Gibson is a town in Scotland County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 540 at the 2010 census.

History

Gibson was originally located in

Richmond County, North Carolina Richmond County is a county located on the central southern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,946. Its county seat is Rockingham. History Early history The earliest inhabitants of the ...

. A post office was built in the area in 1846, and the town was named for its first postmaster, Noah Gibson. In 1883 the

Raleigh and Augusta Air Line Railroad The Raleigh and Augusta Air Line Railroad was a North Carolina railroad that operated in the second half of the 19th century. History Early years The Raleigh and Augusta Air Line Railroad traces its history back to the early 1850s, when the line w ...

made plans to build a

spur line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industri ...

to Gibson to bring goods to the locale and ship

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

out from local residents to markets. In anticipation of the railroad connection, Gibson residents erected a depot, hotel, academy, and several additional stores. The spur was built in 1884 and opened on July 1 with daily rail service to

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

. In 1891 the

Charleston, Sumter and Northern Railroad The Charleston, Sumter and Northern Railroad was a South Carolina railroad that operated at the end of the 19th century. The line was originally chartered in 1885 by the South Carolina General Assembly as the Eutawville Railroad. The name was cha ...

line from

Bennettsville, South Carolina Bennettsville is a city located in the U.S. state of South Carolina on the Great Pee Dee River. As the county seat of Marlboro County, Bennettsville is noted for its historic homes and buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries—including ...

was linked to the Air Line at the Gibson depot. Scotland County was created in 1899 and Gibson became a part of the new jurisdiction. The town was incorporated that year. In 1904 a bank was established. A civic ruritan club was founded in 1946. The rail depot was later restored and turned into a community center.

Geography

Gibson is located at (34.760311, -79.607352). According to the

United States 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 town has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

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 584 people, 213 households, and 146 families residing in the town. 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 595.1 people per square mile (230.1/km²). There were 247 housing units at an average density of 251.7 per square mile (97.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 49.66%

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 ...

, 42.12%

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 ...

, 6.85% Native American, 0.68% 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 0.68% from two or more races.

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 ...

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 were 0.86% of the population. There were 213 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% 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, 23.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.37. In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.4% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $21,696, and the median income for a family was $27,125. Males had a median income of $27,143 versus $19,167 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 town was $15,542. About 24.1% of families and 23.6% 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 36.6% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.

References

Works cited

* * * {{authority control Towns in Scotland County, North Carolina Towns in North Carolina