108-742: Cramerton is a small town in Gaston County, North Carolina , United States. It is a suburb of Charlotte and located east of Gastonia . The population was 4,165 at the 2010 census . A well-known feature is the Cramer Mountain gated development, featuring homes around an 18-hole golf course at Cramer Mountain Country Club. Cramerton is located at an elevation of 620 feet (189 m). Two topographic high points, Berry Mountain, elevation 922 feet (281 m), and Cramer Mountain, approximate elevation 850 feet (259 m), are located in
216-706: A learned borrowing from Latin mātrimōnium , which is derived from māter ' mother ' with the suffix -mōnium for an action, state, or condition. Anthropologists have proposed several competing definitions of marriage in an attempt to encompass the wide variety of marital practices observed across cultures. Even within Western culture , "definitions of marriage have careened from one extreme to another and everywhere in between" (as Evan Gerstmann has put it). In The History of Human Marriage (1891), Edvard Westermarck defined marriage as "a more or less durable connection between male and female lasting beyond
324-633: A 1955 article in Man , Leach argued that no one definition of marriage applied to all cultures. He offered a list of ten rights associated with marriage, including sexual monopoly and rights with respect to children, with specific rights differing across cultures. Those rights, according to Leach, included: In a 1997 article in Current Anthropology , Duran Bell describes marriage as "a relationship between one or more men (male or female) in severalty to one or more women that provides those men with
432-416: A branch line leads south to Crowders . CSX rail lines pass through the northwestern and northeastern corners of Gaston County. In the northwest, a line between Lincolnton and Shelby passes through Cherryville . In the northeast, a line between Lincolnton and Charlotte passes through Stanley and Mount Holly . Progressive Rail operates state-owned trackage between Gastonia and Mount Holly with
540-449: A correlation between " Bride price " and polygamy. A survey of other cross-cultural samples has confirmed that the absence of the plough was the only predictor of polygamy, although other factors such as high male mortality in warfare (in non-state societies) and pathogen stress (in state societies) had some impact. Marriages are classified according to the number of legal spouses an individual has. The suffix "-gamy" refers specifically to
648-435: A demand-right of sexual access within a domestic group and identifies women who bear the obligation of yielding to the demands of those specific men." In referring to "men in severalty", Bell is referring to corporate kin groups such as lineages which, in having paid bride price, retain a right in a woman's offspring even if her husband (a lineage member) deceases ( Levirate marriage ). In referring to "men (male or female)", Bell
756-435: A form of human rights abuse, with concerns arising over domestic abuse, forced marriage, and neglect. The vast majority of the world's countries, including virtually all of the world's developed nations, do not permit polygamy. There have been calls for the abolition of polygamy in developing countries. Polygyny usually grants wives equal status, although the husband may have personal preferences. One type of de facto polygyny
864-597: A form of plural mating, as are those societies dominated by female-headed families in the Caribbean , Mauritius and Brazil where there is frequent rotation of unmarried partners. In all, these account for 16 to 24% of the "monogamous" category. Serial monogamy creates a new kind of relative, the "ex-". The "ex-wife", for example, may remain an active part of her "ex-husband's" or "ex-wife's" life, as they may be tied together by transfers of resources (alimony, child support), or shared child custody. Bob Simpson notes that in
972-403: A legitimacy-based definition of marriage is circular in societies where illegitimacy has no other legal or social implications for a child other than the mother being unmarried. Edmund Leach criticized Gough's definition for being too restrictive in terms of recognized legitimate offspring and suggested that marriage be viewed in terms of the different types of rights it serves to establish. In
1080-576: A luxury home on Cramer Mountain was briefly the residence Steven Eugene Chambers, a participant in the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery . The Mayworth School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 5,296 people, 1,637 households, and 1,165 families residing in the town. As of the census of 2000, there were 2,976 people, 1,169 households, and 859 families residing in
1188-571: A male to whom they are married or divorced. Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at a time, the relationship is called polygyny , and there is no marriage bond between the wives; and when a woman is married to more than one husband at a time, it is called polyandry , and there is no marriage bond between the husbands. If a marriage includes multiple husbands or wives, it can be called group marriage . A molecular genetic study of global human genetic diversity argued that sexual polygyny
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#17327866494701296-461: A median income of $ 33,542 versus $ 23,876 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 19,225. About 8.30% of families and 10.90% of the population were below the poverty line , including 14.50% of those under age 18 and 11.10% of those age 65 or over. Gaston County is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners. Two members are elected from Gaston Township and one each from the other five townships of Gaston County. They are elected on
1404-615: A much older man. Several kinds of same-sex marriages have been documented in Indigenous and lineage-based cultures. In the Americas, We'wha ( Zuni ), was a lhamana (male individuals who, at least some of the time, dress and live in the roles usually filled by women in that culture); a respected artist, We'wha served as an emissary of the Zuni to Washington, where he met President Grover Cleveland . We'wha had at least one husband who
