Hamlet, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Hamlet is a town in Richmond County
, North Carolina
, United States
. The population was 6,018 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 5.14 square miles (13.3 km²), of which, 5.05 sq mi (13.1 km²) of it is land and 0.09 sq mi (0.2330989299 km²) of it (1.75%) is water.
of 2000, there were 6,018 people, 2,453 households, and 1,682 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1192.4 PD/sqmi. There were 2,738 housing units at an average density of 542.5 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 61.85% White, 34.51% African American, 1.61% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.48% from other races
, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.26% of the population.
There were 2,453 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples
living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,013, and the median income for a family was $36,234. Males had a median income of $28,958 versus $23,397 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,764. About 18.4% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.
and Mojo Nixon
wrote a song about this called "Hamlet Chicken Plant Disaster
".
, served by Amtrak
, sits downtown at the junction of the lines. Hamlet yard resides to the north of downtown. This is the former Seaboard Air Line yard built in 1954, replacing an older yard closer to downtown. On display at the depot is former Seaboard Air line 1114, an EMD SDP-35, one of only 35 ever built, and has been repainted into her original SAL scheme and numbered her original number 1114 on The Seaboard.
The National Railroad Museum and Hall of Fame is also located in Hamlet.
Hamlet was the largest city in Richmond County at one time, but it has been usurped by neighboring Rockingham.
The Annual Seaboard Festival, honoring the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
, is a major local event.
In the 1960s, North Carolina license plates proclaimed Hamlet as "The Hub of The Seaboard."
The Seaboard Air Line merged with ACL on July 1,1967 and became Seaboard Coast Line and in 1983, Seaboard System, then in 1986
became CSX which is what it remains today. Recently the diesel shop has been reopened and track, that were removed in the 1980s, was put back to accommodate the growing diesel repair shop, which first opened in 1954.
Richmond County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 46,564 people, 17,873 households, and 12,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile . There were 19,886 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...
, 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 6,018 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Hamlet is located at 34°53′17"N 79°42′22"W (34.887936, -79.706201).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 has a total area of 5.14 square miles (13.3 km²), of which, 5.05 sq mi (13.1 km²) of it is land and 0.09 sq mi (0.2330989299 km²) of it (1.75%) is water.
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 6,018 people, 2,453 households, and 1,682 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 1192.4 PD/sqmi. There were 2,738 housing units at an average density of 542.5 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 61.85% White, 34.51% African American, 1.61% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.48% 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 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.26% of the population.
There were 2,453 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% 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, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,013, and the median income for a family was $36,234. Males had a median income of $28,958 versus $23,397 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 $14,764. About 18.4% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Hamlet is home to a Fairview Heights Elementary School (K-5), Monroe Avenue Elementary School (K-5), Hamlet Middle School (6-8), and Richmond Community College.Hamlet chicken plant fire of 1991
On September 3, 1991, a grease fire broke out at the Imperial Foods chicken processing plant in the city, killing 25 people. A monument now stands where the plant was.http://www.emergency.com/nc-fire.htm Jello BiafraJello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
and Mojo Nixon
Mojo Nixon
Mojo Nixon is an American musician, known for playing psychobilly music...
wrote a song about this called "Hamlet Chicken Plant Disaster
Prairie Home Invasion
Prairie Home Invasion is a first album released by Jello Biafra with Mojo Nixon in 1994. The title is a satire of the popular public radio program A Prairie Home Companion...
".
Additional information
Hamlet is at the junction of two major CSX rail lines, one running north towards Washington D.C., and New York and south towards Florida, and the other running east towards Wilmington, North Carolina, and west towards Atlanta and Birmingham, Alabama. The recently reopened Hamlet Passenger StationHamlet (Amtrak station)
The Hamlet Amtrak Station, located in Hamlet, North Carolina, is served by the Silver Star passenger train. It is located at East Main Street and North Bridges Street, and is located in the heart of historic downtown Hamlet....
, served by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, sits downtown at the junction of the lines. Hamlet yard resides to the north of downtown. This is the former Seaboard Air Line yard built in 1954, replacing an older yard closer to downtown. On display at the depot is former Seaboard Air line 1114, an EMD SDP-35, one of only 35 ever built, and has been repainted into her original SAL scheme and numbered her original number 1114 on The Seaboard.
The National Railroad Museum and Hall of Fame is also located in Hamlet.
Hamlet was the largest city in Richmond County at one time, but it has been usurped by neighboring Rockingham.
The Annual Seaboard Festival, honoring the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
Seaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad whose corporate existence extended from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line...
, is a major local event.
In the 1960s, North Carolina license plates proclaimed Hamlet as "The Hub of The Seaboard."
The Seaboard Air Line merged with ACL on July 1,1967 and became Seaboard Coast Line and in 1983, Seaboard System, then in 1986
became CSX which is what it remains today. Recently the diesel shop has been reopened and track, that were removed in the 1980s, was put back to accommodate the growing diesel repair shop, which first opened in 1954.
Notable people
- Tom WickerTom WickerThomas Grey "Tom" Wicker was an American journalist. He was best known as a political reporter and columnist for The New York Times.-Background and education:...
, former Washington bureau chief and columnist for the New York Times. - Frederick C. BranchFrederick C. BranchFrederick Clinton Branch was the first African-American officer of the United States Marine Corps.-Marine Corps career:...
, the first African-American MarineUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
officer. - William Daniel James, MD, born in Laurinburg, NC, founder of the Hamlet Hospital, which, at the time of its founding, was the only hospital for a 100 mile radius. Surgeon and nationally recognized specialist in X-ray and radium cancer treatment. Member NC board of medical examiners.
- Lillian Duer James, RN, born in New York, wife of William Daniel James and founder of a nursing school at the Hamlet Hospital, one of the first nursing schools in North Carolina. Member of NC state board of Nursing.
- William Duer James, MD, son of William Daniel and Lillian D. James, born in Hamlet 29 October 1916. Chief of Staff, Hamlet Hospital, 3 times NC state senator. Member Medical Care Commission, of NC.
- Wayne GoodwinWayne GoodwinGeorge Wayne Goodwin was elected North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in the 2008 election. Goodwin previously served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's sixty-eighth House district, including constituents in Richmond and Stanly counties...
, a former legislator, was the first Hamlet native elected to Statewide office. He became North Carolina's Insurance Commissioner as a result of the 2008 election. - Louis BreedenLouis BreedenLouis Breeden is a former professional American Football player who played defensive back for the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League.-Career:...
, former American football player, defensive back with the Cincinnati Bengals - Perry WilliamsPerry Williams (cornerback)Perry Lamar Williams is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the seventh round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina State.Williams won two Super Bowls with the Giants....
, former American football player, cornerback with the New York Giants - Dannell EllerbeDannell EllerbeDannell Ellerbe is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens for the National Football League. He was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Georgia.-College career:...
, American football player, linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. - John ColtraneJohn ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
, American jazz saxophonist and composer. - Mike QuickMike QuickMichael Anthony Quick is a former American football wide receiver who played his entire career with the Philadelphia Eagles .-Playing career:...
, former American football player, wide receiver with the Philadelphia Eagles.
External links
- City Of Hamlet Information about the town of Hamlet.
- HUB OF THE CSX STREAM Railroad internet stream dedicated to broadcasting CSX radio traffic in and around Hamlet, NC over the internet.
- Our Hamlet* History and pictures of Hamlet, NC