McDowell County, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 McDowell County Courthouse in Marion | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
| Coordinates:35°41′N82°03′W / 35.68°N 82.05°W /35.68; -82.05 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1842 |
| Named after | Joseph McDowell |
| Seat | Marion |
| Largest community | Marion |
| Area | |
• Total | 445.35 sq mi (1,153.5 km2) |
| • Land | 439.95 sq mi (1,139.5 km2) |
| • Water | 5.40 sq mi (14.0 km2) 1.21% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 44,578 |
• Estimate (2024) | 45,269 |
| • Density | 101.33/sq mi (39.12/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 11th |
| Website | www |
McDowell County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina. As of the2020 census, the population was 44,578.[1] Itscounty seat isMarion.[2]
McDowell County comprises the Marion, NCMicropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in theCharlotte-Concord, NCCombined Statistical Area.[3]
Archaeological excavations performed by Dr. David Moore during the early 1980s, revealed artifacts and other evidence that the earliest inhabitants of McDowell County lived there from theWoodland period andMississippian culture era, from 250 to 1500 AD. Dr. Moore discovered this material in an area close to theCatawba River, in and around an unusual topographical site known as Round Hill.[4] Both the historicCherokee andCatawba Indians were Native American peoples known to live in what is now McDowell County, and they had been there long before any Europeans. These Native Americans were living in this section for centuries before the SpanishJuan Pardo's 1566 expedition to the interior region from the Atlantic coast.[5]
In the next two years, Pardo traveled from the Spanish colony on an island, through what are now South Carolina andWestern North Carolina and into southeastern Tennessee. His expedition traveled through the area that is now McDowell County. His purpose was to acquire territory for Spain and establish forts for an alternative interior route to central Mexico. The Spanish mistakenly believed that the Appalachians connected to a range there, where they had established silver mines.[6][7]
Pardo also hoped to find precious metals during his expedition, in which he stopped at several Native American villages. Pardo and his men built a log blockhouse, Fort San Juan, at aMississippian chiefdom known asJoara at the headwaters of theCatawba River, a site north of present-dayMorganton, North Carolina. They wintered over at Joara.[8] Pardo directed his forces to establish five more forts in the interior, including one atChiaha, in present-day southeastern Tennessee. The Native Americans raided the Spanish newcomers and killed all but one of the soldiers in the garrisons, burning all six forts in 1568. Pardo had already left for Spain by then. The Spanish gave up their efforts to settle the interior.[9][10]
In 1748, "Hunting" John McDowell received a land grant from the colony of North Carolina for property known today asPleasant Gardens, including acreage that originally extended from Swan's Pond (Catawba County) up the Catawba River west to present-day Marion and into the region known as Buck Creek. McDowell went hunting with his friend Henry Weidner, and the two came upon a lush green valley with thousands of acres of what they thought was virgin forest. They were both interested in the land, and McDowell won a wrestling match to decide who should apply for it.[11]
McDowell settled here with his family, and received two more land grants. established residence here family, and subsequently received two land grants. He is noted in Max Dixon's book,The Wataugans, as being instrumental in Jacob Brown's purchase of one of the last remaining pieces of acreage along theNolichucky River in eastern Tennessee. McDowell hosted negotiations with the Cherokee from that area on his farm in North Carolina.
His son, Joseph McDowell, fought in theBattle of Kings Mountain. McDowell County is named in his honor. Today, McDowell's home survives, one of the few remaining that was built by its namesake.[12]
The settlement of what was known as Old Fort took place nearby; this became for a time the westernmost outpost of colonial society. These earlypioneers established a community protected by a series of forts that were used into the early 19th century.
