Randolph 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 ...

located 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 so ...

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 144,171. 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 ...

Asheboro Asheboro is a city in and the county seat of Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 27,156 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Greensboro- High Point Metropolitan Area of the Piedmont Triad and is home of the state ...

. Randolph County is included in the

Greensboro Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina, af ...

- High Point, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greensboro–

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the fifth-most populous city in North Carolina and the 91st-most populous city in the Uni ...

–High Point, NC Combined Statistical Area. In 2020, the center of population of North Carolina was located in Randolph County, east of

Seagrove Seagrove is a town in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 285 at the 2019 census. It was named after a railroad official when the area was connected by rail. In 2020, the center of population of North Carolina was ...

History

The area which eventually became known as Randolph county was originally inhabited by Siouan Native Americans including

Saponi The Saponi are a Native American tribe historically based in the Piedmont of North Carolina and Virginia.Raymond D. DeMaillie, "Tutelo and Neighboring Groups," pages 286–87. They spoke a Siouan language, related to the languages of the Tutel ...

and Keyauwee. In the 1700s, European settlers moved into the area, namely Germans, Scotch-Irish, and English, some of whom were

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...

and

Moravians Moravians ( or Colloquialism, colloquially , outdated ) are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group from the Moravia region of the Czech Republic, who speak the Moravian dialects of Czech language, Czech or Czech language#Common Czech, Common ...

. The Legislature of 1779, then sitting at Halifax, passed an act providing for the formation of a new county from parts of Guilford and Rowan, to be called Randolph. It was named for

Peyton Randolph Peyton Randolph (September 10, 1721 – October 22, 1775) was an American politician and planter who was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States. Born into Virginia's Randolph family of Virginia, wealthies ...

, first president of the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

. In the

antebellum period The ''Antebellum'' South era (from ) was a period in the history of the Southern United States that extended from the conclusion of the War of 1812 to the start of the American Civil War in 1861. This era was marked by the prevalent practi ...

, Randolph County was economically poor and characterized by smallholding farmers. The outbreak of 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 ...

caused division in the county. Many resident Quakers were pacifists and opposed to the war, while poorer conscripts resented being detailed to the frontlines while wealthier militia officers were frequently exempted from such service, leading to many refusing to muster out. In the 1864 gubernatorial election, Randolph was one of only three counties in the state to supply a majority of its votes to

William Woods Holden William Woods Holden (November 24, 1818 – March 1, 1892) was an American politician who served as the 38th and 40th governor of North Carolina. He was appointed by President Andrew Johnson in 1865 for a brief term and then elected in 1868. He ...

, who was running on a peace platform. A substantial number of men drafted to serve in the Confederate Army from Randolph deserted and were kept hidden with assistance of the anti-Confederate Heroes of America, leading the state government to order operations in 1863 to detain them. The activity of deserters was curtailed by late 1864, though it increased in early 1865, with widespread reports of theft and robbery. Many local members of the Confederate Home Guard grew fearful of enforcing conscription, and some of the body's leaders doubted their subordinates' loyalty. To ease tensions, the state government dispatched 600 troops to the county in March and offered terms to the deserters. After the war, the county's government became dominated by men who had supported the Union, and some used their new positions of power to enact revenge on those who had enforced the conscription law. Between 1868 and 1872, the white supremacist and reactionary

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...

whose members were made up of

Southern Democrats Southern Democrats are members of the U.S. Democratic Party who reside in the Southern United States. Before the American Civil War, Southern Democrats mostly believed in Jacksonian democracy. In the 19th century, they defended slavery in the ...

of the Democratic Party. However, despite the Klan's activity, the majority of whites residing in Randolph County remained largely supportive of the Republican Party and the civil rights movement. The most recent affiliation with the Klan took place in May 2017 at the biker gang ''The Rebel Rousers,'' headquarters in

for a

cross burning In modern times, cross burning or cross lighting is a practice which is associated with the Ku Klux Klan. However, it was practiced long before the Klan's inception. Since the early 20th century, the Klan has burned crosses on hillsides as a way ...

ceremony. Randolph's textile industry expanded after the war with the establishment of new mills along the Deep River. In 1911, a new county called Piedmont County was proposed, with High Point as its county seat, to be created from Guilford, Davidson, and Randolph counties. Many people appeared at the Guilford County courthouse to oppose the plan, vowing to go to the state legislature to protest. The state legislature voted down the plan in February 1911.

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 (0.97%) is water. It is bordered by

Guilford County Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 541,299, making it the third-most populous county in North Carolina. The county seat and largest community is Greensboro. Since ...

Alamance County Alamance County (), from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved September 18, 2012. is a county in North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 171,415. Its county sea ...

, Chatham County, Moore County,

Montgomery County Montgomery County may refer to: Australia * The former name of Montgomery Land District, Tasmania United Kingdom * The historic county of Montgomeryshire, Wales, also called County of Montgomery United States * Montgomery County, Alabama * Montg ...

