Lincolnton, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Lincolnton is a city in Lincoln County
Lincoln County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 71,498 people, 24,041 households, and 18,174 families residing in the county. The population density was 214 people per square mile . There were 25,717 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile...

, 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...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, within the Charlotte metropolitan area
Charlotte metropolitan area
The Charlotte metropolitan area is a metropolitan area/region of North and South Carolina within and surrounding the city of Charlotte...

. The population was 10,683 at the 2010 census. Lincolnton is located northwest of Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

, on the South Fork of the Catawba River
Catawba River
The Catawba River is a tributary of the Wateree River in the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina. The river is approximately 220 miles long...

, and near the junction of State Highway 27 and U.S. Route 321
U.S. Route 321
U.S. Route 321 is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for 526 miles from South Carolina to Tennessee. The northern terminus of U.S. 321 is between Lenoir City and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at Interstate 40 exit 364, which is about 4 miles west of Interstate 40's junction with Interstate 75...

. It is the county seat
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 Lincoln County
Lincoln County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 71,498 people, 24,041 households, and 18,174 families residing in the county. The population density was 214 people per square mile . There were 25,717 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile...

.

History

In June 1781, Lincolnton's location was the site of the Battle of Ramsour's Mill
Battle of Ramsour's Mill
The Battle of Ramsour's Mill took place on June 20, 1780 near present-day Lincolnton, North Carolina, during the British campaign to gain control of the southern colonies in the American Revolutionary War. About 400 American militia defeated 1,300 Loyalist militiamen. The battle did not involve any...

, a small engagement in which local Loyalists were defeated by pro-independence forces. Some historians consider the battle significant because it disrupted Loyalist organizing in the region at a crucial time. The battle site was chosen for the seat of Lincoln County after the old Tryon County
Tryon County, North Carolina
Tryon County is a former county which was located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It was formed in 1768 from the part of Mecklenburg County west of the Catawba River, although the legislative act that created it did not become effective until April 10, 1769. Due to inaccurate and delayed...

, named for a hated royally-appointed governor, was divided. The city and the county were named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln
Benjamin Lincoln
Benjamin Lincoln was an American army officer. He served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...

, who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

Lincolnton was the site of the first textile mill built in the state, constructed by Michael Schenck in 1813. It was the first cotton mill built south of the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...

.

In the 1990s, the city expanded eastward by annexing Boger City
Boger City, North Carolina
Boger City is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 554 at the 2000 census, at which time it was erroneously listed as a census designated place.-Geography:...

, a formerly independent town.

Geography

Lincolnton is located at 35°28′27"N 81°14′34"W (35.474160, -81.242811).

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 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²), of which, 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²) of it is land and 0.12% is water.

Government and politics

Lincolnton is governed by a mayor and four-member city council, who hire a city manager to oversee day-to-day governance. City council members serve four-year terms and the mayor serves for two years. They are elected in partisan elections in odd years. Council members represent city wards in which they must reside, but are elected at-large. The mayor conducts city meetings, normally the first Thursday of each month, and votes only in case of a tie.
Lincolnton government has traditionally been run solely by Democrats, but currently has a bipartisan government for the first time in its history. The city electorate narrowly backed Democrat Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. The rest of Lincoln County has generally leaned Republican, and heavily favored Republican John McCain in the 2008 election.

John Gilleland Jr., a Republican, is mayor and faces re-election in 2011. His opponent is Democrat Patricia Huskey, the former Lincoln County clerk of court. Gilleland came to office by defeating Democratic incumbent David Black, who is also the Lincoln County schools attorney, in 2009.
Council members whose terms end in 2013 are Republican Devin Rhyne of Ward I and Democrat Carroll Heavner of Ward III. Council members whose terms end in 2011 are Ward III Democrat John "Les" Cloninger (the mayor pro tem) and Ward IV Democrat Larry Mac Hovis. Two candidates, Thomas Hawk and Sam Ausband, are competing in the 2011 Republican primary to challenge Cloninger. Hovis will face a challenge from Republican Tim Shain in the 2011 general election.

Media

Lincolnton, North Carolina, is home to one print newspaper and one radio station, plus a range of online news sites and blogs. The Lincoln Times-News dates to a merger between two much older publications in the early 1960s. Based in historic downtown Lincolnton, the family-owned newspaper prints Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons and covers all of Lincolnton County, for which it is the legal paper of record. WLON Radio went on the air in the late 1950s or early 1960s. The online Lincoln Tribune was founded about six years ago with a print edition, but has since become an exclusively online publication. . Another Web site, The Carolina Scoop, was founded in April 2008. Two free-distribution weekly papers -- News@Norman and Denver Weekly -- operate only in the eastern portion of Lincoln County.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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...

of 2010, there were 10,683 people, 3,8948 households, and 2,943 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 1,219.4 people per square mile (470.9/km²). There were 4,146 housing units at an average density of 507.4 per square mile (195.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.98% White, 27.19% African American, 0.41% Asian, 0.33% Native American, 4.15% 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 1.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.87% of the population.

There were 3,878 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% 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, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,684, and the median income for a family was $39,949. Males had a median income of $29,615 versus $21,768 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 $16,667. About 14.4% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

  • Gaston College
    Gaston College
    Gaston College is a community college located in Dallas, North Carolina.Serving Gaston County and Lincoln County, Gaston College enrolls over 5,000 students each term in curriculum programs and about 16,000 students in continuing education programs...

     - Community College offering Associate Degree, Certificate, and Diploma programs.
  • Lincolnton High School
    Lincolnton High School
    Lincolnton High School is a high school located in Lincolnton, North Carolina. Its school colors are black and gold.In 2011, Lincolnton High school hosted the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference basketball tournament and won the tournament....


External links

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