106-585: Spindale is a town in Rutherford County , North Carolina , United States. The population was 4,225 at the 2020 census . Spindale originated as a mill town from its first textile mill , Spencer Mills, in 1916, until its last textile mill, Stonecutter Mills, organized by J. B. Tanner in 1920, which closed in 1999. The town of Spindale was incorporated on August 21, 1923. In 1939, the North Carolina General Assembly passed
212-538: A charter to start a new colony on the North American continent; this would generally establish North Carolina's borders. He named it Carolina in honor of his father, Charles I . By 1665, a second charter was issued to attempt to resolve territorial questions. This charter rewarded the Lords Proprietors , eight Englishmen to whom King Charles II granted joint ownership of a tract of land in
318-421: A decade of white supremacy , many people forgot North Carolina had ever had thriving middle-class black Americans. Black citizens had no political voice in the state until after the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed to enforce their constitutional rights. It was not until 1992 that another African American was elected as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina. After
424-551: A fixed period to pay for their passage. In the early years the line between indentured servants and African slaves or laborers was fluid. Some Africans were allowed to earn their freedom before slavery became a lifelong status. Most of the free colored families formed in North Carolina before the Revolution were descended from unions or marriages between free whites and enslaved or free Africans or African-Americans. If
530-492: A frequency of 88.7mhz. WNCW's programming consists of a diverse blend of musical styles. Its eclectic music mix and presence on the World Wide Web attracts listeners well beyond the reach of its coverage area. Rutherford County, North Carolina Rutherford County is a county in the southwestern area of the U.S. state of North Carolina . As of the 2020 census , the population was 64,444. Its county seat
636-569: A local act that extended the corporate limits of the town of Spindale, which nearly doubled its size in area. In 1926, the iconic Spindale House was opened as a community and recreation center and as a memorial building, presented to the town by K. S. Tanner and other members of the Tanner family. Opening in 1926, a classic landmark of the Spindale mill village was Greene's Grocery Store located on Spindale Street, which stood for over five decades as
742-650: A major regional and national banking center. Towards Raleigh, North Carolina State , Duke University , and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , have helped the Research Triangle area attract an educated workforce and develop more jobs. In 1988, North Carolina gained its first professional sports franchise, the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The hornets team name stems from
848-676: A mint just north of Rutherfordton, where they produced millions of dollars worth of US coins. The Bechtlers produced the first gold dollars in the United States. The county has a strong militia tradition, stretching back to the 18th century when it had the most well organized militia in North Carolina. Its militiamen served in the Battle of Kings Mountain and Battle of Cowpens . During the Civil War , Rutherfordton and Burnt Chimney (now Forest City ) competed to raise militias to serve in
954-696: A narrow victory for a Republican-dominated government, with 19 African-Americans holding positions in the North Carolina State Legislature . In attempt to put the reforms into effect, the new Republican Governor William W. Holden declared martial law on any county allegedly not complying with law and order using the passage of the Shoffner Act . A Republican Party coalition of black freedmen, northern carpetbaggers and local scalawags controlled state government for three years. The white conservative Democrats regained control of
1060-535: A slower pace and remained small. By the late 17th century, Carolina was essentially two colonies, one centered in the Albemarle region in the north and the other located in the south around Charleston. In 1705 South Carolinian John Lawson purchased land on the Pamlico River and laid out Bath, North Carolina's first town. After returning to England, he published the book A New Voyage to Carolina, which became
1166-443: A strong Whig presence, especially in the western part of the state. After Nat Turner 's slave uprising in 1831, North Carolina and other southern states reduced the rights of free blacks. In 1835, the legislature withdrew their right to vote. In mid-century, the state's rural and commercial areas were connected by the construction of a 129 mi (208 km) wooden plank road, known as a "farmer's railroad", from Fayetteville in
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#17327729247981272-583: A total of four African-American congressmen through these years of the late 19th century. Political tensions ran so high a small group of white Democrats in 1898 planned to take over the Wilmington government if their candidates were not elected. In the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 , white Democrats led around 2,000 of their supporters that attacked the black newspaper and neighborhood, killed an estimated 60 to 300 people, and ran off
1378-582: A travelogue and a marketing piece to encourage new colonists to Carolina. Lawson encouraged Baron Christoph Von Graffenried, the leader of a group of Swiss and German Protestants, to immigrate to Carolina. Von Graffenried purchased land between the Neuse and the Trent Rivers and established the town of New Bern . After an attack on New Bern in which hundreds were killed or injured, Lawson was caught then executed by Tuscarora Indians . A large revolt happened in
