Wilson, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Wilson is a city and the county seat
of Wilson County
in the Coastal Plain region of the U.S. state
of North Carolina
. The 18th largest city in the state, Wilson had a population of 49,167 according to the 2010 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 23.4 square miles (60.6 km²), of which, 23.3 square miles (60.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (0.64%) is water.
Wilson is located at the intersection of Interstate 95 and US 264; approximately 45 minutes east of Raleigh
, the state capital.
(1789–1847), a North Carolina politician and general in the United States Army. He served in the General Assembly of North Carolina and the North Carolina Senate in various terms between 1814 and 1846.
of the local historic district
s and the landmark properties including the Boykin Center the Jacob Tomlinson House, the Arts Council Building, The Charles Coon School and the Davis-Whitehead-Harriss House.
data from 2007 report a population of 50,652 people, 17,296 households, and 11,328 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,906.9 inhabitants per square mile (736.1/km²). There were 18,660 housing units at an average density of 801.3 per square mile (309.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.53% African American, 46.67% White, 0.31% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.89% from other races
, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.29% of the population.
There were 29,296 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples
living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,169, and the median income for a family was $41,041. Males had a median income of $30,682 versus $22,363 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,813. About 16.5% of families and 25.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 20.4% of those age 65 or over.
which provides cable TV, digital phone and internet
to its residents.
Amtrak
Station.
The following highways travel through Wilson: I-95
, I-795, U.S. 301, U.S. Route 264
, U.S. 117, N.C. 42, and N.C. 58. Five-lane roads include Hines Street, Tarboro Street, and Ward Boulevard.
The city has a bus system.
of the Coastal Plain League
, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Tobs play at Fleming Stadium
in Wilson. The Tobs began play for the league's inaugural 1997 season.
s (K-5): Wells, Margaret Hearne, Vick, New Hope, Vinson-Bynum, B.O. Barnes, Winstead, Elm City, Stantonsburg, Lee Woodard, Lucama, Rock Ridge, Gardners, Jones. There are six middle school
s: C H Darden, Forest Hills, Toisnot, Elm City, Speight, Springfield; and four high school
s:
E. T. Beddingfield High School, Ralph L. Fike High School
, James B. Hunt High School, and Wilson Early College Academy. They also operate an alternative school
: Daniels Learning Center (6-8).
Office of Education Services.
, a liberal arts college
, and Wilson Community College
.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Wilson County
Wilson County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2006, there 73,814 people, 28,613 households, and 19,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 199 people per square mile . There were 30,729 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile...
in the Coastal Plain region of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The 18th largest city in the state, Wilson had a population of 49,167 according to the 2010 census.
Geography
Wilson is located at 35°43′52"N 77°55′25"W (35.731093, -77.923509).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 23.4 square miles (60.6 km²), of which, 23.3 square miles (60.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (0.64%) is water.
Wilson is located at the intersection of Interstate 95 and US 264; approximately 45 minutes east of Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, the state capital.
History
The city of Wilson is named for Louis Dicken WilsonLouis Dicken Wilson
Louis Dicken Wilson was an North Carolinian politician and general in the United States Army. He served in the General Assembly of North Carolina and the North Carolina Senate for in various terms between 1814 and 1846. Wilson County, North Carolina is named in his honor.He was a member of the...
(1789–1847), a North Carolina politician and general in the United States Army. He served in the General Assembly of North Carolina and the North Carolina Senate in various terms between 1814 and 1846.
Historic preservation
The Wilson Preservation Commission oversees the historic preservationHistoric preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
of the local historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
s and the landmark properties including the Boykin Center the Jacob Tomlinson House, the Arts Council Building, The Charles Coon School and the Davis-Whitehead-Harriss House.
Demographics
United States censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
data from 2007 report a population of 50,652 people, 17,296 households, and 11,328 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,906.9 inhabitants per square mile (736.1/km²). There were 18,660 housing units at an average density of 801.3 per square mile (309.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.53% African American, 46.67% White, 0.31% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.89% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.29% of the population.
There were 29,296 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,169, and the median income for a family was $41,041. Males had a median income of $30,682 versus $22,363 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,813. About 16.5% of families and 25.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 20.4% of those age 65 or over.
Telecommunications
The city has built its own Government-access television (GATV) municipal cable TV provider known as GreenlightGreenlight (internet service)
Greenlight is a bundled telecommunications service owned by the city of Wilson, North Carolina. Its services are distributed over a fiber-optic network that was constructed by the city...
which provides cable TV, digital phone and internet
Triple play (telecommunications)
In telecommunications, triple play service is a marketing term for the provisioning of two bandwidth-intensive services, high-speed Internet access and television, and a less bandwidth-demanding service, telephone, over a single broadband connection. Triple play focuses on a combined business...
to its residents.
Transportation
Wilson is served by two airports: Wilson Industrial Airport and Rocky Mount-Wilson Airport (RWI), and by the WilsonWilson (Amtrak station)
The Wilson Amtrak Station, located in Wilson, North Carolina, is served by two passenger trains, the Palmetto and Carolinian. The street address is 401 East Nash Street, and is located in the heart of historic downtown Wilson....
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
Station.
The following highways travel through Wilson: I-95
Interstate 95 in North Carolina
Interstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway, running along the East Coast of the United States from Florida to Maine. In North Carolina, I-95 runs diagonally across the eastern third of the state, from Rowland in the southwest to Roanoke Rapids in the northeast of the Inner Banks.-Route...
