Cherryville, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Cherryville is a small city
in northwestern Gaston County
, North Carolina
, United States
. The population was 5,361 at the 2000 census. The New Year's Shooters preserve the area's German heritage by honoring the custom of beginning each year with a chant and the shooting of muskets. Cherryville is located approximately 30 miles west of Charlotte
and 13 miles northwest of Gastonia
.
at 35°22′52"N 81°22′45"W (35.381169, -81.379168) at an elevation of 1007 feet (306.9 m). According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city covers a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²), all land. The small Cherryville City Reservoir is located just southeast of the city limits.
Cherryville is located along a divide among three watersheds. The western end of Cherryville is in the watershed of Muddy Creek, a right tributary of Buffalo Creek and part of the Broad River
catchment basin. The north side of Cherryville is in the Indian Creek watershed, drained by Lick Fork Creek and an unnamed tributary of Indian Creek. The south side Cherryville Township is in the Beaverdam Creek watershed, drained by unnamed right-hand tributaries of Beaverdam Creek. Indian Creek and Beaverdam Creek are tributaries of the South Fork Catawba River.
of North Carolina made grants in and around "White Pine", as the settlement was known at the time. A village began to develop at a crossroads of the Morganton-to-Charleston road, closely followed by modern Highway 274 / Mountain Street, and the Old Post Road, a main thoroughfare between Salisbury, North Carolina
and Spartanburg, South Carolina
.
In 1862, the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad (later known as Carolina Central Railroad) reached White Pine. Construction of the railroad westward from Cherryville was interrupted by the Civil War, so that throughout the war Cherryville was a western terminus of the railroads in North Carolina. When construction resumed and the railroad extended beyond Cherryville, the town served as a water and coal stop. Along the railroad, a local resident planted cherry trees, and the train engineers soon began calling the settlement "Cherryville". The town was incorporated under this name in 1881.
Agriculture was Cherryville's main economic base for many years. However, during the late 19th century, the textile industry became established in the town. Cherryville's first cotton mill, Cherryville Manufacturing Plant, was incorporated in 1891. It was soon followed by the opening of three other mills. By the turn of the 20th century, the rural village had become an industrial community of a thousand people. Eventually, 13 mills would be opened in Cherryville, including Gaston Manufacturing Company (later operated as Dora Yarn Mills), Vivian Manufacturing Company ("Old Sardine", later operated as Nuway Spinning Company), Melville Manufacturing Company (later Burlington Industries' Pinnacle Plant), Howell Manufacturing Company, Rhyne Houser Manufacturing Company (later part of Burlington Industries' Madision Division), and Carlton Yarn Mills, Inc. All of these plants have since closed.
In 1932, a trucking company began operating in Cherryville with one truck hauling produce from Florida to Cherryville. This company would become one of the largest freight carriers in the nation, known as Carolina Freight Carriers Corporation. After operating for more than sixty years, Carolina Freight was bought by the Arkansas Best Trucking Company
in October 1995 and operations moved from Cherryville.
On July 13, 1966 Trains #45 & #46 of The Seaboard Air Line Railroad, hit headon on the SE side of the city, killing one and injuring three.
of 2000, there were 5,361 people, 2,177 households, and 1,480 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,131.3 people per square mile (436.7/km²). There were 2,356 housing units at an average density of 497.2 per square mile (191.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.81% White, 9.57% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.52% from other races
, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.29% of the population.
There were 2,177 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,054, and the median income for a family was $45,607. Males had a median income of $38,667 versus $24,828 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,254. About 6.7% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
The largest among non-manufacturing employers are in the governmental, institutional, and construction sectors. The Gaston County Public School System employs 200 people locally, while the government offices of the City of Cherryville employ 90 people. Rutherford Electric Membership Cooperative employs 186 people. Beam Construction Company employs 150 people. Carolina Care Center and Century Care, convalescent facilities, employ 120 and 70 people, respectively.
public school system. They include:
Tryon Elementary School, grades K-5, in the unincorporated Tryon
community of Cherryville Township
also feeds into John Chavis Middle School.
