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Morganton, North Carolina

Coordinates: 35°44′27″N 81°42′01″W / 35.74083°N 81.70028°W / 35.74083; -81.70028
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Morganton, North Carolina
City
Historic train station in Morganton
Historic train station in Morganton
Flag of Morganton, North Carolina
Flag
Official seal of Morganton, North Carolina
Seal
Coordinates: 35°44′27″N 81°42′01″W / 35.74083°N 81.70028°W / 35.74083; -81.70028
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyBurke
Founded1777
Incorporated1784
Named forDaniel Morgan
Government
 • MayorRonnie Thompson
Area
[1]
 • Total19.24 sq mi (49.84 km2)
 • Land19.24 sq mi (49.84 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[2]
1,175 ft (358 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total17,474
 • Density908.02/sq mi (350.59/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP codes
28655, 28680
Area code828
FIPS code37-44400[3]
GNIS feature ID2404304[2]
Websitewww.ci.morganton.nc.us

Morganton is a city in and county seat of Burke County, North Carolina, United States.[4] The population was 17,474 at the 2020 census.[5] Morganton is approximately 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Charlotte and 57 miles (92 km) east of Asheville.

Morganton is one of the principal cities in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

[edit]
Morganton Village, 1939

An influx of European settlers over the Blue Ridge Mountains led Morganton to become the first chartered town in western North Carolina in 1784.[6]

On April 17, 1865 there was a small skirmish fought in Morganton, as part of Stoneman's 1865 raid through North Carolina.[7]

Public welfare facilities, such as the North Carolina School for the Deaf: Main Building and Western North Carolina Insane Asylum, were first authorized by the state legislature in the late 19th century.[citation needed]

In the early 20th century, textile mills were developed in the Piedmont as industry left union-dominated areas of the Northeast United States. During the century, however, these industrial jobs gradually moved offshore.[citation needed]

In the late 20th century, Morganton and Burke County, was still largely rural and with big poultry farms, which became locations for industrial-scale poultry processing plants. These jobs attracted many new immigrants to the state from Central America, leading to an increase in the Latino population in the area.[citation needed]

In 2006, an explosion at Synthron, a paint additive chemical manufacturer in Morganton,[8][9] left 13 injured and one dead.[10]

A 9-foot (2.7 m)-tall bronze statue of a Confederate soldier—erected in 1918—is located atop a stone pedestal in the Old Burke County Courthouse square.[11] In June 2020, armed Black Lives Matter supporters confronted armed supporters of the statue there.[12] The Burke County Board of Commissioners has since initiated discussions regarding removal of the statue.[13]

Geography

[edit]

Morganton is located in central Burke County in the Catawba River valley in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and is part of Appalachia.[14][15] According to the United States Census Bureau, Morganton has a total area of 19.2 square miles (49.6 km2), all land.[16]

Climate

[edit]

Morganton has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) and is located in hardiness zone 7b.

Climate data for Morganton, North Carolina, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 81
(27) 		81
(27) 		92
(33) 		94
(34) 		98
(37) 		105
(41) 		106
(41) 		104
(40) 		103
(39) 		96
(36) 		86
(30) 		80
(27) 		106
(41)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 69.1
(20.6) 		71.9
(22.2) 		79.6
(26.4) 		85.5
(29.7) 		89.2
(31.8) 		93.7
(34.3) 		95.5
(35.3) 		94.3
(34.6) 		90.2
(32.3) 		84.5
(29.2) 		76.4
(24.7) 		69.6
(20.9) 		96.5
(35.8)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 49.4
(9.7) 		53.4
(11.9) 		60.8
(16.0) 		70.6
(21.4) 		77.9
(25.5) 		84.5
(29.2) 		87.7
(30.9) 		85.9
(29.9) 		80.0
(26.7) 		70.9
(21.6) 		60.6
(15.9) 		51.8
(11.0) 		69.5
(20.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 38.7
(3.7) 		41.8
(5.4) 		48.7
(9.3) 		57.7
(14.3) 		65.8
(18.8) 		73.3
(22.9) 		76.9
(24.9) 		75.4
(24.1) 		69.3
(20.7) 		58.5
(14.7) 		47.9
(8.8) 		41.1
(5.1) 		57.9
(14.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 27.9
(−2.3) 		30.3
(−0.9) 		36.6
(2.6) 		44.9
(7.2) 		53.7
(12.1) 		62.2
(16.8) 		66.0
(18.9) 		64.9
(18.3) 		58.5
(14.7) 		46.2
(7.9) 		35.2
(1.8) 		30.3
(−0.9) 		46.4
(8.0)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 11.0
(−11.7) 		16.1
(−8.8) 		21.0
(−6.1) 		29.8
(−1.2) 		38.6
(3.7) 		50.6
(10.3) 		57.5
(14.2) 		55.6
(13.1) 		45.1
(7.3) 		30.8
(−0.7) 		22.0
(−5.6) 		16.8
(−8.4) 		9.4
(−12.6)
Record low °F (°C) −9
(−23) 		−1
(−18) 		0
(−18) 		20
(−7) 		29
(−2) 		37
(3) 		46
(8) 		42
(6) 		33
(1) 		19
(−7) 		9
(−13) 		−10
(−23) 		−10
(−23)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.30
(109) 		3.67
(93) 		4.38
(111) 		4.29
(109) 		4.11
(104) 		4.80
(122) 		4.41
(112) 		4.80
(122) 		4.59
(117) 		3.77
(96) 		3.75
(95) 		4.66
(118) 		51.53
(1,308)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 1.0
(2.5) 		0.3
(0.76) 		1.6
(4.1) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		1.6
(4.1) 		4.5
(11.46)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 10.0 9.4 10.7 9.4 11.2 11.4 12.4 11.2 9.1 8.0 8.3 10.3 121.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.5
Source 1: NOAA[17]
Source 2: National Weather Service[18]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1850558—
1870554—
188086155.4%
18901,55780.8%
19001,93824.5%
19102,71239.9%
19202,8675.7%
19306,001109.3%
19407,67027.8%
19508,3118.4%
19609,18610.5%
197013,62548.3%
198013,7631.0%
199015,0859.6%
200017,31014.7%
201016,918−2.3%
202017,4743.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[19]

