Ashe County, North Carolina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ashe County, North Carolina | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of North Carolina |
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| Statistics | |
| Formed | 1799 |
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| Seat | Jefferson |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,105 km² (427 mi²) sq mi ( km²) 2 km² (1 mi²), 0.15% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
24,384 22/km² |
| Website: www.ashecountygov.com | |
Ashe County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 24,384. Its county seat is Jefferson6.
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[edit] History
Historical evidence shows that Ashe county was inhabited by Native Americans, which included the Cherokee, Creek, and Shawnee tribes. Pieces of broken pottery, arrowheads, and other Native American artifacts have been found, indicating their presence. Most of these artifacts have been found in the Old Fields area of Ashe County.
The earliest Europeans to explore Ashe County were Bishop Augustus Gottlieb Spangenberg - head of the Moravian church in America - and his associates, Timothy Horsefield, Joseph Mueller, Henry Antes, Johan Merck, and Herman Loesch. Bishop Spangenberg wrote about his journey in Ashe in a diary that has been preserved by the Moravian church. He was given 100,000 acres in Virginia as a place for his fellow Moravians to settle. The only one of Spangenberg's group to return and permanently settle in Ashe County was Herman Loesch. Other early settlers were David Helton, William Walling, William McLain and Daniel Boone, the famous pioneer. With the exception of Boone, these men and their families all settled in Ashe in 1771.
During the Revolutionary War one skirmish was fought in Ashe County. It is called the "Battle of the Big Glades". The battle was fought between a force of Americans, led by Captain Robert Love, and a force of 150 British Loyalists on their way to Charlotte to join Lord Cornwallis, the British commander in the Southern colonies, in July of 1780. The Americans won the skirmish.
In the 1780's, Ashe County was considered a part of the "State of Franklin". It consisted of three counties - Washington, Green, and Sullivan. Ashe was considered to be a part of Washington County. The "State of Franklin" marked the beginnings of the State of Tennessee. Ashe County did not formally become a part of North Carolina until 1785. In 1799, Ashe was finally pronounced an official county of the United States and of North Carolina. Ashe County was named after Samuel Ashe, the Governor of North Carolina from 1795 to 1798. From 1807 to 1913, Ashe went through numerous boundary changes.
In 1849, the southwestern part of Ashe County was combined with parts of Caldwell County, Wilkes County, and Yancey County to form Watauga County. In 1859, the eastern part of the remainder of Ashe County became Alleghany County.
Ashe County has produced, or been visited by, several prominent people. Among them are Monte Weaver, a famous baseball player, who pitched for the Washington Senators and pitched a World Series game in 1933. After being traded from the Senators, he pitched for the Boston Red Sox, before being called into service in World War Two. Weaver died in 1994. Helen Keller came to Ashe County in 1944 to visit Marvin Osborne, a soldier who was left blind after being wounded in World War Two. Lorretta Lynn sang at the Central Grocery store (present day First Citizens Bank) in West Jefferson in the 1940's. In 1997, then-President Bill Clinton and his Vice-President, Al Gore, held a ceremony on the banks of the scenic New River to designate it as an American Heritage River. After the ceremony, both men had lunch at the historic Glendale Springs Inn, also located in Ashe County.
[edit] Law and Government
Ashe County is a member of the regional High Country Council of Governments.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,105 km² (427 mi²). 1,104 km² (426 mi²) of it is land and 2 km² (1 mi²) of it (0.15%) is water. Ashe County is located in extreme northwestern North Carolina. The county is bordered by two states: Virginia on the north; and Tennessee to the west. The county is located entirely within the Appalachian Mountains region of North Carolina. Most of the county is located atop a rolling plateau that ranges from 2,300 feet to 3,000 feet above sea level. On the county's southern border the land drops abruptly some 1,500 to 2,500 feet to the Piedmont section of North Carolina. Numerous mountains and hills dot the plateau; among the highest is Mount Jefferson, which rises to 4,665 feet, and towers some 2,000 feet above the towns of Jefferson and West Jefferson. The county's main river is the New River, which, ironically, is one of the oldest rivers in the world, and one of the few in North America which flow north instead of south, east, or west. There are 34 recorded creeks and streams that flow into the New River in Ashe County. The river itself has been designated an "American Heritage River" by President Bill Clinton, and it is famed for its' beautiful rural scenery, clear water, fly fishing, and kayaking and canoeing. Indeed, Ashe County generally is known for its' beautiful mountain scenery, and the tourism industry is an important mainstay of the county's economy. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along the county's southern border. Ashe County has historically consisted of rural farmland, with numerous cattle and poultry farms. However, cattle farming in recent decades has given way to the more profitable industry of raising Christmas trees. Many cattle farmers have switched to growing Christmas trees, and one Ashe County Christmas Tree was selected to serve as the official White House Christmas Tree by President George W. Bush. Indeed, it is a common sight after Thanksgiving to see cars, SUVs, and minivans from North Carolina's cities traveling from Ashe County with a freshly-cut Christmas tree tied to the top of the vehicle.
[edit] Townships
The County is divided into 22 townships: Survey townships - Chestnut Hill, Clifton, Creston, Crumpler, Elk, Grassy Creek, Helton, Horse Creek, Hurricane, Laurel Springs, North Fork, Obids, Old Fields, Peak Creek, Pine Swamp, Piney Creek, Pond Mountain, Todd, Walnut Hill, and Warrensville. Civil townships - Lansing, Jefferson, West Jefferson.
[edit] Adjacent Counties
- Grayson County, Virginia - north
- Alleghany County, North Carolina - east
- Wilkes County, North Carolina - southeast
- Watauga County, North Carolina - southwest
- Johnson County, Tennessee - west
[edit] Trivia
- Glendale Springs Inn: Glendale Springs is a tiny mountain village located near the Blue Ridge Parkway. The village is home to the Glendale Springs Inn, a bed-and-breakfast which offers rooms to tourists, and which features a top-quality restaurant with a French chef. President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore ate here after dedicating the New River as an American Heritage River in 1997. The Inn is over 100 years old.
- Another popular tourist attraction in Ashe County is Shatley Springs. In 1890 Marvin Shatley, who suffered from a skin disease, washed his face in the waters of a small spring in northern Ashe County. His skin disease was soon healed, and as news spread of the "miraculous healing powers" of the spring, it was bought and turned into a resort. People still come to the springs for the water (which is free, you just have to bring the containers to put it in), as well as for the mountain scenery and the Shatley Springs restaurant. The restaurant serves family-style country dinners and lunches, and is usually crowded in the summer months.
- Cheese: Ashe County once had a thriving dairy industry with two cheese factories, one in West Jefferson, the other in Lansing. Due to the decline of the county's dairy industry, only one of the cheese factories remains open. It is the only wholesale/retail cheese factory located in North Carolina.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 24,384 people, 10,411 households, and 7,423 families residing in the county. The population density was 22/km² (57/mi²). There were 13,268 housing units at an average density of 12/km² (31/mi²).
The racial makeup of the county was:
- 97.16% White
- 0.66% Black or African American
- 0.32% Native American
- 0.23% Asian
- 0.01% Pacific Islander
- 1.05% from other races
- 0.56% from two or more races.
2.42% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 10,411 households out of which 26.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% 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 2.75.
In the county, the population was spread out with 19.80% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 27.70% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,824, and the median income for a family was $36,052. Males had a median income of $25,666 versus $19,983 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,429. About 10.10% of families and 13.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.30% of those under age 18 and 17.30% of those ages 65 and over.
