Morganton, North Carolina

Morganton, North Carolina
City

Historic train station in Morganton
Coordinates: 35°44′33″N 81°41′32″W / 35.74250°N 81.69222°W / 35.74250; -81.69222Coordinates: 35°44′33″N 81°41′32″W / 35.74250°N 81.69222°W / 35.74250; -81.69222
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Burke
Founded 1777
Incorporated 1784
Government
 • Mayor Ronnie Thompson
Area
 • Total 19.2 sq mi (49.6 km2)
 • Land 19.2 sq mi (49.6 km2)
 • Water 10.20 sq mi (26.42 km2)
Elevation 1,161 ft (354 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 16,918
 • Density 883/sq mi (341.1/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 28655, 28680
Area code(s) 828
FIPS code 37-44400[1]
GNIS feature ID 0990244[2]
Website www.ci.morganton.nc.us

Morganton is a city in Burke County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 16,918 at the 2010 census.[3] Morganton is the county seat.[4]

Morganton is one of the principal cities in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. A site five miles north of here has been identified as the Mississippian culture chiefdom of Joara, occupied from 1400AD to 1600AD. This was also the site of Fort San Juan, built in 1567 by a Spanish expedition as the first European settlement in the interior of North America, 40 years before the English settlement of Jamestown, Virginia.

History

Joara archeological site

The oldest-known European inland (non-coastal) settlement in the United States of Fort San Juan has been identified at Joara, a former Mississippian culture chiefdom located about five miles north of present-day Morganton. In 1567 a Spanish expedition built the fort there, while seeking to establish an interior route to Mexican silver mines. (They did not have an accurate grasp of the geography.) This was more than 40 years before the English settled Jamestown, Virginia, their first permanent settlement in North America.[5]

The Spanish left a 31-man garrison that occupied the fort for 18 months before being overcome in a Mississippian attack. Five other Spanish forts in the larger interior region were also destroyed about that time. Only one soldier survived. The fort and Indian settlement have been under professional excavation since the early 21st century, with findings published since 2004.[6][7][8] Europeans associated with the British colonies did not try to settle this far west for nearly 200 years, organizing Burke County in 1777.

Today Joara is identified as a significant archaeological and historic site near the Watersee River in the Upper Catawba Valley. Construction of its mounds is believed to have been started by the people of the Mississippian culture by AD 1000, and they occupied the site continuously from 1400AD to 1600AD.[8] Based on additional archeological excavations at the "Berry Site" that revealed the remains of a defensive moat constructed in European style, researchers in 2013 concluded that this was the site of Fort San Juan and Joara. Earlier evidence found in the area included "military artifacts and burned remains of Spanish-built huts."[8][9]

Colonial through 19th century

Public welfare facilities, such as the North Carolina School for the Deaf: Main Building and Western North Carolina Insane Asylum, were first authorized by the state legislature in the late 19th century after the American Civil War.

20th century to present

In the early 20th century, textile mills were developed in the Piedmont as industry left union-dominated areas of the Northeast United States. During the century, however, these industrial jobs gradually moved offshore.

In the late 20th century, Morganton and Burke County, which was still largely rural and with big poultry farms, became locations for industrial-scale poultry processing plants. These jobs attracted many new immigrants to the state from Central America, leading to an increase in Latino population in this area. During the 1990s, Guatemalan-born workers in Morganton worked to organize a union at the Case Farms poultry plant but were ultimately unsuccessful.[10] Labor and factory work have changed in the "Nuevo" South, where many Latino immigrants work in low paid industrial jobs. They are competing with globalization in some industries. At the state level, North Carolina is working to encourage immigrant communities and their contributions.

Synthron plant explosion

On January 31, 2006, an explosion occurred at Synthron Inc., a paint additive chemical manufacturer's plant in Morganton.[11] Workers at Synthron reported hearing a loud hiss minutes before the explosion.[12] Most were able to escape the building before the blast, but even some who were outside were thrown as far as 20 feet (6.1 m). The explosion was heard and felt as far away as 50 miles (80 km).

