Gates County, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Gates County is a small rural county located in the U.S. state
of North Carolina
. As of 2010, the population was 12,197. Its county seat
is Gatesville
. It is part of the Albemarle Sound
area of the Inner Banks
. It is home to many athletes, including Thomas Smith, formerly of the Buffalo Bills, and Walter Smith I, formerly of the Toronto Argonauts.
created settlements, increasingly permanent, along the Chowan River. At the time of European contact, the Chowanoke
occupied most of the territory along the river. After suffering dramatic population decreases likely due to European infectious diseases, to which they had no immunity, most were pushed out by encroaching Tuscarora.
With early settlement in the mid-17th century by English colonists, the county was organized in 1779 from parts of Chowan County
, Hertford County
, and Perquimans County
. It was named for General Horatio Gates
, who had commanded the victorious American colonial forces at the Battle of Saratoga
in 1777.
In 1585, the Ralph Lane
Colony explored the Chowan River
. They explored the river at least as far up as Winton. In 1622, the John Pory
Colony led an expedition from Virginia to the Chowan River. (Pory was secretary of the Province of Virginia.) In 1629, Sir Robert Heath was granted a patent to settle Carolina. This patent embraced Gates County.
During the 1650s, colonists from Virginia started to move increasingly into the Albemarle Sound
region. Colonel Drew and Roger Green led an expedition into the Albermarle area. In 1654, Francis Speight was granted a patent for 300 acres (1.2 km²) of land near Raynor Swamp. The first English settlement in Gates County was established near Corapeake, North Carolina in 1660. In 1670, Colonel Henry Baker of Nansemond County obtained a grant of land for 2400 acres (9.7 km²) near Buckland. In 1672, George Fox
, leader of the Quakers, visited Gates County. He described the county as barren.
Following the English colonists' defeat of the remaining Chowanoke in 1676, the following year, they created a Chowanoke
Indian Reservation, the first within the present-day United States. It was established at the Chowanoke settlement between Bennett's Creek and Catherine Creek in Gates. From 1684-1722 Gates County was a part of the Chowan precinct. In 1711, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel
established an Anglican school for Chowanoke and local Native Americans
at Sarum, with Mr. Marshburn as the teacher.
In 1738, settlers created a mail route from Suffolk, Virginia
to Corapeake and Edenton, North Carolina
. The stage coach route crossed the Chowan River at Barfield.
church in Gates County, as part of the Second Great Awakening
revival in the South
, led by Baptist and Methodist preachers. In 1811, Savages United Methodist Church was established, the oldest Methodist Church in Gates County. Both denominations preached to enslaved
blacks as well as white settlers, and accepted them as members.
In 1825, Marquis de Lafayette passed through Gates County and was entertained at Pipkin's Inn. The town of Gatesville was incorporated in 1830. The old courthouse located on Court St. was built in 1836. The oldest item in the courthouse is the Federal-style bell, which was purchased in 1781.
William Paul Roberts
, who would become the youngest Confederate
general to serve in the American Civil War
, was born in Gatesville, 1841. According to the 1850 census, there were 717 farms in Gates County and only 15 produced cotton. In 1851, Reynoldson Academy was established. Organized by free blacks
, New Hope Baptist church was established in 1859. In 1878, Jethro Goodman introduced peanuts into Gates County. Secretary of State Thad Eure was born in 1899.
. Opened in 1805-1822, it ran straight east for ten miles (16 km) through the Dismal Swamp
, from a landing on Daniels Road in Gates County to the Dismal Swamp Canal
. The Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center is now located there.
The Cross Canal is no longer a through route. In the late 20th century, sportsmen in small boats still used the Gates County end, at the site of Hamburg, to enter the swamp. Hurricanes since then toppled huge trees across it, blocking all access to the canal.
required self-reliance. Most of the land in Gates County was covered with virgin timber. The mostly subsistence farmers did not hold many slaves.