1484-472: A winter base at Joara, which he renamed Cuenca . His expedition built Fort San Juan and left a contingent of 30 Spaniards there, while Pardo traveled further. His forces built and garrisoned five other forts. He returned by a different route to Santa Elena on Parris Island, South Carolina , then a center of Spanish Florida . In the spring of 1568, natives killed all but one of the Spaniards and burned
1590-541: Is Rutherfordton . Rutherford County comprises the Forest City , NC Micropolitan Statistical Area . In the region's earliest history, it was inhabited by the Cherokee . It was a part of Mecklenburg County before being incorporated into Tryon County in 1768. Tryon County was divided into Rutherford County and Lincoln County in 1779. The first county seat was Gilbert Town . Rutherford Town (now Rutherfordton )
1696-660: Is a member of the Isothermal Planning and Development Commission regional council of governments. The county is policed by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office . The current sheriff is Aaron Ellenburg. Rutherford County has a large timber industry, as well as textile and construction materials manufacturing. The agricultural industry in Rutherfordton produces soybeans, wheat, corn, cotton, and livestock. In 2010, Rutherford County
1802-661: Is defined by a wide range of elevations and landscapes. From west to east, North Carolina's elevation descends from the Appalachian Mountains to the Piedmont and Atlantic coastal plain . North Carolina's Mount Mitchell at 6,684 ft (2,037 m) is the highest point in North America east of the Mississippi River . Most of the state falls in the humid subtropical climate zone; however,
1908-596: Is known as "The Race to the Dan" or "The Race for the River". In the Battle of Cowan's Ford , Cornwallis met resistance along the banks of the Catawba River at Cowan's Ford on February 1, 1781, in an attempt to engage General Morgan's forces during a tactical withdrawal. Morgan had moved to the northern part of the state to combine with General Greene's newly recruited forces. Generals Greene and Cornwallis finally met at
2014-620: Is the 28th-largest and 9th-most populous of the United States . Along with South Carolina, it makes up the Carolinas region of the East Coast . At the 2020 census , the state had a population of 10,439,388. Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its most populous city . The Charlotte metropolitan area , with an estimated population of 2,805,115 in 2023, is the most populous metropolitan area in North Carolina,
2120-789: Is today Northern Ireland, were the largest non-English immigrant group before the Revolution; English indentured servants were overwhelmingly the largest immigrant group before the Revolution. During the American Revolutionary War , the English and Gaelic speaking Highland Scots of eastern North Carolina tended to remain loyal to the British Crown, because of longstanding business and personal connections with Great Britain. The English, Welsh, Scots-Irish, and German settlers of western North Carolina tended to favor American independence from Britain. British loyalists dubbed
2226-487: The 22nd-most populous in the United States, and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City. The Research Triangle , with an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023, is the second-most populous combined metropolitan area in the state, 31st-most populous in the United States, and is home to the largest research park in the United States, Research Triangle Park . The earliest evidence of human occupation in North Carolina dates back 10,000 years, found at
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#17327729247982332-845: The Battle of Guilford Courthouse in present-day Greensboro on March 15, 1781. Although the British troops held the field at the end of the battle, their casualties at the hands of the numerically superior Continental Army were crippling. Following this " Pyrrhic victory ", Cornwallis chose to move to the Virginia coastline to get reinforcements, and to allow the Royal Navy to protect his battered army. This decision would result in Cornwallis' eventual defeat at Yorktown, Virginia , later in 1781. The Patriots' victory there guaranteed American independence. On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became
2438-633: The Carolina Algonquian -speaking tribes of the coastal areas, such as the Chowanoc , Roanoke , Pamlico , Machapunga , and Coree , who were the first encountered by the English; the Iroquoian -speaking Meherrin , Cherokee , and Tuscarora of the interior; and Southeastern Siouan -speaking tribes, such as the Cheraw , Waxhaw , Saponi , Waccamaw , Cape Fear Indians , and Catawba of
2544-635: The Confederate States Army . After the Civil War ended, many farmers in the region were forced to tenant farming , as they owned no land of their own. This meant that many Rutherford County residents were trapped in debt by predatory crop liens and other economic imbalances. The Rutherford Farmer's Alliance was established by D.N. Caviness in June 1888 to fight for farmer's rights, and had 300 members by 1891. The Alliance's first president
2650-465: The Hardaway Site . North Carolina was inhabited by Carolina Algonquian , Iroquoian , and Siouan speaking tribes of Native Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans. King Charles II granted eight lord proprietors a colony they named Carolina after the king and which was established in 1670 with the first permanent settlement at Charles Town (Charleston). Because of the difficulty of governing
2756-469: The Lords Proprietors , the group of noblemen who had helped restore him to the throne in 1660. These grants were predicated on an agreement that the Lords would use their influence to bring in colonists and establish ports of trade. This new Province of Carolina was named in honor and memory of his father, Charles I (Latin: Carolus ). Lacking a viable coastal port city due to geography, towns grew at