On the day of the explosion, operations appeared normal until after the steam was turned off and the polymer initiating solution was pumped into the reactor. The operator in charge noted that initially the reaction did not proceed as vigorously as expected, but later the solvent evaporated and the condensed solvent flow returning to the reactor appeared within normal range. A few minutes later, the operator heard a loud hissing and saw vapor venting from the reactor manway. The irritating vapor forced him out of the building. Three other employees also left the building because of the vapors. The operator reentered the building wearing a respirator and started emergency cooling water flow to the reactor. The building exploded less than 30 seconds after he exited the second time.[12] The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) stated that the solvent vapor leaked from the overheated and over-pressurised process reactor, forming a flammable vapour cloud inside the building that ignited.[13]

A total of 14 people were injured in the blast, of whom one man later died.[13] In addition, at least 300 fish died due to chemicals leaking into a creek behind the Synthron plant which leads into the Catawba River.

National Register of Historic Places

Properties recognized for their historic significance date primarily to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the period of more dense development. They include public facilities, such as the state school for the deaf, numerous private homes and former business facilities, as well as several historic districts. They reflect the development of the area by yeoman farmers, and later cotton planters who had plantations, as well as the development of cotton and textile mills, followed by other industries.

They include the Avery Avenue Historic District, Avery Avenue School, Alphonse Calhoun Avery House, Bellevue, Broughton Hospital Historic District, Burke County Courthouse, Creekside, U. S. B. Dale's Market, Dunavant Cotton Manufacturing Company, Gaither House, Garrou-Morganton Full-Fashioned Hosiery Mills, Gaston Chapel, Hunting Creek Railroad Bridge, Jonesboro Historic District, John Alexander Lackey House, Magnolia Place, Morganton Downtown Historic District, Mountain View, North Carolina School for the Deaf Historic District, North Carolina School for the Deaf: Main Building, North Green Street-Bouchelle Street Historic District, Quaker Meadows, Quaker Meadows Cemetery, Dr. Joseph Bennett Riddle House, South King Street Historic District, Swan Ponds, Tate House, Franklin Pierce Tate House, West Union Street Historic District, Western North Carolina Insane Asylum, and White Street-Valdese Avenue Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[14][15]

Geography

Morganton is located in central Burke County in the Catawba River valley in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Interstate 40 passes through the southern part of the city, leading east 19 miles (31 km) to Hickory and west 54 miles (87 km) to Asheville. U.S. Route 70 passes east-west through the center of the city paralleling I-40, and U.S. Route 64 passes north-south, leading northeast 15 miles (24 km) to Lenoir and southwest 32 miles (51 km) to Rutherfordton.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Morganton has a total area of 19.2 square miles (49.6 km2), all of it land.[3]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850558—
1870554—
188086155.4%
18901,55780.8%
19001,93824.5%
19102,71239.9%
19202,8675.7%
19306,001109.3%
19407,67027.8%
19508,3118.4%
19609,18610.5%
197013,62548.3%
198013,7631.0%
199015,0859.6%
200017,31014.7%
201016,918−2.3%
Est. 201416,690[16]−1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]
Morganton Village, 1939

As of the census[1] of 2010, there were 16,918 people, 7,618 households, and 4,117 families residing in the city. The population density was 953.0 people per square mile (368.0/km²). There were 7,313 housing units at an average density of 402.6 per square mile (155.5/km²). The racial composition of the city was: 75.67% White, 12.76% Black or African American, 11.16% Hispanic or Latino American, 1.99% Asian American, 0.55% Native American, 0.81% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 6.64% some other race, and 1.58% two or more races.