A. J. Walton was the Gates County representative to the North Carolina secession convention. Soon after, the "Gates Guard" was the first company raised in the County to protect its borders. The second company was "Gates Minutemen". Thanks to the productivity of its agriculture, Gates County helped supply food to the Confederate States of America
(CSA). General William P. Roberts from the county was the youngest general of the Civil War. Brigadier General Laurence S. Baker
a native of Gates County was known for the loss of his arm.
Jack Fairless, another county native, formed a group known as the "Buffaloes"(Company E, 1st Regiment of North Carolina Union Volunteers). They were a group of deserters, renegades and Civil War troops known to raid homes throughout the area. After the start of the war, the only people to remain in the area were women, children and men who could not fight. It was easy for the Buffaloes to get away with stealing. Jack Fairless had been kicked out of the Confederate Army for stealing. Soon after the raids were started, he was killed by his own men in self defense.
Fort Dillard was built as a Confederate fort in the county. The story of the "Ellis Girls" was long told in the county. One day during the war while out catching fish in the Chowan River, the girls spotted a Union
gunboat on its way to burn Winton
. Union soldiers captured the girls and held them as prisoners on the gunboat until after they had finished burning the town. Then they released them, unharmed.
. In 1935, the Sunbury Ruritan Club was established, the first and oldest in the state.
Beckford Junction was abandoned in 1940. Beckford Junction was a train switch that allowed trains to go to Suffolk, Elizabeth City, or Edenton. The last passenger train serving Gates County ended in 1954. In 1954 the Gates County Historical Society was established.
In 1973 A.B. Coleman donated 925 acres (3.7 km²) of land in the Millpond to the state. This was the beginning of Merchants Millpond State Park
. In 1984 a bad tornado struck Gates County, killing two people and causing between $500 thousand and $5 million USD worth of damage. Hurricane Floyd
hit Gates County in 1999.
style of government. Under this form an elected Board of Commissioners appoints a manager to oversee the day to day operations and carry out the will of the council. The Board of Commissioners is responsible for appointing the county manager, passing local ordinances, and establishing policy. Gates County has five Commissioners, one from each district. The Commissioners are elected for four year terms and have overlapping terms so that all of the Commissioners don't go up for reelection each time.
Gates County is a member of the Albemarle Commission
regional council of government. The Gates County Sheriff's Department consists of less than 15 deputies that maintain order in the county. Gates County has five volunteer fire departments with six fire stations, and one EMS station consisting of paid and volunteer members.
Quincy Saunders, Bill Cowper, and Bud Eure are the three magistrates for Gates County.
Tobe Chappell is the current manager for Gates County.
Also visit Thad Eure
. This fund was created in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald
to encourage construction of schools for rural black children, mostly in the South, who were underserved. The fund required communities to raise matching funds, including the use of public money and the support of school boards. At the time, the school boards were run by whites and the schools were segregated. Blacks had been disfranchised throughout the South, so services for them were typically underfunded. Black communities strongly supported the schools, raising money, and sometimes contributing land and labor. The schools were built to model designs developed by architects at Tuskegee University
, a historically black college. The Rosenwald Fund stimulated the construction of more than 4,977 schools and related structures for African-American children before its depletion in 1948.
Seven Rosenwald Schools built in communities in Gates County. In some areas, such schools have been converted to community centers and other uses.
, the county has a total area of 346 square miles (896.1 km²), of which 341 square miles (883.2 km²) is land and 5 square miles (12.9 km²) (1.45%) is water.
. The Conservancy next donated the land to the Department of The Interior, and the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
was created. The refuge consists of 107000 acres (433 km²) of swamp and wetlands' surrounding Lake Drummond
.