2862-736: The Mecklenburg County area to be 'a hornet's nest' of radicals, birthing the name of the future Charlotte NBA team. On April 12, 1776, the colony became the first to instruct its delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence from the British Crown, through the Halifax Resolves passed by the North Carolina Provincial Congress . The date of this event is memorialized on the state flag and state seal . Throughout
2968-578: The South Appalachian Mississippian culture , established by 1000 AD in the Piedmont and mountain region, continued to build this style of mounds. In contrast to some of the larger centers of the classic Mississippian culture in the area that became known as the western Carolinas, northeastern Georgia, and southeastern Tennessee, most of the larger towns had only one central platform mound. Smaller settlements had none, but were close to more prominent towns. This area became known as
3074-618: The Spanish Armada . The fate of the " Lost Colony " of Roanoke Island remains one of the most widely debated mysteries of American history. Two native Chieftains, Manteo and Wanchese , of which the former helped the colonists and the latter was distrustful, had involvement in the colony and even accompanied Raleigh to England on a previous voyage in 1585. Manteo was also the first Indigenous North American to be baptized by English settlers. Upon White's return in 1590, neither native nor Englishman were to be found. Popular theory holds that
3180-669: The U.S. military and was relieved of its constitutional government and representation within the United States Congress in what is now referred to as the Reconstruction era . To earn back its rights, the state had to make concessions to Washington, one of which was ratifying the Thirteenth Amendment . Congressional Republicans during Reconstruction, commonly referred to as " radical Republicans ", constantly pushed for new constitutions for each of
3286-569: The Union cause during the conflict. Approximately 15,000 North Carolinians (both black and white) from across the state enlisted in the Union Army . Numerous slaves also escaped to Union lines, where they became essentially free. Following the collapse of the Confederacy in 1865, North Carolina, along with other former Confederate States (except Tennessee), was put under direct control by
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3392-540: The fall line . Railroads were built to connect the new industrializing cities. The state was the site of the first successful controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air flight , by the Wright brothers , near Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903. In the first half of the 20th century, many African Americans left the state to go North for better opportunities, in the Great Migration . Their departure changed
3498-560: The rare-earth element samarskite have been mined in Rutherford County. Diamonds have also been found there, including one mined at the JD Twitty Gold Placer Mine in 1845. As of the 2020 census , there were 64,444 people, 27,970 households, and 18,874 families residing in the county. At the 2000 census , the county had 62,899 people, 25,191 households, and 17,935 families. The population density
3604-399: The 1,662 households 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 33.3% of households were one person and 15.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.87. The age distribution was 22.2% under
3710-686: The 12th state to ratify the United States Constitution . In the run-up to the American Civil War , North Carolina reluctantly declared its secession from the Union on May 20, 1861, becoming the tenth of eleven states to join the Confederate States of America . Following the Civil War, the state was restored to the Union on July 4, 1868. On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully piloted
3816-479: The 1970s, North Carolina has seen steady increases in population growth. This growth has largely occurred in metropolitan areas located within the Piedmont Crescent , in places such as Charlotte, Concord, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham and Raleigh. The Charlotte metropolitan area has experienced large growth mainly due to its finance, banking, and tech industries. By the 1990s, Charlotte had become
3922-502: The American Revolution, Quakers and Mennonites worked to persuade slaveholders to free their slaves. Some were inspired by their efforts and the language of the Revolution to arrange for manumission of their slaves. The number of free people of color rose markedly in the first couple of decades after the Revolution. Many free people of color migrated to the frontier, along with their European-American neighbors, where
4028-696: The Civil War, the Wilmington-to-Raleigh stretch of the railroad was vital to the Confederate war effort; supplies shipped into Wilmington were moved by rail through Raleigh to the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia . In 1860, North Carolina was a slave state, in which one-third of the state's total population were African-American slaves. The state did not vote to join the Confederacy until President Abraham Lincoln called on it to invade its sister state, South Carolina , becoming
4134-405: The Civil War. The phrase "First at Bethel, Farthest at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and Last at Appomattox", later became used through much of the early 20th century. After secession, some North Carolinians refused to support the Confederacy. Some of the yeoman farmers chiefly in the state's mountains and western Piedmont region remained neutral during the Civil War, with others covertly supporting