In 1793, Colonel John Carson built a plantation house near Buck Creek in the Pleasant Gardens community. It is known as the historicCarson House. He also operated gold mines in the southern part of the county. Colonel Carson had contributed to the Patriot cause in theAmerican Revolutionary War.[13]
Marion, the county seat of McDowell County, was planned and built on land selected by the first McDowell County Commissioners when they met on March 14, 1844, at the Carson House. It was not until 1845, however, that Marion was designated as the county seat by the state legislature. The settlement was named afterFrancis Marion, theAmerican Revolutionary War hero known as the "Swamp Fox."[14]
He was the subject of the dramatic movieThe Patriot (2000). The historic movieThe Last of the Mohicans (1992), based on a novel byJames Fenimore Cooper, was set in New York state, but it was filmed along the shores ofLake James.[15]
During theCarolina Gold Rush period of the early 19th century, the south county area was known for its gold production. The banks of the Muddy Creek and mines at Vein Mountain were productive areas. Many mines and thriving gold rush towns such as Brackettown no longer exist; scattered ruins and abandoned cemeteries mark once-active sites of the gold rush period. An old mine in Woodlawn is from this period.[16]
McDowell County was first formed in 1842 from parts ofBurke County andRutherford County. It was named forJoseph McDowell, a Revolutionary War leader and hero of theBattle of King's Mountain. He was elected and served one term as a member of theUnited States House of Representatives, from 1797 to 1799.[17]
In 1861, parts of McDowell, Burke,Caldwell,Watauga, andYancey counties were combined to formMitchell County. McDowell County is rich inAmerican Civil War History.[18]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 445.35 square miles (1,153.5 km2), of which 439.95 square miles (1,139.5 km2) is land and 5.40 square miles (14.0 km2) (1.21%) is water.[19]
Numerous small creeks and streams flow through the county. TheCatawba River originates in and crosses the county and empties intoLake James. It flows overCatawba Falls on its way, which is accessible to the public. Other waterfalls can be found in the county, such asToms Creek Falls. Almost half of the county, including the two aforementioned waterfalls, is located inside thePisgah National Forest.Linville Caverns, North Carolina's only limestone cavern system open to the public, is located in the far northern part of the county.
Geologically, McDowell County is located within the southernAppalachian Mountains region. TheBlue Ridge Parkway closely follows the northwestern boundary of the county. McDowell County rises rapidly from thePiedmont (United States) in its extreme eastern border where elevations average about 1200 feet above sea level, to theBlue Ridge Mountains in the north and west. Its lowest point is 969 feet above sea level along Cane Creek in the county's southeastern corner. Its highest point is Pinnacle—at 5,665 feet above sea level the second-highest mountain (afterGrandfather Mountain) in the Blue Ridge, and also considered the southernmost tip of theBlack Mountains, the highest ridge in eastern America. Much of the county lies in theFoothills (North Carolina) region ofWestern North Carolina.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 6,246 | — | |
| 1860 | 7,120 | 14.0% | |
| 1870 | 7,592 | 6.6% | |
| 1880 | 9,836 | 29.6% | |
| 1890 | 10,939 | 11.2% | |
| 1900 | 12,567 | 14.9% | |
| 1910 | 13,538 | 7.7% | |
| 1920 | 16,763 | 23.8% | |
| 1930 | 20,336 | 21.3% | |
| 1940 | 22,996 | 13.1% | |
| 1950 | 25,720 | 11.8% | |
| 1960 | 26,742 | 4.0% | |
| 1970 | 30,648 | 14.6% | |
| 1980 | 35,135 | 14.6% | |
| 1990 | 35,681 | 1.6% | |
| 2000 | 42,151 | 18.1% | |
| 2010 | 44,996 | 6.7% | |
| 2020 | 44,578 | −0.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 45,269 | [21] | 1.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[22] 1790–1960[23] 1900–1990[24] 1990–2000[25] 2010[26] 2020[1] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[27] | Pop 2010[28] | Pop 2020[29] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 38,373 | 39,982 | 37,788 | 91.04% | 88.86% | 84.77% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,716 | 1,663 | 1,707 | 4.07% | 3.70% | 3.83% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 112 | 131 | 136 | 0.27% | 0.29% | 0.31% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 387 | 344 | 388 | 0.92% | 0.76% | 0.87% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.01% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 38 | 24 | 129 | 0.09% | 0.05% | 0.29% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 306 | 460 | 1,483 | 0.73% | 1.02% | 3.33% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,214 | 2,392 | 2,947 | 2.88% | 5.32% | 6.61% |
| Total | 42,151 | 44,996 | 44,578 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 44,578.[30] The census also recorded 13,065 families residing in the county.[1]
The median age was 44.8 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.2 males age 18 and over.[30]
The racial makeup of the county was 86.0%White, 3.9%Black or African American, 0.5%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 4.0% from some other race, and 4.7% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.6% of the population.[31]
27.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 73.0% lived in rural areas.[32]
There were 18,058 households in the county, of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.5% were married-couple households, 18.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[30]
There were 21,242 housing units, of which 15.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.3% were owner-occupied and 26.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%.[30]
At the2000 census,[33] there were 42,151 people, 16,604 households, and 11,954 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 95 people per square mile (37 people/km2). There were 18,377 housing units at an average density of 42 units per square mile (16 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.18%White, 4.16%Black orAfrican American, 0.29%Native American, 0.92%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 1.61% fromother races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 2.88% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 16,604 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.50% weremarried couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.80% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,396, and the median income for a family was $37,789. Males had a median income of $26,609 versus $21,640 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,109. About 9.00% of families and 11.60% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.10% of those under age 18 and 15.70% of those age 65 or over.