1512-573: A new town-managed department that provides fire protection for Cramerton as well as neighboring McAdenville . The new Town of Cramerton Fire Department has been in place since 2012. Cramerton operates its own police department. Based on a contract signed in 2006 by both the McAdenville and Cramerton town councils, officers of the Cramerton Police Department also handle patrol duties within the McAdenville town limits between
1620-405: A partisan basis to four-year staggered terms. Those that file for a particular seat must live in the township. However, the vote is countywide or "at-large." The offices of Sheriff, District Attorney, Clerk of Superior Court, and Register of Deeds are also elected offices, elected on a countywide, partisan basis. Gaston County currently is divided into forty-six (46) voting precincts. The county
1728-413: A person with higher or lower status than them. Others want to marry people who have similar status. In many societies, women marry men who are of higher social status. There are marriages where each party has sought a partner of similar status. There are other marriages in which the man is older than the woman. Some persons also wish to engage in transactional relationship for money rather than love (thus
1836-418: A plaintiff requests assignment to a magistrate and the amount in controversy is $ 5,000 or less. There is no jury and usually no lawyers. A person who loses in small claims court may appeal for a trial by jury before a judge in district court. Magistrates are appointed for two-year terms by the senior resident superior court judge upon nomination of the clerk of superior court. In recent years, voters in most of
1944-405: A practice called sororal polygyny ; the pre-existing relationship between the co-wives is thought to decrease potential tensions within the marriage. Fox argues that "the major difference between polygyny and monogamy could be stated thus: while plural mating occurs in both systems, under polygyny several unions may be recognized as being legal marriages while under monogamy only one of the unions
2052-515: A royal lineage by attaching these wives' children to it. The relationships are considered polygynous, not polyandrous, because the female husband is in fact assuming masculine gendered political roles. Religious groups have differing views on the legitimacy of polygyny . It is allowed in Islam and Confucianism . Judaism and Christianity have mentioned practices involving polygyny in the past, however, outright religious acceptance of such practices
2160-466: A sperm donation. Muslim controversies related to Nikah Mut'ah have resulted in the practice being confined mostly to Shi'ite communities. The matrilineal Mosuo of China practice what they call "walking marriage". In some jurisdictions cohabitation , in certain circumstances, may constitute a common-law marriage , an unregistered partnership , or otherwise provide the unmarried partners with various rights and responsibilities; and in some countries,
2268-602: A spur extending to Belmont. Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is a major, full-service airport with passenger flights. It is across the Catawba River in Mecklenburg County in Charlotte . The city of Gastonia owns and operates Gastonia Municipal Airport , which is a general aviation airport with a single runway, Runway 3/21, an asphalt runway that is 3,779 feet in length. Piedmont Lithium
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#17327866494702376-500: A strong correlation between intensive plough agriculture, dowry and monogamy. This pattern was found in a broad swath of Eurasian societies from Japan to Ireland. The majority of Sub-Saharan African societies that practice extensive hoe agriculture, in contrast, show a correlation between " bride price " and polygamy. A further study drawing on the Ethnographic Atlas showed a statistical correlation between increasing size of
2484-449: A strong indicator for female autonomy and is continuously used by economic history research. Marriage can be recognized by a state , an organization , a religious authority, a tribal group , a local community , or peers. It is often viewed as a contract . A religious marriage ceremony is performed by a religious institution to recognize and create the rights and obligations intrinsic to matrimony in that religion. Religious marriage
2592-586: A woman such that children born to the woman are the recognized legitimate offspring of both partners." In recognition of a practice by the Nuer people of Sudan allowing women to act as a husband in certain circumstances (the ghost marriage ), Kathleen Gough suggested modifying this to "a woman and one or more other persons." In an analysis of marriage among the Nayar , a polyandrous society in India, Gough found that
2700-517: Is King's Pinnacle , a rocky monadnock which sharply rises over 800 feet (240 m) above the city of Gastonia . King's Pinnacle rises 1,690 feet (520 m) above sea level, and is part of Crowders Mountain State Park . As of the 2020 census , there were 227,943 people, 85,705 households, and 55,868 families residing in the county. At the 2004 census estimate , there were 194,459 people, 73,936 households, and 53,307 families residing in
2808-703: Is U.S. Route 29 / U.S. Route 74 (Wilkinson Boulevard). North Carolina Highway 279 (New Hope Road) forms Cramerton's southwest border. Freight rail service is provided by the Norfolk Southern Railway . While Amtrak 's passenger train also follows the Norfolk Southern main line, the nearest station is in Charlotte. The Gastonia station is closed. Charlotte Area Transit System 's (CATS) Gastonia Express (Route 85X) offers Monday thru Friday express bus service to/from uptown Charlotte, via
2916-449: Is concubinage , where only one woman gets a wife's rights and status, while other women remain legal house mistresses. Although a society may be classified as polygynous, not all marriages in it necessarily are; monogamous marriages may in fact predominate. It is to this flexibility that Anthropologist Robin Fox attributes its success as a social support system: "This has often meant – given