4240-511: The Confederacy's most famous army. The largest battle fought in North Carolina was at Bentonville , which was a futile attempt by Confederate General Joseph Johnston to slow Union General William Tecumseh Sherman 's advance through the Carolinas in the spring of 1865. In April 1865, after losing the Battle of Morrisville , Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Bennett Place , in what is today Durham . North Carolina's port city of Wilmington ,
4346-719: The Crown (they were called "Tories" or Loyalists). The American victory at King's Mountain gave the advantage to colonists who favored American independence, and it prevented the British Army from recruiting new soldiers from the Tories. The road to Yorktown and America's independence from Great Britain led through North Carolina. As the British Army moved north from victories in Charleston and Camden, South Carolina ,
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4452-541: The KKK had begun to "disappear". The construction of railroads and cotton mills in Rutherford County during the 1880s and 1890s invigorated the county's communities, none more so than Forest City. The Rutherford Railway Construction Company built a line from Rutherfordton to South Carolina, and Southern Railway and Seaboard Air Line Railroad also ran through the county. A disproportionate number of Rutherford County natives served during WWII , with about 12% participating in
4558-760: The Mississippi River. Starting in 1540, the Native polities of the Mississippian culture fell apart and reformed as new groups, such as the Catawba , due to a series of destabilizing events known as the " Mississippian shatter zone ". Introduction of colonial trading arrangements and hostile native groups from the north such as the Westo Indians hastened changes in an already tenuous regional hierarchy. As described by anthropologist Robbie Ethridge ,
4664-471: The Mississippian shatter zone was a time of great instability in what is now the American South, caused by the instability of Mississippian chiefdoms, high mortality from new Eurasian diseases, conversion to an agricultural society and the accompanying population increase, and the emergence of Native "militaristic slaving societies". Historically documented tribes in the North Carolina region include
4770-591: The Mohicans (1992) , and Dirty Dancing (1987) . North Carolina North Carolina ( / ˌ k ær ə ˈ l aɪ n ə / KARR -ə- LY -nə ) is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States . It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia to the southwest, and Tennessee to the west. The state
4876-649: The Native Americans, who had no immunity to the new disease (it had become endemic over centuries in Europe). According to the historian Russell Thornton, "The 1738 epidemic was said to have killed one-half of the Cherokee , with other tribes of the area suffering equally." After the Spanish in the 16th century, the first permanent European settlers of North Carolina were English colonists who migrated south from Virginia . Virginia had grown rapidly and land
4982-620: The Piedmont. In the late 16th century, the first Spanish explorers traveling inland recorded meeting Mississippian culture people at Joara , a regional chiefdom near what later developed as Morganton . Records of Hernando de Soto attested to his meeting with them in 1540. In 1567, Captain Juan Pardo led an expedition to claim the area for the Spanish colony and to establish another route to reach silver mines in Mexico. Pardo made
5088-422: The Revolutionary War, fierce guerrilla warfare erupted between bands of pro-independence and pro-British colonists. In some cases the war was also an excuse to settle private grudges and rivalries. North Carolina had around 7,800 Patriots join the Continental Army under General George Washington ; and an additional 10,000 served in local militia units under such leaders as General Nathanael Greene . There
5194-438: The Southern Division of the Continental Army and local militia prepared to meet them. Following General Daniel Morgan 's victory over the British Cavalry Commander Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781, southern commander Nathanael Greene led British Lord Charles Cornwallis across the heartland of North Carolina, and away from the latter's base of supply in Charleston, South Carolina. This campaign
5300-434: The Southern states that emphasized equal rights for African-Americans. In 1868, a constitutional convention restored the state government of North Carolina. Though the Fifteenth Amendment was also adopted that same year, it remained in most cases ineffective for almost a century, not to mention paramilitary groups and their lynching with impunity. The elections in April 1868 following the constitutional convention led to
5406-429: The age of 18 living with them, 55.40% were married couples living together, 11.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.90. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.80% under
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#17327729247985512-454: The age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.60 males. The county's median household income was $ 31,122, and the median family income was $ 37,787. Males had a median income of $ 28,890 versus $ 21,489 for females. The county's per capita income
5618-412: The age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males. The median household income was $ 23,365 and the median family income was $ 33,583. Males had a median income of $ 25,504 versus $ 20,395 for females. The per capita income for
5724-503: The city was named after Sir Walter Raleigh , sponsor of Roanoke , the "lost colony" on Roanoke Island . The population of the colony more than quadrupled from 52,000 in 1740 to 270,000 in 1780 from high immigration from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania , plus immigrants from abroad. North Carolina did not have any printer or print shops until 1749, when the North Carolina Assembly commissioned James Davis from Williamsburg Virginia to act as their official printer. Before this time
