Stanly County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 62,504. 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 Albemarle. Stanly County comprises the Albemarle, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

, NC-

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

History

The site of modern-day Stanly County was originally peopled by small tribes of hunter-gatherers and Mound Builders whose artifacts and settlements have been dated back nearly 10,000 years. Large-scale European settlement of the region came in the mid-18th century via two primary waves: immigrants of Dutch, Scots-Irish and German descent moved from Pennsylvania and New Jersey seeking enhanced religious and political tolerance, while immigrants of English backgrounds came to the region from Virginia and the Cape Fear River Basin in Eastern North Carolina. In early English colonial times, the Stanly County area was politically part of the New Hanover Precinct, out of which the Bladen Precinct was created in 1734. The renamed Bladen County was subdivided to create Anson County in 1750, which in turn spawned Montgomery County in 1779. Stanly County was formed in 1841 from the part of Montgomery County west of the Pee Dee River. It was named for John Stanly of

New Bern New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...

(1774–1834), who served several terms in the

North Carolina House of Commons The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

and two terms (1801–1803, 1809–1811) in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Hanging of Alec Whitley

Whitley was accused of theft and murder in Stanly County and also in Arkansas. Following a short manhunt through several states, he was captured by a local posse near Big Lick in 1892. Shortly after his capture and incarceration a mob of angry citizens gathered at the jail to demand Whitley be turned over to them. Sheriff Snuggs had been alerted to the mob's intention and he transferred all the prisoners from the jail to his own home across the street—except Whitley, who was seized by the mob, beaten, an
hanged from a tree off South Street
in Albemarle.

Name

Research by Chris Bramlett indicates that John Stanly had no connection with the area named for him, but that the name was chosen to please state legislators. Bramlett also believed that Stanly's father John Wright Stanly was named Stanley and changed the spelling. Because the county's name was often misspelled, in 1971 the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation making the "Stanly" spelling official.

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 (2.4%) is water.

National protected area

Uwharrie National Forest Uwharrie National Forest ( ) Talk Like A Tarheel
from the North Car ...

(part)

State and local protected areas

* Badin Lake Park * City Lake Park * Locust City Park *

Morrow Mountain State Park Morrow Mountain State Park is a state park in Stanly County, North Carolina, U.S. Located near Albemarle, the park includes within the Uwharrie Mountains. Geography Morrow Mountain is one of the highest peaks in the Uwharrie Mountains of ...

* Roger F. Snyder Greenway * Town of Oakboro District Park

Major water bodies

Badin Lake Badin Lake is one of a series of lakes created by the damming of the Yadkin- Pee Dee River in the Uwharrie Lakes Region of the United States. The Badin Lake Dam was built in 1917 to support local aluminum smelting plant, Alcoa, and the associa ...

* Big Bear Creek * Island Creek *

Lake Tillery Lake Tillery is a reservoir between Falls Reservoir and Blewett Falls Lake in the Uwharrie Lakes Region of North Carolina. It is entirely within Stanly County and Montgomery County, NC. The lake was created by impounding the Pee Dee River, which ...

* Little Bear Creek * Little Creek * Little Long Creek * Long Creek * Long Lake * Mountain Creek * Pee Dee River * Riles Creek * Rocky River *

Yadkin River The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina, flowing . It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river are impounded by dams for water, p ...

Adjacent counties

* Rowan County - north * Davidson County - northeast * Montgomery County - east *

Anson County Anson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,055. Its county seat is Wadesboro. History The county was formed in 1750 from Bladen County. It was named for George Anson, Ba ...

- south * Union County - south *

Richmond County Richmond County may refer to places: Australia *Richmond County, New South Wales, a cadastral division Canada *Richmond County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Richmondshire, the original Richmond County in Yorkshire, England United States ...

- southeast * Cabarrus County - west

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Major infrastructure

Stanly County Airport Stanly County Airport is a county-owned, joint civil-military, public-use airport in Stanly County, North Carolina, United States. It is located four nautical miles (5 mi, 7 km) northeast of the central business district of Albema ...

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 62,504 people, 23,332 households, and 16,569 families residing in the county.

2010 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 in ...

of 2010, there were 60,585 people. In 2000 there were 22,223 households, and 16,156 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 147 people per square mile (57/km²). There were 24,582 housing units at an average density of 62 per square mile (24/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.67%

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 o ...