In 1910, Charles Lawrence purchased the Millpond. It became known as Merchants Millpond. In the 1960s A. B. Coleman purchased the Millpond. In 1973, A.B. Coleman donated 925 acres (3.7 km²) of the land to North Carolina under the condition that it was to become a state park. Today Merchants Millpond occupies 3200 acres (12.9 km²).
of 2010, there were 12,197 people, 3,901 households, and 2,933 families residing in the county. The population density
was 31 people per square mile (12/km²). There were 4,389 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 63.7% White
, 33.2% Black
or African American
, 0.5% Native American
, 0.1% Asian
, 0.1% Pacific Islander
, 0.6% from other races
, and 1.8% from two or more races. 1.4% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 3,901 households out of which 34.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% were married couples
living together, 13.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.80% were non-families. 21.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.70% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,647, and the median income for a family was $41,511. Males had a median income of $32,227 versus $21,014 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $15,963. About 14.50% of families and 17.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.90% of those under age 18 and 26.20% of those age 65 or over.
: Gatesville, Hall, Reynoldson, Haslett, Holly Grove, Hunters Mill and Mintonsville.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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...
. As of 2010, the population was 12,197. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Gatesville
Gatesville, North Carolina
Gatesville is a town in Gates County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 312 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Gates County.-Geography:Gatesville is located at ....
. It is part of the Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a long barrier peninsula upon which the town of Kitty Hawk is located,...
area of the Inner Banks
Inner Banks
The Inner Banks is a term used by some to describe the inland coastal region of eastern North Carolina, an area on the East Coast of the United States that is 22,227 square-miles by its broadest definition...
. It is home to many athletes, including Thomas Smith, formerly of the Buffalo Bills, and Walter Smith I, formerly of the Toronto Argonauts.
History
As in other areas along the waterways, centuries of Native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
created settlements, increasingly permanent, along the Chowan River. At the time of European contact, the Chowanoke
Chowanoke
The Chowanoke, also spelled Chowanoc, was an Algonquian-language American Indian tribe. They were the largest and most powerful Algonquian tribe in present-day North Carolina, occupying most or all of the coastal banks of the Chowan River in the northeastern part of the state at time of the first...
occupied most of the territory along the river. After suffering dramatic population decreases likely due to European infectious diseases, to which they had no immunity, most were pushed out by encroaching Tuscarora.
With early settlement in the mid-17th century by English colonists, the county was organized in 1779 from parts of Chowan County
Chowan County, North Carolina
- Law and government :Chowan County is a member of the Albemarle Commission regional council of government-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 14,793 people, 5,580 households, and 4,006 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 people per square mile . There...
, Hertford County
Hertford County, North Carolina
-Townships:The county is divided into six townships:Ahoskie, Como, Harrellsville, Murfreesboro, St. Johns and Winton.-Towns:*Ahoskie*Cofield*Como*Harrellsville*Murfreesboro*Winton-Demographics:...
, and Perquimans County
Perquimans County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 13,453 people, 4,645 households, and 3,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 46 people per square mile . There were 6,043 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
. It was named for General Horatio Gates
Horatio Gates
Horatio Lloyd Gates was a retired British soldier who served as an American general during the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga – Benedict Arnold, who led the attack, was finally forced from the field when he was shot in the leg – and...
, who had commanded the victorious American colonial forces at the Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
in 1777.
Early history
Thousands of years of indigenous settlements had preceded European exploration of present-day Gates County.In 1585, the Ralph Lane
Ralph Lane
Sir Ralph Lane was an English explorer of the Elizabethan era. He was part of the unsuccessful attempt in 1585 to colonize Roanoke Island, North Carolina. He also served the Crown in Ireland and was knighted by the Queen in 1593....
Colony explored the Chowan River
Chowan River
The Chowan River is a blackwater river formed with the merging of Virginia's Blackwater and Nottoway rivers near the stateline between Virginia and North Carolina. According to the USGS a variant name is Choan River....
. They explored the river at least as far up as Winton. In 1622, the John Pory
John Pory
John Pory was an English government administrator, traveller, and author of the Jacobean and Caroline eras; he is widely considered to have been the first news correspondent in English-language journalism.-Life and work:...
Colony led an expedition from Virginia to the Chowan River. (Pory was secretary of the Province of Virginia.) In 1629, Sir Robert Heath was granted a patent to settle Carolina. This patent embraced Gates County.