5830-528: The coastal settlements, but by 1718 piracy in the Carolinas was on the decline. Growth was strong in the middle of the 18th century, as the economy attracted Scots-Irish , Quaker , English and German immigrants. A majority of the North Carolina colonists generally supported the American Revolution , although there were some Loyalists . Loyalists in North Carolina were fewer in number than in some other colonies such as Georgia, South Carolina, Delaware, and New York. During colonial times, Edenton served as
5936-400: The colonists either traveled away with or assimilated into local native culture. Virginia Dare , the first English person to be born in North America, was born on Roanoke Island on August 18, 1587; the surrounding Dare County is named for her. As early as 1650, settlers from the Virginia colony had moved into the Albemarle Sound region. By 1663, King Charles II of England granted
6042-434: The county had 7,775 residents, including 164 families and 611 enslaved people. Many areas of the county were agriculturally productive or lay on important crossroads. The number of unincorporated communities in the county steadily increased, and the population reached had nearly doubled by 1810. The most important crops in the county during the 1800s were corn, wheat, oats, rye, cotton, wool and tobacco. The county existed at
6148-473: The county was a clear-cut part of the Democratic " Solid South ". Rutherford County is governed by a board of commissioners. The County Board of Commissioners includes: Chairman Bryan King, Com. Greg Lovelace, Com. David Hunt, Com. Michael Benfield, and Com. Alan Toney. The Board of Commissioners appoints a county manager to serve as the chief administrator. The current county manager is Steve Garrison who has been serving since March 16, 2015. Rutherford County
6254-467: The crossroads of stagecoach routes that connected places like Asheville , Salisbury and Charlotte . The Hickory Nut Turnpike was completed in 1847 to help make the route even safer and more appealing to travelers. Rutherford County was the most important gold-producing region in America from 1790 until the California gold rush of the 1840s. The town of Rutherfordton was at the center of this. German goldsmith Christopher Bechtler and his sons set up
6360-434: The demographic characteristics of many areas. North Carolina was hard hit by the Great Depression , but the New Deal programs of Franklin D. Roosevelt for cotton and tobacco significantly helped the farmers. After World War II , the state's economy grew rapidly, highlighted by the growth of such cities as Charlotte, Raleigh, and Durham in the Piedmont region. Research Triangle Park , established in 1959, serves as
6466-464: The east to Bethania (northwest of Winston-Salem ). On October 25, 1836, construction began on the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad to connect the port city of Wilmington with the state capital of Raleigh . In 1840, the state capitol building in Raleigh was completed, and still stands today. In 1849, the North Carolina Railroad was created by act of the legislature to extend that railroad west to Greensboro , High Point , and Charlotte . During
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#17327729247986572-424: The entire colony from Charles Town, the colony was eventually divided and North Carolina was established as a royal colony in 1729 and was one of the Thirteen Colonies . The Halifax Resolves resolution adopted by North Carolina on April 12, 1776, was the first formal call for independence from Great Britain among the American Colonies during the American Revolution . On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became
6678-424: The farthest into Union lines of any Confederate regiment. During the Battle of Chickamauga , the 58th North Carolina Regiment advanced farther than any other regiment on Snodgrass Hill to push back the remaining Union forces from the battlefield. At Appomattox Court House in Virginia in April 1865, the 75th North Carolina Regiment, a cavalry unit, fired the last shots of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in
6784-457: The generally non-slave-holding yeoman farmers of North Carolina. While slaveholding was slightly less concentrated compared to some other Southern states, according to the 1860 census, more than 330,000 people, or 33% of the population out of 992,622 people in total, were enslaved African Americans. They lived and worked chiefly on plantations in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of the state. In addition, 30,463 free people of color lived in
6890-401: The governor of North Carolina, who promised safe-haven and a pardon, Blackbeard was killed in an ambush by troops from Virginia. In 1996, Intersal, Inc., a private maritime research firm, discovered the remains of a vessel likely to be the Queen Anne's Revenge , which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places . North Carolina became one of the Thirteen Colonies and with
6996-442: The homelands of the historic Cherokee people, who are believed to have migrated over time from the Great Lakes area. In the 500–700 years preceding European contact, the Mississippian culture built elaborate cities and maintained far-flung regional trading networks. Its largest city was Cahokia , which had numerous mounds for different purposes, a highly stratified society, and was located in present-day southwestern Illinois near
7102-549: The largest research park in the United States. Formed near Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, the Research Triangle metro is a major area of universities and advanced scientific and technical research. The Greensboro sit-ins in 1960 played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement to bring full equality to American blacks. By the late 1960s, spurred in part by the increasingly leftward tilt of national Democrats, conservative whites began to vote for Republican national candidates and gradually for more Republicans locally. Since
