Alexander County, North Carolina
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Alexander County is a
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
established in the U.S. state of
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
in 1847. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,444. Its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is Taylorsville. Alexander County is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.


History

Alexander County was formed in 1847 from portions of what were then Iredell (formed in 1788 from Rowan County), Caldwell (formed from Burke County in 1841), and Wilkes (formed from Surry County and
Washington District The Washington District is a Norfolk Southern Railway line in the U.S. state of Virginia that connects Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria and Lynchburg, Virginia, Lynchburg. Most of the line was originally built from 1850 to 1860 by the Orange and ...
in 1771) counties. Alexander County was named for William Julius Alexander who was a
Speaker of the North Carolina House of Commons The Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives is the presiding officer of one of the houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The Speaker is elected by the members of the house when they first convene for their regular session, ...
. This Piedmont area was settled primarily by farmers, many of Scots-Irish descent, as well as German descent in the southern section of Alexander County. The county was established by two acts of the
North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...
, one ratified on January 15 and one ratified on January 18, 1847. These acts were not to take effect until it was determined that Caldwell County would have 5,000 people in it. On August 10–11, 1847, the first sale of land in the county seat (Taylorsville) took place. Taylorsville is the namesake of either
John Louis Taylor John Louis Taylor (March 1, 1769 – January 29, 1829) was an American jurist and first chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Born in London, England, he is the only foreign-born Chief Justice in state history. He was brought to Amer ...
, Carolina agriculturist and political philosopher, or General
Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...
, the twelfth president of the United States. With the proceeds from the sale, the county built the first courthouse on the present site., Alternate: When the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
began in 1861, Alexander County was fourteen years old. The court house records in Taylorsville were destroyed by troops under Major General
George Stoneman George Stoneman Jr. (August 8, 1822 – September 5, 1894) was a United States Army cavalry officer and politician who served as the fifteenth Governor of California from 1883 to 1887. He was trained at West Point, where his roommate was Stonewall ...
in a raid on Easter Sunday in 1865. The
Alexander Railroad The Alexander Railroad Company is a Class III shortline railroad operating in North Carolina. The railroad has of track that runs northwest from Statesville to Taylorsville, North Carolina. History The Alexander Railroad began operations ...
based in Taylorsville began in 1946, with one connection to
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the ...
in
Statesville, North Carolina Statesville is a city in and the county seat of Iredell County, North Carolina, United States, and it is part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. Statesville was established in 1789 by an act of the North Carolina Legislature. The population was r ...
. The short line rail system operates between Taylorsville and Statesville.


Geography

According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.4%) is water. Alexander County is located within the Foothills region of
western North Carolina Western North Carolina (often abbreviated as WNC) is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains; it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It contains the highest mountains in the Eastern United S ...
. The county's main geographic feature is the Brushy Mountains, a deeply eroded spur of the
Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
to the west. The "Brushies," as they are called locally, rise from 300 to above the surrounding countryside, and dominate the county's northern horizon. The highest point in Alexander County is Hickory Knob in the Brushies; it has an elevation of above sea level. Barrett Mountain, an isolated mountain ridge, is in the western part of the county. The remainder of Alexander County's terrain consists of gently rolling countryside. The county's largest river, the
Catawba Catawba may refer to: *Catawba people, a Native American tribe in the Carolinas *Catawba language, a language in the Catawban languages family *Catawban languages Botany *Catalpa, a genus of trees, based on the name used by the Catawba and other N ...
, forms its southern border. Within Alexander County is the unincorporated town of
Hiddenite Hiddenite is a pale-to-emerald green variety of spodumene that is sometimes used as a gemstone. The first specimens of the hiddenite variety of spodumene were recovered about 1879 near the tiny settlement of White Plains, west of Stony Point, A ...
, the location of a
mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging * Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun ...
that yields
emerald Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr. and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991) ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York, p ...
s,
sapphire Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sapphir ...
s, and its namesake stone "hiddenite," a variety of
spodumene Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral consisting of lithium aluminium inosilicate, Li Al( Si O3)2, and is a source of lithium. It occurs as colorless to yellowish, purplish, or lilac kunzite (see below), yellowish-green or emerald-green hiddenite, pri ...
. The county is served by US Highway 64, a controlled-access roadway connecting Taylorsville with Lenoir and Statesville. NC Highways 90, 16, and 127 also serve the county. Interstate 40 and 77 are 30 minutes from the majority of county residents. The
Charlotte Douglas International Airport Charlotte Douglas International Airport ( IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles we ...
is an hour's drive from most parts of the county. The area is also served by the Hickory Regional Airport (30 minutes) and the Statesville Airport (20 minutes). The
Alexander Railroad The Alexander Railroad Company is a Class III shortline railroad operating in North Carolina. The railroad has of track that runs northwest from Statesville to Taylorsville, North Carolina. History The Alexander Railroad began operations ...
Company is an active short-line rail system operating between Taylorsville and Statesville, and connecting with
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the ...
.