During the 1650s, colonists from Virginia started to move increasingly into the Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a long barrier peninsula upon which the town of Kitty Hawk is located,...
region. Colonel Drew and Roger Green led an expedition into the Albermarle area. In 1654, Francis Speight was granted a patent for 300 acres (1.2 km²) of land near Raynor Swamp. The first English settlement in Gates County was established near Corapeake, North Carolina in 1660. In 1670, Colonel Henry Baker of Nansemond County obtained a grant of land for 2400 acres (9.7 km²) near Buckland. In 1672, George Fox
George Fox
George Fox was an English Dissenter and a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends.The son of a Leicestershire weaver, Fox lived in a time of great social upheaval and war...
, leader of the Quakers, visited Gates County. He described the county as barren.
Following the English colonists' defeat of the remaining Chowanoke in 1676, the following year, they created a Chowanoke
Chowanoke
The Chowanoke, also spelled Chowanoc, was an Algonquian-language American Indian tribe. They were the largest and most powerful Algonquian tribe in present-day North Carolina, occupying most or all of the coastal banks of the Chowan River in the northeastern part of the state at time of the first...
Indian Reservation, the first within the present-day United States. It was established at the Chowanoke settlement between Bennett's Creek and Catherine Creek in Gates. From 1684-1722 Gates County was a part of the Chowan precinct. In 1711, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel
USPG
The USPG or United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel is a 300-year-old Anglican missionary organization, formed originally as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts in 1701...
established an Anglican school for Chowanoke and local Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
at Sarum, with Mr. Marshburn as the teacher.
In 1738, settlers created a mail route from Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
to Corapeake and Edenton, North Carolina
Edenton, North Carolina
Edenton is a town in Chowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,966 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Chowan County. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has become a popular retirement location and a destination for...
. The stage coach route crossed the Chowan River at Barfield.
1800s
In 1806, Middle Swamp Baptist Church was established as the first BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church in Gates County, as part of the Second Great Awakening
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a Christian revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1800, had begun to gain momentum by 1820, and was in decline by 1870. The Second Great Awakening expressed Arminian theology, by which every person could be...
revival in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, led by Baptist and Methodist preachers. In 1811, Savages United Methodist Church was established, the oldest Methodist Church in Gates County. Both denominations preached to enslaved
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
blacks as well as white settlers, and accepted them as members.
In 1825, Marquis de Lafayette passed through Gates County and was entertained at Pipkin's Inn. The town of Gatesville was incorporated in 1830. The old courthouse located on Court St. was built in 1836. The oldest item in the courthouse is the Federal-style bell, which was purchased in 1781.
William Paul Roberts
William Paul Roberts
William Paul Roberts was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was the youngest Confederate general officer to serve in the War.-Early life:...
, who would become the youngest Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
general to serve in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, was born in Gatesville, 1841. According to the 1850 census, there were 717 farms in Gates County and only 15 produced cotton. In 1851, Reynoldson Academy was established. Organized by free blacks
Free people of color
A free person of color in the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, is a person of full or partial African descent who was not enslaved...
, New Hope Baptist church was established in 1859. In 1878, Jethro Goodman introduced peanuts into Gates County. Secretary of State Thad Eure was born in 1899.
Gates County's port of Hamburg
The Cross Canal, or Hamburg Ditch, three miles (5 km) south of the Virginia line, was Gates County's water route to the major port of NorfolkNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
. Opened in 1805-1822, it ran straight east for ten miles (16 km) through the Dismal Swamp
Dismal Swamp
* The Great Dismal Swamp located near Virginia and North Carolina* The Dismal Swamp located in Middlesex County New Jersey* The Dismal Swamp in Tasmania...
, from a landing on Daniels Road in Gates County to the Dismal Swamp Canal
Dismal Swamp Canal
The Dismal Swamp Canal is located along the eastern edge of the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia and North Carolina in the United States. It is the oldest continually operating man-made canal in the United States, opened in 1805...
