Wilkesboro, North Carolina

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Wilkesboro, North Carolina
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto =

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mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location of Wilkesboro, North Carolina


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = North Carolina
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Wilkes
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
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established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 14.3
area_land_km2 = 14.3
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 5.5
area_land_sq_mi = 5.5
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 3159
population_density_km2 = 220.9
population_density_sq_mi = 572.0

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 319
elevation_ft = 1047
latd = 36 |latm = 8 |lats = 33 |latNS = N
longd = 81 |longm = 9 |longs = 45 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 28697
area_code = 336
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 37-74020GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0997336GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,159 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wilkes CountyGR|6. The town is located along the south bank of the Yadkin River, directly opposite the slightly larger town of North Wilkesboro. Wilkesboro is probably best-known as the home of the annual MerleFest festival, the largest folk and bluegrass music festival in the United States.

History

Wilkesboro was founded in 1800 and quickly designated as the county seat. The town is built atop a low, broad ridge which runs for over a mile along the south bank of the Yadkin River. For many decades a popular historic spot in Wilkesboro was the "Tory Oak", a large oak tree from which Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, a well-known Wilkes County patriot during the American Revolutionary War, hung Loyalist militia leaders who supported the British King and opposed American independence from Britain. The oak was located behind the old Wilkes County courthouse. Wilkesboro was the adopted home of Chang and Eng Bunker, the famous Chinese-American Siamese twins who were a popular international attraction in the early years of the 19th century. During the American Civil War many of Wilkesboro's residents remained loyal to the Union and opposed the Confederacy. In March 1865 General George Stoneman, a Union cavalry leader, led a raid through the town. Shortly after the war ended, Tom Dula (Dooley), a Confederate veteran, was tried and hanged for the murder of his fiancee, Laura Foster. Many people were convinced that one of Dula's jealous ex-girlfriends murdered Foster, and that Dula was innocent of the crime. Dula's story was turned into a top-selling ballad in 1958 by the Kingston Trio, the song was entitled "Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley". The story was subsequently turned into a 1959 movie starring Michael Landon as Dula, and each summer the Wilkes Playmakers present a popular play based on the story.

Education, media, and industry

Wilkesboro is the home of Wilkes Community College, a public, coed, two-year college within the North Carolina Community College system. The college's enrollment is typically around 3,500 students, and it is the only college in Wilkes County.

Wilkesboro has three media sources: the "Wilkes Journal-Patriot", Wilkes County's largest and oldest newspaper, which is published three times per week; "The Record of Wilkes", which is published weekly; and "GoWilkes.com", a well recognized online media source that allows residents to discuss current events and local happenings in real time. "GoWilkes.com" was voted the 2004 Small Business of the Year by the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

WWWC (AM) (1240 AM), usually called "3WC", broadcasts from Wilkesboro, playing Southern Gospel music. The college radio station "90.9 FM", operated by Wilkes Community College, also broadcasts from Wilkesboro, playing a variety of college rock, alternative, and Christian rock music.

Wilkesboro's largest industry is the Tyson Foods poultry processing plant; it is one of the largest poultry plants east of the Mississippi River. The town also contains several textile and furniture factories; one of the largest is the Key City Furniture factory.

MerleFest

In 1988, legendary, Grammy-winning guitar player Doc Watson joined with singer Bill Young to start the MerleFest music festival. Held on the campus of Wilkes Community College, and named in honor of Doc's late son Merle Watson, MerleFest has grown into the largest folk and bluegrass music festival in the United States, drawing over 85,000 music fans each year. The festival has brought millions of dollars into the town's economy and has raised over $7.3 million for Wilkes Community College.

Notable residents

*Montford Stokes (1762-1842), a United States Senator and Governor of North Carolina from 1816 to 1832, lived in Wilkesboro.
*Deneen Graham (born 1964), the first black woman to be crowned Miss North Carolina (1983).
*Zach Galifinakis (born 1969), a popular stand-up comedian and actor who has made numerous appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", and "Jimmy Kimmel Live". He has also appeared on numerous programs on the Comedy Central network, such as "Reno 911".

(Note: "Wilkesboro" is not to be confused with the city of Wilkes-Barre, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, located about 550 miles from Wilkesboro.)

Geography

Wilkesboro is located at coor dms|36|8|33|N|81|9|45|W|city (36.142490, -81.162533)GR|1. The town is located on the south bank of the Yadkin River, directly opposite the town of North Wilkesboro.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.3 km²), all of it land. Highway US 421, the only multilane expressway in Wilkes County, goes through the southern and western sections of the town. US 421 links the town to the nearby cities of Winston-Salem and Boone, the home of Appalachian State University.

Politics and religion

Like most of Wilkes County, Wilkesboro has long been a bastion of the Republican Party. The town contains Wilkes County's only Roman Catholic church, which caters mostly to the county's growing Hispanic population. Wilkesboro's largest religious group are the Southern Baptists, but the town does contain substantial numbers of Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Episcopalians. The first two churches to be established in Wilkes County were built in Wilkesboro, they were of the Episcopalian and Presbyterian denominations.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 3,159 people, 1,305 households, and 805 families residing in the town. The population density was 572.0 people per square mile (221.0/km²). There were 1,382 housing units at an average density of 250.3/sq mi (96.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.38% White, 9.81% African American, 0.19% Native American, 2.72% Asian, 1.27% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.12% of the population.

There were 1,305 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the town the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,982, and the median income for a family was $53,355. Males had a median income of $37,931 versus $23,893 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,300. About 9.8% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

* [http://www.wilkesboronorthcarolina.com/ Official Homepage, NC]
* [http://www.gowilkes.com GoWilkes is the Community Website for Wilkesboro, NC]
* [http://www.wilkes-news.com First and Only 100% Digital News Source for Wilkesboro, NC]
* [http://www.wilkesnc.org The Wilkes County Chamber of Commerce]