Johnston County, North Carolina

Johnston County
County
Johnston County Courthouse
Flag Seal Logo
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°31′N78°22′W / 35.51°N 78.37°W / 35.51; -78.37
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Established	June 28, 1746 (277 years ago) (1746-06-28)
Named for	Gabriel Johnston
Seat	Smithfield
Largest community	Clayton
Area
• Total	795.65 sq mi (2,060.7 km2)
• Land	792.02 sq mi (2,051.3 km2)
• Water	3.63 sq mi (9.4 km2)  0.46%
Population  (2020)
• Total	215,999
• Estimate  (2023)	241,955
• Density	272.72/sq mi (105.30/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	27501, 27504, 27520, 27524, 27527, 27529, 27542, 27555, 27557, 27568, 27569, 27576, 27577, 27591, 27592, 27597, 27603, 28334, 28366
Area code	919, 984
Congressional district	13th
Website	johnstonnc.com

Johnston County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 215,999. ^[1] Its county seat is Smithfield. ^[2]

Johnston County is included in the Raleigh-Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023. ^[3]

History

Johnston County and St. Patrick's Parish were established on June 28, 1746, from the upper part of Craven County. ^[4] On March 1, 1752, part of Granville, Johnston, and Bladen counties were combined to form Orange County and St. Matthew's Parish. ^[5] On November 23, 1758, Johnston County was divided between the Parish of St. Patrick and the Parish of St. Stephen, St. Patrick's Parish becoming Dobbs County. ^[6] On December 5, 1770, parts of Johnston, Cumberland, and Orange counties were combined to form Wake County and St. Margaret's Parish. ^[7] Finally, on February 13, 1855, parts of Edgecombe, Nash, Johnston, and Wayne counties were combined to form Wilson County. ^[8]

Most early growers in Johnston County were subsistence farmers. A few grew tobacco as a cash crop or reared pigs and cattle, which were sold in Virginia. Smithfield was the westernmost freight port on the Neuse River, and in 1770 the colonial government erected a tobacco warehouse there to store the crop before it was shipped out. Eli Whitney's cotton gin was introduced in the county in about 1804, leading cotton to become the area's leading cash crop. Production for sale at markets remained low before the 1850s due to poor transportation links with other parts of the state. In 1856 the North Carolina Railroad was completed, connecting Johnston County with major urban areas. As result, farming for sale increased, lumber and turpentine industries developed, and the towns of Princeton, Pine Level, Selma, and Clayton were eventually created. About 1,500 Johnstonian men fought in the American Civil War, of whom about a third died. Lingering political tensions and the emancipation of slaves created social and economic turmoil. The new state constitution of 1868 created the county's first townships, which were altered up until 1913. ^[9] In 1886 the "Short-Cut" line of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad was laid through Johnston, eventually giving rise to the towns of Kenly, Micro, Four Oaks, and Benson. ^[10]

The Panic of 1893 caused cotton prices to sharply decline, leading area farmers to switch to bright leaf tobacco as their primary cash crop. A new tobacco market was established in Smithfield in 1898, and the county's first bank was created. Within several years, cotton mills were erected in Smithfield, Clayton, and Selma. During World War I, a brief surge in tobacco and cotton prices brought a boom to the local economy. As a result, the county embarked on a school-construction campaign and consolidated all public schools under a single county system. ^[11] In the 1920s the state built the county's first two paved highways, and shortly thereafter many towns began paving their main streets. ^[12] While local commerce enjoyed significant success during the decade, area farmers struggled due to drops in tobacco and cotton prices. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and ensuing Great Depression caused all banks in the county close. ^[11] Following the passage of a state bond issue in 1949, most roads in the county and town streets were paved. ^[13]

Etymology

Johnston County was named after Governor Gabriel Johnston by an act of the General Assembly during the creation of the county in 1746. ^[14]

Geography

Interactive map of Johnston County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 795.65 square miles (2,060.7 km²), of which 792.02 square miles (2,051.3 km²) is land and 3.63 square miles (9.4 km²) (0.46%) is water. ^[15]

State and local protected areas

• Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site
• Clemmons Educational State Forest (part)
• Flower Hill Nature Preserve (part)
• Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center
• Wild Bills Western Town - Shadowhawk

Major water bodies

• Black Creek
• Buckhorn Reservoir
• Buffalo Creek
• Hannahs Creek ^[16]
• Holts Lake
• Little Creek
• Little River
• Middle Creek
• Mingo Swamp
• Mill Creek ^[17]
• Moccasin Creek
• Neuse River
• Sassarixa Swamp
• Snipers Creek
• Swift Creek