3024-455: Is "a relationship established between a woman and one or more other persons, which provides a child born to the woman under circumstances not prohibited by the rules of relationship, is accorded full birth-status rights common to normal members of his society or social stratum." Economic anthropologist Duran Bell has criticized the legitimacy-based definition on the basis that some societies do not require marriage for legitimacy. He argued that
3132-516: Is a community college located in Dallas offering associate degree, Certificate, and Diploma programs. Belmont Abbey College is a Roman Catholic Liberal Arts College located in Belmont . The Gaston County Public Library has 10 branches spread throughout the county. Gaston County's most significant natural heritage sites are distributed across the county. They range from Crowders Mountain in
3240-505: Is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses . It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and between them and their in-laws . It is nearly a cultural universal , but the definition of marriage varies between cultures and religions , and over time. Typically, it is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually sexual , are acknowledged or sanctioned. In some cultures, marriage
3348-523: Is a mining company currently in the process of proving economic mineral recovery of lithium in Gaston County. After five years of surface prospecting , the company began drilling many sample cores in 2021 across 2,300 acres (930 ha) of land it owns or has mineral rights to the county proving economic viability of mining lithium for the boom in battery demand to support electric vehicle and other uses. Public education in Gaston County
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3456-538: Is a science museum and planetarium located in Gastonia that features both permanent and touring exhibits. Crowder's Mountain State Park is noted for its resident raptors and sheer vertical cliffs which drop 150 feet (46 m). From Crowders Mountain, the highest point in Gaston County, views stretch for more than 20 miles (32 km). The U.S. National Whitewater Center is a recreation and training facility. Set among 1,300 acres (5.3 km ) of wooded land along
3564-504: Is administered by a full-time professional County Manager. Gaston County is a member of the regional Centralina Council of Governments . North Carolina has a unified statewide and state-operated court system, called the General Court of Justice. It consists of three divisions: appellate courts, superior courts, and district courts. In Gaston County, there is also a small claims Court. Small claims court handles civil cases where
3672-1284: Is administered by the Gaston County Schools public school system. The system is governed by the nine-member Gaston County Board of Education which sets policy and establishes guidelines for school operations. Board members are elected on a nonpartisan, county wide basis, with seven representatives chosen from the six townships and two members selected at-large. Gaston County Schools has 54 public schools, including 9 high schools, 11 middle schools, 32 elementary schools, one alternative school (middle and high school age), and one separate school (Webb Street School in Gastonia) serving students ages 3 to 22 with moderate to severe disabilities. Gaston County has four charter schools : Community Public Charter School (K-7) in Stanley, Ridgeview Charter School (K–4) in Gastonia, Piedmont Community Charter School (K–12) in Gastonia, and Mountain Island Charter School (K–12) in Mount Holly. There are two colleges in Gaston County. Gaston College
3780-410: Is also liable to other penalties, which also vary between jurisdictions. Governments that support monogamy may allow easy divorce. In a number of Western countries, divorce rates approach 50%. Those who remarry do so usually no more than three times. Divorce and remarriage can thus result in "serial monogamy", i.e. having multiple marriages but only one legal spouse at a time. This can be interpreted as
3888-717: Is different from the practice of polygamy, since it requires wealth to establish multiple households for multiple wives. The actual practice of polygamy in a tolerant society may actually be low, with the majority of aspirant polygamists practicing monogamous marriage. Tracking the occurrence of polygamy is further complicated in jurisdictions where it has been banned, but continues to be practiced ( de facto polygamy ). Zeitzen also notes that Western perceptions of African society and marriage patterns are biased by "contradictory concerns of nostalgia for traditional African culture versus critique of polygamy as oppressive to women or detrimental to development." Polygamy has been condemned as being
3996-623: Is found in other parts of the world as well (including some Mormon sects and Muslim families in the United States). In some societies such as the Lovedu of South Africa, or the Nuer of the Sudan, aristocratic women may become female 'husbands.' In the Lovedu case, this female husband may take a number of polygamous wives. This is not a lesbian relationship, but a means of legitimately expanding
4104-611: Is known variously as sacramental marriage in Christianity (especially Catholicism ), nikah in Islam , nissuin in Judaism , and various other names in other faith traditions, each with their own constraints as to what constitutes, and who can enter into, a valid religious marriage. The word marriage appeared around 1300 and is borrowed from Old French mariage (12th century), itself descended from Vulgar Latin maritāticum (11th century), ultimately tracing to
4212-638: Is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Gaston County, North Carolina Gaston County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina . As of the 2020 census , the population was 227,943. The county seat is Gastonia . Dallas served as the original county seat from 1846 until 1911. Gaston County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area , which had an estimated population of 2,805,115 in 2023. The county
