Wilson, North Carolina

Wilson is a city in and the county seat of Wilson County, North Carolina, United States. It is the 23rd most populous city in North Carolina. Located approximately east of the capital city of Raleigh, it is served by the interchange of Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 264. As of the 2020 census, Wilson had a population of 47,851. It is also an anchor city of the Rocky Mount-Wilson-Roanoke Rapids CSA, with a total population of 297,726 as of 2018.

In the early 21st century, Wilson was ranked as 18th in size among North Carolina's 500-plus municipalities. From 1990 to 2010, the city population increased by more than 40 percent, primarily due to construction of new subdivisions that attracted many new residents. This has been accompanied by new retail and shopping construction, primarily in the northwestern parts of the city. Wilson is a diverse community; in 2012, the US Census estimated that 48% of the population identified as African American, and 43% as Whites; the remaining 9% includes Latinos and Asians, such as Vietnamese, Chinese and Indians. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated in 2012 that nearly 5,000 county residents (7.5 percent) were foreign-born. Of those, nearly 3,000 people, or 62 percent, had entered the U.S. since 2000.

Once a center of tobacco cultivation, the city was widely known as "The World’s Greatest Tobacco Market" in the 19th century. In the 21st century, Wilson enjoys a diverse economy based on agriculture, manufacturing, commercial, and service businesses.

History

thumb|left|Nash Street in Wilson, 1908

thumb|left|Aerial view of Wilson in 1925

The history of the city of Wilson began with a community that formed around Toisnot Primitive Baptist Church, built in the early 1800s. The community was originally called Toisnot. In 1836, the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad Co. began building a Wilmington-to-Weldon line. The railway reached the community in 1839, and by 1840 Toisnot had both north-and-south service. That stimulated growth of the community.

The North Carolina General Assembly chartered the Town of Wilson. It was named for state senator , U.S. Volunteers. He died of fever while on leave from the State senate during the Mexican–American War of 1848. Messrs. Joshua Barnes, John W. Farmer, James D. Barnes, Dylan Dieterle, Jonathan D. Rountree, and Arthur Farmer were named as the first town commissioners.

The Gen. Joshua Barnes House, Branch Banking, Broad–Kenan Streets Historic District, Cherry Hotel, Davis-Whitehead-Harriss House, East Wilson Historic District, Old Wilson Historic District, Joseph John Pender House, Moses Rountree House, Upper Town Creek Rural Historic District, West Nash Street Historic District, Olzie Whitehead Williams House, Wilson Central Business-Tobacco Warehouse Historic District, Wilson County Courthouse, and Woodard Family Rural Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.64%) is water.

Wilson is served by the intersection of Interstate 95 and US 264; and it is located approximately 45 minutes by car east of Raleigh, the state capital. It is the northern terminus of Interstate 795, which provides a route to Interstate 40 and the port city of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Wilson had a population of 47,851 and 19,951 households, and there were 11,529 families.

There were 19,951 households in Wilson, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 35.7% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 39.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 18,106 || 37.8%

| Black or African American || 23,112 || 48.3%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 247 || 0.5%

| Asian || 811 || 1.7%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 19 || 0.0%

| Some other race || 3,143 || 6.6%

| Two or more races || 2,413 || 5.0%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 4,824 || 10.1%

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"

|+Wilson racial composition

!scope="col"| Race

!scope="col"| Number

!scope="col"| Percentage

!scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)

| 17,503

| 36.58%

!scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

| 22,914

| 47.89%

!scope="row"| Native American

| 114

| 0.24%

!scope="row"| Asian

| 811

| 1.69%

!scope="row"| Pacific Islander

| 10

| 0.02%

!scope="row"| Other/Mixed

| 1,675

| 3.5%

!scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino

| 4,824

| 10.08%

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 44,405 people, 17,296 households, and 11,328 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 18,660 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 46.67% White, 47.53% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.89% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.29% of Wilson's population.

There were 17,296 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,169, and the median income for a family was $41,041. Males had a median income of $30,682 versus $22,363 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,813. About 16.5% of families and 21.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under the age of 18 and 20.4% ages 65 or older.

2008–2012 American Community Survey

The median income for a household in the city from 2008 to 2012 was $36,469. About 26% of the population were below the poverty line. Now headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truist Financial is among Wilson County's top employers, with around 2,000 people working in various financial services.

