East Bend, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
East Bend, North Carolina
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Location of East Bend, North Carolina
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Yadkin |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council government |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.31 sq mi (3.40 km2) |
| • Land | 1.31 sq mi (3.39 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,056 ft (322 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 634 |
| • Density | 484.34/sq mi (187.07/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
27018
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| Area code(s) | 336 |
| FIPS code | 37-19320 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406412 |
East Bend is a small town located in the northeastern part of Yadkin County, in North Carolina, United States. In 2020, about 634 people lived there. It's part of a larger area called the Piedmont Triad.
Contents
Where is East Bend?
East Bend covers a total area of about 1.3 square miles (3.4 square kilometers). This entire area is land, with no large bodies of water.
How Many People Live Here?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 444 | — | |
| 1910 | 522 | 17.6% | |
| 1920 | 508 | −2.7% | |
| 1930 | 470 | −7.5% | |
| 1940 | 494 | 5.1% | |
| 1950 | 475 | −3.8% | |
| 1960 | 446 | −6.1% | |
| 1970 | 485 | 8.7% | |
| 1980 | 602 | 24.1% | |
| 1990 | 619 | 2.8% | |
| 2000 | 659 | 6.5% | |
| 2010 | 612 | −7.1% | |
| 2020 | 634 | 3.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 659 people living in East Bend. These people lived in 271 homes, and 188 of those were families. The town had about 515 people per square mile.
About 95% of the people were White, and smaller groups included African American, Native American, and Asian residents. About 8.5% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
Many homes (32.8%) had children under 18 living there. Most homes (56.1%) were married couples living together. The average home had 2.43 people, and the average family had 2.96 people.
The median age in town was 37 years old. This means half the people were younger than 37 and half were older. About 25.6% of the population was under 18.
Nearby Towns and Cities
East Bend is close to several other towns and cities, including:
History of East Bend
Early Native American Life
A very important Native American site is located near the Yadkin River, not far from East Bend. This site, called Donnaha, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Experts think it was a village of at least 100 Sioux people from a long time ago.
A local collector named Earl Norman donated 5,000 Native American artifacts he found to the North Carolina Department of Archives and History in 1960.
How the Town Started
East Bend was first known as Banner's Store. It was named after a merchant, Martin Luther Banner. He later moved west and started another town called Banner Elk, North Carolina.
On March 7, 1887, the state government officially made East Bend a town. It was named after the east bend of the Yadkin River. The first mayor was J.H Johnson.
J.G. Huff started the first business in town that made buggies in 1873. His factory, built in 1893, was said to be the biggest buggy factory in the South. Huff stopped making buggies around 1920 and started a funeral home, which is still run by his family today.
The Yadkin Ripple, a local newspaper, started in East Bend in 1896 and is still published weekly.
In 1904, East Bend had 444 people. It had a hotel, two buggy factories, a tobacco bag factory, a bank, and several stores. However, the town's growth slowed down when the Southern Railroad decided not to build tracks through East Bend in 1890.
The Yadkin County Agricultural Fair was held in East Bend from 1914 until 1978. It started at the old schoolhouse and later moved to a larger area. This area is now a community softball park.
Education in East Bend
Public Schools
Most children in East Bend attend East Bend Elementary School. This school teaches students from kindergarten through sixth grade. The school's history goes back to the East Bend Academy, which operated from 1856 to 1889.
In 1890, it became Union High School. Much of the high school and its records were lost in a fire in 1964. It was rebuilt and became an elementary-only school in 1967.
East Bend Elementary is one of five schools that send students to Forbush High School. A new middle school is also located in the East Bend area. Two other elementary schools, Forbush and Fall Creek, are also in the East Bend ZIP code area.
Fun Places to Visit
- Yadkin Islands Park is about two miles north of town. It is part of Pilot Mountain State Park.
- The Davis Brothers Store used to be a general store. It has been fixed up and is now an Italian restaurant. Parts of a movie called Two Soldiers were filmed in front of this building.
- East Bend is located in the Yadkin Valley AVA, which is a special area known for growing grapes and making wine.
- The Donnaha Site and the Morse and Wade Building are important historical places listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous People From East Bend
- Terrie Hall (born 1960) was a strong advocate against smoking.
- John Hanks was a cousin of Nancy Hanks Lincoln, who was the mother of President Abraham Lincoln.
- Joseph J. Kinyoun was the first director of the United States' Hygienic Laboratory. This laboratory later became the National Institutes of Health.
- Ben Neill, Jr. is a trumpeter and composer.
- Ernie Shore was a baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
See also
In Spanish: East Bend para niños