4320-558: Is located in the southern Piedmont region. Of North Carolina's 100 counties, Gaston County ranks 74th in size, consisting of approximately 364 square miles (940 km ), and is tenth in population. The county has fifteen incorporated towns. In addition to fifteen incorporated towns and cities, there are several unincorporated communities such as Hardin, Lucia, Crowders Mountain, Sunnyside, Alexis, Tryon, and North Belmont. The earliest European settlers of Gaston County were principally Scots Irish , Pennsylvania Dutch , and English . In
4428-627: Is most common in egalitarian societies marked by high male mortality or male absenteeism. It is associated with partible paternity , the cultural belief that a child can have more than one father. The explanation for polyandry in the Himalayan Mountains is related to the scarcity of land; the marriage of all brothers in a family to the same wife ( fraternal polyandry ) allows family land to remain intact and undivided. If every brother married separately and had children, family land would be split into unsustainable small plots. In Europe, this
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4536-507: Is observed for both boys and girls, the overwhelming majority of child spouses are girls. In many cases, only one marriage-partner is a child, usually the female, due to the importance placed upon female virginity . Causes of child marriage include poverty , bride price , dowry , laws that allow child marriages, religious and social pressures , regional customs, fear of remaining unmarried, and perceived inability of women to work for money. Today, child marriages are widespread in parts of
4644-516: Is operated by Cramerton Freewill Baptist Church. The town has a history of golfing as a recreational activity, which was supported by the town's founder Stuart W. Cramer . Historically, the town has had three golfing courses, with the fourth golfing course being built by Cramer on Cramer Mountain. The Cramer Mountain golf course is still in active operation, and is operated by the private member club "Cramer Mountain Club". The Cramer Mountain golf course
4752-595: Is recommended or considered to be compulsory before pursuing sexual activity . A marriage ceremony is called a wedding , while a private marriage is sometimes called an elopement . Around the world, there has been a general trend towards ensuring equal rights for women and ending discrimination and harassment against couples who are interethnic , interracial , interfaith , interdenominational , interclass , intercommunity , transnational , and same-sex as well as immigrant couples, couples with an immigrant spouse, and other minority couples. Debates persist regarding
4860-482: Is referring to women within the lineage who may stand in as the "social fathers" of the wife's children born of other lovers. (See Nuer " ghost marriage ".) Monogamy is a form of marriage in which an individual has only one spouse during their lifetime or at any one time (serial monogamy). Anthropologist Jack Goody 's comparative study of marriage around the world utilizing the Ethnographic Atlas found
4968-501: Is so recognized. Often, however, it is difficult to draw a hard and fast line between the two." As polygamy in Africa is increasingly subject to legal limitations, a variant form of de facto (as opposed to legal or de jure ) polygyny is being practiced in urban centers. Although it does not involve multiple (now illegal) formal marriages, the domestic and personal arrangements follow old polygynous patterns. The de facto form of polygyny
5076-677: Is the oldest extant structure in Gaston County. Located on the Dallas-Stanley Highway above the South Fork Catawba River, it was built around 1760 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden covers 110 acres (0.45 km ) in the South Point area of Gaston County, on South New Hope Road. The Gaston County Museum is located in the town of Dallas, North Carolina . The Schiele Museum of Natural History
5184-603: Is the site of the old WBTV television transmitter. It was from this site that the first commercial television signal in North Carolina was broadcast, when WBTV signed on the air in 1949. The tower remains on the mountain today, but is no longer in use as WBTV's primary transmitter. It is used by NWS for its NOAA Weather Radio transmission signal. Townships are administrative divisions of unincorporated county land and do not have any government function. Marriage Marriage , also called matrimony or wedlock ,
5292-650: Is wide cross-cultural variation in the social rules governing the selection of a partner for marriage. There is variation in the degree to which partner selection is an individual decision by the partners or a collective decision by the partners' kin groups, and there is variation in the rules regulating which partners are valid choices. The United Nations World Fertility Report of 2003 reports that 89% of all people get married before age forty-nine. The percent of women and men who marry before age forty-nine drops to nearly 50% in some nations and reaches near 100% in other nations. In other cultures with less strict rules governing
5400-673: The Broad River . Both the Catawba and Broad Rivers are in the greater Santee River basin. The Catawba forms the eastern border of the county and much of the central part of the county is in the drainage basin of its right tributary, the South Fork Catawba River. The county is located in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina, which consists of gently rolling terrain frequently broken by hills, river and creek valleys, and low, isolated mountain ridges. The highest point in Gaston County
5508-526: The Latin maritātus 'married', past participle of maritāre 'to marry'. The adjective marītus, -a, -um 'matrimonial, nuptial' could also be used, through nominalization , in the masculine form as a noun for 'husband' and in the feminine form for 'wife'. The related word matrimony is borrowed from the Old French word matremoine , which appears around 1300 CE and is in turn ultimately
