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Wilmington, North Carolina
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Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 75,838 at the 2000 Census. A July 1, 2007 United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 99,623. Wilmington is the principal city of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that covers New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties in southeastern North Carolina, which had an estimated population of 339,511 as of July 1, 2007. It was named in honor of Spencer Compton, the Earl of Wilmington, who was Prime Minister under George II.
Wilmington was settled on the Cape Fear River and offers its historic downtown with its one mile long Riverwalk as a main tourist attraction.
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Encyclopedia
Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 75,838 at the 2000 Census. A July 1, 2007 United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 99,623. Wilmington is the principal city of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that covers New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties in southeastern North Carolina, which had an estimated population of 339,511 as of July 1, 2007. It was named in honor of Spencer Compton, the Earl of Wilmington, who was Prime Minister under George II.
Wilmington was settled on the Cape Fear River and offers its historic downtown with its one mile long Riverwalk as a main tourist attraction. It is minutes away from nearby beaches. The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Wilmington, North Carolina one of its 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. City residents have the advantage of living nestled between the river and the ocean with Wrightsville Beach a short 20 minute drive from downtown.
In 2003 the city received, through an act of Congress, the designation of "A Coast Guard City". The city is also home port for the USCGC Diligence, a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter..
Wilmington is also known as the childhood home of basketball great Michael Jordan and journalist David Brinkley; famous Wilmington natives include Robert Ruark, Sonny Jurgenson, Charles Kuralt, Charlie Daniels, Roman Gabriel, Meadowlark Lemon, Trot Nixon and Alge Crumpler. It is also home to the World War II Battleship . Now a war memorial, the ship is open to public tours and is on display across from the downtown port area. The town is home to the University of North Carolina Wilmington, the Wilmington Hammerheads USL soccer team, the training camp site for the Charlotte Bobcats and the Cape Fear Museum. The city has become a major center of American film and television production; motion pictures such as A Walk To Remember, Blue Velvet, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Empire Records, Cape Fear, Black Knight, 28 Days, The Crow (death place of Brandon Lee), Nights in Rodanthe and the controversial Dakota Fanning film Hounddog; as well as television shows such as Matlock, Surface, The WB's Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill have been produced there.
Geography
Wilmington is located at (34.223232, -77.912122).. It is the Eastern Terminus of a major East-West interstate Highway---I-40 which ends at Barstow, California where it joins I-15, the Gateway to Southern California, some 2720 miles away, passing through many major cities and State Capitals along the way.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 41.5 square miles (107.4 km²). 41.0 square miles (106.2 km2) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.2 km2) of it (1.16%) is water.
Climate
Wilmington has a humid subtropical climate.
- Winters are generally cool with temperatures in the 50s and 60s.
- Spring has temperatures in the 70s and 80s. The presence of abundant dense vegetation in the area causes significant pollen dusting in the springtime that tends to turn rooftops and cars yellow.
- Summer brings humidity with temperatures in the 80's and 90's F. Heat Indexes can easily break the 100 °F mark. Due to the proximity of warm Atlantic Ocean waters, the area may be hit by a tropical cyclone during the summer, at an average of once every 7 years.
- Fall is also generally humid at the beginning, with the same tropical threats as the summer. Temperatures hover mostly in the 70s and 80s. Some of the deciduous trees may lose their leaves; however most trees in the area are evergreens and therefore remain green year-round.
- Annual Average High Temperatures: 90 °F (summer) 60 °F (winter)
- Annual Average Low Temperatures 72 °F (summer) 38 °F (winter)
- Highest Recorded Temperature: 104 °F (1952)
- Lowest Recorded Temperature: 0 °F (1989)
- Warmest Month: July
- Coolest Month: February
- Highest Precipitation: July
- Annual Precipitation: 57.07 inches
History
Although there had been attempts to settle the Cape Fear region in the 1600s, the first permanent English settlers established themselves in the area in the 1720s. The town of Wilmington was incorporated in 1739. A number of the first settlers of the region came from South Carolina and Barbados. Slavery came early to the region as landowners used slave labor to exploit the region's natural resources. The forest provided the region's major industries through the 18th and most of the 19th century: naval stores and lumber fueled the economy both before and after the American Revolution. However, the most significant event in Wilmington's history is the coup d'état and Massacre of 1898.
Civil War
During the Civil War the port was a major base for Confederate blockade runners. It was captured by Union forces only in February 1865, approximately one month after the fall of Fort Fisher had closed the port. Since almost all the action was some distance from the city itself, a number of Antebellum homes and other buildings are still extant.
