Union Grove Township, Iredell County, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Union Grove Township
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Union Grove Township in Iredell County
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 Union Grove Township
Location in North Carolina
Union Grove Township
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Iredell |
| Established in | 1868 |
| Government | |
| • Type | non-functioning county subdivision |
| Area | |
| • Total | 31.13 sq mi (80.6 km2) |
| • Land | 30.92 sq mi (80.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.21 sq mi (0.5 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,355 |
| • Density | 76.16/sq mi (29.41/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
28689
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Union Grove Township is a rural area in Iredell County, North Carolina, United States. It was officially created in 1868. Even though it's called a "township," it doesn't have its own local government today.
Two towns have existed within this area:
- The community of Union Grove, which started in 1857.
- The older town of Williamsburg, founded in 1812.
The Union Grove Post Office opened in 1857. Today, the Union Grove area has a milling company, a school, a volunteer fire station, and two Methodist churches. For many years, Union Grove was famous for its Fiddler's Convention, a music festival held from the 1920s to the 1970s. This event originally helped raise money for the local school.
Contents
Exploring Union Grove's Geography
Union Grove Township is in a beautiful spot. You can see the Blue Ridge Mountains, Brushy Mountains, and even Pilot Mountain from here. The main part of Union Grove is located in the north-central area of Iredell County.
It shares borders with several other townships:
- Eagle Mills Township to the east.
- New Hope Township to the west.
- Olin Township and Turnersburg Township to the south.
- Yadkin County and Wilkes County to the north.
Major roads like Interstate 77 (running north–south) and North Carolina Highway 901 (running east–west) pass through the township. Several creeks also flow through the area, including Hunting Creek, Rocky Creek, and Brushy Creek.
A Look at Union Grove's Population
People first settled in the Union Grove area in the late 1700s. Some of the early families were the Campbells, Mullises, and Morgans. The first town here was Williamsburg, which had its own post office for many years.
Here's how the population of Union Grove Township has changed over time:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 945 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,034 | 9.4% | |
| 1880 | 1,221 | 18.1% | |
| 1900 | 1,295 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,314 | 1.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,444 | 9.9% | |
| 1930 | 1,482 | 2.6% | |
| 1940 | 1,576 | 6.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,443 | −8.4% | |
| 1960 | 1,263 | −12.5% | |
| 1970 | 1,115 | −11.7% | |
| 1980 | 1,412 | 26.6% | |
| 1990 | 1,672 | 18.4% | |
| 2000 | 2,069 | 23.7% | |
| 2010 | 2,170 | 4.9% | |
| 2020 | 2,355 | 8.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 |
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In 1860, before the township was officially formed, the area included several post office districts. Union Grove was the largest town in this area at the time. The Union Grove post office was first called Craters Mills until 1857.
Most people in Union Grove in the early 1800s were farmers. Some also ran mills. After the American Civil War, the population of Union Grove Township in 1870 was 1,034 people. Most residents were from the United States.
Union Grove's Population in 2000
In the year 2000, there were 2,069 people living in Union Grove Township. There were 775 households, and most of them (61.8%) were married couples living together. About 74.7% of households had children under 18.
The population was spread out by age:
- 24.2% were under 18 years old.
- 30% were between 25 and 44 years old.
- 13.6% were 65 years or older.
The average age in the township was 38 years. The median income for a family was $46,134. This means half of the families earned more than this, and half earned less. About 8% of the population lived below the poverty line.
Union Grove's Rich History
Before European settlers arrived, the Union Grove area was a favorite place for Native Americans. Many old tools and artifacts have been found here, especially near a place called Indian Hill.
Several mills were built along Hunting Creek and Rocky Creek, the main streams in the township. These mills were used to grind grain (grist mills) and cut wood (saw mills). Some important mills included:
- Campbell Mill, built by Perciphull Campbell in 1820. His house is now a historic landmark.
- Jennings Mill, which was built on the site of an older mill from around 1850.
- Union Grove Mill, a modern electric mill built in the 1900s.
A big flood in 1848 destroyed many mills, leaving only a few working in the area.
Churches also became important gathering places in the community. Many churches were founded near the mills and towns. Some of the churches in Union Grove Township include:
- Grassy Knob Baptist Church, founded in 1794.
- Macedonia United Methodist Church, started in 1829.
- Union Grove United Methodist, founded in 1846. It's believed that "Union Grove" refers to where church members met in a grove of trees.
- Zion Baptist Church, founded in 1825.
The first known store in the area was run by Jacob Fraley. He later moved his store to Union Grove. The Union Grove Post Office was also managed by Jacob Fraley starting in 1857.
In 1868, North Carolina changed how its counties were divided. Instead of "Captain's Districts," counties were split into townships. Union Grove Township was named after the Union Grove post office, which was in the center of the area. Since 1870, Union Grove Township has been used as a census district to count the population.
The Jenning store, located south of Union Grove, is one of the longest-running businesses. It started around 1850.
The Union Grove School was founded in the late 1800s or early 1900s. In 1905, it had about 50 students and one teacher. A high school section was added in 1925. The high school closed in 1966 when schools in Iredell County were combined. Elementary and junior high students stayed at Union Grove School until 1991.
The Famous Fiddlers' Convention
The Union Grove Old Time Fiddlers' Convention started in 1924. H. P. VanHoy and his friends created it to raise money for the local school. This music festival was held every Easter weekend on the school grounds. It became a very popular event, bringing many old-time fiddlers to Union Grove to compete.
In the 1950s and 1960s, folk music became popular again. This made the Fiddlers' Convention even more famous, attracting young people from far away. After the 1969 Convention, the school board asked for the event to be moved off school property.
H. P. VanHoy's two sons, Pierce and Harper VanHoy, disagreed on what to do next. They decided to go their separate ways, creating two different Fiddlers' Conventions.
Harper VanHoy and his wife bought land near the school in 1970. They developed it into Fiddler's Grove, a campground for old-time music and families. This became the new home for his annual fiddling competition, called the Old Time Fiddler's & Bluegrass Festival.
Pierce VanHoy, the older brother, continued to promote his event as the "World's Championship Old-Time Fiddlers' Convention" on his own farm. Both events were held on Easter weekends in Union Grove for a while. Harper later moved his festival to Memorial Day weekend in 1974 to avoid competing with his brother's event.
Fiddler's Grove continued to host its festival and other events. It focused on keeping old-time music alive. They even had special categories for older fiddlers who played by ear and for musicians who could tell the story behind old tunes.
In 2012, Casey VanHoy, Pierce VanHoy's son, decided to restart the "World's Championship Old-Time Fiddlers' Convention" at his family campground. It was a success, bringing back a smaller, family-friendly event.
See also
In Spanish: Municipio de Union Grove (Carolina del Norte) para niños
