Maxton, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maxton, North Carolina
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Maxton, North Carolina
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 Maxton, North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| Counties | Robeson, Scotland |
| Incorporated | 1874 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.70 sq mi (6.99 km2) |
| • Land | 2.70 sq mi (6.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 197 ft (60 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,110 |
| • Density | 782.06/sq mi (301.94/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
28364
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| Area codes | 910, 472 |
| FIPS code | 37-42020 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406111 |
Maxton is a town in Robeson and Scotland counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,426 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census.
Contents
History
The Maxton area was first settled in the 18th century. The community was incorporated in 1874 under the name of Shoe Heel. The name changed to Tilden, in honor of 1876 U.S. President candidate Samuel J. Tilden. The name reverted to Shoe Heel in 1881 before finally settling on Maxton in 1887.
As agriculture in the industry consolidated into larger corporate ventures in the 1960s, Maxton's status as a local market town declined. Far away from major transportation links such as Interstate 95, its economy continued to wane in following decades without the arrival of new industry. White people began leaving in search of better prospects, leading Maxton to become a majority-black town by 2000. With a newly elected government comprising many black officials, the town began expanding its incorporated limits to include many old black neighborhoods. In 2004 a highway bypass around the town was completed, depriving local businesses of the spending of travelers they had hitherto enjoyed.
The Maxton Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Educational institutions
Maxton is the location of several former, but historically important schools.
Flora MacDonald College was founded in 1841. It was the first college in North Carolina to grant degrees to women.
Charles N. Hunter a famous African-American educator who would go on to found the North Carolina Industrial Association opened his first school in Maxton.
Carolina College was a Methodist college for women which operated in Maxton, North Carolina, from 1912 to 1926.
Carolina Military Academy was a military school for boys (7th - 12th grade + post graduate) which operated in Maxton, North Carolina, from 1963 to 1972. The school opened it doors to female day students during the 1970 - 1971 school year.
Confrontation between the Lumbee and the Ku Klux Klan
In January 1958, the Ku Klux Klan burned crosses on the lawns of two Lumbee families. A few nights later, on January 18, 1958, the Lumbee surrounded and disrupted a public Klan rally near Maxton, dispersing the Klansmen, some of whom left under police protection while others escaped into the woods. The confrontation made national headlines, and the Klan never again held a public rally in Robeson County, even as they gained influence over the next decade in North Carolina. The Lumbee refer to the event as the Battle of Hayes Pond, and celebrate it as a holiday.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2), all land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 694 | — | |
| 1900 | 935 | 34.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,321 | 41.3% | |
| 1920 | 1,397 | 5.8% | |
| 1930 | 1,386 | −0.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,656 | 19.5% | |
| 1950 | 1,974 | 19.2% | |
| 1960 | 1,755 | −11.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,885 | 7.4% | |
| 1980 | 2,711 | 43.8% | |
| 1990 | 2,373 | −12.5% | |
| 2000 | 2,551 | 7.5% | |
| 2010 | 2,426 | −4.9% | |
| 2020 | 2,110 | −13.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 357 | 16.92% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,287 | 61.0% |
| Native American | 352 | 16.68% |
| Asian | 9 | 0.43% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 73 | 3.46% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 31 | 1.47% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,110 people, 1,006 households, and 644 families residing in the town.
Notable people
- Allen LaGrant "Mickey" Bowers (1949-) is a retired American professional baseball player, scout, coach and manager.
- Effie Neal Jones (1919–2002) - civil rights activist, Food Services Director, and Counselor for the Four County Head Start Program
- Angus McLean (1870–1935) – Governor of North Carolina 1924–1928.
- Malcolm ("Malcom") McLean (1913–2001) – trucking industry innovator and "father of containerization".
- Gilbert Brown Patterson (1863 – 1922) was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina.
- Alice B. Russell (1892–1984) – singer and actress married to Oscar Micheaux.
See also
In Spanish: Maxton para niños