Other churches in Cherryville include First United Methodist Church (organized 1883), Fairview Baptist Church (1884), First Presbyterian Church (1893), First Baptist Church (1893), Rudisill Chapel AME Zion Church (1896), First Wesleyan Church (1907), Second Baptist Church (1940), First Church of the Nazarene (1950), Cherryville Church of God, North Gaston Church of God, Mount Zion Baptist Church, Cherryville Missionary Methodist Church, Iglesia Christian Integral, Victory Life Assembly of God, Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, Liberty United Glorious Church,Shady Grove Baptist Church, and Oak Grove Baptist Church.
Rudisill Stadium, completed in 1963 and located on the campus of Beam Intermediate School, is the largest sports venue in Cherryville and is used for several community events throughout the year.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in northwestern Gaston County
Gaston County, North Carolina
Gaston County is a county located just west of Charlotte in the southern Piedmont in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third largest county, by population, in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area, officially designated the Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,361 at the 2000 census. The New Year's Shooters preserve the area's German heritage by honoring the custom of beginning each year with a chant and the shooting of muskets. Cherryville is located approximately 30 miles west of Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
and 13 miles northwest of Gastonia
Gastonia, North Carolina
Gastonia is the largest city and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is also the third largest suburb of the Charlotte Area, behind Concord and Rock Hill. The population was 71,226 as of Gastonia is the largest city and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina,...
.
Geography
Cherryville is located in Cherryville TownshipCherryville Township, Gaston County, North Carolina
Cherryville Township is a township in northwestern Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It includes the incorporated City of Cherryville, the inactive incorporated town of Dellview, the unincorporated area of Tryon, and a portion of the town of High Shoals...
at 35°22′52"N 81°22′45"W (35.381169, -81.379168) at an elevation of 1007 feet (306.9 m). According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city covers a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²), all land. The small Cherryville City Reservoir is located just southeast of the city limits.
Cherryville is located along a divide among three watersheds. The western end of Cherryville is in the watershed of Muddy Creek, a right tributary of Buffalo Creek and part of the Broad River
Broad River (Carolinas)
The Broad River is a principal tributary of the Congaree River, about 150 miles long, in western North Carolina and northern South Carolina in the United States. Via the Congaree, it is part of the watershed of the Santee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean...
catchment basin. The north side of Cherryville is in the Indian Creek watershed, drained by Lick Fork Creek and an unnamed tributary of Indian Creek. The south side Cherryville Township is in the Beaverdam Creek watershed, drained by unnamed right-hand tributaries of Beaverdam Creek. Indian Creek and Beaverdam Creek are tributaries of the South Fork Catawba River.
History
During the last half of the 18th century, German, Dutch, and Scots-Irish families from the Colony of Pennsylvania migrated south and settled in the Cherryville area. Land grants made by King George III of England date back to 1768, and as early as 1792 Governor Samuel AsheSamuel Ashe (1725-1813)
Samuel Ashe was the ninth Governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina from 1795 to 1798.Ashe was born in Beaufort, North Carolina. His father, John Baptista Ashe, and brother, John Ashe, both served as Speaker of the North Carolina Colonial Assembly, or House of Burgesses. Ashe became an orphan...
of North Carolina made grants in and around "White Pine", as the settlement was known at the time. A village began to develop at a crossroads of the Morganton-to-Charleston road, closely followed by modern Highway 274 / Mountain Street, and the Old Post Road, a main thoroughfare between Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
and Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
.
In 1862, the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad (later known as Carolina Central Railroad) reached White Pine. Construction of the railroad westward from Cherryville was interrupted by the Civil War, so that throughout the war Cherryville was a western terminus of the railroads in North Carolina. When construction resumed and the railroad extended beyond Cherryville, the town served as a water and coal stop. Along the railroad, a local resident planted cherry trees, and the train engineers soon began calling the settlement "Cherryville". The town was incorporated under this name in 1881.
