Hickory, North Carolina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hickory, North Carolina | |
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| Nickname: HKY, 828 | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| Counties | Catawba, Burke, Caldwell |
| Incorporated | 1870 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | G. Rudy Wright, Jr. |
| Area | |
| - City | 28.1 sq mi (72.7 km²) |
| - Land | 28.1 sq mi (72.7 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 1,148 ft (362 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - City | 37,222 |
| - Density | 1,326.1/sq mi (512.0/km²) |
| - Metro | 341,851 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 28601-28603 |
| Area code(s) | 828 |
| FIPS code | 37-31060[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0986686[2] |
| Website: http://www.hickorygov.com | |
Hickory is a city in Burke, Caldwell, Catawba counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Hickory has the 162nd largest urban area in the United States. It is the economic, social, and cultural center of the Catawba River Valley. As of the 2000 census, the city had a Metropolitan Statistical Area population of 341,851, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. The city's population was 37,222 at the 2000 census. The MSA, which includes Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba counties, is often referred to as the "Unifour," although this name is largely unknown outside the region. Hickory is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1998 Money Magazine's "most livable place to live" (ranked 16th among medium-sized Southern cities) and being named an All-America City three times (1967, 1987, 2007).
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[edit] History
In the 1790s, a tavern was built in the northwest section of Catawba County. This area became known as Hickory Tavern. This name remained intact for almost 100 years. The city of Hickory was incorporated in 1870.
In 1868, Dr. Jeremiah Ingold, pastor of the German Reformed Grace Charge, established Hickory's first school, the Free Academy. [3]
In 1891, Lenoir-Rhyne College (then Highland Academy) was founded by four Lutheran pastors with 12 initial students. [4]
Hickory is also home to one of the oldest furniture manufacturers in the United States that is still located and operated on the original site. Hickory White, formerly known as Hickory Manufacturing Company, was built in 1902 and has been in continuous operation ever since. During World War II, the factory made ammo boxes for the U.S. Military instead of furniture.
Hickory was known in the years after World War II for the "Miracle of Hickory." In 1944 the area around Hickory (the Catawba Valley) became the center of one of the worst outbreaks of polio ever recorded. Residents who were then children recall summers of not being allowed to play outside or visit friends for fear of contracting the disease. Since local facilities were inadequate to treat the victims, the citizens of Hickory and the March of Dimes decided to build a hospital to care for the children of the region. From the time the decision was made until equipment, doctors, and patients were in a new facility, took less than 54 hours. Several more buildings were quickly added. A Red Cross official on the scene praised the project "as the most outstanding example of cooperative effort he has ever seen." (Hickory Daily Record, June 30, 1944) Although few good references are available online, an interesting side to this story is found here.
[edit] Geography
Hickory is located at (35.737682, -81.328372)[5].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.1 square miles (72.7 km²), of which, 28.1 square miles (72.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04% is water.
[edit] Economy
The Hickory area is home to many leading manufacturers of furniture and fiber optic cable. It is estimated that 60% of the nation's furniture is produced within a 200-mile radius of Hickory. Forty percent of the world's fiber optic cable is made in the Hickory area.[6]
[edit] Education
[edit] Colleges and Universities
- Catawba Valley Community College
- Lenoir-Rhyne College
- HMHEC - Higher education center hosting regional universities' programs
[edit] Public Schools
- Catawba County Schools
- Hickory Public Schools
- Newton-Conover City Schools
[edit] People and culture
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 37,222 people, 15,372 households, and 9,361 families residing in the city. There were 16,571 housing units at an average density of 640.4/sq mi (227.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.23% White, 14.09% Black, 0.19% Native American, 3.90% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 3.08% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.69% of the population.
There were 15,372 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 32.2% 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 2.35 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,236, and the median income for a family was $47,522. Males had a median income of $31,486 versus $23,666 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,263. About 8.4% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
364,759 people live within 25 miles of Hickory; 1.8 million people within 50 miles of Hickory.[7]
[edit] Media
- Local daily newspaper is the Hickory Daily Record.
- Free weekly entertainment tabloid: Focus Newspaper.
- WHKY, 1290 AM, local radio station.
- Local television station is WHKY-TV, channel 14.
- (http://BigDawg92FM.com/ Big Dawg 92.1 FM) /Classic Hits Country 1430 AM, Local Radio Station
[edit] Sports
Hickory is home to the minor league baseball Hickory Crawdads. It is also home to the Hickory Motor Speedway, which hosts Dodge Weekly Series events. Until 2004, Hickory was home to the minor league basketball Hickory Nutz, who finished 17-0 in 2003, the Carolinas League's final season.
[edit] Notable residents
The following notable people are or have been residents of the Hickory area:
- Rick Barnes - Texas Head Coach (basketball)
- Kendra Bentley - winner of the sixth season of The Amazing Race
- James Best - actor
- Mike Collins - former NFL player
- Teresa Earnhardt - NASCAR team owner
- Andy Houston - NASCAR driver
- Tommy Houston - NASCAR driver
- Shane Huffman - NASCAR driver
- Dale Jarrett - 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion and three-time Daytona 500 winner
- Ned Jarrett - father of Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR champion
- Daniel Johnson, recipient of the Navy/Marine Corps Medal and candidate for Congress
- Don Norwood - Boy Wonder
- Scott Talbert - Noted Astrophysicist and Innovator in the Field of Robotics
- Andy Petree - NASCAR driver/crew chief/owner
- Jon Reep - comedian/actor, winner of the fifth season of Last Comic Standing; best known for saying "That thing got a HEMI?" in Dodge commercials
- Matthew Settle - actor
- Jim Shumate - fiddler, Bluegrass music pioneer
- Pauletta Pearson Washington - Denzel Washington's wife
[edit] Sister cities
The Western Piedmont region, including Hickory, is sister city to Altenburg, Germany.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Our History
- ^ http://www.lrc.edu/history.htm Lenoir-Rhyne College History
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Hickory's Regional Role As Leader from hickorygov.com
- ^ City of Hickory
- ^ Western Piedmont Sister Cities Association
[edit] External links
- Official website of Hickory, NC
- Hickory travel guide from Wikitravel
- Catawba County Chamber of Commerce
- Catawba County Historical Association
- Catawba County Public Schools
- Hickory Public Schools
- Newton-Conover City Schools
- Hickory, North Carolina is at coordinates Coordinates:
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