Bladen County, North Carolina Explained

County:Bladen County
State:North Carolina
Ex Image:Bladen County Courthouse.jpg
Ex Image Cap:Bladen County Courthouse
Seal:Bladen County Seal.jpg
Founded:1734
Seat Wl:Elizabethtown
Largest City Wl:Elizabethtown
City Type:community
Area Total Sq Mi:887.78
Area Land Sq Mi:875.03
Area Water Sq Mi:12.75
Area Percentage:1.44
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:29606
Pop Est As Of:2023
Population Est:29484
Population Density Sq Mi:33.83
Coordinates:34.59°N -78.54°W
Web:bladennc.govoffice3.com
District:7th
Time Zone:Eastern
Flag:Bladen County Flag.gif
Nickname:The Mother County
Motto:"In God We Trust"

Bladen County [1] is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,606. Its county seat is Elizabethtown.[2] The county was created in 1734 as Bladen Precinct and gained county status in 1739.[3]

History

Bladen County was formed in 1734 as Bladen Precinct of Bath County, from New Hanover Precinct.[4] It was named for Martin Bladen, a member of the Board of Trade.[5] With the abolition of Bath County in 1739, all of its constituent precincts became counties.

Bladen's original residents included the Waccamaw people.[6]

Bladen County began as a vast territory, with indefinite northern and western boundaries. Reductions in its extent began in 1750, when its western part became Anson County. In 1754, the northern part of what was left of Bladen County became Cumberland County. In 1764, the southern part of what remained of Bladen County was combined with part of New Hanover County to form Brunswick County. In 1787, the western part of the now much smaller county became Robeson County. Finally, in 1808, the southern part of Bladen County was combined with part of Brunswick County to form Columbus County.Bladen County is considered the "mother county" of North Carolina because of the 100 counties in North Carolina, 55 of them at one point belonged to Bladen County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (1.44%) is water.[7] It is the fourth-largest county in North Carolina by land area.[8]

State and local protected areas

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major infrastructure

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 29,606 people residing in the county. Racially, 54.4 percent of residents identified as white, 32.3 percent identified as black, 2.7 percent as Native American, and 6.1 percent as other categories. Ethnically, 20.7 percent identified as Hispanic or Latino.[11]

Demographic change

Between 2010 and 2020, Bladen County experienced a population decline of 15.9 percent,[12] losing 5,584 residents.[11]

Government and politics

Government

Bladen County is a member of the Lumber River Council of Governments, a regional planning board representing five counties.[13]

It lies within the bounds of North Carolina's 15th Prosecutorial District, the 13A Superior Court District, and the 13th District Court District.[14]

Politics

Following the 2018 United States Midterm Elections, an investigation was opened into accusations of an absentee ballot fraud scheme directed by McCrae Dowless in Bladen County, within North Carolina's 9th Congressional District. Accusations were based around the Republican Primary election, in which Mark Harris defeated incumbent Robert Pittenger, and around the general election, in which Harris initially appeared to defeat Democrat Dan McCready., the investigation is currently ongoing.[15] [16] Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman, Democrat, said it was possible over 1,000 ballots had been destroyed.[17] According to District Attorney Jon David, Republican, the county has a "troubled history of political groups exploiting the use of absentee ballots."[18] The scandal brought national media attention to Bladen.

As of 2022, Bladen County is home to about 22,000 registered voters, comprising about 9,700 registered Democrats, about 5,100 Republicans, and about 7,000 unaffiliated voters.[19]

Healthcare

Bladen County is served by a single hospital, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, based in Elizabethtown.[20] According to the 2022 County Health Rankings produced by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Bladen County ranked 85th in health outcomes of North Carolina's 100 counties, an improvement of 10 ranks over the previous five years. Per the ranking, 26 percent of adults say they are in poor or fair health, the average life expectancy is 75 years, and 16 percent of people under the age of 65 lack health insurance. It has one primary care physician per 4,670 residents.[21]

Economy

Agriculture constitutes a major part of Bladen County's economy. Smithfield Foods operates a pork processing facility north of the town of Tar Heel, the largest such plant in the world.[22] It employs 5,800 workers, making it the county's largest employer.[23] The county is the largest producer of blueberries in the state. Area farmers also grow soybeans, peanuts, corn, wheat, and cotton.[24] The county suffers from a large poverty rate and is one of the most economically distressed counties in the state.[8] According to census figures, about 70 percent of working people in Bladen are employed outside the county.[25]

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Bladen County.[26]

