Andrews, North Carolina

Andrews, North Carolina
Town

Location of Andrews, North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°12′0″N 83°49′35″W / 35.20000°N 83.82639°W / 35.20000; -83.82639Coordinates: 35°12′0″N 83°49′35″W / 35.20000°N 83.82639°W / 35.20000; -83.82639
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Cherokee
Area
 • Total 1.6 sq mi (4.2 km2)
 • Land 1.6 sq mi (4.2 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 1,781 ft (543 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 1,781
 • Density 1,090/sq mi (421.0/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 28901
Area code(s) 828
FIPS code 37-01380[1]
GNIS feature ID 1018822[2]
Website www.andrewsnc.com

Andrews is a town in Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,781 at the 2010 census.[3]

Drawing of main street in Andrews, unknown year.

Geography

Andrews is located in northeastern Cherokee County at 35°12′00″N 83°49′35″W / 35.200011°N 83.826252°W / 35.200011; -83.826252,[4] on the south side of the Valley River, a southwest-flowing tributary of the Hiwassee River and part of the Tennessee River watershed.

U.S. Routes 19, 74, and U.S. Route 129 form a four-lane bypass around the northern edge of the town; the highways lead northeast 8 miles (13 km) to Topton, where they diverge, and southwest 15 miles (24 km) to Murphy, the county seat. Bryson City is 32 miles (51 km) northeast via US 19/74, and Robbinsville is 20 miles (32 km) north via US 129.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Andrews has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.2 km2), all of it land.[3]

Valleytown Township dominates the eastern part of Cherokee County. The area is bordered by Graham County to the north, Clay County to the south, and Macon County to the east. Within the township are the towns of Marble in the west, Andrews at the center, and Topton in the far east at the Macon and Graham county lines. The Valley River, once known by the Cherokee name Gunahita, meaning "long", begins near Topton and meanders southwesterly until it meets the Hiwassee River below Murphy.

History

The area is rich in Native American history. An 1805 map shows the area as the Cherokee settlement Toonatla. It was later listed on a map of the Cherokee Nation as Gunahita. By the time of the removal of the Cherokee Indians in 1838, it was known as Konehetee, or "valley". One of the most infamous periods in history, the removal of the Cherokee and the Trail of Tears, also impacted the valley. Fort Delaney, one of five forts in the area, was located about 16 miles (26 km) from the mouth of the Valley River. The road across Tatham Gap, directly north of Andrews, was built by the US Army to transport Cherokee from Fort Montgomery, which was located in what is now Robbinsville, to Fort Delaney and beyond. It is said that the first store in the valley was opened in a former home of Chief Junaluska, who was residing in Valley Town at the time of the removal.

The town of Marble derived its name from the white, blue, gray and pink marble which were quarried in the area and known throughout America for its high quality. It is located on the western edge of the township.

Topton, which is the first town visitors see coming from the east, was instrumental in the expansion of the railroad into the western corner of the state.

The largest town within the township is Andrews. In the early 19th century, when most white settlers began arriving, the area was known as "Jamesville", after James Whitaker. An Indian trading post was established in 1837, and soon after the community was known as "Valley Town".

The present town was established like many other southern towns, through a land auction. The Richmond and Danville Railroad had stopped construction of the Murphy Branch just east of here. In the late 1880s, Col. A.B. Andrews, who was a second vice president for Richmond and Danville, was sent to the area to establish a commissary for workers in the Nantahala construction camps. Andrews bought 50 acres (20 ha) of land for the sum of $1,200. By spring 1890, Andrews was instructed to sell off the 50-acre tract at a land sale, which was held in September. The land was platted out, and about three quarters of the lots were sold at the initial sale. Some lots were donated for a schoolhouse and churches. The remaining lots were sold through private sales.

In 1905, the town was incorporated, with David Samuel Russell appointed as the first mayor of the new town.

The Franklin Pierce Cover House, First Baptist Church, and Walker's Inn are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]

After African-Americans were forced out of Cumming, Georgia in 1912, some came to Andrews and started a community called Happytop.[6]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1910936—
19201,63474.6%
19301,7487.0%
19401,520−13.0%
19501,397−8.1%
19601,4040.5%
19701,384−1.4%
19801,62117.1%
19902,55157.4%
20001,602−37.2%
20101,78111.2%
Est. 20151,752[7]−1.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the 2010 census, the total population was 1,781 people residing in 780 households including 452 family units. The population density was 1,090 people per square mile.[9]

In the 2000 census, there were 831 housing units at an average density of 613.2 per square mile (235.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 93.76% White, 2.68% African American, 0.69% Native American, 1.06% from other races, and 1.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.62% of the population.

There were 703 households of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.81.

Age distribution was 22.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.8 males.

The median household income was $20,273, and the median family income was $28,320. Males had a median income of $23,462 versus $16,375 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,350. About 17.6% of families and 21.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 22.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Andrews town, North Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  4. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  5. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  6. ↑ Neufeld, Rob (May 2, 2016). "Visiting Our Past: Andrews author provides insight into 'Affrilachia' May 2". Asheville Citizen-Times.
  7. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 (DP-1): Andrews town, North Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  10. ↑ Dave Bristol at North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
  11. ↑ Our State Magazine Charles Frazier Profile

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Andrews.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/13/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.