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McDowell County, North Carolina facts for kids

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McDowell County
McDowell County Courthouse in Marion
McDowell County Courthouse in Marion
Flag of McDowell County
Flag
Official seal of McDowell County
Seal
Map of North Carolina highlighting McDowell County
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  North Carolina
Founded 1842
Named for Joseph McDowell
Seat Marion
Largest community Marion
Area
 • Total 445.35 sq mi (1,153.5 km2)
 • Land 439.95 sq mi (1,139.5 km2)
 • Water 5.40 sq mi (14.0 km2)  1.21%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 44,578
 • Estimate 
(2023)
44,893
 • Density 101.33/sq mi (39.12/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 11th

McDowell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,578. Its county seat is Marion.

McDowell County comprises the Marion, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Charlotte-Concord, NC Combined Statistical Area.

History

Archaeological excavations performed by Dr. David Moore during the early 1980s, revealed artifacts and other evidence that the earliest inhabitants of McDowell County lived there from the Woodland period and Mississippian culture era, from 250 to 1500 AD. Dr. Moore discovered this material in an area close to the Catawba River, in and around an unusual topographical site known as Round Hill. Both the historic Cherokee and Catawba Indians were Native American peoples known to live in what is now McDowell County, and they had been there long before any Europeans. These Native Americans were living in this section for centuries before the Spanish Juan Pardo's 1566 expedition to the interior region from the Atlantic coast.

In the next two years, Pardo traveled from the Spanish colony on an island, through what are now South Carolina and Western North Carolina and into southeastern Tennessee. His expedition traveled through the area that is now McDowell County. His purpose was to acquire territory for Spain and establish forts for an alternative interior route to central Mexico. The Spanish mistakenly believed that the Appalachians connected to a range there, where they had established silver mines.

Pardo also hoped to find precious metals during his expedition, in which he stopped at several Native American villages. Pardo and his men built a log blockhouse, Fort San Juan, at a Mississippian chiefdom known as Joara at the headwaters of the Catawba River, a site north of present-day Morganton, North Carolina. They wintered over at Joara. Pardo directed his forces to establish five more forts in the interior, including one at Chiaha, in present-day southeastern Tennessee. The Native Americans raided the Spanish newcomers and killed all but one of the soldiers in the garrisons, burning all six forts in 1568. Pardo had already left for Spain by then. The Spanish gave up their efforts to settle the interior.

In 1748, "Hunting" John McDowell received a land grant from the colony of North Carolina for property known today as Pleasant Gardens, including acreage that originally extended from Swan's Pond (Catawba County) up the Catawba River west to present-day Marion and into the region known as Buck Creek. McDowell went hunting with his friend Henry Weidner, and the two came upon a lush green valley with thousands of acres of what they thought was virgin forest. They were both interested in the land, and McDowell won a wrestling match to decide who should apply for it.

McDowell settled here with his family, and received two more land grants. established residence here family, and subsequently received two land grants. He is noted in Max Dixon's book, The Wataugans, as being instrumental in Jacob Brown's purchase of one of the last remaining pieces of acreage along the Nolichucky River in eastern Tennessee. McDowell hosted negotiations with the Cherokee from that area on his farm in North Carolina.

His son, Joseph McDowell, fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain. McDowell County is named in his honor. Today, McDowell's home survives, one of the few remaining that was built by its namesake.

The settlement of what was known as Old Fort took place nearby; this became for a time the westernmost outpost of colonial society. These early pioneers established a community protected by a series of forts that were used into the early 19th century.

Marion Carson House
Historic Carson House

In 1793, Colonel John Carson built a plantation house near Buck Creek in the Pleasant Gardens community. It is known as the historic Carson House. He also operated gold mines in the southern part of the county. Colonel Carson had contributed to the Patriot cause in the American Revolutionary War.

Marion, the county seat of McDowell County, was planned and built on land selected by the first McDowell County Commissioners when they met on March 14, 1844, at the Carson House. It was not until 1845, however, that Marion was designated as the county seat by the state legislature. The settlement was named after Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War hero known as the "Swamp Fox."

He was the subject of the dramatic movie The Patriot (2000). The historic movie The Last of the Mohicans (1992), based on a novel by James Fenimore Cooper, was set in New York state, but it was filmed along the shores of Lake James.