† = county seat

RankNameTypePopulation
(2020 census)
1† ElizabethtownTown3,296
2BladenboroTown1,648
3White LakeTown843
4ClarktonTown614
5KellyCDP446
6East ArcadiaTown418
7White OakCDP346
8DublinTown267
9ButtersCDP250
10Tar HeelTown90

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/ref/resources/tlth.html Talk Like A Tarheel
  2. Web site: Find a County . June 7, 2011 . National Association of Counties . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx . May 31, 2011 .
  3. Web site: North Carolina: Individual County Chronologies. North Carolina Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2009. January 20, 2015. March 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115449/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/NC_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm. dead.
  4. Web site: Bladen County in the 1700s. Jason. Bordeaux. 2010. NCpedia. en. July 17, 2018.
  5. News: Local history offers tasty tidbits . Star-News . April 17, 1983 . November 1, 2015 . Proffitt, Martie . 1C.
  6. News: Bladen County (1734). Martin. Jonathan. 2016. North Carolina History Project. July 17, 2018. en-US.
  7. Web site: August 23, 2022 . 2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina . September 9, 2023 . United States Census Bureau.
  8. News: Mildenberg. David. Bladen County’s crafty approach to economic development. Business North Carolina. April 20, 2021. November 17, 2022.
  9. Web site: NCWRC Game Lands . March 30, 2023 . www.ncpaws.org.
  10. Stahle . D. W. . Edmondson . J. R. . Howard . I. M. . Robbins . C. R. . Griffin . R. D. . Carl . A. . Hall . C. B. . Stahle . D. K. . Torbenson . M. C. A. . May 16, 2019 . Longevity, climate sensitivity, and conservation status of wetland trees at Black River, North Carolina . Environmental Research Communications . 1 . 4 . 041002 . 2019ERCom...1d1002S . 10.1088/2515-7620/ab0c4a . free.
  11. News: Johnson. Kristen. Hoke, Harnett counties experienced major population growth since 2010, Census results show. The Fayetteville Observer. August 16, 2021. April 15, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20210925160325/https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/2021/08/16/census-hoke-harnett-county-saw-population-growth-us-census-north-carolina-data/8107329002/. September 25, 2021.
  12. News: Schofield. Ivey. Columbus leaders react to disappointing census results. The News Reporter. August 17, 2021. January 25, 2023.
  13. News: Richardson explains role of LRCOG to Rotary Club. The Laurinburg Exchange. January 28, 2020. July 21, 2022.
  14. Web site: Bladen County. North Carolina Judicial Branch. February 12, 2023.
  15. News: Morrill. Jim. November 29, 2018. 'Tangled web' in Bladen County has questions swirling about votes in the 9th District. The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. November 30, 2018.
  16. News: Gardner. Amy. Ross. Kirk. November 29, 2018. Certification in limbo in N.C. House race as fraud investigation continues. The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.. November 30, 2018.
  17. News: Casiano. Louis. December 6, 2018. Over 1,000 ballots may have been destroyed in NC congressional race, DA says. Fox News. December 6, 2018.
  18. News: Henderson. Bruce. Doran. Will. December 7, 2018. In 2 NC counties with 'rough politics,' election fraud claims are nothing new. The Charlotte Observer. December 9, 2018.
  19. News: Nagem. Sarah. Here are some primary races to watch in Bladen County for May 17 election. Border Belt Independent. April 20, 2022. July 21, 2022.
  20. News: Nagem. Sarah. How safe are the hospitals in North Carolina’s Border Belt? New grades released. Border Belt Independent . November 16, 2022. November 28, 2022.
  21. News: Nagem. Sarah. The fight for better health (and health care) in rural North Carolina. Border Belt Independent. May 9, 2022. November 28, 2022.
  22. Web site: Coronavirus: Smithfield Foods worker at Tar Heel plant tests positive; a second Bladen resident also infected. April 18, 2020 . Alan. Wooten. The Bladen Journal.
  23. News: Schofield. Ivey. 'Strong human capital and innovation:' How Bladen County has created plans for future development. Border Belt Independent. May 16, 2021. July 21, 2022.
  24. News: Nagem. Sarah. Bladen County, shrinking but hopeful, creates a plan for its future. Border Belt Independent. March 30, 2022. April 12, 2022.
  25. News: Williams. Joseph. Most county residents work elsewhere, and those who do earn more, data shows. The News Reporter. June 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20230128085612/https://www.nrcolumbus.com/news/business/most-county-residents-work-elsewhere-and-those-who-do-earn-more-data-shows/article_f13d94a8-6d9d-5066-ae50-c9670cff715d.html. January 28, 2023.
  26. Web site: City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220711040810/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html . July 11, 2022 . May 18, 2023 . United States Census Bureau, Population Division.

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