Person County, North Carolina

Person County is a located in the  of. Located in the northwestern piedmont region. As of 2005, the population was 37,344. Its is. The southern part of the county is the fastest growing with new subdivisions & businesses due to its proximity to neighboring.

History
, as we know it today, was first part of Edgecombe County in 1746; part of  Granville County from 1746-1752; included in Orange County until 1778, and even part of Caswell County until 1791/1792. By dividing Caswell County into two squares–each side measuring approximately twenty (20) miles in length, two counties of 400–square miles were formed.

The county was named for General Thomas Person, a Revolutionary War Patriot, who made significant contributions to Person County and surround areas. He was a trustee of the University of North Carolina, donating large sums of money to the institution and being recognized by the construction of Person Hall.

Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Moore (fondly bestowed the title of General) was another Revolutionary War hero of note, commanding troops in Person County. The story is told of his riding to the top of hill, admiring the beauty of the view and vowing to return to his "Lost Eden" after the war. In 1793 he purchased property in the southern part of the county and named it Mt. Tirzah (Mount Beautiful) or "General Moore's Mountain." The old home is still located at its original site and owned by a descendant. The front porch overlooks the same inspiring view. Moore was buried on a nearby hill.

Person County was a well–established plantation center before the Civil War. Crops included tobacco, cotton, corn, wheat, oats, fruits, vegetables, cattle, hogs and sheep—many of the same crops grown here today.

During the Civil War, Person County supplied 800 to 1000 soldiers to the Confederate cause. A granite monument on the Person County Courthouse lawn honors E. Fletcher Satterfield, who advanced the Confederate flag at Gettysburg. After the war, the area's large plantations were divided into many small farms.

J.A. Long, W.W. Kitchin, A.R. Foushee, J.S. Bradsher, J.C. Pass, W.F. Reade, and R.E. Long were key leaders who helped make a transition to a more diversified economic base after the Civil War. The Norfolk and Western Railroad Company was a major influence around 1890, facilitating the addition of tobacco processing plants and warehouses. Although the processing plants disappeared many years ago, a few of the warehouses still stand.

J.A. Long established Peoples Bank in 1891 and the Roxboro Cotton Mills in 1899, later known as Tultex Yarns. Long died in 1915 but was succeeded by his son, J.A. Long, Jr., who began attracting new business to Roxboro. Baker Company opened here in 1923, making textiles a major contributor to the local economy. Baker was merged with Collins and Aikman Corporation (C&A), becoming a major industry in Person County.

is the only incorporated municipality in the county although there nine townships, many with community centers or postal offices. The city of Roxboro was chartered Jan. 9, 1855. As of 2005 the city's population is 8755 and the county's latest (2005) census registers 37,344 citizens.

Elected Officials
Brad Miller (D), U.S. House of Representatives Ellie Kinnaird (D), State Senator W.A. "Winkie" Wilkins (D), State Representative

Johnny M. Lunsford (D), County Commission Chair Larry Bowes (D), County Commissioner Larry Yarborough (R), County Commissioner Kyle Puryear (R), County Commissioner Jimmy Clayton (D), County Commissioner

Gordon Powell, School Board Chairman Jimmy Wilkins, School Board Vice-Chairman Pecolia Beatty, School Board Member Ronnie P. King, School Board Member Vickie L. Nelson, School Board Member

Law and government
Person County is a member of the. The county government is administered by an elected county commission, and county law enforcement is administered by an elected and his officers. Although the county is politically conservative, local politics is still dominated by the.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 1,047 (404 ). 1,016 km² (392 sq mi) of it is land and 31 km² (12 sq mi) of it (2.92%) is water.

Person County contains parts of three major river basins: the Neuse, the Roanoke and the Tar, providing essential clean drinking water to the south and east of the state. The origin of the is in SE Person County. In the northwest section of the county is, with in the northeast section. Both lakes are used for electrical power generation and recreation. Near the western border with is. Part of the begins here with the, where it combines with the  and  rivers to go into  and create the Neuse.

The county is largely covered by rolling hills divided by farmlands and forest. The area's ridges are not narrow and sharp like those in much of the Piedmont, and the gullies and ditches are not as abrupt. The northern part of the county between the lakes is skirted by a plateau. The highest point of the county is a prominent hill in Roxboro, where the county seat has located its water reservoir tank. Other high elevation areas of the county include a rocky igneous prominence called Hagers Mountain, north of Roxboro, and Mt. Tirzah in the southern part of the county. The geology of the county is dominated by formation, overlaid by a variety of soils, with granite boulders strewn across the county.