Massacre of 1898
In November 1898 Wilmington was the scene of a violent attack by a well-organized group of whites who destroyed the printing press of the African American newspaper The Daily Record and set fire to the building in response to an editorial that "insulted white womanhood", which was credited to editor Alex Manly. The mob then went to the north side of town, where an unknown number of African Americans were murdered by lynching and many hundreds more were run out of town. No whites were killed during the incident.
At the same time, the Republican mayor and city council were forced to resign their offices and the leader of the white mob was then installed as mayor, these events precisely fitting the definition of a coup d'état. The events in Wilmington—which was the largest city in the state at the time—helped make North Carolina into a Democratic Party-controlled state. They also helped institute Jim Crow and disenfranchisement which lasted until the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the United States in the second half of the 20th century.
In 2006 the 1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission completed its official report on the event. Consisting of thirteen commissioners appointed by the legislature, the governor, mayor and city council of Wilmington, the commission was assisted by the staff of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. They used the experience of the Rosewood Report (completed 1993), and the Tulsa Report (completed 2001) as a model and set out to provide detailed explanations for the causes and effects of the riots and to propose a series of recommendations to address the wrongs perpetrated by earlier generations. The resolution also apologized to those affected by the riots and their repercussions and renounced these actions.
Cityscape
Downtown/Old Wilmington is home to Historic Neighborhoods and buildings such as the Sir Water Wilmington Hotel Build in the late 20th Century, the restored City Market.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 75,838 people, 34,359 households, and 17,351 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,849.8 people per square mile (714.2/km²). There were 38,678 housing units at an average density of 943.4/sq mi (364.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.57% White, 25.82% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.90% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.63% of the population.
There were 34,359 households out of which 20.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.5% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.5% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 17.2% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,099, and the median income for a family was $41,891. Males had a median income of $30,803 versus $23,423 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,503. About 13.3% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Located on the Cape Fear River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean, Wilmington is a sizable seaport, including private marine terminals and the North Carolina State Ports Authority's Port of Wilmington. A major international seaport, the North Carolina International Port, is being planned down the river in Southport.
Wilmington is served by the following highways:
In addition, there are plans to extend I-20 and I-74 to Wilmington.
The Wilmington International Airport serves the area with commercial air service provided by Allegiant Air, Delta Air Lines and US Airways. The airport is also home to two fixed base operations (FBO's) which currently house over 100 private aircraft. The airport maintains a separate International Terminal providing a full service Federal Inspection Station to clear international flights. This includes U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Dept of Agriculture and the U.S. Dept of Immigration. The airport is 4 miles from downtown.
Public transit in the area is provided by the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority, which operates fixed bus routes, shuttles, and a free downtown trolley under the brand name Wave Transit. A daily intercity bus service to Raleigh is provided by Greyhound Lines.
The NC-DOT Cape Fear Run bicycle route connects Apex to Wilmington and closely parallels the RUSA 600 km brevet route.
The City of Wilmington offers transient, short-term, and long-term docking facilities in Historic Downtown Wilmington along the scenic Cape Fear River approximately 15 miles from the Intracoastal Waterway. Docks accommodating vessels up to 200 feet with 30 and 50 amp power service are available within walking distance to area attractions, hotels, shopping, dining, theater, nightlife, laundry, post office, bank, pharmacy, and supplies.
Business
Wilmington experienced staggering growth in the 1990s, ranking at one point as the second fastest growing city in the country, behind only Las Vegas. Economists have forecast growth in the Greater Wilmington area to be the fastest in the state between 2004-2010, averaging 7%.
Top employers
Media
Newspapers
The Star-News is Wilmington's daily newspaper; read widely throughout the Lower Cape Fear region and now owned by the New York Times. Two historic African-American newspapers are distributed and published weekly -- The Wilmington Journal and The Challenger Newspapers. Encore Magazine is a weekly arts and entertainment publication.
Television stations
Broadcast
The Wilmington television market is ranked 136 in the United States, and is the smallest DMA in North Carolina. The broadcast stations are as follows:
- WWAY, Channel (3), (ABC affiliate): licensed to Wilmington, owned by Morris Multimedia
- WECT, Channel (6), (NBC affiliate): licensed to Wilmington, owned by Raycom Media
- WILM-LD, Channel (10), (CBS affiliate): licensed to Wilmington, owned by the Capitol Broadcasting Company
- WSFX-TV, Channel (26), (Fox affiliate): licensed to Wilmington, owned by Raycom Media
- WUNJ-TV, Channel (39), (PBS member station, part of the UNC-TV Network)
- W47CK, Channel (47), (MyNetworkTV affiliate, uses fictional WMYW calls on-air): licensed to Shallotte
- W51CW, Channel (51), (TBN affiliate)
Subscriber
The region is also served by a cable-only affiliate of The CW, WBW (channel 29 on Time Warner Cable and channel 17 on Charter Communications). Cable news station News 14 Carolina also maintains its coastal bureau in Wilmington.
