Alexander County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

established in the U.S. state of

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

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 County (formed in 1788 from Rowan County), Caldwell County (formed from Burke County in 1841), and Wilkes County (formed from Surry County and Washington District in 1771). Alexander County was named for William Julius Alexander who was a Speaker of the North Carolina House of Commons. 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. Alexander County Map in 1854

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, Carolina agriculturist and political philosopher, or General

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military officer and politician who was the 12th president of the United States, serving from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States ...

, 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, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

began in 1861, Alexander County was fourteen years old. The court house records in Taylorsville were destroyed by troops under Major General George Stoneman in a raid on Easter Sunday in 1865. The Alexander Railroad based in Taylorsville began in 1946, with one connection to

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

in Statesville, North Carolina. The short line rail system operates between Taylorsville and Statesville.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.39%) 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 regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

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, 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 circa 1879 near the settlement of White Plains, west of Stony Point, Al ...

, the location of a mine 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 ...

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, cobalt, lead, chromium, vanadium, magnesium, boron, and silicon. The name ''sapphire ...

s, and its namesake stone "hiddenite," a variety of spodumene. 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 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 Company is an active short-line rail system operating between Taylorsville and Statesville, and connecting with

State and local protected area

* Rocky Face Mountain Recreational Area

Major water bodies

* Catawba River * Cub Creek * Duck Creek * Elk Shoals Creek * Grassy Creek * Lake Hickory * Lookout Shoals Lake * Lower Little River * Middle Little River * Mill Creek * Rink Lake * Rock Creek * Rocky Creek * Shuford Pond * Snow Creek * South Yadkin River *

Spring Creek A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground Spring (hydrology), spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring cree ...

* 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 Te ...

* White Creek

Adjacent counties

* Wilkes County – north * Iredell County – east * Catawba County – south * Caldwell County – west

Major highways

* * * ( truck route) * *

Major infrastructure

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

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 36,444 people, 14,169 households, and 10,232 families residing in the county.

2000 census

At the 2000 census 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 (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 geog ...

was . There were 14,098 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 92.00%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 4.63%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.15% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 1.34% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 2.50% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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 ...

, 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. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

in 1976, although

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...

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, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

in 2016 obtained barely twenty percent of the county's vote. The county did vote mainly Democratic during the

Third Party System 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 nationalism, modernization, and race. This period was marke ...

, but

Populist Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...

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 Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia * Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that ...

Communities

Town

* Taylorsville (county seat, since 1847): First post master was Alexander C. McIntosh. Post office since November 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 in Alexander County: * Ellendale * Gwaltneys * Little River * Millers * Sharpes * Sugar Loaf * Taylorsville * Wittenburg

Census-designated places

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

(largest community) *

: 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; also in Iredell County.

Unincorporated communities

Unincorporated communities in Alexander County include: * Drumstand: Site of Drumstand community building * Ellendale: First postmaster was William S. McLeod. Post office from July 1, 1880, to January 30, 1904. * Little River: 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 (; ; ) was a queen of Achaemenid Empire, Persia and the first wife of Persian king Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther, a book included within the Hebrew Bible, Tanakh and the Old Testament which is read on the Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday ...

: First postmaster was Humphrey T. Cambell. Post office from February 12, 1886, to March 31, 1903. *

Wittenburg Wittenburg (, ) is a town in the district Ludwigslust-Parchim in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Wittenburg has been the seat of the Amt (administrative division), Amt of Wittenburg (Amt), Wittenburg since January 2004. It is in the west of Me ...

: 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 ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Alexander County. † = ''county seat''

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 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"

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Charlotte metropolitan area Western North Carolina