7208-399: The largest single surrender of Confederate soldiers at Bennett Place , when Joseph E. Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee and all remaining Confederate forces still active in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, totalling 89,270 soldiers. Confederate troops from all parts of North Carolina served in virtually all the major battles of the Army of Northern Virginia ,
7314-518: The last or penultimate state to officially join the Confederacy. The title of "last to join the Confederacy" has been disputed; although Tennessee's informal secession on May 7, 1861, preceded North Carolina's official secession on May 20, the Tennessee legislature did not formally vote to secede until June 8, 1861. Around 125,000 troops from North Carolina served in the Confederate Army, and about 15,000 North Carolina troops (both black and white) served in Union Army regiments , including those who left
7420-420: The laws and legal journals of North Carolina were handwritten and were kept in a largely disorganized manner, prompting the hiring of Davis. Davis settled in New Bern, married, and in 1755 was appointed by Benjamin Franklin as North Carolina's first postmaster. In October of that year the North Carolina Assembly awarded Davis a contract to carry mail between Wilmington, North Carolina and Suffolk, Virginia . He
7526-454: The mothers were free, their children were born free. Many had migrated or were descendants of migrants from colonial Virginia. As the flow of indentured laborers to the colony decreased with improving economic conditions in Great Britain , planters imported more slaves, and the state's legal delineations between free and slave status tightened, effectively hardening the latter into a racial caste. Conditions for both slaves and workers worsened as
7632-400: The notorious Crop-Lien system developed and was financially difficult on landless whites and blacks, due to high amounts of usury. Also due to the push for commodity agriculture, the free range was ended. Prior to this time people fenced in their crops and had their livestock feeding on the free range areas. After the ending of the free range people now fenced their animals and had their crops in
7738-568: The number one volume store for many mill families, featuring a home delivery truck service, a credit account system, and a fresh meat market. The first organized churches in Spindale were First Baptist in 1917, Methodist in 1919, Presbyterian in 1922, and Spencer Baptist in 1926. In 1930, the Carolina Theater opened on Main Street in Spindale, which could seat 360 patrons and operated until it closed in 1961. The Spindale Sun newspaper
7844-569: The open. Democrats were elected to the legislature and governor's office, but the Populists attracted voters displeased with them. In 1896 a biracial, Populist-Republican Fusionist coalition gained the governor's office and passed laws that would extend the voting franchise to blacks and poor whites. The Democrats regained control of the legislature in 1896 and passed laws to impose Jim Crow and racial segregation of public facilities. Voters of North Carolina's 2nd congressional district elected
7950-437: The ranks of the former eclipsed the latter and expansion of farming operations into former Indigenous territories lowered prices. Unable to establish deep water ports such as at Charles Town and Norfolk, the economy's growth and prosperity was thus based on cheap labor and slave plantation systems, devoted primarily to the production of tobacco, then later cotton and textiles. In 1738–1739 , smallpox caused high fatalities among
8056-546: The reconstruction era, North Carolina had become a one-party state, dominated by the Democratic Party . The state mainly continued with an economy based on tobacco, cotton textiles and commodity agriculture. Large towns and cities remained in few numbers. However, a major industrial base emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century, in the counties of the Piedmont Triad , based on cotton mills established at
8162-432: The six forts in the interior, including Fort San Juan. Although the Spanish never returned to the interior, this effort marked the first European attempt at colonization of the interior of what became the United States. A 16th-century journal by Pardo's scribe Bandera, and archaeological findings since 1986 at Joara, have confirmed the settlement. In 1584, Elizabeth I granted a charter to Sir Walter Raleigh , for whom
8268-415: The social system was looser. By 1810, nearly three percent of the free population consisted of free people of color, who numbered slightly more than 10,000. The western areas of North Carolina were mainly white families of European descent, especially Scotch-Irish , who operated small subsistence farms. In the early national period, the state became a center of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy , with
8374-439: The state capital beginning in 1722, followed by New Bern becoming the capital in 1766. Construction of Tryon Palace , which served as the residence and offices of the provincial governor William Tryon , began in 1767 and was completed in 1771. In 1788, Raleigh was chosen as the site of the new capital, as its central location protected it from coastal attacks. Officially established in 1792 as both county seat and state capital,
8480-408: The state capital is named, for land in present-day North Carolina (then part of the territory of Virginia ). It was the second American territory that the English attempted to colonize. Raleigh established two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s, but both failed. The colony established in 1587 saw 118 colonists 'disappear' when John White was unable to return from a supply run during battles with