On September 8, 2008 at 12 noon, WWAY, WECT, WSFX, WILM-LP and W51CW all turned off their analog signals, making Wilmington the first market in the nation to go digital-only as part of a test by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to iron out transition and reception concerns before the nationwide shutoff. Wilmington was chosen as the test market because the area's digital channel positions will remain unchanged after the transition. As the area's official conduit of emergency information, WUNJ did not participate in the early analog switchoff, and will keep their analog signal on until the national digital switchover date of February 17, 2009. W47CK did not participate due to its low-power status; FCC rules currently exempt low-powered stations from the 2009 analog shutdown. WILM-LP and W51CW chose to participate, even though they are exempt as LPTV stations. This was a voluntary shutdown and none of the stations have surrendered their analog licenses back to the FCC, so they could resume analog signals before February if desired.
Despite Tropical Storm Hanna making landfall southwest of Wilmington two days before (September 6), the switchover continued as scheduled. The ceremony was marked by governmental and television representatives flipping a large switch (marked with the slogan "First in Flight, First in Digital") from analog to digital.
Radio stations
- 88.1 FM WGHW - Christian Programs from Church Planters Of America
- 88.5 FM WZDG - Christian Rock ("88.5, The Edge")
- 88.9 FM WKVC - Contemporary Christian ("K-Love")
- 89.7 FM WDVV - Worship & Praise Music ("The Dove, 89.7")
- 90.5 FM WWIL - Christian Music & Teaching Programs ("Life 90.5")
- 91.3 FM WHQR - Public Radio
- 92.3 FM WQSL - Urban Contemporary ("92.3, The Touch")
- 92.7 FM WBPL - Wilmington Catholic Radio
- 93.7 FM WNTB - Talk Radio ("The Big Talker FM")
- 94.5 FM WKXS - Classic Hits ("94.5, The Hawk")
- 95.5 FM W238AV - Contemporary Christian ("K-LOVE")
- 95.9 FM W240AS - Christian Programs from WOTJ, Morehead City
- 97.3 FM WMNX - Hip Hop/R & B ("Coast 97.3")
- 98.3 FM WSFM - Alternative ("Surf 98.3")
- 98.7 FM WLGD - Popular Latin music ("La Grand D")
- 99.9 FM WKXB - Oldies ("Jammin' 99.9")
- 100.5 FM W263BA - Contemporary Christian ("K-LOVE")
- 101.3 FM WWQQ- Country ("Double Q, 101")
- 102.7 FM WGNI - Hot AC ("102.7 GNI")
- 103.7 FM WBNE - Classic Rock (103.7,"The Bone")
- 104.5 FM WILT - Adult Hits ("Will FM")
- 105.5 FM WXQR - Rock ("Rock 105")
- 106.3 FM WLTT - Talk Radio ("The Big Talker FM")
- 106.7 FM WUIN - Variety Hits ("The Penguin")
- 107.5 FM WAZO - Top 40 ("Z 107.5")
- 630 AM WMFD - Sports ("ESPN Radio, AM 630")
- 980 AM WAAV - News, Talk, Sports ("News, Talk, & Sports 980 The Wave")
- 1180 AM WMYT - Spanish Christian ("Radio Alegre")
- 1340 AM WLSG - Southern Gospel ("God's Country, 1340")
- 1490 AM WWIL - Urban Gospel ("Gospel Joy, 1490")
Performing arts
The city supports a very active calendar with its showcase theater, the Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, hosting about 250 events annually. The complex has been in continuous operation since it opened in 1858 and houses three performance venues, the Main Stage, the Grand Ballroom, and the Studio Theater.
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington College of Arts and Science Departments of Theatre, Music and Art share a state-of-the-art, $34 million Cultural Arts Building which opened in December 2006. The production area consists of a music recital hall, art gallery, and two theaters. Sponsored events include 4 theater productions a year.
The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra was established in 1971 and offers throughout the year a series of five classical performances, and a Free Family Concert.
Local stages include:
- Red Barn Studio
- Level 5 at City Stage
- Opera House Theater
- Brown Coat Pub & Theater
Music
Wilmington is also home to numerous music festivals.
- One of the largest DIY festivals, the Wilmington Exchange Festival, which happens over a period of 5 days around Memorial Day each year. It is currently in its 12th year.
- Celebrating its 28th year, The North Carolina Jazz Festival is a three-day traditional jazz festival which features world-renowned jazz musicians.