McDowell County is a member of theIsothermal Planning and Development Commission regional council of governments.
McDowell County voted Republican in the three elections from 1900 to 1908, but otherwise was solidly Democratic until1956, whenDwight D. Eisenhower carried the county. Since then, like other areas of the North Carolina Foothills, it has become predominantly Republican. Since 1956, only two Democratic candidates have won the county's vote in presidential elections:Lyndon Johnson in1964 andJimmy Carter in1976, both hailing from the southern region of the nation.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 343 | 15.86% | 1,037 | 47.94% | 783 | 36.20% |
| 1916 | 1,218 | 48.84% | 1,274 | 51.08% | 2 | 0.08% |
| 1920 | 2,561 | 47.69% | 2,809 | 52.31% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 2,590 | 45.94% | 3,023 | 53.62% | 25 | 0.44% |
| 1928 | 3,423 | 49.95% | 3,430 | 50.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 2,478 | 33.84% | 4,810 | 65.68% | 35 | 0.48% |
| 1936 | 3,114 | 36.78% | 5,352 | 63.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 2,216 | 29.52% | 5,290 | 70.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 2,258 | 36.04% | 4,008 | 63.96% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 2,709 | 37.88% | 3,805 | 53.20% | 638 | 8.92% |
| 1952 | 4,710 | 49.76% | 4,755 | 50.24% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 5,468 | 55.46% | 4,392 | 44.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 6,148 | 55.70% | 4,889 | 44.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 4,174 | 39.80% | 6,314 | 60.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 4,740 | 46.01% | 2,543 | 24.69% | 3,018 | 29.30% |
| 1972 | 6,570 | 72.09% | 2,348 | 25.76% | 196 | 2.15% |
| 1976 | 4,450 | 41.41% | 6,246 | 58.12% | 50 | 0.47% |
| 1980 | 5,680 | 53.55% | 4,703 | 44.34% | 223 | 2.10% |
| 1984 | 7,639 | 65.09% | 4,076 | 34.73% | 21 | 0.18% |
| 1988 | 6,526 | 59.34% | 4,449 | 40.46% | 22 | 0.20% |
| 1992 | 6,090 | 45.81% | 5,309 | 39.93% | 1,896 | 14.26% |
| 1996 | 6,407 | 52.18% | 4,553 | 37.08% | 1,318 | 10.73% |
| 2000 | 9,109 | 65.01% | 4,747 | 33.88% | 155 | 1.11% |
| 2004 | 10,590 | 66.18% | 5,330 | 33.31% | 82 | 0.51% |
| 2008 | 11,534 | 62.73% | 6,571 | 35.74% | 281 | 1.53% |
| 2012 | 11,775 | 65.06% | 6,031 | 33.32% | 293 | 1.62% |
| 2016 | 14,568 | 73.30% | 4,667 | 23.48% | 640 | 3.22% |
| 2020 | 16,883 | 73.39% | 5,832 | 25.35% | 288 | 1.25% |
| 2024 | 17,520 | 74.06% | 5,911 | 24.99% | 224 | 0.95% |
In the2016 Republican Primary in McDowell County,Donald Trump received 2,552 votes (or 41.2% of the total votes) followed byTed Cruz, who came in second with 2,422 votes (or 39.1% of the total votes). In the2016 Democratic Primary,Bernie Sanders received 1,622 votes (49.0%) andHillary Clinton received 1,353 votes (40.9%).[35]
In the2016 presidential election in McDowell County,Republican Donald Trump received 14,517 votes (74.2%),Democrat Hillary Clinton 4,645 votes (23.8%), andLibertarianGary Johnson 395 votes (2.0%).[36]
The following is a list of schools located in McDowell County:
McDowell County has one community college:McDowell Technical Community College
Geographic data related toMcDowell County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to McDowell County, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofMcDowell County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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