilkes County's two largest radio stations are broadcast from North Wilkesboro: WKBC-FM (97.3 FM) broadcasts Adult Contemporary (hot AC) and WKBC (AM) (800 AM) broadcasts American Country music.

Transportation

Public transportation

WTA, Wilkes Transportation Authority, is a local shuttle service based in Wilkesboro that utilizes vans and buses to serve Wilkes County. Fares range from $2-$24, but are typically around $4. [13] There is scheduled shuttle service that runs every hour roughly and unscheduled service that allows for riders to request a van pick up in any part of the county.

Intercity Bus

Daily bus service is available on Greyhound. Sunway buses are advertised as Greyhound Express buses and the bus stop is in front of the Former Federal Building located at 207 West Main Street, Wilkesboro. Bus service goes to Boone, NC and Greensboro, NC, known as the Mountaineer East/West line with prices as low as $4. Passengers can connect to Greyhound services throughout the East Coast via the J. Douglas Galyon Depot where the line ends. [14]

Major highways

Politics and religion

Like most of Wilkes County, Wilkesboro has long been a bastion of the Republican Party. Wilkesboro's largest religious group are the Southern Baptists, but the town does contain substantial numbers of Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Episcopalians. The first two churches to be established in Wilkes County were built in Wilkesboro; they were missionary churches for the Episcopal and Presbyterian denominations. The nearby town of North Wilkesboro contains Wilkes County's only Roman Catholic church: a parish church named for Saint John Baptist de la Salle, and part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte.

Attractions

Notable people

Related Research Articles

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Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is a part of the state's western mountain region. As of the 2020 census the population was 65,969. Its county seat is Wilkesboro, and its largest community is North Wilkesboro. Wilkes County comprises the North Wilkesboro, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area.

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Moravian Falls is a census-designated place (CDP) in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,712 as of the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Wilkesboro, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,131 at the 2020 US Census. North Wilkesboro is the birthplace and original home of Lowe's Home Improvement, which continues to have a major presence in the community. The town is also known as one of the birthplaces of the sport of stock-car racing, and the North Wilkesboro Speedway was the first NASCAR-sanctioned track. Due to the town's proximity to the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains and its numerous tourist venues, North Wilkesboro has been nicknamed the "Key to the Blue Ridge".

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WKBC is a radio station in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, United States. WKBC is licensed to broadcast with 1,000 watts in the daytime and 308 watts at night. The station is operated by Wilkes Broadcasting Company, Inc.

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The Wilkes County Schools system is a PK–12 graded school district in North Carolina covering nearly all of Wilkes County. The third-largest employer in the county, the district manages 22 schools that serve 10,374 students as of 2010–11.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Wilkesboro, North Carolina
  2. ↑ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  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. ↑ "2020 Census, North Carolina - Total Population by Municipality" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  6. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  8. 1 2 [ dead link ]
  9. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ Staff (May 9, 2020). "Wilkesboro Tyson Chicken plant shut down after COVID-19 outbreak". WBTV. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  11. ↑ "About Us". Carolina West Wireless. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Wilkes County". Office of Charter Schools website. North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Wilkes Transportation Authority". wta1.org. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Daily Line Runs". www.sunwaycharters.com. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  15. ↑ United States Congress. "HACKETT, Richard Nathaniel (id: H000004)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved June 6, 2012.
  16. ↑ Jim Hamby Profile. The Baseball Cube. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
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