Mitchell County, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 OldMitchell County Courthouse in Bakersville | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
 North Carolina's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:36°01′N82°10′W / 36.01°N 82.16°W /36.01; -82.16 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1861 |
| Named after | Elisha Mitchell[1] |
| Seat | Bakersville |
| Largest community | Spruce Pine |
| Area | |
• Total | 221.88 sq mi (574.7 km2) |
| • Land | 221.25 sq mi (573.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.63 sq mi (1.6 km2) 0.28% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 14,903 |
• Estimate (2024) | 15,030 |
| • Density | 67.36/sq mi (26.01/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 11th |
| Website | www |
Mitchell County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina. As of the2020 census, the population was 14,903.[2] Itscounty seat isBakersville.[3]
The county is home toSpruce Pine, nicknamed the "Mineral City of the World",[4] and Bakersville, "Gateway toRoan Mountain", which includes the world's largest naturalrhododendron garden and the longest stretch ofgrassy bald in theAppalachian range.[5] Throughout the year such festivals as North Carolina Mineral and Gem Festival and North Carolina Rhododendron Festival bring visitors to the area.[6][7]
The county was formed in 1861 from parts ofBurke County,Caldwell County,McDowell County,Watauga County, andYancey County. It was named forElisha Mitchell, professor ofmathematics,chemistry,geology, andmineralogy at theUniversity of North Carolina from 1818 until his death in 1857. Dr. Mitchell was the first scientist to argue that a nearby peak in theBlack Mountains was the highest point east of the Mississippi River. He measured the mountain's height and climbed and explored it. In 1857 he fell to his death on a waterfall on the side of the mountain. The mountain was subsequently namedMount Mitchell in his honor.
By 1899, Mitchell County had asundown town policy of preventingBlack Americans from living or working in the county.[8] By the early 1920s, Black Americans began working and living in the county in larger numbers, especially as mine workers and asconvict laborers constructing local infrastructure, including newstate highways such as what is nowUS Highway 19E. In September 1923, a 75-year-old White woman named Alice Thomas accused John Goss, an escaped Black convict laborer, of raping her. A White mob formed in Spruce Pine, and when they could not locate the fugitive Goss, the mob (which included members of theKu Klux Klan) forced nearly all of the Black people onto train cars heading out of the county. GovernorCameron Morrison, an ally of the infrastructure construction and mining industries, declared martial law and called in theNational Guard in an attempt to stop the mob violence, but by the time the Guard units arrived two days later, the Black mine and construction laborers had already been driven from the county. The National Guard occupied Spruce Pine for nearly two weeks. Despite Morrison's declaration ofmartial law having little effect, it was the first time martial law was declared in response to an instance ofmass racial violence in the United States. Ultimately, 86 members of thewhite supremacist mob were indicted for their actions, many of whom pleaded guilty to minor offences. Goss was arrested inHickory four days after the alleged rape, and at the orders of the Governor, jailed inRaleigh to avertlynching. He was tried three weeks later in Mitchell County, convicted by jury after five minutes of deliberation, and executed byelectrocution.[9][10]
The county took a direct hit from "The Storm of the Century", also known as the "’93 Superstorm", or "The (Great) Blizzard of 1993". This storm event was similar in nature to a hurricane. The storm occurred between March 12–13, 1993, on the East Coast of North America. Parts of Cuba, Gulf Coast States, Eastern United States and Eastern Canada were greatly impacted. The county suffered a tragic event on May 3, 2002, when a fire broke out at theMitchell County jail in Bakersville, North Carolina. Eight men lost their lives in the fire.