Bridgestone Americas operates a plant in Wilson that employs more than 1,800 people who make radial tires for cars and light trucks. Bridgestone recently completed a 6-year, $250 million renovation of the plant, which was retooled to make run-flat passenger car tires that are sold in both the US and Japan. In 2014 the plant marked 1 million man-hours without a lost-time accident.

Other large employers include Wilson County Schools; Wilson Medical Center; Smithfield Packing Co., pork products; UTC Aerospace Systems (formerly Kidde Aerospace and Defense before UTC's acquisition), aircraft fire protection systems; Sandoz, generic prescription drugs; Merck Manufacturing Division, pharmaceutical drugs; and Ardagh Group, glass containers.

Largest employers

According to the City's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

{| class="wikitable"

! #

! Employer

! Number of<br />employees

| 1

|Truist Bank

|2,200

| 2

|Wilson County Schools

|1,500

| 3

|Collins Aerospace

|984

| 4

|NC Department of Health and Human Services

|917

| 5

|Wilson Medical Center

|900

| 6

|Wilson County

|764

| 7

|City of Wilson

|760

| 8

|Smithfield Packing Company

|670

| 9

|Alliance One

|500

| 10

|Novartis

|462

Sports

Wilson is home to the Wilson Tobs of the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Tobs play at Fleming Stadium in Wilson. The Tobs began play for the league's inaugural 1997 season. Wilson Speedway held 12 NASCAR Cup Series races between 1951 and 1960 as it was open at the county fairgrounds between 1934 and 1989.

The Single-A Minor League Baseball team the Carolina Mudcats are expected to relocate to Wilson, following the 2025 Carolina League season. They will play at a new $75.5-million stadium near downtown, about east of Five County Stadium, where they currently play in Zebulon, North Carolina.

Tourist attractions

thumb|upright=1.3|Whirligig Park in Wilson

Wilson is the home of the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, an Outsider Art installation. Simpson specialized in large kinetic sculptures called "whirligigs", which Simpson made from salvaged metal. Simpson became nationally known after he was commissioned to create a whirligig for the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. The 55-foot (17 m) high, 45-foot (14 m) wide whirligig called "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" was installed for the museum's opening in November, 1995. Other of Simpson's whirligigs have been exhibited at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City and at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum in Williamsburg, Virginia. Whirligig Park opened in Wilson in late 2017.

Government

Wilson has a City Council-City Manager form of government. The City Council includes seven members who are elected by single-member districts and a mayor who is elected at-large. All terms are four years. The City Council makes policy and budget decisions. It appoints a city manager and staff to implement its decisions and operate the city's daily affairs.

Elected continuously since 1992, C. Bruce Rose was the longest-serving mayor in the city's history. Prior to his election, he served as a city firefighter for 30 years and fire chief for seven years.

As of November 5, 2019, Carlton Stevens, JR. was elected as Mayor of Wilson, N.C. Mayor Stevens is a native of Wilson and is also co-owner of Stevens Funeral Home, alongside his Mother (Carol).

Education

Public schools

Elementary schools

Wells
Margaret Hearne
Vick
New Hope
Vinson-Bynum
B.O. Barnes
Winstead
Frederick Douglass (Formerly Elm City)
Stantonsburg
Lee Woodard
Lucama
Rock Ridge
Gardners
Jones

Middle schools

C H Darden
Forest Hills Middle
Toisnot
Elm City
Speight
Springfield

High schools

E. T. Beddingfield High School
Ralph L. Fike High School
James B. Hunt High School
Wilson Early College Academy
Wilson Academy of Applied Technology
Wilson Preparatory Academy

Alternative schools

Daniels Learning Center (6-8).

Charter schools

Youth Enrichment Program of Wilson, Inc. operates Sallie B. Howard School for the Arts and Education which is named after Sallie Baldwin Howard. Wilson Preparatory Academy also serves Wilson and surrounding counties as a charter school.

State-operated schools

The Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf is operated by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Office of Education Services.

Private schools

Wilson is home to several private schools:

Community Christian School (Daycare - Pre-K -12)
Garnett Christian Academy
Wilson Christian Academy (Daycare - Pre-K -12)
Greenfield School (Pre-K-12) (non-sectarian)
Charis Prep (Christian, 9-12)

Colleges

Barton College
Wilson Community College

Media

Wilson's chief source of print journalism is the Wilson Times, established in 1896. Broadcast network television stations (ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX Affiliates), are based in Raleigh, North Carolina and include Wilson in their market.