Adjacent counties

• Wake County – northwest
• Franklin County – north
• Nash County – northeast
• Wilson County – east
• Wayne County – southeast
• Sampson County – south
• Harnett County – southwest

Major highways

• I-40
• 
  Future I-42
• I-95
• 
  I-540  / NC 540 Toll
• 
  Future I-587
• US 70
• 
  US 70 Alt.
• 
  US 70 Bus.
• US 264
• 
  US 264 Alt.
• US 301
• US 701
• NC 27
• NC 39
• NC 42
• NC 50
• NC 55
• NC 96
• NC 210
• NC 222
• NC 231
• NC 242

Major infrastructure

• Johnston Regional Airport
• Selma Union Depot

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	5,691		—
1800	6,301		10.7%
1810	6,867		9.0%
1820	9,607		39.9%
1830	10,938		13.9%
1840	10,599		−3.1%
1850	13,726		29.5%
1860	15,656		14.1%
1870	16,897		7.9%
1880	23,461		38.8%
1890	27,239		16.1%
1900	32,250		18.4%
1910	41,401		28.4%
1920	48,998		18.3%
1930	57,621		17.6%
1940	63,798		10.7%
1950	65,906		3.3%
1960	62,936		−4.5%
1970	61,737		−1.9%
1980	70,599		14.4%
1990	81,306		15.2%
2000	121,965		50.0%
2010	168,878		38.5%
2020	215,999		27.9%
2023 (est.)	241,955	[1]	12.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [18] 1790–1960 [19] 1900–1990 [20] 1990–2000 [21] 2010 [22] 2020 [1]

2020 census

Johnston County racial composition ^[23]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	136,464	63.18%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	33,041	15.3%
Native American	880	0.41%
Asian	1,831	0.85%
Pacific Islander	71	0.03%
Other/Mixed	9,312	4.31%
Hispanic or Latino	34,400	15.93%

As of the 2020 census, there were 215,999 people, 73,567 households, and 53,743 families residing in the county.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, ^[24] there were 121,965 people, 46,595 households, and 33,688 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile (59 people/km²). There were 50,196 housing units at an average density of 63 units per square mile (24 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 78.09% White, 15.65% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.53% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. 7.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 46,595 households, out of which 35.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 23.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.10% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 34.20% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,872, and the median income for a family was $48,599. Males had a median income of $33,008 versus $25,582 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,788. About 8.90% of families and 12.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.00% of those under age 18 and 19.40% of those age 65 or over.

Law and Government

The county is governed by the Johnston County Board of Commissioners, a seven-member board of County Commissioners, elected to serve four-year terms. The commissioners enact policies such as establishment of the property tax rate, regulation of land use and zoning outside municipal jurisdictions, and adoption of the annual budget. Commissioners generally meet each month. ^[25]

Current (2024) members of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners are: ^[26]

• R.S. "Butch" Lawter, Jr., chairman
• Patrick E. Harris, vice-chairman
• Richard D. Braswell
• Ted Godwin
• Fred J. Smith, Jr.
• April Stephens

Rick Hester is the county manager. ^[27]

Johnston County is a member of the regional Triangle J Council of Governments.

In 2011, the Johnston County 911 Communications Center became one of four 911 agencies in the world to hold an Accredited Center of Excellence status from the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch in fire, police, and EMD protocols (giving them a Tri-ACE status). The dispatch has been re-accredited three times with the most recent being in 2017. ^{[28] [29]}

Politics

For most of the time after the Civil War, Johnston County was a classic Solid South county, going Democratic in all but three elections from 1880 to 1964. However, from 1968 onward it has turned increasingly Republican, with the only breaks in this tradition being its support for third-party candidate George Wallace in 1968 and for Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1976. Carter's unsuccessful bid for reelection in 1980 is the last time that a Democrat has managed even 40 percent of the county's vote.