During the Carolina Gold Rush period of the early 19th century, the south county area was known for its gold production. The banks of the Muddy Creek and mines at Vein Mountain were productive areas. Many mines and thriving gold rush towns such as Brackettown no longer exist; scattered ruins and abandoned cemeteries mark once-active sites of the gold rush period. An old mine in Woodlawn is from this period.

McDowell County was first formed in 1842 from parts of Burke County and Rutherford County. It was named for Joseph McDowell, a Revolutionary War leader and hero of the Battle of King's Mountain. He was elected and served one term as a member of the United States House of Representatives, from 1797 to 1799.

In 1861, parts of McDowell, Burke, Caldwell, Watauga, and Yancey counties were combined to form Mitchell County. McDowell County is rich in American Civil War History.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 445.35 square miles (1,153.5 km2), of which 439.95 square miles (1,139.5 km2) is land and 5.40 square miles (14.0 km2) (1.21%) is water.

Numerous small creeks and streams flow through the county. The Catawba River originates in and crosses the county and empties into Lake James. It flows over Catawba Falls on its way, which is accessible to the public. Other waterfalls can be found in the county, such as Toms Creek Falls. Almost half of the county, including the two aforementioned waterfalls, is located inside the Pisgah National Forest. Linville Caverns, North Carolina's only limestone cavern system open to the public, is located in the far northern part of the county.

Geologically, McDowell County is located within the southern Appalachian Mountains region. The Blue Ridge Parkway closely follows the northwestern boundary of the county. McDowell County rises rapidly from the Piedmont (United States) in its extreme eastern border where elevations average about 1200 feet above sea level, to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the north and west. Its lowest point is 969 feet above sea level along Cane Creek in the county's southeastern corner. Its highest point is Pinnacle—at 5,665 feet above sea level the second-highest mountain (after Grandfather Mountain) in the Blue Ridge, and also considered the southernmost tip of the Black Mountains, the highest ridge in eastern America. Much of the county lies in the Foothills (North Carolina) region of Western North Carolina.

National Protected areas

State and local protected areas

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

  • I-40
  • US 64
  • US 70
  • US 221

  • US 221 Bus.
  • NC 80
  • NC 126
  • NC 183
  • NC 226
  • NC 226A

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 6,246
1860 7,120 14.0%
1870 7,592 6.6%
1880 9,836 29.6%
1890 10,939 11.2%
1900 12,567 14.9%
1910 13,538 7.7%
1920 16,763 23.8%
1930 20,336 21.3%
1940 22,996 13.1%
1950 25,720 11.8%
1960 26,742 4.0%
1970 30,648 14.6%
1980 35,135 14.6%
1990 35,681 1.6%
2000 42,151 18.1%
2010 44,996 6.7%
2020 44,578 −0.9%
2023 (est.) 44,893 −0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

McDowell County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 37,788 84.77%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,707 3.83%
Native American 136 0.31%
Asian 388 0.87%
Other/Mixed 1,612 3.62%
Hispanic or Latino 2,947 6.61%

As of the 2020 census, there were 44,578 people, 18,173 households, and 13,065 families residing in the county.

Education

McDowell High
View of McDowell High School from the football stadium

The following is a list of schools located in McDowell County:

  • Marion Elementary School
  • West Marion Elementary School
  • Nebo Elementary School
  • Old Fort Elementary School
  • Pleasant Gardens Elementary School
  • Eastfield Global Magnet School
  • Glenwood Elementary School
  • North Cove Elementary School
  • West McDowell Middle School
  • East McDowell Middle School
  • Foothills Community School
  • McDowell High School
  • McDowell Early College High School
  • McDowell Academy for Innovation
  • Phoenix Academy
  • New Manna Christian School
  • Nebo Crossing Christian Academy

McDowell County has one community college: McDowell Technical Community College

Communities

Map of McDowell County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels
Map of McDowell County with municipal and township labels

City

  • Marion (county seat and largest community)

Town

Townships

  • Crooked Creek
  • Dysartsville
  • Glenwood
  • Marion
  • Montford Cove
  • Nebo
  • North Cove
  • Old Fort
  • Pleasant Gardens
  • Sugar Hill
  • Woodlawn-Sevier

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de McDowell (Carolina del Norte) para niños

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