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#17327866494705616-590: The Oneida Perfectionists in up-state New York. Of the 250 societies reported by the American anthropologist George Murdock in 1949, only the Kaingang of Brazil had any group marriages at all. A child marriage is a marriage where one or both spouses are under the age of 18. It is related to child betrothal and teenage pregnancy . Child marriage was common throughout history, even up until
5724-628: The 1750s, Dutch settler James Kuykendall with Robert Leeper, and others constructed a Fort at the Point at the junction of the Catawba and South Fork Rivers. The fort was built because of ongoing hostilities with the Cherokee , but it was apparently never attacked. Tensions between the settlers and the Native American inhabitants (primarily of the Catawba tribe ) were eased considerably when
5832-501: The 1900s in the United States, where in 1880 CE, in the state of Delaware , the age of consent for marriage was 7 years old. Still, in 2017, over half of the 50 United States have no explicit minimum age to marry and several states set the age as low as 14. Today it is condemned by international human rights organizations. Child marriages are often arranged between the families of the future bride and groom, sometimes as soon as
5940-524: The 34 known sites containing bigleaf magnolias in North Carolina, 29 are in Gaston County. Two sites are important because they provide habitat for the bog turtle ( Glyptemys muhlenbergii ). The bog turtle is the single most significant rare animal species surviving in Gaston County. Crowders Mountain State Park is the largest natural heritage site in the county. It covers over 3,000 acres (12 km ) of topographically, botanically, and zoologically diverse land. Six natural plant communities are found in
6048-1087: The Abbey Plaza Shopping Center Station in Belmont, about 3 miles (5 km) east of Cramerton. The nearest airport is Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Mecklenburg County , about 9.5 miles (15.3 km) east of Cramerton. Public education in Cramerton is administered by the Gaston County Schools public school system. Elementary school-age children in Cramerton attend either New Hope Elementary School (south of Cramerton in unincorporated South Point Township), J.B. Page Elementary School (pre-K to grade 1) or Belmont Central Elementary School (grades 2–5) in Belmont , McAdenville Elementary School in McAdenville , or Gardner Park Elementary School in Gastonia . Most middle school students attend Cramerton Middle School. Portions of
6156-516: The British case, serial monogamy creates an "extended family" – a number of households tied together in this way, including mobile children (possible exes may include an ex-wife, an ex-brother-in-law, etc., but not an "ex-child"). These "unclear families" do not fit the mould of the monogamous nuclear family . As a series of connected households, they come to resemble the polygynous model of separate households maintained by mothers with children, tied by
6264-544: The Catawba River, the multiuse facility has a climbing center, mountain-biking trails and running trails. Christmas Town USA - McAdenville, North Carolina - Each December, hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights turn this small mill town into a spectacular holiday display. Visitors stroll down Main Street surrounded by the sights and sounds of Christmas. Spencer Mountain , which is located in central Gaston County,
6372-494: The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, supports a stand of Schweinitz's sunflower ( Helianthus schweinizii ), a federally endangered species. The Armstrong Ford site near Belmont is the only place in western North Carolina (and one of only two sites in the state) where magnolia vine ( Schisandra glabra ) has been found. The Hoyle Historic Homestead , with notable German-American construction features,
6480-491: The Mormons, a home and family for every woman." Nonetheless, polygyny is a gender issue which offers men asymmetrical benefits. In some cases, there is a large age discrepancy (as much as a generation) between a man and his youngest wife, compounding the power differential between the two. Tensions not only exist between genders, but also within genders; senior and junior men compete for wives, and senior and junior wives in
6588-575: The South Fork Catawba. Duharts Creek is formed by the confluence of Armstrong Branch and New Hope Branch on the western edge of town. Cramerton town limits include a portion of zip code 28012 that encompass the neighborhood of Lakewood and Stuart W. Cramer High School on the eastern shore of the South Fork River. The town is located seven miles east of Gastonia and 16 miles west of Charlotte . Originally named Mayesworth,
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#17327866494706696-465: The Veteran's Memorial) and Goat Island Park (which is accessible by two foot bridges); these attractions are intended to bring visitors to the area that support the local businesses. The Gaston Business Association and Montcross Area Chamber of Commerce are the major commerce associations of businesses representing Cramerton and other communities. The primary east–west highway passing through Cramerton
6804-420: The age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.97. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under
6912-460: The age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $ 47,610, and the median income for a family was $ 56,071. Males had a median income of $ 37,679 versus $ 27,330 for females. The per capita income for
7020-494: The automatic regulation of temperature and humidity. These early innovations in air conditioning resulted more from the need to remove lint from the air (a persistent problem in the textile mills) than to cool the factory atmosphere. The term "air conditioning" is attributed to Cramer. In 1946 the mills and homes were sold to Burlington Industries , who in turn sold the homes to residents. The Town of Cramerton incorporated in 1967 and began providing municipal services. In 1997,
7128-448: The boundary dispute between North Carolina and South Carolina was settled in 1772, after which most of the Catawba settled on a reservation near Fort Mill, South Carolina . Most early farms in the area were small, cultivated primarily by white yeoman farmers of English ancestry. North Carolina's colonial policy restricted the size of land grants , and in Gaston County they tended to be about 400 acres (1.6 km ) each. One of