Agriculture was Cherryville's main economic base for many years. However, during the late 19th century, the textile industry became established in the town. Cherryville's first cotton mill, Cherryville Manufacturing Plant, was incorporated in 1891. It was soon followed by the opening of three other mills. By the turn of the 20th century, the rural village had become an industrial community of a thousand people. Eventually, 13 mills would be opened in Cherryville, including Gaston Manufacturing Company (later operated as Dora Yarn Mills), Vivian Manufacturing Company ("Old Sardine", later operated as Nuway Spinning Company), Melville Manufacturing Company (later Burlington Industries' Pinnacle Plant), Howell Manufacturing Company, Rhyne Houser Manufacturing Company (later part of Burlington Industries' Madision Division), and Carlton Yarn Mills, Inc. All of these plants have since closed.
In 1932, a trucking company began operating in Cherryville with one truck hauling produce from Florida to Cherryville. This company would become one of the largest freight carriers in the nation, known as Carolina Freight Carriers Corporation. After operating for more than sixty years, Carolina Freight was bought by the Arkansas Best Trucking Company
ABF Freight System, Inc
ABF Freight System, Inc, or simply ABF was established in 1923 and was originally called Arkansas Motor Freightways. ABF is a subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation, and was listed by Forbes in 2005 as one of the “400 Best Big Companies in America.”...
in October 1995 and operations moved from Cherryville.
On July 13, 1966 Trains #45 & #46 of The Seaboard Air Line Railroad, hit headon on the SE side of the city, killing one and injuring three.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,361 people, 2,177 households, and 1,480 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,131.3 people per square mile (436.7/km²). There were 2,356 housing units at an average density of 497.2 per square mile (191.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.81% White, 9.57% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.52% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.29% of the population.
There were 2,177 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,054, and the median income for a family was $45,607. Males had a median income of $38,667 versus $24,828 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $19,254. About 6.7% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The mayor of Cherryville is elected by popular vote for a two-year term. The City Council is made up of four members with staggered terms. Each member is elected from one of four wards for a four-year term. Candidates are required to reside in the ward they intend to represent; however, the vote is citywide. The council appoints a full-time city manager to serve as executive officer of the city.Economy
Cherryville's largest employers include Keystone Powdered Metal Company, a manufacturer of primarily automotive parts, including bearings, valve seats, and small structural parts, employing 220 people, and Bradington-Young Furniture Company, a manufacturer of sofas, chairs, and recliners employing 187 people. Other manufacturing companies include R-Anell Incorporated, manufacturing pre-fabricated modular homes, and Advanced Urethane Solutions, Inc., manufacturing an assortment of polyurethane products including rollers, bumpers, and gears.The largest among non-manufacturing employers are in the governmental, institutional, and construction sectors. The Gaston County Public School System employs 200 people locally, while the government offices of the City of Cherryville employ 90 people. Rutherford Electric Membership Cooperative employs 186 people. Beam Construction Company employs 150 people. Carolina Care Center and Century Care, convalescent facilities, employ 120 and 70 people, respectively.
Education
Public schools in Cherryville are part of the Gaston County SchoolsGaston County Schools
Gaston County Schools is a public school district located in Gaston County, North Carolina. With 32,437 students enrolled in 54 schools as of the 2008/09 academic year, it is the seventh largest public school district in North Carolina.-Schools:...
public school system. They include:
- Cherryville Elementary School, grades K-3,
- William Blaine Beam Intermediate School, grades 4-5, built in 2004 on the site of the former Cherryville High School and named for a former community leader and education advocate.
- John Chavis Middle SchoolJohn Chavis Middle SchoolJohn Chavis Middle School is a public middle school in the Gaston County Schools school district located in Cherryville, North Carolina, United States. It is named for John Chavis John Chavis Middle School is a public middle school in the Gaston County Schools school district located in...