, and Davidson County. Randolph County is located in the center of North Carolina, and the city of Asheboro (in the county) is the center point of North Carolina. Randolph County is located in the

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

section of central North Carolina, generally a region of gently rolling hills and woodlands. The central and western parts of the county contain the

Uwharrie Mountains The Uwharrie Mountains ()
from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Caraway Mountains The Caraway Mountains are a mountain range located in western Randolph County and a section of eastern Davidson County, North Carolina. The mountains are located between the cities of Asheboro and Lexington and are bisected by US Highway 64. T ...

. These two ranges are the remnants of a much-higher range of ancient peaks. Today, they rarely top above sea level, yet due to the relative low terrain around them, they still rise above their base. The highest point in Randolph County is Shepherd Mountain, a peak in the Caraways. The

North Carolina Zoo The North Carolina Zoo, formerly the ''North Carolina Zoological Park'', is a zoo in Asheboro, North Carolina, housing 1,700 animals of more than 250 species, primarily representing Africa and North America. It is one of two state-supported zo ...

is located atop Purgatory Mountain, one of the peaks of the Uwharries.

National protected area

Birkhead Mountains Wilderness The Birkhead Mountains Wilderness was established by the 1984 North Carolina Wilderness Act and covers in the Uwharrie National Forest at the northern end of the Uwharrie Mountains, in central North Carolina. History The mountain range in an ...

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

State and local protected areas/sites

* Pisgah Covered Bridge *

Uwharrie Game Land Uwharrie may refer to several geographical features in North Carolina in the United States: *Uwharrie Mountains *Uwharrie National Forest *Uwharrie River *Uwharrie Lakes Region {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009 The Uwharrie Lakes Region of North ...

(part)

Major water bodies

* Back Creek * Bush Creek * Caraway Creek * Deep River * Little Caraway Creek *

Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...

* Little Uwharrie River * Randleman Lake * Reed Creek *

Rocky River Rocky River may refer to: Localities *Rocky River, Ohio, USA * Rocky River, New South Wales near Uralla, Australia Electorates *Electoral district of Rocky River (South Australia) Streams In Australia: * Rocky River (New South Wales) * ...

* Toms Creek *

Uwharrie River The Uwharrie River () is a long river, in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina in the United States. It is a tributary of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. Course The Uwharrie River rises in northwestern Randolp ...

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * (

spur route A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A Bypass route, bypass or beltway is not considered a spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the ...

) *

Major infrastructure

* Asheboro Regional Airport

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 144,171 people, 56,117 households, and 37,795 families residing in the county.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, 130,454 people, 50,659 households, and 37,335 families resided 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 . The 54,422 housing units averaged . The racial makeup of the county was 89.20% White, 5.63% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.01% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. About 6.63% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. As with much of North Carolina, the Latino population of Randolph County continued to grow into the 21st century. In 2005, figures placed the Latino population as 9.3% of the county's total. In 2000, of the 50,659 households, 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% 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, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were not families. About 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.97. In the county, the population was distributed as 25.00% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,348, and for a family was $44,369. Males had a median income of $30,575 versus $22,503 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 $18,236. About 6.80% of families and 9.10% 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 11.60% of those under age 18 and 11.50% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Government

Randolph County operates under a commissioner–manager form of government. It is governed by a five-member board of commissioners, with each commissioner elected in partisan contests at-large to serve a four-year term. The commissioners adopt county policy, create the county's budget, and hire the county manager. The manager oversees the administration of county government and implements the commissioners' policies. Randolph County is a member of the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments, a regional voluntary association of 12 counties. Randolph County lies within the bounds of North Carolina's 37th Prosecutorial District, the 19B

Superior Court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

District, and the 19B

District Court District courts are a category of courts which exists in several nations, some call them "small case court" usually as the lowest level of the hierarchy. These courts generally work under a higher court which exercises control over the lower co ...

District.

Politics

Politically, Randolph County is a huge outlier in North Carolina. The county is one of the most Republican-dominated counties in the state. The Republican dominance dates back to the

Solid South The Solid South was the electoral voting bloc for the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the Southern United States between the end of the Reconstruction era in 1877 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the aftermath of the Co ...

era; it has supported the Republican presidential candidate in all but three elections since

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Empire, British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that has been stored ...

. No Democratic presidential nominee has carried the county since

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *Janu ...

, and

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 ...

is the last Democrat to even tally 40 percent of the county's vote. In

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

, it was one of only 13 counties in the state to vote for

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 ...

, and the easternmost county in the state to do so. Republican dominance at the local level is extremely absolute that in some cases, Republican candidates and incumbents run unopposed.

Economy

Randolph's economy is largely based in manufacturing. In its 2024 county economic tier ratings, the

North Carolina Department of Commerce The North Carolina Department of Commerce was formed in 1971 by the North Carolina State Government Reorganization Act. The department is headed by the Secretary of Commerce, who is appointed by the Governor of North Carolina. The Secretary is p ...

classified Randolph as among the state's 20 least economically distressed counties, or "tier 1".

Education

Randolph County School System serves most of the county. The city of

is managed separately by Asheboro City Schools.