, I-795, U.S. 301, U.S. Route 264
U.S. Route 264
U.S. Route 264 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Raleigh to Manns Harbor, entirely in the U.S. state of North Carolina.-Route description:...
, U.S. 117, N.C. 42, and N.C. 58. Five-lane roads include Hines Street, Tarboro Street, and Ward Boulevard.
The city has a bus system.
Sports
Wilson is home to the Wilson TobsWilson Tobs
The Wilson Tobs are an amateur baseball team playing in the Coastal Plain League, an NCAA-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league. The team plays its home games at Historic Fleming Stadium in Wilson, North Carolina. The Tobs were one of the original teams in the Coastal Plain League when the...
of the Coastal Plain League
Coastal Plain League
The Coastal Plain League is a wood-bat collegiate summer league, featuring college players from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from a Class D minor league baseball league which operated in the same area from 1937 to 1952. The modern league was formed with six teams in 1997...
, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Tobs play at Fleming Stadium
Fleming Stadium
Fleming Stadium is a sports stadium in Wilson, North Carolina. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home of the Wilson Tobs of the Coastal Plain League. It opened in 1936 and has a capacity of 3,000 people. The grounds are also home to the North Carolina Baseball Museum. It also has...
in Wilson. The Tobs began play for the league's inaugural 1997 season.
Public schools
The Wilson County School District includes fourteen elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s (K-5): Wells, Margaret Hearne, Vick, New Hope, Vinson-Bynum, B.O. Barnes, Winstead, Elm City, Stantonsburg, Lee Woodard, Lucama, Rock Ridge, Gardners, Jones. There are six middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s: C H Darden, Forest Hills, Toisnot, Elm City, Speight, Springfield; and four high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s:
E. T. Beddingfield High School, Ralph L. Fike High School
Ralph L. Fike High School
Ralph L. Fike High School is located in Wilson County, North Carolina. It opened on October 9, 1958. There were 650 students, in grades 10 through 12, and a faculty of 28. The school was named for Dr...
, James B. Hunt High School, and Wilson Early College Academy. They also operate an alternative school
Alternative school
Alternative school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides part of alternative education. It is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional...
: Daniels Learning Center (6-8).
Charter
Youth Enrichment Program of Wilson, Inc. operates Sallie B. Howard School for the Arts and Education.State-operated
The Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf is operated by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human ServicesNorth Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is a large government agency in the U.S. state of North Carolina, somewhat analogous to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. DHHS has more than 19,000 employees...
Office of Education Services.
Private
Wilson is home to several private schools: Community Christian School (Daycare - Pre-K -12), Garnett Christian Academy, Wilson Christian Academy (K-12), and Greenfield School (Pre-K-12) (non-sectarian).Colleges
Wilson is home to Barton CollegeBarton College
Barton College is a private liberal arts college located in Wilson, North Carolina. Barton College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, The NC Association of Colleges and Universities; the NC Department of Public Instruction; the NC Board of Nursing; and the Committee...
, a liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
, and Wilson Community College
North Carolina Community College System
The North Carolina Community College System is a statewide network of fifty-eight public community colleges. Each college has a distinct governance system and policies. In total, the system enrolls over 800,000 students, and is the third largest community college system in the nation...
.
Notable people
- Anthony Atkinson, Jr., led Barton College to Division II national championship, player with the Harlem Globetrotters]].
- Everette BrownEverette Brown-Carolina Panthers:Originally projected a first-round draft pick, Brown saw his draft stock falling because of questions about his size. He was picked 43rd overall in the second round by the Panthers, who traded their 2010 NFL Draft first-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers to get that pick.With...
, defensive end for the Carolina PanthersCarolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion... - G. K. ButterfieldG. K. ButterfieldGeorge Kenneth Butterfield, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2004. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located in the northeastern corner of the state.-Early life and education:...
, U.S. Representative from North Carolina (2004–Present). - Freddie BynumFreddie BynumFreddie Lee Bynum Jr. is a shortstop playing in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He is known for his blazing speed and excellent defensive abilities which include the ability to field several different positions in the infield and outfield...
major league baseball player, born in Wilson - Jimmy GrahamJimmy GrahamJimmy Graham is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He played college football at the University of Miami...
tight end for the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... - Bunny Hearn, major league pitcher.
- William Hesmer, Columbus CrewColumbus CrewThe Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
goalkeeper - Jim HuntJim HuntJames Baxter Hunt Jr. is an American politician who was the 69th and 71st Governor of the state of North Carolina . He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.-Early life:...
, Governor of North CarolinaGovernor of North CarolinaThe Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
, (1977–1985, 1993–2001). - The O'KaysionsThe O'KaysionsThe O'Kaysions are an American pop / blue-eyed soul group originally from Wilson, North Carolina. Today, they are known as Beach Music artists. The group first formed under the name The Kays in 1959, and scored a Top 10 hit in the U.S. in 1968 with the tune " Girl Watcher"...
, an R&B sextet known for their 1968 Top 5 pop hit "Girl Watcher." - Julius PeppersJulius PeppersJulius Frazier Peppers is an American football defensive end for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. Nicknamed The Freak of Nature, he was drafted by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
defensive end for the Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, born in Wilson - Frederick Augustus WoodardFrederick Augustus WoodardFrederick Augustus Woodard was a Democratic U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1893 and 1897.Born near Wilson, North Carolina, Woodard attended private schools in Wilson County and studied law under Richmond Mumford Pearson, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina...
, U.S. representative from North Carolina (1893–1897).