Mitchell County was one of the three entirelydry counties in North Carolina, along withGraham andYancey, but in March 2009, after much controversy, the Town ofSpruce Pine approved beer, wine and limited retail sale.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 221.88 square miles (574.7 km2), of which 221.25 square miles (573.0 km2) is land and 0.63 square miles (1.6 km2) (0.28%) is water.[11] It is the fourth-smallest county in North Carolina by land area and second-smallest by total area. The northwest sections of county border the state ofTennessee. Sections of both theBlue Ridge Parkway andAppalachian Trail are located in the county. Parts of thePisgah National Forest are located in the northern sections of the county. Several conservation lands are within Pisgah National Forest in Mitchell and neighboringAvery County.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 4,705 | — | |
| 1880 | 9,435 | 100.5% | |
| 1890 | 12,807 | 35.7% | |
| 1900 | 15,221 | 18.8% | |
| 1910 | 17,245 | 13.3% | |
| 1920 | 11,278 | −34.6% | |
| 1930 | 13,962 | 23.8% | |
| 1940 | 15,980 | 14.5% | |
| 1950 | 15,143 | −5.2% | |
| 1960 | 13,906 | −8.2% | |
| 1970 | 13,447 | −3.3% | |
| 1980 | 14,428 | 7.3% | |
| 1990 | 14,433 | 0.0% | |
| 2000 | 15,687 | 8.7% | |
| 2010 | 15,579 | −0.7% | |
| 2020 | 14,903 | −4.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 15,030 | [14] | 0.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15] 1790–1960[16] 1900–1990[17] 1990–2000[18] 2010[19] 2020[2] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 13,514 | 90.68% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 50 | 0.34% |
| Native American | 30 | 0.2% |
| Asian | 52 | 0.35% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 555 | 3.72% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 701 | 4.7% |
As of the2020 census, there were 14,903 people, 6,344 households, and 4,031 families residing in the county.
At the2000 census,[21] there were 15,687 people, 6,551 households, and 4,736 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 71 people per square mile (27 people/km2). There were 7,919 housing units at an average density of 36 units per square mile (14 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.87%White, 0.22%Black orAfrican American, 0.45%Native American, 0.20%Asian, 0.66% fromother races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 1.98% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 6,551 households, out of which 27.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.90% weremarried couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.20% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 27.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,508, and the median income for a family was $36,367. Males had a median income of $26,550 versus $20,905 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,933. About 10.70% of families and 13.80% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 16.40% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2015, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Mitchell County were:[22]
| Ancestry | Percent (2015) |
|---|---|
| American | 17.3% |
English | 14.7% |
German | 12.2% |
Irish | 11.9% |
Scotch-Irish | 9.8% |
Scottish | 5.0% |
French (exceptBasque) | 2.3% |
Italian | 1.9% |
Swedish | 1.6% |
Dutch | 1.5% |
Mitchell County is a member of the regionalHigh Country Council of Governments.
Owing to itsCivil War-eraUnionist sympathies, along with its rural character, Mitchell has continuously been an overwhelminglyRepublican county, even during the "Solid South" Democratic era. NoDemocratic presidential candidate has carried Mitchell County sinceSamuel J. Tilden in 1876. Since Tilden's win, every Republican candidate has obtained at least sixty percent of the county's vote, with the solitary exception of the 1912 election when the party was divided between the two candidacies ofWilliam Howard Taft andTheodore Roosevelt, the latter of whom carried the county.
