Wendell, North Carolina

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Wendell, North Carolina
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto = Small Town Feel- Capital City Connection

imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Wendell, North Carolina


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = North Carolina
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Wake
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = J. Harold Broadwell
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title = Incorporated
established_date = 1903

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 5.1
area_land_km2 = 5.1
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 2.0
area_land_sq_mi = 2.0
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2005
population_footnotes =
population_total = 4516
population_density_km2 = 835.7
population_density_sq_mi = 2164.4

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 97
elevation_ft = 318
latd = 35 |latm = 46 |lats = 56 |latNS = N
longd = 78 |longm = 22 |longs = 6 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 27591
area_code = 919
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 37-71860GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1023154GR|3
website = http://townofwendell.com/
footnotes =

Wendell is a town in Wake County, North Carolina United States. It is a satellite town of Raleigh, the state capital. The population was 4,247 at the 2000 census.

History

Wendell was first settled in the 1850s when farmers in Granville County were hit with what came to be known as the Granville County Wilt. Their tobacco crops had failed and they needed to move to a location with more fertile land to plant their crops.

As the area grew, a small village began to form. The people in the area needed a name for the town. They asked their schoolteacher, M.A. Griffin, to come up with a name. Griffin loved the poet Oliver Wendell Holmes. He suggested that they call their town Wendell after the poet. However, the pronunciation of the town is different from the way one normally pronounces Oliver Wendell Holmes. The townpeople pronounced each syllable with emphasis, and it continues to this day.

The first post office was built in 1891, which has been restored by the Wendell Historical Society. It presently sits at the corner of Oakwood and 4th Streets. The oldest institution in Wendell is Hephzibah Baptist Church, founded in 1809. The first newspaper for the town was the Wendell Clarion, founded in 1911, and was succeeded by the Gold Leaf Farmer. Wendell was incorporated in 1903. [ [http://townofwendell.com/wendell/AboutWendell/tabid/67/Default.aspx About Wendell ] ]

Wendell contains four buildings and one district that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They are the Dr. Thomas H. Avera House, Harmony Plantation, Riley Hill School, Sunnyside, and the Wendell Commercial Historic District.

Geography

Wendell is located at coor dms|35|46|56|N|78|22|6|W|city (35.782124, -78.368195)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.1 km²), all of it land.

Wendell is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where the North American Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain regions meet. This area is known as the "fall line" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. Its central Piedmont location situates Wendell about three hours west of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, by car and four hours east of the Great Smoky Mountains of the Appalachian range.

Climate

Wendell enjoys a moderate subtropical climate, with moderate temperatures in the spring, fall, and winter. Summers are typically hot with high humidity. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s°F (10 to 13°C) with lows in the low-to-mid 30s°F (-2 to 2°C), although an occasional 60°F (15°C) or warmer winter day is not uncommon. Spring and fall days usually reach the low-to-mid 70s°F (low 20s°C), with lows at night in the lower 50s°F (10 to 14°C). Summer daytime highs often reach the upper 80s to low 90s°F (29 to 35°C). The rainiest months are July and August.

Government

Wendell's current mayor is James Harold Broadwell II. He conducts Town Board Of Commissioner Meetings and only has a vote in the event of a tie. Administration of the town is conducted by the Town Manager and Town Clerk. The Board of Commissioners includes William Connolly (Mayor Pro-tem), Sid Baynes, Carol Hinnant, C.B. Scarboro, and Ronald Thompson.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 4,247 people, 1,675 households, and 1,118 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,164.4 people per square mile (836.6/km²). There were 1,785 housing units at an average density of 909.7/sq mi (351.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 70.43% White, 24.06% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.2% Japanese, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.30% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.91% of the population.

There were 1,675 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the town the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $39,750, and the median income for a family was $47,077. Males had a median income of $35,668 versus $26,994 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,772. About 8.6% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 25.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The town is served by five public schools which are administered by the Wake County Public School System. They include Carver Elementary School, Wendell Elementary School, Archer Lodge Middle School, Wendell Middle School and East Wake High School.

The town is home to one institution of higher learning, Southeastern Free Will Baptist College.

Transportation

Passenger

*Air: Wendell is served by Raleigh-Durham International Airport, which is located in northwestern Wake county on I-40.
*Interstate Highway: I-40 is the closest Interstate to Wendell and is located 15 miles southwest of the town.
*Fuquay-Varina is not served directly by passenger trains. Amtrak serves nearby Raleigh.
*Local Bus: The Triangle Transit Authority operates buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.

Roads

*The main highway in Wendell is US 64 which allows access to Raleigh and the North Carolina Coast.
*Other highways in the area include US 264, NC 97, and NC 231.

Parks and recreation

The town is served by three recreational parks and facilities. They include Wendell Park, Wendell Community Center, and J. Ashley Wall Town Square. [ [http://townofwendell.com/wendell/ParksandRec/tabid/60/Default.aspx Parks and Recreation ] ]

Notable natives of Wendell

*Greg Ellis- Dallas Cowboys player
*Kamau Kambon- Infamous genocidal professor

References

External links

* [http://townofwendell.com/ Official website of Wendell, NC]
* [http://www.wendellchamber.com/ Wendell Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.easternwakenews.com/ Local newspaper]