. The Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center is now located there.
The Cross Canal is no longer a through route. In the late 20th century, sportsmen in small boats still used the Gates County end, at the site of Hamburg, to enter the swamp. Hurricanes since then toppled huge trees across it, blocking all access to the canal.
Gates County and the Civil War
Survival in Gates County prior to the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
required self-reliance. Most of the land in Gates County was covered with virgin timber. The mostly subsistence farmers did not hold many slaves.
A. J. Walton was the Gates County representative to the North Carolina secession convention. Soon after, the "Gates Guard" was the first company raised in the County to protect its borders. The second company was "Gates Minutemen". Thanks to the productivity of its agriculture, Gates County helped supply food to the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
(CSA). General William P. Roberts from the county was the youngest general of the Civil War. Brigadier General Laurence S. Baker
Laurence S. Baker
Laurence Simmons Baker was an officer in the United States Army on the frontier, then later a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
a native of Gates County was known for the loss of his arm.
Jack Fairless, another county native, formed a group known as the "Buffaloes"(Company E, 1st Regiment of North Carolina Union Volunteers). They were a group of deserters, renegades and Civil War troops known to raid homes throughout the area. After the start of the war, the only people to remain in the area were women, children and men who could not fight. It was easy for the Buffaloes to get away with stealing. Jack Fairless had been kicked out of the Confederate Army for stealing. Soon after the raids were started, he was killed by his own men in self defense.
Fort Dillard was built as a Confederate fort in the county. The story of the "Ellis Girls" was long told in the county. One day during the war while out catching fish in the Chowan River, the girls spotted a Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
gunboat on its way to burn Winton
Winton, North Carolina
Winton is a town in Hertford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 956 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hertford County.-Geography:Winton is located at ....
. Union soldiers captured the girls and held them as prisoners on the gunboat until after they had finished burning the town. Then they released them, unharmed.
1900s
On May 9, 1925 the first bridge opened across the Chowan River between Gates and Hertford counties. In 1925, Hwy 158 opened between Gates and Pasquotank through the Great Dismal SwampGreat Dismal Swamp
The Great Dismal Swamp is a marshy area on the Coastal Plain Region of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina between Norfolk, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina in the United States. It is located in parts of southern Chesapeake and Suffolk in Virginia, as well as northern...
. In 1935, the Sunbury Ruritan Club was established, the first and oldest in the state.
Beckford Junction was abandoned in 1940. Beckford Junction was a train switch that allowed trains to go to Suffolk, Elizabeth City, or Edenton. The last passenger train serving Gates County ended in 1954. In 1954 the Gates County Historical Society was established.
In 1973 A.B. Coleman donated 925 acres (3.7 km²) of land in the Millpond to the state. This was the beginning of Merchants Millpond State Park
Merchants Millpond State Park
Merchants Millpond State Park is a North Carolina state park in Gates County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Gatesville, North Carolina, it covers 3,250 acres around a 200 year old, 700 acre millpond and Lassiter Swamp. The park also contains a large cypress swamp. Canoeing is...
. In 1984 a bad tornado struck Gates County, killing two people and causing between $500 thousand and $5 million USD worth of damage. Hurricane Floyd
Hurricane Floyd
Hurricane Floyd was the sixth named storm, fourth hurricane, and third major hurricane in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Floyd triggered the third largest evacuation in US history when 2.6 million coastal residents of five states were ordered from their homes as it approached...
hit Gates County in 1999.
2000s
In September 2007 Gates County was chosen as a potential site for a US Navy landing field in the northeastern part of the state.Law and government
Gates County employs the Council-managerCouncil-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
style of government. Under this form an elected Board of Commissioners appoints a manager to oversee the day to day operations and carry out the will of the council. The Board of Commissioners is responsible for appointing the county manager, passing local ordinances, and establishing policy. Gates County has five Commissioners, one from each district. The Commissioners are elected for four year terms and have overlapping terms so that all of the Commissioners don't go up for reelection each time.