Infrastructure

Telecommunications

The city has built its own Government-access television (GATV) municipal cable TV provider known as Greenlight, which provides cable TV, digital phone and internet to its residents. Greenlight was formed in 2008 to provide an independent, locally owned and operated option for television, telephone and Internet broadband connectivity for Wilson residents. Since then, Greenlight has grown to provide services to more than 6,000 residential customers and businesses and the Wilson County School System. In addition, Greenlight provides free wireless Internet access throughout the downtown Wilson area. In 2013 Wilson was the first city in North Carolina to offer gigabit Internet connectivity service to its residents via a fiber optic network. That service allows Internet users to upload or download data at speeds up to one billion bits per second. However, North Carolina state law has prevented the expansion of Wilson's municipal network to nearby communities that have requested connections, and that restriction was upheld in the 2016 circuit court ruling Tennessee v. FCC.

Transportation

Wilson is served by two airports: Wilson Industrial Airport and Rocky Mount-Wilson Airport (RWI), and by the Wilson Amtrak Station.

The following highways travel through Wilson: I-95, I-587, I-795, US 301, US 264, US 117, NC 42, and NC 58. Five-lane roads include Hines Street, Tarboro Street, and Ward Boulevard.

RIDE is the City of Wilson's on-demand micro-transit service. RIDE replaced the fixed route bus system on September 1, 2020. RIDE is a partnership between the City of Wilson and Via, a leader in micro-transit service. https://www.wilsonnc.org/residents/all-departments/public-works/wilson-transit-ride-wilson-industrial-air-center/ride

Healthcare

Wilson Medical Center is a 330-bed hospital.

Notable people

Jamareo Artis, musician and bass player
Cora Lily Woodard Aycock (1868–1952), First Lady of North Carolina and President of the North Carolina Railroad
Red Barrett (1915–1990) was a pitcher who played eleven career seasons in the National League
Glenn Bass (born 1939) is a former collegiate and professional American football player.
Hunter Bell is an author and actor. Bell was born in Alabama and raised in Wilson.
G. K. Butterfield (born 1947) was the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 1st congressional district from 2004-2022
Jean Farmer-Butterfield is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly
Freddie Bynum (born 1980), a former shortstop who played parts of four seasons with three Major League teams.
Ben Flowers (1927–2009) was raised in Wilson and played for four Major League teams.
Jentezen Franklin is Senior Pastor at Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia
Celeste Gold Broughton (1925–2022), writer and socialite.
Daisy Hendley Gold (1893–1975), journalist and author.
Pleasant Daniel Gold (1833–1920), American publisher and clergyman
James B. Hunt, Jr. He was elected governor of North Carolina, serving a record four terms.
Martha Hunt (born 1989) American fashion model.
Izel Jenkins (born 1964) Football player with the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, and New York Giants.
Thomas Kenan (1838–1911) Confederate soldier and later a politician
Ike Lassiter (born 1940) is a former American football defensive lineman.
Walt McKeel (born 1972) is a former professional baseball player.
Louis B. Meyer (1933–1999) was a North Carolina jurist
Ed Mitchell (born 1948/1949), barbecue pitmaster and businessman
Naomi E. Morris (1921–1986) was a jurist who served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals
Miguel A. Núñez, Jr. (born 1964) is an American actor.
Vance Page (1905–1951) was a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs from 1938 to 1941.
Stan Partenheimer [Party] (1922–1989) was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.
Julius Peppers (born 1980) is an American retired football outside linebacker/defensive end for the Carolina Panthers
Randy Renfrow (born 1958) is a former NASCAR driver in the Craftsman Truck Series before retiring.
Corey Thomas (born 1975) is a former professional American football wide receiver
Gregory Walcott was born Bernard Mattox in Wendell, North Carolina. He appeared as a drill instructor in the film Battle Cry
John Webb (1926–2008) was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court (1986–1998).
Harry F. Weyher Jr. (1921–2002) was an American lawyer and president of the Pioneer Fund from 1958 to 2002.
John E. Woodard (1855–1928), mayor of Wilson, state delegate and state senator

References

External links

<!--

=

WIKIPEDIA IS NOT A COLLECTION OF LINKS. Only a limited number of new links

should be added to this article. PLEASE DO NOT ADD external links to sites with

information already in the article or in its sources.

See Wikipedia:External links and Wikipedia:Spam for further details

=

-->