7236-624: The center for women's studies at Beijing University, told a Newsday correspondent, "Walking marriages reflect sweeping changes in Chinese society." A "walking marriage" refers to a type of temporary marriage formed by the Mosuo of China, in which male partners live elsewhere and make nightly visits. A similar arrangement in Saudi Arabia , called misyar marriage , also involves the husband and wife living separately but meeting regularly. There
7344-403: The county has a total area of 363.68 square miles (941.9 km ), of which 355.75 square miles (921.4 km ) is land and 7.93 square miles (20.5 km ) (2.18%) is water. It belongs to the southern Piedmont physiographic province . Most of Gaston County is in the drainage basin of the Catawba River , except for small areas along the western edge of the county which are in the basin of
7452-463: The county have favored Republicans, though Democrats retain some electoral strength in the city of Gastonia. Gaston County is served by Amtrak , with a stop in Gastonia . Freight rail service is provided by the Norfolk Southern Railway , CSX and Patriot Rail . The Norfork Southern main line passes from west to east across the county, passing through Kings Mountain , Bessemer City , Gastonia, Ranlo, Lowell, Cramerton and Belmont . From Gastonia,
7560-588: The county. Its thin soils are dominated by hickory species and it is also home to several smaller species such as Talinum teretifolium (fame flower), Sedum smallii (syn. Diamorpha smallii , Small's sedum), and Hypericum gentianoides (pineweed) that are found only in this type of habitat. A farm site contains an old growth forest dominated by beech, yellow poplar, oaks, and maples - some trees with diameters of nearly 3 feet (0.91 m). Another 25 sites are listed as being of local significance. Two of these are home to extremely rare plants. Catawba Cove, near
7668-404: The county. The population density was 534 people per square mile (206 people/km ). There were 78,842 housing units at an average density of 221 units per square mile (85 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 83% White , 13.9% Black or African American , 0.3% Native American , 1% Asian , 0% Pacific Islander , 0.3% from other races , and 1% from two or more races. 3.00% of
7776-687: The earliest documented same-sex wedding in Latin Christendom occurred in Rome, Italy , at the San Giovanni a Porta Latina basilica in 1581. Several cultures have practised temporary and conditional marriages. Examples include the Celtic practice of handfasting and fixed-term marriages in the Muslim community. Pre-Islamic Arabs practiced a form of temporary marriage that carries on today in
7884-487: The earliest grants in the area was given to Captain Samuel Cobrin, commander of a local militia company, on September 29, 1750. Gaston County was founded in 1846, partitioned from Lincoln County . It is named for William Gaston , a U.S. Representative from North Carolina and member of the state supreme court. Between 1845 and 1848, Gaston County experienced an industrial boom. During this three-year period,
7992-406: The economic downturn. Syncot Fibers and Plastics, Inc., operates a facility in Cramerton specializing in the recycling of nylon . In the twenty-first century, like many nearby communities affected by the exit of many businesses in the textile industry, the town has seen some significant growth and revitalization in the years following the aftermath of the 2007–2008 financial crisis . As a suburb of
8100-574: The first three cotton mills in the county were established. Some sources claim that the first one was established by Thomas R. Tate on Mountain Island , near the present site of Duke Energy's Mountain Island Dam and Hydroelectric Station. Other sources say that the first mill was established by the Linebergers and others on the South Fork River near McAdenville . Most sources agree that among
8208-557: The first three mills in operation in the county was the Stowesville Mill, founded by Jasper Stowe and associates in the South Point Community south of Belmont . Gaston County still leads all other counties in the country both in the number of spindles in operation and in the number of bales of cotton consumed. The county seat moved from Dallas to Gastonia in 1911. According to the U.S. Census Bureau ,
8316-545: The girl is born. However, in the late 1800s in England and the United States, feminist activists began calling for raised age of consent laws, which was eventually handled in the 1920s, having been raised to 16–18. Child marriages can also occur in the context of bride kidnapping . In the year 1552 CE, John Somerford and Jane Somerford Brereton were both married at the ages of 3 and 2, respectively. Twelve years later, in 1564, John filed for divorce. While child marriage
8424-518: The greater Gaston and Charlotte area, the town is within commuting distance for workers of businesses within other industries, such as financial and banking services, technology, travel and tourism, and retail. Within Cramerton, especially in the Downtown district, there are a number of companies operating within the restaurant, coffee shop, retail, and recreational-related industries. The downtown area includes Cramerton's Centennial Park (which includes
8532-430: The group lacked a husband role in the conventional sense. The husband role, unitary in the west, was instead divided between a non-resident "social father" of the woman's children, and her lovers, who were the actual procreators. None of these men had legal rights to the woman's child. This forced Gough to disregard sexual access as a key element of marriage and to define it in terms of legitimacy of offspring alone: marriage
8640-418: The group marriage, and all members of the marriage share parental responsibility for any children arising from the marriage. No country legally condones group marriages, neither under the law nor as a common law marriage, but historically it has been practiced by some cultures of Polynesia, Asia, Papua New Guinea and the Americas – as well as in some intentional communities and alternative subcultures such as