Fayetteville Street Christian School Fayetteville may refer to: *Fayetteville, Alabama *Fayetteville, Arkansas ** The Fayetteville Formation *Fayetteville, Georgia *Fayetteville, Illinois * Fayetteville, Indiana * Fayetteville, Washington County, Indiana * Fayetteville, Missouri *Fay ...

, located in Asheboro, is the largest private school in Randolph County.

Culture

Pottery-making has long been popular in the Seagrove area of Randolph County, and is annually celebrated in the Seagrove Pottery Festival.

Communities

Map of Randolph County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Cities

* Archdale (part) *

(county seat and largest community) * High Point (part) * Randleman * Thomasville (part) *

Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...

Towns

* Franklinville *

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

* Ramseur *

* Staley

Townships

* Asheboro * Archdale * Back Creek * Brower * Cedar Grove * Coleridge * Columbia * Concord * Farmer * Franklinville * Grant * Level Cross * Liberty * New Hope * New Market * Pleasant Grove * Providence * Randleman * Richland * Tabernacle * Trinity * Union

Unincorporated communities

* Cedar Grove *

Climax Climax may refer to: Language arts * Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work * Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance Biology * Climax community, a biological community th ...

Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( ; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets with his friend William Wordsworth ...

* Erect *

Farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer ...

* Level Cross * Pisgah * Sophia * Ulah *

Whynot Whynot may refer to: Media * WHYNOT, an affiliate of Radio Free Asia Place * Whynot, Mississippi, U.S. * Whynot, North Carolina, U.S. Jazz * Whynot Records, a Japanese jazz record label * WhyNot Jazz Room, a jazz club in New York City Pe ...

Notable people

Sam Ard Samuel Julian Ard (February 14, 1939April 2, 2017) was an American professional stock car racing driver. He won two NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series championships, in 1983 and 1984. Ard also made one NASCAR Winston Cup start. He reti ...

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

driver *

Jerry Bledsoe Jerry Bledsoe (born 1941) is an American author and journalist known for several true crime titles based on murders in his native state of North Carolina. His journalism career, which spanned over 20 years, included newspaper work in the North ...

, author *

Heidi N Closet Heidi N Closet is the stage name of Trevien Anthonie Cheek, an American drag queen from Ramseur, North Carolina, best known for competing on the RuPaul's Drag Race (season 12), twelfth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', where she placed 6th and wo ...

drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses Drag (entertainment), drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate Femininity, female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have ...

* Braxton Craven, educator and second president of

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

* Heaven Fitch, wrestler *

Rufus Hussey Rufus Taft Hussey (March 12, 1919 – February 24, 1994) was an American marksman. He grew up in Randolph County, North Carolina. He was known as an expert marksman with a slingshot (also referred to as a beanshooter). In 1952, Hussey began selling ...

, marksman *

Henderson Luelling Henderson William Luelling (April 23, 1809 – December 28, 1878) was an American horticulturist, Quaker, abolitionist and early settler of what is today Oakland, California. He introduced varietal fruits to the Pacific coast, first to Oregon and ...

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

abolitionist, horticulturist * Gideon Morris, trans-Appalachian pioneer and founder of

Morristown, Tennessee Morristown is a city in and the county seat of Hamblen County, Tennessee, United States. Morristown also extends into Jefferson County on the western and southern ends. The city lies within the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, Ridge and Valley regi ...

Adam Petty Adam Kyler Petty (July 10, 1980 – May 12, 2000) was an American professional stock car racing driver. A member of the Petty racing family, he was the fourth generation from the Petty family to drive in races in the highest division of NASCA ...

, NASCAR driver *

Kyle Petty Kyle Eugene Petty (born June 2, 1960) is an American former stock car racing driver and current racing commentator. He is the son of racer Richard Petty, grandson of racer Lee Petty, and father of racer Adam Petty, who was killed in a crash duri ...

, NASCAR driver *

Lee Petty Lee Arnold Petty (March 14, 1914 – April 5, 2000) was an American stock car racing driver who competed during the 1950s and 1960s. He is the patriarch of the Petty racing family. He was one of the early pioneers of NASCAR and one of its f ...

, NASCAR pioneer *

Richard Petty Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937), nicknamed "the King", is an American former stock car racing driver who competed from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most nota ...

, NASCAR driver * John Milton Odell, American industrialist * Naomi Wise, murder victim * Jonathan Worth, former

Governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the United States, U.S. state of North Carolina. Seventy-five people have held the office since the first state governor, Richard Caswell, took office in 1777. The governor serves a ...

(1865–1868)

References

Works cited

* *

External links

* *
NCGenWeb Randolph County
genealogy resources for the county {{Authority control 1779 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1779

History

Geography

National protected area

State and local protected areas/sites

Major water bodies

Major highways

Major infrastructure

Demographics

2020 census

2000 census

Government and politics

Government

Politics

Economy

Education

Culture

Communities

Cities

Towns

Townships

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

See also

References

Works cited

External links