8586-604: The state from the 18th until the 20th century. Eastern North Carolina was settled chiefly by immigrants from rural England and Gaelic speakers from the Scottish Highlands . The Piedmont upcountry and western mountain region of North Carolina was settled chiefly by Scots-Irish , English, and German Protestants, the so-called " cohee ". Arriving during the mid-to-late 18th century, the Scots-Irish, people of Scottish descent who migrated to and then emigrated from what
8692-527: The state in 1711, known as Cary's Rebellion . In 1712, North Carolina became a separate colony, and in 1729 it became a royal colony, with the exception of the Earl Granville holdings. In June 1718, Queen Anne's Revenge , the flagship of pirate Blackbeard , ran aground at Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, in present-day Carteret County . After the grounding, her crew and supplies were transferred to smaller ships. In November 1718, after appealing to
8798-580: The state legislature in 1870, in part by Ku Klux Klan violence and terrorism at the polls, to suppress black voting. Republicans were elected to the governorship until 1876, when the Red Shirts , a paramilitary organization that arose in 1874 and was allied with the Democratic Party , helped suppress black voting. More than 150 black Americans were murdered in electoral violence in 1876. Post–Civil War-debt cycles pushed people to switch from subsistence agriculture to commodity agriculture. Among this time
8904-501: The state to join Union regiments elsewhere. Over 30,000 North Carolina troops died from combat or disease during the war. Elected in 1862, Governor Zebulon Baird Vance tried to maintain state autonomy against Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond . The state government was reluctant to support the demands of the national government in Richmond , and the state was the scene of only small battles. In 1865, Durham County saw
9010-473: The state. They were also mainly concentrated in the eastern coastal plain, especially at port cities such as Wilmington and New Bern, where a variety of jobs were available. Most were descendants from free African Americans who had migrated along with neighbors from Virginia during the 18th century. The majority were the descendants of unions in the working classes between white women, indentured servants or free, and African men, indentured, slave or free. After
9116-462: The state. All of these men either had remained loyal to the Crown or aided Charles's restoration to the English throne after Cromwell . In 1712, owing to disputes over governance, the Carolina colony split into North Carolina and South Carolina . North Carolina became a crown colony in 1729. Most of the English colonists had arrived as indentured servants , hiring themselves out as laborers for
9222-454: The territory of South Carolina was originally known as the Province of North Carolina . The northern and southern parts of the original province separated in 1712, with North Carolina becoming a royal colony in 1729. Originally settled by small farmers, sometimes having a few slaves, who were oriented toward subsistence agriculture , the colony lacked large cities or towns. Pirates menaced
9328-563: The town was $ 13,789. About 12.5% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 21.0% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over. Spindale is home to Isothermal Community College , a two-year community college, named for its location in the thermal belt, and a part of the North Carolina Community College system. WNCW , a noncommercial radio station affiliated with NPR , broadcasts from Isothermal Community College on
9434-482: The town. At the 2000 census there were 4,022 people, 1,662 households, and 1,065 families in the town. The population density was 726.8 inhabitants per square mile (280.6/km). There were 1,887 housing units at an average density of 341.0 per square mile (131.7/km). The racial makeup of the town was 72.8% White, 24.9% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44%. Of
9540-482: The twelfth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution . After 1800, cotton and tobacco became important export crops. The eastern half of the state, especially the Coastal Plain region, developed a slave society based on a plantation system and slave labor. Planters owning large estates wielded significant political and socio-economic power in antebellum North Carolina. They placed their interests above those of
9646-491: The war effort in some capacity. 149 Rutherford County natives died in the war, proportionately 3.5 times as many losses as other counties. The first soldier from Rutherford County to die in the war was SFC Mark Alexander Rhodes, who died aboard the USS Arizona during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor . In May 1989, Rutherford County was hit by an EF4 tornado from a storm that came out of South Carolina . This tornado
9752-555: The war took place at King's Mountain along the North Carolina–South Carolina border; on October 7, 1780, a force of 1,000 Patriots from western North Carolina (including what is today the state of Tennessee ) and southwest Virginia overwhelmed a force of some 1,000 British troops led by Major Patrick Ferguson . Most of the soldiers fighting for the British side in this battle were Carolinians who had remained loyal to
9858-413: The western, mountainous part of the state has a subtropical highland climate . North Carolina was inhabited for at least 10,000 years by succeeding prehistoric Indigenous cultures. The Hardaway Site saw major periods of occupation dating to 10,000 years BCE. Before 200 AD, people were building earthwork platform mounds for ceremonial and religious purposes. Succeeding peoples, including those of