8748-572: The groups from which a partner can be chosen the selection of a marriage partner may involve either the couple going through a selection process of courtship or the marriage may be arranged by the couple's parents or an outside party, a matchmaker . Some people want to marry a person that is older or younger than they. This may impact marital stability and partners with more than a 10-year gap in age tend to experience social disapproval In addition, older women (older than 35) have increased health risks when getting pregnant. Some people want to marry
8856-780: The hours of 6 PM and 6 AM daily. Cramerton police also assist McAdenville officers with felony criminal investigations. Cramerton is in South Point Township . The textile industry has long been central to Cramerton's economy, but globalization has caused many of the local plants to close and devastated the local economy. Burlington Industries , which had operated the former Cramerton Mills, went bankrupt in 2001. Employers like Eagle Mountain Finishers and Lakewood Dyed Yarns (both subsidiaries of Joan Fabrics Corp.) were closed in 2006 and 2007. Textile companies Brookline Inc. and Wagner Knitting, Inc., have also been affected by
8964-423: The husband had freedom to engage in outside sexual liaisons. The Codex Theodosianus ( C. Th. 9.7.3) issued in 438 CE imposed severe penalties or death on same-sex relationships, but the exact intent of the law and its relation to social practice is unclear, as only a few examples of same-sex relationships in that culture exist. Same-sex unions were celebrated in some regions of China, such as Fujian . Possibly
9072-419: The imbalance in the sex ratios, the higher male infant mortality, the shorter life span of males, the loss of males in wartime, etc. – that often women were left without financial support from husbands. To correct this condition, females had to be killed at birth, remain single, become prostitutes, or be siphoned off into celibate religious orders. Polygynous systems have the advantage that they can promise, as did
9180-459: The laws recognize cohabitation in lieu of institutional marriage for taxation and social security benefits. This is the case, for example, in Australia. Cohabitation may be an option pursued as a form of resistance to traditional institutionalized marriage. However, in this context, some nations reserve the right to define the relationship as marital, or otherwise to regulate the relation, even if
9288-424: The legal status of married women, leniency towards violence within marriage, customs such as dowry and bride price , marriageable age , and criminalization of premarital and extramarital sex . Individuals may marry for several reasons, including legal , social , libidinal , emotional , financial , spiritual , cultural , economic , political , religious , sexual , and romantic purposes. In some areas of
9396-475: The mere act of propagation till after the birth of the offspring." In The Future of Marriage in Western Civilization (1936), he rejected his earlier definition, instead provisionally defining marriage as "a relation of one or more men to one or more women that is recognized by custom or law". The anthropological handbook Notes and Queries (1951) defined marriage as "a union between a man and
9504-539: The name of the mill to Cramerton Mills in 1922. In 1923, Cramer built the Mayflower Weave Mill. Cramer is credited with designing and equipping "about one-third of the new cotton mills in the South" between 1895 and 1915, and simultaneously acquiring extensive holdings in textile mills . Among Cramer's numerous industrial engineering patents was one for the "Cramer System of Air Conditioning", which included
9612-443: The number of spouses, as in bi-gamy (two spouses, generally illegal in most nations), and poly-gamy (more than one spouse). Societies show variable acceptance of polygamy as a cultural ideal and practice. According to the Ethnographic Atlas , of 1,231 societies noted, 186 were monogamous; 453 had occasional polygyny; 588 had more frequent polygyny, and 4 had polyandry. However, as Miriam Zeitzen writes, social tolerance for polygamy
9720-439: The park, and the area supports a diversity of wildlife species. Some animals documented in the park have not been documented elsewhere in the county. A second natural heritage site, Pinnacle Road, has recently been incorporated into the park. This site is most significant for the occurrence of dwarf juniper ( Juniperus communis ) along its ridgeline. The Stagecoach Road site is the largest and best preserved granitic outcrop in
9828-403: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 92,094 males and 98,271 females in Gaston County. Of these 39,492 are under 15, 23,082 are aged 16–24, 59,096 are aged 25–44, 44,710 are aged between 45–64 and 23,985 are 65 and over. The median age is 36.89 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 39,482, and the median income for a family was $ 46,271. Males had
9936-591: The practice of Nikah mut'ah , a fixed-term marriage contract. The Islamic prophet Muhammad sanctioned a temporary marriage – sigheh in Iran and muta'a in Iraq – which can provide a legitimizing cover for sex workers. The same forms of temporary marriage have been used in Egypt, Lebanon and Iran to make the donation of a human ova legal for in vitro fertilisation ; a woman cannot, however, use this kind of marriage to obtain
10044-537: The relation has not been registered with the state or a religious institution. Conversely, institutionalized marriages may not involve cohabitation. In some cases, couples living together do not wish to be recognized as married. This may occur because pension or alimony rights are adversely affected; because of taxation considerations; because of immigration issues, or for other reasons. Such marriages have also been increasingly common in Beijing . Guo Jianmei, director of