State and local protected area

*
Rocky Face Mountain Recreational Area ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess M ...


Major water bodies

*
Catawba River The Catawba River originates in Western North Carolina and flows into South Carolina, where it later becomes known as the Wateree River. The river is approximately 220 miles (350 km) long. It rises in the Appalachian Mountains and drains into ...
* Cub Creek * Duck Creek * Elk Shoals Creek *
Grassy Creek (Elkin Creek tributary) Grassy Creek is a long 2nd order tributary to Elkin Creek in Wilkes and Surry Counties, North Carolina. Course Grassy Creek rises about 0.25 miles northwest of State Road in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Grassy Creek then takes a southerly ...
* Lake Hickory * Lookout Shoals Lake * Lower Little River * Middle Little River * Mill Creek * Muddy Fork * Rink Lake * Rock Creek * Rocky Creek * Shuford Pond *
South Yadkin River The South Yadkin River is a long river that flows through Alexander, Davie, Iredell, Rowan, and Wilkes counties of North Carolina. The mouth is located north of High Rock Lake, where the South Yadkin River meets the Yadkin River. Major citi ...
*
Spring Creek A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring creek may additionally be ...
* Third Creek *
Wallace Creek Wallace Creek is a stream in Bandera County, Texas and Kerr County, Texas, in the United States. Wallace Creek was named in the 1850s for Bigfoot Wallace, who owned land near there. See also *List of rivers of Texas The list of rivers of Texas ...
* White Creek


Adjacent counties

* Wilkes County - north * Iredell County - east *
Catawba County Catawba County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 160,610. Its county seat is Newton, and its largest city is Hickory. The county is part of the Hickory– Lenoir– Morganton, NC Metrop ...
- south * Caldwell County - west


Major highways

* * * (
Truck Route A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...
) * *


Major infrastructure

* The county is served by one railroad, the Alexander Railroad Company.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the
2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 36,444 people, 14,169 households, and 10,232 families residing in the county.


2000 census

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 33,603 people, 13,137 households, and 9,747 families residing in the county. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 129 people per square mile (50/km2). There were 14,098 housing units at an average density of 54 per square mile (21/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.00%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 4.63%
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
or
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.15% Native American, 1.04%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 1.34% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.84% from two or more races. 2.50% of the population were
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race. There were 13,137 households, out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.80% were non-families. 21.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.40% 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 2.95. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.50% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,684, and the median income for a family was $45,691. Males had a median income of $29,857 versus $21,868 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the county was $18,507. About 5.90% of families and 8.50% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 10.20% of those under age 18 and 14.60% of those age 65 or over.


Government and politics

Alexander is currently a powerfully Republican county in Presidential elections. The only Democrat to carry the county in the past nineteen Presidential contests has been
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
in 1976, although
Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...
won the county by a mere thirty-eight votes in 1964. In contrast,
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
in 2016 obtained barely twenty percent of the county's vote. The county did vote mainly Democratic during the
Third Party System In the terminology of historians and political scientists, the Third Party System was a period in the history of political parties in the United States from the 1850s until the 1890s, which featured profound developments in issues of American n ...
, but
Populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
sentiments in the 1890s have meant the county has supported the party only five times since 1896. Alexander County is a member of the regional Western Piedmont Council of Governments.


Communities


Town

* Taylorsville (county seat, since 1847): First post master was Alexander C. McIntosh. Post office since 11/26/1847. Formerly called James Cross Roads in Iredell County prior to 1847.


Townships

By the requirements of the North Carolina Constitution of 1868, counties were divided into non-functioning county subdivisions called townships. There are eight
townships A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
in Alexander County: * Ellendale * Gwaltneys * Little River * Millers * Sharpes * Sugar Loaf * Taylorsville * Wittenburg


Census-designated places

*
Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
(largest community) *
Hiddenite Hiddenite is a pale-to-emerald green variety of spodumene that is sometimes used as a gemstone. The first specimens of the hiddenite variety of spodumene were recovered about 1879 near the tiny settlement of White Plains, west of Stony Point, A ...
: First postmaster was Quintis C. Patterson. Post office since February 10, 1888. * Stony Point: First postmaster was John A. Murchison. Post office since October 21, 1847.