Gates County is a member of the Albemarle Commission
Albemarle Commission
The Albemarble Commission is one of the 17 regional North Carolina Councils of Governments established by the North Carolina General Assembly for the purpose of regional planning and administration. Headquartered in Hertford, North Carolina, it serves Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Pasquotank,...
regional council of government. The Gates County Sheriff's Department consists of less than 15 deputies that maintain order in the county. Gates County has five volunteer fire departments with six fire stations, and one EMS station consisting of paid and volunteer members.
County Districts
Gates County is divided into five districts. Each district elects a member to the Board of Commissioners. Each of the five districts contain a polling place where members of that district go to vote. The five districts are Gatesville, Eure, Gates, Sunbury, and Hobbsvile.Register of Deeds
Sharon Harrell is the current Register of Deeds for Gates County. She in position is elected by the people of Gates County for a term of four years. The land deeds date back to 1779, with provided land plots for taxation reasons. Birth and Death Records in Gates County date back to 1913. And also for the veterans in the county, Gates County office provides military discharge papers. Marriage License are issued under the following provisions; Aged 16 to 18 must have parent consent, under the age 16 must have approval by judge, and 18 to 21 must show birth certificate. The Gates County office also issues Deeds of Trust which is when a bank loans you money and you put up your home for payments.Tax Office
Renee McGinnis is the current operator of the Tax Office in Gates County. She is appointed by the Board of Commissioners in Gates County. The 2009 rate for property tax is $0.64/ $100 of evaluation. The Gates County Tax Office also taxes Motor vehicles, boats, farm machinery, and other equipment. Property tax in Gates County is re-evaluated every 8 years.Clerk of Court
The current Clerk of Court for Gates county is Nell Wiggins. The Clerk of Court is elected by the people every 4 years. The Clerk of Court is responsible for keeping the following; Infractions, misdemeanors, felonies, civil records, wills, adoption records, and juvenile records. The current cost of court for Gates County is $121.00.Miscellaneous
Billy Winn is in charge of the Emergency services in Gates County. Traci Kruthaupt and Jim Yount are the County's probation officers.Quincy Saunders, Bill Cowper, and Bud Eure are the three magistrates for Gates County.
Tobe Chappell is the current manager for Gates County.
Also visit Thad Eure
Gates County High
Gates County High School was opened in August 1962. Students were from the former Gatesville and Sunbury High Schools. The school was opened with 285 students.Rosenwald Schools
Rosenwald Schools were schools set up by money from the Rosenwald FundRosenwald Fund
The Rosenwald Fund was established in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald and his family for "the well-being of mankind."...
. This fund was created in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald
Julius Rosenwald
Julius Rosenwald was a U.S. clothier, manufacturer, business executive, and philanthropist. He is best known as a part-owner and leader of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and for the Rosenwald Fund which donated millions to support the education of African American children in the rural South, as well...
to encourage construction of schools for rural black children, mostly in the South, who were underserved. The fund required communities to raise matching funds, including the use of public money and the support of school boards. At the time, the school boards were run by whites and the schools were segregated. Blacks had been disfranchised throughout the South, so services for them were typically underfunded. Black communities strongly supported the schools, raising money, and sometimes contributing land and labor. The schools were built to model designs developed by architects at Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University is a private, historically black university located in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
, a historically black college. The Rosenwald Fund stimulated the construction of more than 4,977 schools and related structures for African-American children before its depletion in 1948.
Seven Rosenwald Schools built in communities in Gates County. In some areas, such schools have been converted to community centers and other uses.
- Corapeake (still standing)
- Reid's Grove (still standing)
- T.S. Cooper
- Hobbsvile
- Reynoldson
- Sunbury
- Roduco
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited 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 county has a total area of 346 square miles (896.1 km²), of which 341 square miles (883.2 km²) is land and 5 square miles (12.9 km²) (1.45%) is water.