9964-498: The white Republican mayor and aldermen. They installed their own people and elected Alfred M. Waddell as mayor, in the only successful coup d'état in United States history . In 1899, the state legislature passed a new constitution, with requirements for poll taxes and literacy tests for voter registration which disenfranchised most black Americans in the state. Exclusion from voting had wide effects: it meant black Americans could not serve on juries or in any local office. After
10070-596: The world's first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina's Outer Banks . North Carolina often uses the slogan "First in Flight" on state license plates to commemorate this achievement, alongside a newer alternative design bearing the slogan "First in Freedom" in reference to the Mecklenburg Declaration and Halifax Resolves. North Carolina
10176-463: Was $ 16,270. About 10.40% of families and 13.90% of the population were below the poverty line , including 18.30% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over. As of 1983, the largest ancestry/ethnicity groups in Rutherford County were: Rutherford is currently a powerfully Republican county. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Rutherford County since Jimmy Carter did so in 1976. Before 1928 when Herbert Hoover won it, however,
10282-502: Was 112 people per square mile (43 people/km ). There were 29,535 housing units at an average density of 52 units per square mile (20 units/km ). The county's racial makeup was 86.79% White , 11.23% Black or African American , 0.20% Native American , 0.22% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.67% from other races , and 0.74% from two or more races. 1.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 25,191 households, out of which 30.00% had children under
10388-468: Was Colonel John L. McDowell. The underlying economic and racial tensions led to events like the Forest City lynching . During this period of upheaval, when family and political feuds had been recently inflamed by the Civil War, Rutherford County experienced a rash of violence wreaked by the KKK , but local investigations in Rutherford County led to the prosecution of over 300 hundred Klan members and by 1872,
10494-711: Was also active in North Carolina politics as a member of the Assembly and later as the Sheriff. Davis also founded and printed the North-Carolina Gazette , North Carolina's first newspaper, printed in his printing house in New Bern. Differences in the settlement patterns of eastern and western North Carolina, or the Atlantic coastal plain and uplands, affected the political, economic, and social life of
10600-521: Was established in 1941. Spindale is located along U.S. Route 221A between Forest City to the southeast and Rutherfordton to the west. U.S. Route 74A passes through the southern part of town. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14 km), all of it land. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 4,225 people, 1,564 households, and 938 families residing in
10706-670: Was founded in 1787 to be the new county seat. The county and town are named for Griffith Rutherford , leader of an expedition against the Cherokee in 1776 and a general in the American Revolutionary War . In 1791 parts of Rutherford County and Burke County were combined to form Buncombe County . In 1841 parts of Rutherford and Lincoln counties were combined to form Cleveland County . In 1842, additional parts of Rutherford and Burke counties were combined to form McDowell County . Finally, in 1855, parts of Rutherford and Henderson counties were combined to form Polk County . In 1790,
10812-628: Was less available. Nathaniel Batts was documented as one of the first of these Virginian migrants. He settled south of the Chowan River and east of the Great Dismal Swamp in 1655. By 1663, this northeastern area of the Province of Carolina , known as the Albemarle Settlements , was undergoing full-scale English settlement. During the same period, the English monarch Charles II gave provincial land grants to
10918-520: Was part of the May 1989 tornado outbreak , that hit the states of Georgia , South Carolina , North Carolina , and Virginia . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 567.25 square miles (1,469.2 km ), of which 565.44 square miles (1,464.5 km ) is land and 1.81 square miles (4.7 km ) (0.32%) is water. In addition to gold and platinum, minerals like rock crystal , garnet , tourmaline , slate , wolframite , and
11024-479: Was selected as the location for a new $ 450 million data center for Facebook . Horsehead Corporation announced the construction of its new, state-of-the-art zinc and diversified metals production facility in Rutherford County, NC, near the municipality of Forest City. Rutherford County has a tourism industry which includes areas like Lake Lure and Chimney Rock . Several films have been shot in Rutherford County, including Firestarter (1984) , The Last of
11130-568: Was some military action, especially in 1780–81. Many Carolinian frontiersmen had moved west over the mountains, into the Washington District (later known as Tennessee ), but in 1789, following the Revolution, the state was persuaded to relinquish its claim to the western lands. It ceded them to the national government so the Northwest Territory could be organized and managed nationally. A major American victory in
11236-623: Was the last Confederate port to fall to the Union, in February 1865, after the Union won the nearby Second Battle of Fort Fisher , its major defense downriver. The first Confederate soldier to be killed in the Civil War was Private Henry Wyatt from North Carolina, in the Battle of Big Bethel in June 1861. At the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, the 26th North Carolina Regiment participated in Pickett/Pettigrew's Charge and advanced
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