, grades 6-8, named for John ChavisJohn ChavisJohn Chavis was a black educator and Presbyterian minister in the American South during the early 19th century.-Early life:The exact date of Chavis's birth is not known. It is believed that he was born in either 1762 or 1763...
(c. 1763-1838), African-American educator and Presbyterian minister - Cherryville High SchoolCherryville High SchoolCherryville High School is a high school in the Gaston County Schools public school district located in Cherryville, North Carolina, United States.-History:...
, grades 9-12.
Tryon Elementary School, grades K-5, in the unincorporated Tryon
Tryon, Gaston County, North Carolina
Tryon is an unincorporated community in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is in Cherryville Township, located approximately southeast of the city of Cherryville on North Carolina Highway 274...
community of Cherryville Township
Cherryville Township, Gaston County, North Carolina
Cherryville Township is a township in northwestern Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It includes the incorporated City of Cherryville, the inactive incorporated town of Dellview, the unincorporated area of Tryon, and a portion of the town of High Shoals...
also feeds into John Chavis Middle School.
Religious life
The first church organized in Cherryville was Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, established in 1881, the same year in which the town was incorporated. The congregation had the first church building in Cherryville as well, erected soon after the church's organization (it was replaced by the current structure in 1963)Other churches in Cherryville include First United Methodist Church (organized 1883), Fairview Baptist Church (1884), First Presbyterian Church (1893), First Baptist Church (1893), Rudisill Chapel AME Zion Church (1896), First Wesleyan Church (1907), Second Baptist Church (1940), First Church of the Nazarene (1950), Cherryville Church of God, North Gaston Church of God, Mount Zion Baptist Church, Cherryville Missionary Methodist Church, Iglesia Christian Integral, Victory Life Assembly of God, Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, Liberty United Glorious Church,Shady Grove Baptist Church, and Oak Grove Baptist Church.
Places of interest
The Cherryville Historical Museum preserves the history of the Cherryville area, and is open to the public each week during specified days. The C. Grier Beam Truck Museum, interpreting the history of freight trucking and Carolina Freight Carriers, is in the former Beam's Shell Service Station and Office, 117 N. Mountain St., listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 1922 Noah Benjamin Kendrick House at 402 N. Mountain Street is a Designated Gaston County Historic Property. Recreational sites in Cherryville include the semi-private Cherryville Country Club, with a nine-hole golf course, on the northeast side of town.Rudisill Stadium, completed in 1963 and located on the campus of Beam Intermediate School, is the largest sports venue in Cherryville and is used for several community events throughout the year.
Famous residents
- Tony CloningerTony CloningerTony Lee Cloninger , is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher who played for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves , the Cincinnati Reds , and the St. Louis Cardinals...
(born in Cherryville, August 13, 1940) - former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
starting pitcherStarting pitcherIn baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
with the Milwaukee and Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to... - Charlie Justice (American football at University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
) played for the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, born in Asheville, North CarolinaAsheville, North CarolinaAsheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
; founded Justice & Crews Insurance Agency in Cherryville which he operated until his death. - Patrick T. McHenryPatrick T. McHenryPatrick Timothy McHenry is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for a single term...
(resident of Cherryville) - RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
United States Representative from North Carolina's 10th congressional districtNorth Carolina's 10th congressional districtThe 10th Congressional District of North Carolina is a Congressional district in central and western North Carolina. It currently includes all of Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln and Mitchell counties, along with parts of Gaston, Iredell and Rutherford counties.The district is... - Jack TatumJack TatumJohn David Tatum was an American football defensive back who played ten seasons from 1971 through 1980 for the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers in the National Football League...
(born in Cherryville, November 18, 1948) - professional American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player with the Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Houston OilersTennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
of the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, three-time Pro Bowl selection and Super BowlSuper BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
champion - George Wilson (born in Cherryville, August 30, 1925) - former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielderOutfielderOutfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
with the Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, New York GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
External links
- Official City of Cherryville website
- Cherryville.com, unofficial community website]
- Official Cherryville New Year Shooters website