Cities, townships and communities
is the county seat, and located roughly at the center of the county.

The county is divided into nine :, Bushy Fork, Cunningham, Flat River, Holloway, Mount Tirzah, Olive Hill, Roxboro, and Woodsdale (which includes Bethel Hill).

Other unincorporated communities include, , and (mostly in ).

Adjacent Counties

 * - north
 * - east
 * - south-southeast
 * - south-southwest
 * - west

Demographics
As of the of 2005, there were 37,344 people, 14,085 households, and 10,113 families residing in the county. The was 35/km² (91/sq mi). There were 15,504 housing units at an average density of 15/km² (40/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 68.79%, 28.21% or , 0.61% , 0.15% , 0.01% , 1.37% from , and 0.86% from two or more races. 2.09% of the population were or  of any race. (This reporting does not take into account the massive annual influx of Hispanic migrant labor.)

The population has surged drastically since the 1980s due to from the nearby city of. This population surge has led to a drastic increase in real estate prices in the last twenty years.

There were 14,085 households out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% were living together, 13.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 30.60% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,159, and the median income for a family was $44,598. Males had a median income of $30,970 versus $22,804 for females. The for the county was $18,709. About 9.40% of families and 12.00% of the population were below the, including 14.90% of those under age 18 and 17.30% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Person County administers a single unified school district with a K-12 program.

seven elementary schools: (K-6)
 * Helena Elementary School
 * North Elementary School
 * North End Elementary School
 * Oak Lane Elementary
 * South Elementary School
 * Stories Creek Elementary School
 * Woodland Elementary School

two middle schools: (6-8)
 * Northern Middle School
 * Southern Middle School

and all students matriculating from a single high school: (9-12)
 * Person High School

Additional Learning Centers:


 * Bethel Hill Charter School, is a public school exempt from the state's public school system that offers young kids an alternative for grades K-6.


 * Roxboro Community School, is an alternative to the state public school system located near Uptown Roxboro. The school is housed in a renovated cotton mill and opened for the 2006-2007 school year.  After the grade levels are phased in the school will be open for grades 7-12.


 * Roxboro Christian Academy, a private school founded in 1976, also has a K-12 program.


 * Zion Christian Academy was founded in 2002 and offers a 1-12 program.

Institution of higher education

 * with branches in Person County and neighboring, offers associate degrees, technical training programs, and college credit which is transferable to local state supported colleges/universities.

Business
The economy of Person County is dominated by electrical/textile production, administrative, brokering, food processing, automotive, aluminum and paper products. Diversification from traditional flue cured tobacco to include burley tobacco and other modes of agriculture, is underway. Person County is also part of North Carolina's, home to numerous high-tech companies and enterprises..

Person County offers a strategic location for business and industry, being within an hour’s drive of North Carolina's two major economic centers, the (Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh) and the  (Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point), and a two-hour drive of Richmond, Virginia.

Culture
Person County was settled by a variety of groups including Native Americans, Scots, Scots-Irish, English, Germans, French Hugeonots, and Africans. Religious affiliation in the county is predominantly Protestant with a small contingent of Catholics and other groups. Due to its proximity to Virginia, the Carolina coast, and the Appalachian foothills, a wide variety of dialects can be heard in the county, with Virginia Piedmont, Coastal Southern, South Midland, and African American Vernacular English being the most common.

Local legends claim that the Indians of Person County are descended from the first British colonists of, the era settlement of , often called the Lost Colony. Indeed, when these Indians were first encountered by subsequent settlers, they noted that these Native Americans already spoke English and were of the Christian religion. The historical surnames of this group also correspond with those of the Roanoke Island settlers, and many exhibit European physical features along with Native American features. Others discount these remarkable coincidences and classify the Indians of Person County as an offshoot of the tribe.

Famous residents

 * , the only from North Carolina to receive the  for service during . He was killed in action in.
 * , driver
 * , golfer
 * , former
 * , CEO and President of Brewing Company
 * , quarterback, and record setting college quarterback at N.C. State
 * , aka "Country",, and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee
 * , former player
 * , stock car driver