2020 census

[edit]
Morganton racial composition[20]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 10,489 60.03%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,665 9.53%
Native American 48 0.27%
Asian 383 2.19%
Pacific Islander 28 0.16%
Other/Mixed 753 4.31%
Hispanic or Latino 4,108 23.51%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,474 people, 6,181 households, and 3,907 families residing in the city.

The median household income is $47,715 with an owner-occupied housing rate of 51.6%.[5]

2010 census

[edit]

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 16,918 people, 7,618 households, and 4,117 families residing in the city. The population density was 953.0 inhabitants per square mile (368.0/km2). There were 7,313 housing units at an average density of 402.6 per square mile (155.4/km2). The racial composition of the city was: 75.67% White, 12.76% Black or African American, 11.16% Hispanic or Latino American, 1.99% Asian American, 0.55% Native American, 0.81% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 6.64% some other race, and 1.58% two or more races.

There were 7,618 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,836, and the median income for a family was $42,687. Males had a median income of $29,118 versus $24,723 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,906. About 9.7% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

[edit]

State-operated facilities in Morganton include Broughton Hospital (a psychiatric hospital), the North Carolina School for the Deaf, and the second campus of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Other employers include furniture manufacturing facilities and tourists traveling on Interstate 40 to attractions in the Blue Ridge Mountains.[citation needed]

Founded in 2015, the Industrial Commons is an incubator in Morganton for regional co-ops and service programs working to revive the textile and furniture industries in the area.[21]

Arts and culture

[edit]

National Register of Historic Places

[edit]
Main article: National Register of Historic Places listings in Burke County, North Carolina

Events and venues

[edit]

Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church hosts an annual Parish Food Festival in the first week of November.[22][23][24]

The Morganton Festival takes place the weekend after Labor Day, featuring local vendors and live music.[25]

The City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium is a public auditorium that hosts performances and events.[26][27]

Morganton hosts summer concerts on the Burke County Courthouse Square, featuring local and regional performers.[28]

Parks and recreation

[edit]
  • Catawba Meadows Park is very close to downtown Morganton and has several baseball diamonds, beach volleyball courts, and other facilities.
  • Martha's Park in downtown Morganton features a splash pad, playground, and picnic area.[29]
  • Freedom Park, adjacent to Freedom High School in Morganton, is a 30-acre park with multiple sports practice facilities (sand volleyball, football, soccer, baseball/softball), lighted tennis court, picnic shelters with grills, and a one-mile lighted track.[30]

Golf courses

[edit]
  • Mimosa Hills Golf and Country Club

Education

[edit]

Colleges and universities

[edit]

Public schools

[edit]
  • Freedom High School
  • Robert L. Patton High School
  • Table Rock Middle School
  • Liberty Middle School
  • Walter R. Johnson Middle School
  • Glen Alpine Elementary School
  • Mull Elementary School
  • Hillcrest Elementary School
  • Chesterfield Elementary School
  • W. A. Young Elementary School
  • Burke Alternative School
  • College Street Academy
  • Salem Elementary School
  • Forest Hill Elementary School
  • Oak Hill Elementary School
  • Burke Middle College
  • Mountain View Elementary School
  • East Burke High School
  • Draughn High School

Private schools

[edit]
  • Morganton Day School
  • Silver Creek Adventist School

Charter schools

[edit]
  • New Dimensions Charter School

Specialized STEM schools

[edit]

Special education

[edit]

Other institutions

[edit]
  • J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center

Media

[edit]

