Gaston County, North Carolina

Gaston County is a located in the  of. As of 2000, the population was 190,365. Its is.

History
Originally, the area today called Gaston County was part of Anson County in 1750, and subsequently seceded to the newly formed in 1762. Six years later, the area was again redistricted, to the short-lived until 1779, at which time it was incorporated into. Lincoln County was divided in 1846, and its southern half was renamed Gaston for (from which Gastonia also takes its name), a member of the  from 1813 to 1817, and a judge of the North Carolina  from 1833 to 1844, Gaston all wrote the official state song, "The Old North State", adopted in 1927

Tensions between the earliest European settlers and the were eased considerably when the dispute over the boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina was settled in 1772, after which most of the local Native Americans settled on a  in. Most early farms were small, cultivated primarily by white farmers. North Carolina's policy restricted the size of s, and in Gaston County they tended to be about 400 acres each. One of the earliest grants in the area was given to Captain Samuel Cobrin, commander of a local company, on September 29, 1750.

German influence
German pioneers began settling Gaston County in the mid 18th century and establishing homesteads after migrating southward from the and beyond, via the. German settlers established themselves in clusters of independent farmsteads linked by extended family connections and by participation in, Reformed, or German Baptist (Dunker) congregations.

By 1790 it is estimated 10 to 30 percent of the greater Piedmont population of North Carolina was of German origin, and modern-day Gaston County had an even higher concentration. Outnumbered by English and Scots-Irish neighbors, the Germans were perceived as a distinct group, and many of them strove to maintain German culture and ways. The use of the German language continued well into the 19th century, with a period of transition from German to, with predominant English usage established between 1825 and 1850. In the late 18th century, German dominated in many churches and families; by the 1835, sermons in Reformed and Lutheran congregations were often preached in both languages. By the late 19th century, German all but disappeared.

Similar patterns appeared in architecture. Traditional German construction methods-- often the work of artisans trained in the fatherland-- usually prevailed from the 1750s through the 1780s. The successive decades until the 1820s saw a blending of Germanic traditions and mainstream stylistic developments. Finally, from the 1820s to the, as popular national ideals homogenized much of the American , German descended families acceded to these trends.

Points of interest
The is the oldest extant structure in Gaston County, located on the Dallas-Stanley Highway. It was built around 1760 and is listed on the.

The  covers 110 acres in the South Point area of Gaston County, on South New Hope Road.

The is located in the town of.

The is a noteworthy science museum and planetarium located in Gastonia that features both permanent and touring exhibits.

, where Raptors soar gracefully in the wind; vegetation reaches to the sky; sheer vertical cliffs drop 150 feet. Enjoy the spectacle from a front-row seat. High atop Crowders Mountain, the highest point in Gaston County, views stretch for more than 20 miles.

The is a world-class recreation and training facility that will play host to Olympic-caliber athletes and weekend warriors alike. Set among 300 wooded acres along the scenic Catawba River, the multiuse facility has a climbing center, mountain-biking trails and running trails, all within minutes of our hotels, restaurants and shopping.

Christmas Town, USA - - Each December, hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights turn this small mill town into a spectacular holiday display. Visitors stroll down Main Street surrounded by the sights and sounds of Christmas.

, which is located in central Gaston County, is the site of the old television transmitter. It was from this site that the first commercial television signal in North Carolina was broadcast, when WBTV signed on the air in 1949. The tower remains on the mountain today, but is no longer in use as WBTV's primary transmitter. It is used by NWS for its transmission signal.

Law and government
Gaston County is a member of the regional.

Law Enforcement
There are multiple law enforcement agencies within the county. Two of these agencies cover the entire county, the Gaston County Police, and the Gaston County Sheriff's Department. Multiple local law enforcement agencies cover the municipalities within the county.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 942 (364 ). 923 km² (356 sq mi) of it is land and 19 km² (7 sq mi) of it (2.02%) is water.

Townships and Towns
The county is divided into 14 : Belmont, Cherryville, Cramerton, Crowders Mountain, Dallas, Gastonia, High Shoals, Lowell, McAdenville, Mt. Holly, Ranlo, Riverbend, South Point and Stanley. These are used on a political basis only. The incorporated towns are Belmont, Bessemer City, Cherryville, Cramerton, Dallas, Dellview (smallest incorporated town in the U.S. pop. 23), Gastonia, High Shoals, Lowell, McAdenville, Mt. Holly, Ranlo, and Stanley.

Major Highways

 * [[Image:I-85.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:US_29.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:US_74.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:US_321.svg|25px]]

Public Transportation
and both serve Gastonia.

The Greyhound station in Gastonia is located at 702 Davis Street. It is open Monday thru Saturday 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM. It is closed Sundays and Holidays.

The Amtrak station in Gastonia is located at 350 Hancock Street. The only train that arrives at Gastonia is the. The Northbound train (#20) for arrives at Gastonia at 12:56 AM and the Southbound train (#19) for  arrives at 3:12 AM.

Airports
is a major, full-service airport with passenger flights. It is across the in  in.

The city of owns and operates, which is a general aviation airport which covers 280 acres and has one runway.

Adjacent counties

 * - north
 * - east
 * - south
 * - west

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 190,365 people, 73,936 households, and 53,307 families residing in the county. The was 206/km² (534/sq mi). There were 78,842 housing units at an average density of 85/km² (221/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 82.98%, 13.87% or , 0.28% , 0.95% , 0.03% , 1.03% from , and 0.87% from two or more races. 3.00% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 73,936 households out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.20% were living together, 13.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.90% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 31.00% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,482, and the median income for a family was $46,271. Males had a median income of $33,542 versus $23,876 for females. The for the county was $19,225. About 8.30% of families and 10.90% of the population were below the, including 14.50% of those under age 18 and 11.10% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

 * (inactive; smallest municipality in state)
 * (part also in Cleveland County)
 * (inactive; smallest municipality in state)
 * (part also in Cleveland County)
 * (inactive; smallest municipality in state)
 * (part also in Cleveland County)
 * (part also in Cleveland County)
 * (part also in Cleveland County)
 * (part also in Cleveland County)

Education
Belmont Abbey College - Catholic Liberal Arts College located in Belmont, NC.
 * - Community College located in offering Associate Degree, Certificate, and Diploma programs.