, 11.46%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.25% Native American, 1.81% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.01% 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 0.79% from two or more races. 2.13% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 22,223 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% 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 3.00. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.00% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $36,898, and the median income for a family was $43,956. Males had a median income of $31,444 versus $21,585 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 $17,825. About 8.10% of families and 10.70% 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 14.10% of those under age 18 and 10.30% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Stanly County is a member of the regional Centralina Council of Governments. The current sheriff of Stanly County is Jeff Crisco.

Politics

Stanly is currently a solidly Republican county. It has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1944, with the sole exception of 1976 when Southern Democrat Jimmy Carter carried the county. It did vote Democratic in every election from 1876 to 1900, but since then it has voted solidly Republican except in the 1912 Wilson and 1932 to 1940 Franklin Roosevelt landslides, and with southerners

John W. Davis John William Davis (April 13, 1873 – March 24, 1955) was an American politician, diplomat and lawyer. He served under President Woodrow Wilson as the Solicitor General of the United States and the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom ...

and Carter heading the Democratic tickets.

Education

Universities

Pfeiffer University Pfeiffer University is a private university in Misenheimer, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. History Pfeiffer originated from a home school operated by Miss Emily Prudden in the late 19th century. The schoo ...

"Falcons" * Stanly Community College "Eagles"

High schools

* Carolina Christian School "Lions" * Gray Stone Day School "Knights" * North Stanly High School "Comets" * South Stanly High School "Bulls" * Albemarle High School "Bulldogs" * Stanly Early College "Tigers" *

West Stanly High School West Stanly High School is a public high school located at 306 East Red Cross Rd. in Oakboro, North Carolina, United States. The school is part of the Stanly County Schools district. Its official mascot is the Colt. History In 1962, four county ...

"Colts" * Stanly Academy Learning Center

Middle schools

* Albemarle Middle School "Bulldogs * Carolina Christian School "Lions" * North Stanly Middle School "Comets" * South Stanly Middle School "Rebels" * West Stanly Middle School "Colts"

Elementary schools

* Aquadale Elementary "Little Bulls" * Badin Elementary "Watts" * Carolina Christian School "Lions" * Central Elementary "Bulldogs" * East Albemarle Elementary "Bullpups" * Endy Elementary "Redskins" * Locust Elementary "Colts" * Millingport Elementary "Wildcats" * Norwood Elementary "Patriots" * Oakboro Elementary "Eagles" * Richfield Elementary "Tigers" * Stanfield Elementary "Wildcats"

Media

The area is served by '' The Weekly Post'', a weekly newspaper. It is also served by '' The Stanly News and Press'', a tri-weekly newspaper that also posts local news on its website, www.thesnaponline.com. There are 2 radio stations locally owned by Stanly Communications, Inc
WSPC
broadcasts at 1010 AM and 107.3 FM, and the current format is primarily news and conservative talk radio.

broadcasts at 1580AM and 103.3 FM, and primarily plays music from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

Communities

Cities

* Albemarle (county seat and largest city) *

Locust Locusts (derived from the Vulgar Latin ''locusta'', meaning grasshopper) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstanc ...

Towns

Badin Badin ( Sindhi and ur, ) is the main city and capital of Badin District in Sindh, Pakistan. It lies east of the Indus River. It is the 87th largest city in Pakistan. Badin is often called 'Sugar State' due to its production of sugar. Badi ...

* Misenheimer *

New London New London may refer to: Places United States *New London, Alabama *New London, Connecticut *New London, Indiana *New London, Iowa *New London, Maryland *New London, Minnesota *New London, Missouri *New London, New Hampshire, a New England town ** ...

* Norwood * Oakboro *

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...

* Richfield * Stanfield

Townships

* Almond * Big Lick * Center * Endy * Furr * Harris * North Albemarle * Ridenhour * South Albemarle * Tyson

Census-designated places

* Aquadale * Millingport

Other unincorporated communities

* Beetsville * Big Lick * Cottonville * Endy *

Finger A finger is a limb of the body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of most of the Tetrapods, so also with humans and other primates. Most land vertebrates have five fingers ( Pentadactyly). Chambers ...

* Frog Pond * Lambert * Palestine * Palmerville * Plyler * Porter * Ridgecrest * Tuckertown * Kingville

References

External links

*
NCGenWeb Stanly County
- free genealogy resources for the county {{authority control 1841 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1841