- The Blues Society of the Lower Cape Fear was formed in 1987 by a small group of blues supporters in Wilmington, N.C. The festival features local, regional & national acts at a Main Stage Concert, All-Day Blues Jam, Blues Cruise, Kick-Off Party, and Blues Workshops. This also includes the "Women in Blues" music festival. The society has shrunken in membership and its involvement in the community is to a point that is astonishing. The only events the organization takes part in are a Tuesday night jam and a small, amateur level festival..
Sports
The Wilmington Sharks are a Coastal Plain League (CPL) baseball team in Wilmington that was founded in 1997 and was among the charter organizations when the CPL was formed that same year. The roster is made up of top collegiate baseball players fine-tuning their skills using wood bats to prepare for professional baseball. Their stadium is located at Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium in Wilmington.
The Wilmington Sea Dawgs are a Premier Basketball League (PBL) team in Wilmington that began its inaugural season with the American Basketball Association (ABA) in November 2006.
The Wilmington Hammerheads are a professional soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. They were founded in 1996 and currently play in the United Soccer Leagues Second Division. Their stadium is the Legion Stadium.
The University of North Carolina Wilmington sponsors 19 intercollegiate sports and has held Division 1 membership in the NCAA since 1977. UNCW competes in the Colonial Athletic Association and has been a member since 1984.
The Cape Fear Rugby Football Club is an amateur rugby club playing in USA Rugby South Division II. They were founded in 1974 and hosts the annual Cape Fear Sevens Tournament held over 4 July weekend; hosting teams from all over the world. They own their own rugby pitch located at 21st and Chestnut St.
Shopping
- Independence Mall
- Mayfaire Town Center
- Hanover Center
- Long Leaf Mall
- University Outlet Shopping Center
Sister cities
Wilmington is a sister city with the following cities:
Points of interest
Educational institutions
Universities and Colleges
- The University of North Carolina at Wilmington supports a student population of more than 11,000 students on a campus.
- Cape Fear Community College operates from two campus locations, one in downtown Wilmington the other in Northern New Hanover County. Over 26,000 students take classes each year at the college with enrollment in credit programs now topping 7,200.
- Shaw University, Has a satellite campus in the downtown area right off of the waterfront. It has about 312 students and 15 faculty members.
Academies and alternate schools
High schools
Middle schools
- Charles P. Murray Middle School
- DC Virgo Middle School
- Emma B. Trask Middle School
- M C S Noble Middle School
- Myrtle Grove Middle School
- Roland-Grise Middle School
- Williston Middle School
- Cape Fear Center for Inquiry Charter School
Elementary schools
- Walter L. Parsley
- Carolina Beach
- Anderson
- Wrightsboro
- Wrightsville Beach school
- Holly Tree
- Bellamy
- Alderman
- Winter Park
- Blair
- Bradley Creek
- Codington
- College Park
- Eaton
- Forest Hills
- GregoryMath/Sci/Tech
- Johnson
- Lake Forest
- Murrayville
- Ogden
- Pine Valley
- Freeman
- Snipes
- Sunset Park
- Williams
Pre-K Centers
- Howe
- NHCS
- Roe
- St. Mary Catholic School
Notable residents
- Eugene Ashley, Jr. — Medal of Honor recipient (Vietnam; awarded posthumously), born in Wilmington in 1930 or 1931.
- Robert Ruark — sportsman and syndicated writer during the 1940s-1950s, born in Wilmington in 1915 and graduated from New Hanover High School.
- David Brinkley — American television newscaster for NBC and later ABC, born in Wilmington in 1920.
- Michael Jordan — American basketball player, grew up in Wilmington.
- Charles Kuralt — award-winning American journalist, born in Wilmington in 1934.
- Meadowlark Lemon — American basketball player and actor, born in Wilmington in 1932.
- Alge Crumpler- NFL tight end for the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans, grew up in Wilmington and attended New Hanover High School
- Sugar Ray Leonard - won the gold medal in boxing at the 1976 Olympics
- Thomas Peters — early founder of Sierra Leone, who escaped from slavery in Wilmington at the beginning of the American Revolution.
- Captain William Gordon Rutherfurd — commanded the HMS HMS Swiftsure during the Battle of Trafalgar, born in Wilmington in 1765.
- Sonny Jurgensen — Washington Redskins quarterback
- Roman Gabriel — Los Angeles Rams quarterback; 1969 NFL Most Valuable Player
- Willie Stargell — Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder and 1st baseman
- Quinton McCracken, former Major League Baseball outfielder
- Trot Nixon — New York Mets outfielder
- Charlie Daniels - Grew up in Wilmington
- Chet Childress - skateboard enthusiast that grew up in Wilmington.
- Kristen Dalton - Miss North Carolina USA 2009
External links
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