Bladenboro is a town in Bladen County, North Carolina, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,648.
History
Establishment and early years
Development around Bladenboro, a farming community also known in its earliest days for its turpentine and lumber, began to take off after a railroad was built through the area in 1859. In 1885, brothers R.L. and H.C. Bridger came to Bladenboro from Little River, South Carolina, to operate a turpentine business. They soon became involved in the timber business and operated a cotton gin. The brothers and their descendants would have a major effect on the shaping of the town and its economy for much of the next century. Major businesses, owned and operated by members of the Bridger family and which employed many area residents, have included Bridger Corporation (a farming supply company and general store no longer in operation), Bladenboro Cotton Mills (established in 1912 and later sold to become Highland Mills), and the Bank of Bladenboro (established in 1908 and now part of First Citizens Bank).
The town of Bladenboro was incorporated in 1903.
Beast of Bladenboro
In 1954, Bladenboro received national attention for several mysterious animal killings, mostly of dogs and livestock, in the area. The animals had broken jaws and had been drained of blood in a fashion not unlike the supposed attacks of Chupacabra. However, sightings describe the attacker as resembling a cat or wolf, which led to the local legend known as the "Beast of Bladenboro." In 2008, the History Channel television series Monster Quest performed an analysis concerning these attacks, which were beginning to happen again, and concluded that the attacker might have been a cougar.
Recent years
Bladenboro's downtown was heavily damaged by hurricanes Matthew and Florence.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Bladenboro had a population of 1,648. The median age was 42.3 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 80.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 79.5 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 747 households in Bladenboro, of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 31.5% were married-couple households, 19.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 43.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.