10152-400: The same household may experience radically different life conditions, and internal hierarchy. Several studies have suggested that the wive's relationship with other women, including co-wives and husband's female kin, are more critical relationships than that with her husband for her productive, reproductive and personal achievement. In some societies, the co-wives are relatives, usually sisters,
10260-402: The society, the belief in "high gods" to support human morality, and monogamy. In the countries which do not permit polygamy, a person who marries in one of those countries a person while still being lawfully married to another commits the crime of bigamy . In all cases, the second marriage is considered legally null and void. Besides the second and subsequent marriages being void, the bigamist
10368-421: The southwest corner to sites east of Stanley and at the mouth of the South Fork Catawba River. Gaston County has twelve natural heritage sites listed as being of state or regional significance. Six of these are listed because of the presence of the bigleaf magnolia ( Magnolia macrophylla ). This magnificent plant has the largest simple leaf of any species in the temperate world, and one of the largest flowers. Of
10476-570: The southwestern part of town. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.3 km), of which 3.7 square miles (9.5 km) is land and 0.31 square miles (0.8 km), or 7.51%, is water. Cramerton is bisected by the South Fork Catawba River , which makes a sharp S-curve around the center of town. Just southwest of downtown, Duharts Creek flows into
10584-486: The town are zoned to Holbrook Middle School in Lowell or Belmont Middle School in Belmont. Current high school-age students attend Stuart W. Cramer High School . While the school is located in Cramerton, it has a Belmont mailing address because it is in zip code 28012, which is split between Cramerton and Belmont. Private schools in Cramerton include Cramerton Christian Academy, with programs for Pre-K through Grade 12. It
10692-536: The town was $ 25,503. About 3.3% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over. Cramerton operates under the council-manager form of government with a mayor and a five-member town board and a town manager. In 2011, after 50 years of service, the town ended its contract with the Cramerton Volunteer Fire Department. The town then worked to create
10800-474: The town was founded in 1906 when J.H. Mayes built a spinning mill along the banks of the South Fork of the Catawba River, just east of Gastonia . In 1910, textile engineer and Thomasville native Stuart Warren Cramer became owner and president of the mill and property. He turned the mill and the surrounding community into a model mill village. In 1921, Cramer changed the name of the town to Cramerton, and
10908-482: The town. The population density was 830.5 inhabitants per square mile (320.7/km). There were 1,229 housing units at an average density of 343.0 per square mile (132.4/km). The racial makeup of the town was 94.12% White , 2.35% African American , 0.50% Native American , 1.92% Asian , 0.20% from other races , and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population. There were 1,169 households, out of which 35.4% had children under
11016-421: The world, arranged marriage , forced marriage , polygyny marriage , polyandry marriage , group marriage , coverture marriage , child marriage , cousin marriage , sibling marriage , teenage marriage , avunculate marriage , incestuous marriage , and bestiality marriage are practiced and legally permissible, while others areas outlaw them to protect human rights . Female age at marriage has proven to be
11124-521: The world; being most common in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa , with more than half of the girls in some countries in those regions being married before 18. The incidence of child marriage has been falling in most parts of the world. In developed countries, child marriage is outlawed or restricted. Girls who marry before 18 are at greater risk of becoming victims of domestic violence , than those who marry later, especially when they are married to
11232-479: Was designed by renown golfing course architect Dan Maples, a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects . Since the town is situated along the South Fork Catawba River , it also has an active recreational culture of waterspouts, such as kayaking and canoeing . The Goat Island Park in Cramerton also features an 18-hole Disc Golf course. Mayworth School at 236 Eighth Avenue in Cramerton
11340-420: Was generally recognized as such. While it is a relatively new practice to grant same-sex couples the same form of legal marital recognition as commonly granted to mixed-sex couples, there is some history of recorded same-sex unions around the world. Ancient Greek same-sex relationships were like modern companionate marriages, unlike their different-sex marriages in which the spouses had few emotional ties, and
11448-485: Was not addressed until its rejection in later passages. They do explicitly prohibit polygyny today. Polyandry is notably more rare than polygyny, though less rare than the figure commonly cited in the Ethnographic Atlas (1980) which listed only those polyandrous societies found in the Himalayan Mountains. More recent studies have found 53 societies outside the 28 found in the Himalayans which practice polyandry. It
11556-406: Was prevented through the social practice of impartible inheritance (the dis-inheriting of most siblings, some of whom went on to become celibate monks and priests). Group marriage (also known as multi-lateral marriage ) is a form of polyamory in which more than two persons form a family unit, with all the members of the group marriage being considered to be married to all the other members of
11664-481: Was typical of human reproductive patterns until the shift to sedentary farming communities approximately 10,000 to 5,000 years ago in Europe and Asia, and more recently in Africa and the Americas. As noted above, Anthropologist Jack Goody 's comparative study of marriage around the world utilizing the Ethnographic Atlas found that the majority of Sub-Saharan African societies that practice extensive hoe agriculture show
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