Bladenboro is a town in

Bladen County Bladen County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 1,750.

History

Establishment and early years

Development around Bladenboro, a farming community also known in its earliest days for its

turpentine Turpentine (which is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, terebenthene, terebinthine and (colloquially) turps) is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Mainly used as a special ...

and lumber, began to take off after a railroad was built through the area in 1859. In 1885, brothers R.L. and H.C. Bridger came to Bladenboro from Little River, South Carolina, to operate a turpentine business. They soon became involved in the timber business and operated a cotton gin. The brothers and their descendants would have a major effect on the shaping of the town and its economy for much of the next century. Major businesses, owned and operated by members of the Bridger family and which employed many area residents, have included Bridger Corporation (a farming supply company and general store no longer in operation), Bladenboro Cotton Mills (established in 1912 and later sold to become Highland Mills), and the Bank of Bladenboro (established in 1908 and now part of First Citizens Bank). The town of Bladenboro was incorporated in 1903.

Beast of Bladenboro

In 1954, Bladenboro received national attention for several mysterious animal killings, mostly of dogs and livestock, in the area. The animals had broken jaws and had been drained of blood in a fashion not unlike the supposed attacks of

Chupacabra The chupacabra or chupacabras (, literally 'goat-sucker'; from es, chupar, 'to suck', and , 'goats') is a legendary creature in the folklore of parts of the Americas, with its first purported sightings reported in Puerto Rico in 1995. The ...

. However, sightings describe the attacker as resembling a cat or wolf, which led to the local legend known as the "

Beast of Bladenboro The Beast of Bladenboro refers to a creature responsible for a string of deaths amongst Bladenboro, North Carolina animals in the winter of 1953–54. According to witnesses and trackers, it was likely a wildcat, but its identity was ultimatel ...

." In 2008, the

History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

television series ''

Monster Quest ''MonsterQuest'' (sometimes written as ''Monsterquest'' or ''Monster Quest'') is an American television series that originally aired from October 31, 2007 to March 24, 2010 on the History (American TV channel), History channel. Produced by Whitewol ...

'' performed an analysis concerning these attacks, which were beginning to happen again, and concluded that the attacker might have been a

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. ...

Death of Lennon Lacy

In August 2014, Lennon Lacy, a student attending West Bladen High School, was found dead, hanging from the frame of a swing set in the center of a mobile home community. The death was initially declared a suicide by North Carolina's Chief Medical Examiner, but Lacy's family believed that he had been

lynched Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

. Lacy, who was black, had been dating a white woman, who also believed Lacy had been murdered, and who claimed neighbors had warned her that their interracial relationship was "not right". In December 2014, the FBI announced it would investigate. In June 2016, the conclusion of the FBI investigation was announced, having found "no evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges".

Recent years

Bladenboro's downtown was heavily damaged by hurricanes

Matthew Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Chi ...

and

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

Geography

Bladenboro is located at (34.540461, -78.792941). 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 th ...

, the town has a total area of , all 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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 1,718 people, 762 households, and 471 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 789.5 people per square mile (304.3/km²). There were 832 housing units at an average density of 382.3 per square mile (147.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 80.33%

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 ...

, 17.81%

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 ...

, 0.93% Native American, 0.17%

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 ...

, 0.47% 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 0.29% from two or more races.

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 for ...

or Latino people of any race were 1.22% of the population. There were 762 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% 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 ...

living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.83. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $19,300, and the median income for a family was $30,900. Males had a median income of $28,438 versus $21,154 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 $15,102. About 23.2% of families and 30.0% 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 ...

, including 46.9% of those under age 18 and 23.9% of those age 65 or over. Estimated median house or condo value is $66,665 and the median gross rent is $622.

Notable people

* Dr. Paul V. Nolan (1923-2009), Tennessee state legislator, 1969-1970. * Trelonnie Owens, Professional basketball player. Played college basketball at

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...

. Played on the Bladenboro High School 1990 State 1A champion team. He was named the 1990 NCHSAA player of the year.

Schools

Public schools, part of the Bladen County School system, include: *Bladenboro Primary School (grades K-4) *Bladenboro Middle School (grades 5-8) *West Bladen High School (grades 9-12) Former public schools include: *Bladenboro High School (consolidated with Tar Heel High School to form West Bladen High School) *Bladenboro Primary School (now part of Bladenboro Elementary School) *Spaulding Monroe Middle School (now part of Bladenboro Middle School) *Spaulding Monroe High School (consolidated with Bladenboro High School, which later consolidated with Tar Heel High School to form West Bladen High School)

References

{{authority control Towns in North Carolina Towns in Bladen County, North Carolina