There were 7,618 households out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,836, and the median income for a family was $42,687. Males had a median income of $29,118 versus $24,723 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,906. About 9.7% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The state of North Carolina is a major employer in Morganton. State-operated facilities located in Morganton include Broughton Hospital (a psychiatric hospital) and the North Carolina School for the Deaf. Other employers include furniture manufacturing facilities and businesses catering to the many tourists who travel through the area on Interstate 40 to nearby attractions in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Media

Radio

Print

Education

Colleges and universities

Public schools

Private schools

Charter schools

Special education

Other institutions

Notable people

Recreation

15 miles outside of Morganton is Lake James, which is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains.[34][35] There are also multiple ski areas located approximately an hour from Morganton.[36]

Golf courses

Theatres

Parks

Representation in culture

Morganton is the setting of Master of the World (1904), one of French science fiction writer Jules Verne's last novels. The book describes Morganton as Verne saw it in the late 19th century. The town is the place where people see a great machine that can travel in four different ways (air, above water, below water, and land). They first spot the machine over a mountain referred to as "the Great Eyrie" and described as flat-topped. Most local residents believe this stands for Table Rock.

Citations

  1. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Morganton city, North Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. ↑ Constance E. Richards, "Contact and Conflict", American Archaeologist, Spring 2008, accessed 26 Jun 2009
  6. ↑ "Spain Makes a Stand", Smithsonian Magazine, March 2006. Accessed 2007-08-02.
  7. ↑ "Joara and Fort San Juan", Antiquity, March 2004.
  8. 1 2 3 Archeology: "Berry Site", Warren Wilson College
  9. ↑ John Noble Wilford (July 23, 2013). "Fort Tells of Spain’s Early Ambitions". The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  10. ↑ Leon Fink, The Maya of Morganton: Work and Community in the Nuevo New South
  11. ↑ "Synthron Chemical Explosion - Investigations | the U.S. Chemical Safety Board". Csb.gov. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  12. 1 2 "The First Responder". Aristatek.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  13. 1 2 "Maintenance failures behind Synthron blast - CSB". Icis.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  14. ↑ Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  15. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Listings". NRHP Featured Property. National Park Service. 2013-02-27.
  16. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Etta Baker, 93, Blues Guitarist, Dies". New York Times. September 26, 2006.
  19. ↑ Archived February 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
  20. ↑ "Inductee - Johnny Bristol". North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. 2009-10-03. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  21. ↑ "Joe Cheves | NC Sports Hall of Fame". Ncshof.org. 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  22. ↑ "Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr. Library and Museum". Samervinlibrary.org. 1990-10-17. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  23. ↑ "Morganton, NC native Alfreda Gerald is in ... | Film Industry | NC & …". Pinterest.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  24. ↑ "Leon Johnson NFL Football Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. 1974-07-13. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  25. ↑ Location Name:  Chatham Community Library (2013-02-23). "A Morning with Bill Leslie | Chatham Chamber of Commerce". Ccucc.net. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  26. ↑ a. "Bill Leslie". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  27. ↑ "Burl Noggle". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  28. ↑ Staff, Golfweek (2011-01-02). "Career amateur Billy Joe Patton dies at 88". Golfweek.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  29. ↑ "Former Wake Forest Golfer Billy Joe Patton Passes - The Official Site of Wake Forest Demon Deacon Athletics". Wakeforestsports.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  30. ↑ "This Month in North Carolina History - Frankie Silver". Lib.unc.edu. 2009-06-04. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  31. ↑ "North Carolina Museum of History homepage" (PDF). Ncmuseumofhistory.org. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  32. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3485441/mediaindex
  33. ↑ http://www.mountainheart.com/bio
  34. ↑ "Home". Camp Lake James. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  35. ↑ Meg Jernigan, Demand Media. "Lake James State Park Campground Near Morganton, North Carolina | USA Today". Traveltips.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  36. ↑ "Ski Resorts in or near Morganton, North Carolina NC". Ski-resorts.find-near-me.info. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  37. ↑ "Morganton, North Carolina Golf Courses". Golflink.com. 2007-04-03. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  38. ↑ "Marquee Cinemas". Marquee Cinemas. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  39. ↑ "Welcome to CoMMA! "25 Years and Still Lovin' it"". www.commaonline.org. 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  40. ↑ "CoMMA". morganton.nc.us. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  41. ↑ "Martha's Park". Burke County Tourism Development Authority. Retrieved March 2016.

References

External links

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