As of October 2022, 58 percent of active voters in Mitchell County are registered Republicans—the highest such rate statewide—while Democrats have their lowest county registration rate.[23]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 203 | 15.57% | 385 | 29.52% | 716 | 54.91% |
| 1916 | 1,298 | 73.75% | 462 | 26.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 2,153 | 75.54% | 697 | 24.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 1,540 | 68.84% | 689 | 30.80% | 8 | 0.36% |
| 1928 | 3,436 | 80.60% | 827 | 19.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 3,798 | 68.06% | 1,773 | 31.77% | 9 | 0.16% |
| 1936 | 3,380 | 66.71% | 1,687 | 33.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 3,290 | 69.41% | 1,450 | 30.59% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 3,192 | 75.71% | 1,024 | 24.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 2,908 | 76.35% | 818 | 21.48% | 83 | 2.18% |
| 1952 | 4,009 | 76.43% | 1,236 | 23.57% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 4,269 | 79.97% | 1,069 | 20.03% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 4,831 | 80.45% | 1,174 | 19.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 3,263 | 65.27% | 1,736 | 34.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 3,778 | 72.65% | 819 | 15.75% | 603 | 11.60% |
| 1972 | 4,240 | 83.45% | 800 | 15.74% | 41 | 0.81% |
| 1976 | 3,728 | 64.50% | 2,031 | 35.14% | 21 | 0.36% |
| 1980 | 4,322 | 68.93% | 1,765 | 28.15% | 183 | 2.92% |
| 1984 | 4,737 | 78.51% | 1,286 | 21.31% | 11 | 0.18% |
| 1988 | 4,620 | 76.82% | 1,377 | 22.90% | 17 | 0.28% |
| 1992 | 4,405 | 62.79% | 1,727 | 24.62% | 883 | 12.59% |
| 1996 | 3,874 | 65.15% | 1,496 | 25.16% | 576 | 9.69% |
| 2000 | 4,984 | 75.52% | 1,535 | 23.26% | 81 | 1.23% |
| 2004 | 5,686 | 72.92% | 2,080 | 26.67% | 32 | 0.41% |
| 2008 | 5,499 | 70.09% | 2,238 | 28.52% | 109 | 1.39% |
| 2012 | 5,806 | 74.77% | 1,838 | 23.67% | 121 | 1.56% |
| 2016 | 6,282 | 77.59% | 1,596 | 19.71% | 218 | 2.69% |
| 2020 | 7,090 | 78.42% | 1,867 | 20.65% | 84 | 0.93% |
| 2024 | 6,843 | 77.39% | 1,915 | 21.66% | 84 | 0.95% |
In the 2016 Republican Primary in Mitchell County, Donald Trump received 1,775 votes (or 46.8 percent of the total votes) followed by Ted Cruz who came in second with 1,188 votes (or 31.3% of the total votes). In the 2016 Democratic Primary, Bernie Sanders received 450 votes (57.9% of the total) whereas Hillary Clinton only won 314 votes (40.4% of the total).[25] In the general election Donald Trump received 6,282 votes (or 77.6% of the total vote) whereas Hillary Clinton only received 1,596 votes (19.7% of the vote) and Libertarian Candidate Gary Johnson only received 138 votes (1.7% of total votes in the county).[26]
The Mitchell County Economic Development Commission (EDC) is a nine-member board with representatives from various business, education, and government sectors in the county. The goal of the board is to promote the establishment, development, and retention of businesses in Mitchell County.[27]
Top 10 employers ranked largest to smallest:[28]
Mitchell High School is a comprehensive four-year high school (9-12) centrally located in the community of Ledger when built in 1978.
Spruce Pine is home to three schools: Greenlee Primary (K-2),[29] Deyton Elementary (3–5),[30] and Harris Middle (6–8).[31] Bakersville is home to two schools: Gouge Primary (K-4)[32] and Bowman Middle (5–8).[33]
Mayland Community College also calls Mitchell County home. Founded by an act of theNorth Carolina General Assembly in 1971, Mayland hosts some 35 curriculum programs and provides vocational and technical training, along with college transfer opportunities to residents of the region.[34]
Penland School of Crafts is an educational facility located in the Penland Community. It is designed to educate students who will apply workable knowledge in creation of books, paper, clay, drawing, glass, iron, metals, photography, printmaking and letterpress, textiles, and wood.[35][36] The school was established in the early 1920s, it is the largest and oldest professional crafts school in the United States.
The county is served byThe Mitchell News-Journal, a weekly newspaper printed by Community Newspapers, Inc.[37] andWTOE radio, at 1470 kHz on the AM dial to cover local news.[38]
TheOhio River & Charleston Railroad Co. will appeal toGovernor Russell for protection for its gangs of negro laborers in Mitchell county. The residents of this county escorted three gangs of laborers to the border line and told them not to return under pain of death. It is the boast of the people of Mitchell county that no negroes are allowed to live or work there. Up to date the boast has been made good. The situation is serious, and blood may flow if the railroad company brings its colored laborers back.
Geographic data related toMitchell County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Mitchell County, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofMitchell County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
