Martin County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,031. Its county seat is Williamston.

History

The county was formed in 1774 from the southeastern part of Halifax County and the western part of

Tyrrell County Tyrrell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,245, making it the least populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Columbia. The county was created in 1729 as Tyr ...

. It was named for

Josiah Martin Josiah Martin (23 April 1737 – 13 April 1786) was a British Army officer and colonial official who served as the ninth and last British governor of North Carolina from 1771 to 1776. Early life and career Martin was born in Dublin, Ireland, ...

, the last royal

governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The governor directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander in chief of the military forces of the state. The current governor, ...

(1771–75). Whereas

Dobbs County Dobbs County, North Carolina was a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. History Dobbs County was formed in 1758 from Johnston County, though the legislative act that created it did not become effective until April 10, 1759. It wa ...

and Tryon County, named for Martin's predecessors Arthur Dobbs and William Tryon, were abolished after American independence, Martin County was neither abolished nor renamed, a fact which has been attributed to the popularity of

Alexander Martin Alexander Martin (October 17, 1740November 2, 1807) was the fourth and seventh Governor of North Carolina from 1782 to 1784 and from 1789 to 1792. As a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Martin is considered a Founding Father ...

, twice governor of the state (1782–84, 1789–92). The Martin County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

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 (0.06%) is water.

State and local protected areas/sites

Fort Branch Confederate Earthen Fort Civil War Site A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

* Foxtale Hunting Preserve * Lower Roanoke River Wetlands Game Land *

Jamesville Wildlife Preserve Jamesville can refer to *Jamesville, New York * Jamesville, North Carolina * Jamesville, Pennsylvania *Jamesville, Virginia *Hamilton, Ontario has a neighborhood called Jamesville *Yankton County, South Dakota Yankton County is a county in the ...

Major water bodies

* Conoho Creek * Etheridge Creek * Gardiners Creek * Hardison Mill Creek * Long Creek * Roanoke River * Smithwick Creek * Tranters Creek * Welch Creek

Adjacent counties

Bertie County Bertie County ( , with both syllables stressed) is a county located in the northeast area of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,934. Its county seat is Windsor. The county was created in 1722 as Berti ...

– northeast * Washington County – east * Beaufort County – southeast *

Pitt County Pitt County is a county located in the inner banks (northeastern part) of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 170,243, making it the fourteenth-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is ...

– southwest *

Edgecombe County Edgecombe County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,900. Its county seat is Tarboro. Edgecombe County is part of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

– west * Halifax County – northwest

Major highways

* (Concurrency with US 64 and US 17) * * * * * * * * * * * *

Major infrastructure

Marin County Airport Marin County Airport or Gnoss Field , formerly O56, is a public airport two miles northeast of Novato, California, United States. It covers , and has one runway and one helipad. Most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier fo ...

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 22,031 people, 9,378 households, and 6,195 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 25,593 people, 10,020 households, and 7,194 families residing in the county. The population density was 56 people per square mile (21/km²). There were 10,930 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 52.54% White, 45.37% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.24%

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 ...

, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 2.06% of the population were Hispanic 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 10,020 households, out of which 31.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.30% 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, 17.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.50% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 86.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,793, and the median income for a family was $35,428. Males had a median income of $29,818 versus $19,167 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,102. About 16.30% of families and 20.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.50% of those under age 18 and 25.70% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Martin County is a member of the Mid-East Commission regional council of governments.

Politics

Martin County is a historically Democratic county; in 2004, it voted Republican for only the fourth time, the first three having been in the Republican landslides of 1872, 1972, and 1984. Barack Obama won the county back for the Democratic Party in both 2008 and 2012, but in 2016, it narrowly backed Donald Trump. In 2020, it narrowly supported Trump again, voting for a losing Republican nominee for the first time ever. On the same day, Martin County voted to reelect Democratic Governor Roy Cooper in the North Carolina gubernatorial election.

Education

The primary and secondary

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

functions are performed by Martin County Schools, a district covering the entire county.

Martin Community College Martin Community College is a public community college in Williamston, North Carolina. It is part of the North Carolina Community College System. History Martin Technical Institute Foundation Inc was founded in 1972 to secure funding for a comm ...

is located in Williamston.

Communities

Towns

Bear Grass ''Xerophyllum tenax'' is a North American species of plants in the corn lily family. It is known by several common names, including bear grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass. Ecology ''Xerophyllum tenax'' has flowers with si ...

* Everetts *

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

* Hassell * Jamesville * Oak City * Parmele * Robersonville * Williamston (county seat and largest town)

Townships

* Bear Grass * Cross Roads * Goose Nest * Griffins * Hamilton * Jamesville * Poplar Point * Robersonville * Williams * Williamston

Notable people

Annie Moore Cherry Annie Moore Cherry (September 21, 1891 – February 1, 1976) was an American professor, author, and playwright. She had multiple roles in education and put together a play for Halifax County schools in 1921, titled ''The Spirit of The Roanoke - ...

Wilber Hardee Wilber Hardee (August 15, 1918 – June 20, 2008) was an American businessman who founded the American fast-food restaurant chain Hardee's, located mostly in the Midwest and Southeast regions. Biography Hardee was born in Martin County, North Car ...

, founder of

Hardee's Hardee's Restaurants LLC is an American fast-food restaurant chain operated by CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. ("CKE") with locations primarily in the Southern and Midwestern United States. The company has evolved through several corporate owne ...

William Drew Robeson I William Drew Robeson I (July 27, 1844 – May 17, 1918) was the minister of Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey from 1880 to 1901 and the father of Paul Robeson. The Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church had been ...

, minister of

Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church was founded in 1839 in Princeton, New Jersey. The church was formed after the Nassau Presbyterian Church allowed 90 of the 131 former African American members to form their own church, after a fire had devast ...

References

External links

NCGenWeb Martin County
– free genealogy resources for the county {{Authority control 1774 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1774