Radio

[edit]
  • WCIS / 760 AM / Religious
  • WMNC / 1430 AM / Country
  • WMNC / 92.1 FM / Country
  • WHGW / 100.3 FM / Religious

Print

[edit]
  • The Morganton News Herald is a daily newspaper (circulation 12,000).
  • The Paper is a community-owned weekly newspaper dedicated exclusively to covering Burke County news, founded in 2023.[31]

Infrastructure

[edit]

Highways

[edit]

Notable people

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Morganton, North Carolina
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. ^ a b "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Morganton city, North Carolina". www.census.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  6. ^ "April 19, 1784: Morganton, first town in WNC, chartered | Asheville Museum of History". Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  7. ^ FLEMING, BRIANNE. "History Museum of Burke County remembers Stoneman's Raid". Morganton.com - The News Herald. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Synthron Chemical Explosion - Investigations | the U.S. Chemical Safety Board". Csb.gov. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  9. ^ "The First Responder". Aristatek.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  10. ^ "Maintenance failures behind Synthron blast - CSB". Icis.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  11. ^ Queen, Marty (2023-09-30). "Did monument honor Confederate veterans or symbolize white supremacy?". The Paper. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  12. ^ "Protesters in Morganton clash over Confederate monument". WSOC TV. 2020-06-28. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  13. ^ McBrayer, Sharon (May 2, 2023). "Burke commissioners hear from residents on Confederate soldier statue". Hickory Record.
  14. ^ Allison, Dusty (2015-06-04). "48 Hours in Morganton, NC". Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  15. ^ "Appalachian Counties Served by ARC". Appalachian Regional Commission. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  16. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Morganton city, North Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  17. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Morganton, NC". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  18. ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Greenville". National Weather Service. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  19. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  20. ^ "Explore Census Data". Data.census.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  21. ^ Howard, Jeffrey (2022-06-23). "NC's Industrial Commons creates thriving new communities from the ashes of old industries". Shareable. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  22. ^ Vannoppen, Allen. "Annual food festival draws a thousand with international tastings". The Paper. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  23. ^ "19th Annual Parish Food Festival". The Paper. 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  24. ^ HERALD, SPECIAL TO THE NEWS (2023-10-28). "St. Charles Borromeo in Morganton to host food festival". News Herald. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  25. ^ "Home Page". Historic Morganton Festival. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  26. ^ "Welcome to CoMMA! "25 Years and Still Lovin' it"". Commaonline.org. 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  27. ^ "CoMMA". morganton.nc.us. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  28. ^ "TGIF". Historic Morganton Festival. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  29. ^ "Martha's Park". Burke County Tourism Development Authority. Archived from the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  30. ^ "Freedom Park". City of Morganton. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  31. ^ VanNoppen, Allen (2023-02-03). "Welcome to The Paper!". The Paper. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  32. ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
  33. ^ "Etta Baker, 93, Blues Guitarist, Dies". The New York Times. September 26, 2006.
  34. ^ [1] [dead link‍]
  35. ^ "Inductee - Johnny Bristol". North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. 2009-10-03. Archived from the original on 2013-07-04. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  36. ^ "Joe Cheves | NC Sports Hall of Fame". Ncshof.org. 2012-03-09. Archived from the original on 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  37. ^ "Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr. Library and Museum". Samervinlibrary.org. 1990-10-17. Archived from the original on 2014-01-28. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  38. ^ "Morganton, NC native Alfreda Gerald is in ... | Film Industry | NC & …". Pinterest.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  39. ^ "Leon Johnson NFL Football Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. 1974-07-13. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  40. ^ "A Morning with Bill Leslie | Chatham Chamber of Commerce". Ccucc.net. 2013-02-23. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  41. ^ "Bill Leslie". Wral.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-09. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  42. ^ Parsons, Kathy (August 2010). "Interview with Chad Lawson, August 2010". Mainly Piano. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  43. ^ "Career amateur Billy Joe Patton dies at 88". Golfweek.com. 2011-01-02. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  44. ^ "Former Wake Forest Golfer Billy Joe Patton Passes - The Official Site of Wake Forest Demon Deacon Athletics". Wakeforestsports.com. Archived from the original on 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  45. ^ "Woody Rich - Stats". Thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  46. ^ Samtani, Natasha (August 12, 2019). "Caroline Miner Smith (aka @siiickbrain), Model & Writer". The Fem Word. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  47. ^ "This Month in North Carolina History - Frankie Silver". Lib.unc.edu. 2009-06-04. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  48. ^ "North Carolina Museum of History homepage" (PDF). Ncmuseumofhistory.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-07-15. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  49. ^ "Paige Summers on IMDb: Movies, TV, Celebs, and more". IMDb.
  50. ^ Carolyn Roff, "Gladys Love Avery Tillett" Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, edited by William S. Powell (University of North Carolina Press 1996).
[edit]
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