Great Dismal Swamp
The counties of Gates, Perquimans, Camden and Currituck contain sixty percent of the Great Dismal swamp. In 1973, Union Camp donated the land which it owned in the swamp to the Nature ConservancyThe Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
. The Conservancy next donated the land to the Department of The Interior, and the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1974 to help protect and preserve a portion of the Great Dismal Swamp, a marshy region on the Coastal Plain of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina between Norfolk, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina in the...
was created. The refuge consists of 107000 acres (433 km²) of swamp and wetlands' surrounding Lake Drummond
Lake Drummond
Lake Drummond is located at the center of the Great Dismal Swamp, a marshy region on the Coastal Plain of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina between Norfolk, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina in the United States. Surface area of the lake is approximately and the...
.
Merchants Millpond State Park
In 1811, the Norfleet family built the first dam at the millpond. At that time, it consisted of around 750 to 1000 acres (4 km²) of water. The mill ground corn. In 1856 the Millpond was sold and became known as Williams Millpond.In 1910, Charles Lawrence purchased the Millpond. It became known as Merchants Millpond. In the 1960s A. B. Coleman purchased the Millpond. In 1973, A.B. Coleman donated 925 acres (3.7 km²) of the land to North Carolina under the condition that it was to become a state park. Today Merchants Millpond occupies 3200 acres (12.9 km²).
Economy
Most of Gates County's revenue comes from property taxes on personal property, with a small percentage coming from commercial sources.Industries
The main industries are agriculture and forest products. Heritage tourism and recreation are increasing in importance.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 2010, there were 12,197 people, 3,901 households, and 2,933 families residing in the county. 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 31 people per square mile (12/km²). There were 4,389 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 63.7% White
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...
, 33.2% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.5% Native American
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...
, 0.1% Asian
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...
, 0.1% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.6% 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 1.8% from two or more races. 1.4% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race.
There were 3,901 households out of which 34.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% 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, 13.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.80% were non-families. 21.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.70% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,647, and the median income for a family was $41,511. Males had a median income of $32,227 versus $21,014 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 county was $15,963. About 14.50% of families and 17.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.90% of those under age 18 and 26.20% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- GatesvilleGatesville, North CarolinaGatesville is a town in Gates County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 312 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Gates County.-Geography:Gatesville is located at ....
Townships
The county is divided into seven townshipsTownship (United States)
A township in the United States is a small geographic area. Townships range in size from 6 to 54 square miles , with being the norm.The term is used in three ways....
: Gatesville, Hall, Reynoldson, Haslett, Holly Grove, Hunters Mill and Mintonsville.
Adjacent Counties and Independent Cities
- Suffolk, VirginiaSuffolk, VirginiaSuffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
- north - Camden County, North CarolinaCamden County, North Carolina-Schools:There are five schools in Camden County: Grandy Primary School, Camden Intermediate School, Camden Middle School, Camden County High School, and CamTech High School. However one other former school lies in Shiloh. It was a community school for the Shiloh area. The school is now home to a...
- northeast - Pasquotank County, North CarolinaPasquotank County, North Carolina-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 40,661 people, 13,907 households, and 9,687 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were 14,289 housing units at an average density of 63 per square mile...
- east - Perquimans County, North CarolinaPerquimans County, North Carolina-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 13,453 people, 4,645 households, and 3,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 46 people per square mile . There were 6,043 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
- southeast - Chowan County, North CarolinaChowan County, North Carolina- Law and government :Chowan County is a member of the Albemarle Commission regional council of government-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 14,793 people, 5,580 households, and 4,006 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 people per square mile . There...
- south - Hertford County, North CarolinaHertford County, North Carolina-Townships:The county is divided into six townships:Ahoskie, Como, Harrellsville, Murfreesboro, St. Johns and Winton.-Towns:*Ahoskie*Cofield*Como*Harrellsville*Murfreesboro*Winton-Demographics:...
- west - Southampton County, VirginiaSouthampton County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2010, there were 18,570 people, 6,279 households, and 4,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 7,058 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
- northwest
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Gates County, North Carolina