Unincorporated communities

Unincorporated communities in Alexander County include: * Drumstand: Site of Drumstand community building * Ellendale: The first postmaster was William S. McLeod. Post office from July 1, 1880, to January 30, 1904. *
Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...
: The first postmaster was Burton Reid. Post office from November 10, 1852, to September 15, 1906. 1841 to 1847 part of Caldwell County, part of Burke County before 1841. * Millersville * Sugar Loaf *
Vashti Vashti ( he, , translit=Vaštī; ; ) was a queen of Persia and the first wife of Persian king Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther, a book included within the Tanakh and the Old Testament which is read on the Jewish holiday of Purim. She was either e ...
: The first postmaster was Humphrey T. Cambell. Post office from February 12, 1886, to March 31, 1903. * Wittenburg(s): The first postmaster was Joseph B. Bradburn. Post office from May 31, 1848, to March 15, 1909. Before 1847, part of Caldwell County.


Population ranking

The population of cities, towns, and Census Designated Places (CDP) is shown in the following table is based on the 2021 Estimates of Alexander County.


Historic post offices and other sites

Historical post offices that were part of Alexander County include: * Mount Pisgah: First postmaster was Reuben O. Bennett. Post office from April 9, 1849, to April 15, 1909. * Elk Shoal: First postmaster was Ephraim M. Alexander. Post office from March 5, 1852, to November 26, 1852. Post office changed to Elk Shoal #2 on September 27, 1858, with David M. Moore as post master. Became part of Iredell County in 1868. Changed to Elk Shoal #3 in 1881 and became part of Alexander County. New postmaster was Nicholas L. Norton on August 4, 1881. Post office discontinued on January 15, 1901. * York Collegiate Institute: First postmaster was Richard W. York. Post office from December 13, 1855, to April 2, 1859. Name was changed to Montane Female Academy on April 2, 1859, with Thaddeus L. Troy as postmaster until November 28, 1859, when the name was changed back to York Collegiate Institute with Harrison L. Smith as postmaster. Post office discontinued on December 4, 1903. * Salem Grove: First postmaster was William W. Teague. Post office lasted from August 7 to August 9, 1872. * Jumping Run: First postmaster was James F. Gryder. Post office from August 15, 1871, to October 15, 1872. * Cedar Run: First postmaster was John H. Ellis. Post office from February 9, 1876, to September 14, 1903. * Little River: First postmaster was Burton Reid. Post office from November 10, 1952, to September 15, 1906. Formerly in Burke County before 1841 and Caldwell County in 1841. * Mount Bethel: First postmaster was Adam P. Bohick. Post office from May 8, 1876, to March 15, 1913. * Barnetts Mountain: First postmaster was David L. Mitchell. Post office from December 29, 1876, to April 13, 1881. * Kilby: First postmaster was Leander R. Goforth. Post office from May 3, 1880, to May 15, 1905. * Pilgrim: First postmaster was William E. Millsope. Post office from June 30, 1880, to October 15, 1882. * Bentley: First postmaster was William W. Teague. Post office from January 24, 1881, to September 30, 1941. * Hedrick: First postmaster was Edward L. Hedrick. Post office from October 7, 1881, to September 30, 1903. * Broad Shoals: First postmaster was Thomas Little. Post office from October 31, 1881, to November 15, 1904. * Grade: First postmaster was John P. Brewer. Post office from June 11, 1882, to May 15, 1900. Originally Iredell County and became Alexander County in 1888.


Other historic sites

* Old Jail Museum: 1919 jail in Taylorsville, now a museum * Lucas Mansion: Restored turn of the century home of James "Diamond Jim" Lucas in Hiddenite Center * Friendship Church: Lutheran and Evangelical church organized in 1833, near Taylorsville * Linney's Mill: Built in 1790 by Richard Cook. Located on the northeast corner of Alexander County, it is still operational. * Little River Baptist Church: first association meeting in 1771 (in what became Alexander County in 1847), church erected in 1786, originally called "Old Meeting House"


See also

*
List of counties in North Carolina __NOTOC__ The U.S. state of North Carolina is divided into 100 counties. North Carolina ranks 28th in size by area, but has the seventh-highest number of counties in the country. Following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, King Charles ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Alexander County, North Carolina This list includes properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Alexander County, North Carolina, United States. Click the "Map of all coordinates" link to the right to view an online map of all properties and ...
* List of Highway Historical Markers in Alexander County, North Carolina * :People from Alexander County, North Carolina


References

* * *


External links

* {{authority control Charlotte metropolitan area Western North Carolina