Stallings, North Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stallings, North Carolina
Suburban Town
Location of Stallings, North Carolina
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Counties	Union, Mecklenburg
Incorporated	June 24, 1975
Named for	The Stallings family
Area
• Total	8.44 sq mi (21.87 km2)
• Land	8.38 sq mi (21.70 km2)
• Water	0.07 sq mi (0.17 km2)
Elevation	676 ft (206 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,112
• Density	1,923.13/sq mi (742.57/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	28104
Area code(s)	704
FIPS code	37-64420
GNIS feature ID	2407395
Website	www.stallingsnc.org

Stallings is a suburban town located in both Union and Mecklenburg counties in the state of North Carolina, United States. It's like a neighborhood that's part of a bigger city area. In 2010, about 13,831 people lived there. By 2020, the population had grown to 16,112 people.

Where is Stallings?

Stallings is located in North Carolina. It covers about 8.44 square miles (21.87 square kilometers) of land.

How Many People Live in Stallings?

The number of people living in Stallings has grown a lot over the years! Here's how the population has changed:

Who Lives in Stallings?

The 2020 census showed that 16,112 people live in Stallings. There were 5,443 households and 4,283 families.

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Stallings:

History of Stallings

Stallings became an official town in 1975. But its story began much earlier, in the early 1900s.

How Stallings Started

A farmer and merchant named Matthew Thomas Stallings moved to Union County. He bought 200 acres of land. This land was close to the Mecklenburg County line. It was covered in beautiful timber (trees). Mr. Stallings built a home and opened a country store. This store was near the Seaboard Railway track. He wanted to help the area grow and bring in businesses.

Soon after, Mark Conder opened a saw mill. This was the first industry in Stallings. About a year later, Matthew's brother, Martin Stallings, also moved there. He bought land for farming. Because of the Stallings family, the community became known as "Stallings." Martin Stallings' son, Carl "Tip" Stallings, later became the town's first Mayor. Many people worked at the saw mill, the store, and on farms. The lumber was sent by train to places like Charlotte.

Early Community Life

Life in early Stallings was fun! Mr. Stallings would host a picnic every August. There were foot races, sack races, and egg races. Lemonade and cold drinks were served under a big oak tree.

In 1912, a newspaper said Stallings had a good school. About 75 students went there. There were also about 20 families living on the land Mr. Stallings bought. The Seaboard Air Line railway even had a station named Stallings. This made it easy for people and goods to travel.

A new store was built later. The old store building was used as a Methodist church and a schoolhouse. The one-room schoolhouse was where a large company, AEP, is now. Stallings Methodist Church started around 1911. A new church was built in 1912. Sadly, it burned down in 1919 after being struck by lightning. But the community quickly rebuilt it!

The country store changed owners many times. It even burned down once and was rebuilt. It was always known as the Country Store. It sold groceries, animal feed, and other items. It was also a place where people gathered in the evenings. Mr. Jim Smith owned the store from 1916 to 1948. He was also a big farmer. His farm, Smith Brothers Farm, still exists today. The store building was eventually replaced by small businesses.

Farming and Trains

From the early 1900s until the 1930s, Stallings and Indian Trail were important places for cotton farmers. Farmers from many miles away would bring their cotton to trade. People remember seeing many bales of cotton at Mr. Jim Smith's store.

In 1910, the Seaboard Railway built a depot. This allowed passengers and freight to travel easily. But during the Great Depression in the 1930s, trains stopped running. The depots in Stallings and Indian Trail closed.

Farmers in Stallings grew cotton and huge Bradford watermelons. The watermelons grew well in the sandy soil. They were sold in Charlotte or sent to New York by train. But the Depression brought tough times. A plant disease killed the watermelons. Boll weevils (small bugs) ate the cotton. This made life very hard for everyone.

Growth and Modern Times

After the Depression, a new four-lane highway, U.S. 74, was built. It went through Stallings. This helped the town grow quickly in the 1960s and early 1970s. Stallings officially became a town on June 24, 1975.

At that time, Stallings was a small town with 2,152 people and over 200 businesses. A new shopping center was built. It had a Winn-Dixie Supermarket and other stores. Matthew T. Stallings' prediction from 1912, that the area would become important, was coming true!

Stallings kept growing. By 2003, there were over 8,500 residents and 400 businesses. In 2001, the town grew much bigger when it added land along Stevens Mill Road and Lawyers Road. This almost doubled the town's population and size overnight. Stallings also added land in Mecklenburg County. This made it the first town in Union County to be in two counties!

The Stevens Mill Area

The Stevens Mill area has a long history. It goes back to the late 1700s. A gristmill (a mill for grinding grain) was built there. It was known as Blair's Mill for many years. Later, it became Stevens Mill. The Stevens family also had a beautiful old home there. Sadly, it burned down in 1894.

The mill was built by William Blair around 1789. It was a four-story wooden building. It had a huge water wheel, about thirty feet wide, that powered the mill. In 1849, James G. Blair sold the mill to Amos Stevens. That's when it became known as Stevens Mill. The Stevens family ran the mill for almost 100 years.

The mill was a very important place. Farmers from all around would bring their corn and wheat to be ground. The flour and meal from Stevens Mill were very popular. Even though the mill ruins are now in a neighboring town, most of the land that was part of the mill property is now in Stallings. A major street, a neighborhood, and a shopping center in Stallings are named after this historic mill.

Community Events in Stallings

Stallings has grown a lot. It is now the third largest town in Union County. For many years, the town continued the tradition of Mr. Stallings' picnic. They hosted a "Family Night in the Park" event. Now, this event is held in September when the weather is cooler.

The town also hosts other fun events for the community. These include:

• An Easter egg hunt
• Earth Day celebrations
• A music festival
• A Christmas tree lighting in the park with hot chocolate, cookies, and a visit from Santa!

See also

In Spanish: Stallings para niños