United States presidential election results for Johnston County, North Carolina ^[30]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	68,353	61.38%	41,257	37.05%	1,747	1.57%
2016	54,372	63.29%	28,362	33.01%	3,175	3.70%
2012	48,427	63.15%	27,290	35.58%	974	1.27%
2008	43,622	61.42%	26,795	37.73%	600	0.84%
2004	36,903	67.89%	17,266	31.76%	188	0.35%
2000	27,212	66.12%	13,704	33.30%	239	0.58%
1996	18,704	58.23%	11,175	34.79%	2,240	6.97%
1992	15,418	48.67%	11,284	35.62%	4,977	15.71%
1988	15,563	63.97%	8,717	35.83%	49	0.20%
1984	16,210	67.32%	7,833	32.53%	37	0.15%
1980	10,444	51.26%	9,601	47.12%	331	1.62%
1976	8,511	45.08%	10,301	54.56%	67	0.35%
1972	14,272	79.24%	3,488	19.37%	251	1.39%
1968	6,764	33.05%	4,492	21.95%	9,212	45.01%
1964	7,523	42.15%	10,326	57.85%	0	0.00%
1960	6,660	40.18%	9,914	59.82%	0	0.00%
1956	4,893	33.18%	9,852	66.82%	0	0.00%
1952	5,429	35.19%	9,997	64.81%	0	0.00%
1948	3,211	24.71%	9,188	70.69%	598	4.60%
1944	4,423	34.81%	8,282	65.19%	0	0.00%
1940	4,192	29.59%	9,976	70.41%	0	0.00%
1936	4,339	27.83%	11,253	72.17%	0	0.00%
1932	3,887	28.77%	9,574	70.86%	50	0.37%
1928	7,696	60.42%	5,041	39.58%	0	0.00%
1924	4,910	51.20%	4,656	48.56%	23	0.24%
1920	5,588	48.10%	6,030	51.90%	0	0.00%
1916	2,857	45.17%	3,468	54.83%	0	0.00%
1912	1,335	25.80%	2,757	53.28%	1,083	20.93%
1908	2,827	52.16%	2,593	47.84%	0	0.00%
1904	1,553	37.65%	2,572	62.35%	0	0.00%
1900	1,997	38.64%	3,154	61.03%	17	0.33%
1896	1,824	35.29%	3,343	64.67%	2	0.04%
1892	1,036	21.62%	3,135	65.44%	620	12.94%
1888	2,129	41.52%	2,992	58.35%	7	0.14%
1884	1,831	39.50%	2,805	60.50%	0	0.00%
1880	1,631	44.20%	2,059	55.80%	0	0.00%

Education

Higher education

Johnston County is home to Johnston Community College (JCC), a public, two-year, post-secondary college located in Smithfield. The college has off-campus centers throughout Johnston County. ^[31]

Primary and secondary education

Public education in Johnston County is served by the Johnston County School District, which has 46 schools and serves more than 35,400 students. ^[32] In addition, three charter schools and five private schools are located in the county. In 2021, the county school board banned the teaching of critical race theory. ^[33]

Libraries

The Johnston County Public Affiliated Library system operates six branches throughout the county. The library system keeps books, periodicals and audio books and has recently expanded the selection to include downloadable e-books. ^[34] The Hocutt-Ellington Memorial Library in Clayton left the Johnston County affiliated library system in 2015. ^[35]

Culture

The Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site is the largest Civil War battlefield in North Carolina. The Battle of Bentonville was fought in 1865, and was the only Confederate offensive targeted to stop General Sherman's march through the South.

The Tobacco Farm Life Museum in Kenly has been collecting artifacts and showcasing the heritage of the Eastern North Carolina farmer for over 35 years. The site includes a museum and restored farmstead, blacksmith shop, and one-room school house. ^[36]

The Ava Gardner Museum, located in Smithfield, contains a collection of artifacts such as scripts, movie posters, costumes and personal belongings of actress Ava Gardner, who was born and raised in Johnston County. The museum holds an annual festival.

The Johnston County Heritage Centers in Smithfield contains county artifacts and genealogical records. ^[37]

The Johnston County Arts Council promotes arts in the county and its schools. ^[38] Smithfield is the location of an annual Ava Gardner Festival, which celebrates the life of the actress. ^[39]

The Meadow community is the location of Meadow Lights, an annual display of Christmas lights. ^[40]

Media

Radio and Television

Johnston County is located in the Raleigh-Durham radio market, ranked by Nielsen as the 37th largest in the United States. Johnston County's first radio station, WMPM, 1270 AM, in Smithfield, signed on in 1950. ^[41] The county is also home to WPYB, 1130 AM in Benson, WHPY, 1590 AM in Clayton, WTSB, 1090 AM in Selma, and WKJO, 102.3 FM in Smithfield.

The county is also part of the larger, 23-county Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville Designated Market Area—the nation's 24th-largest. WNGT-CD, (virtual channel 34.1) a Class A low-powered TV station licensed to both Smithfield and Selma. The station began frequency sharing with Raleigh's WRAL-TV in November 2020, greatly expanding its coverage. Goldsboro-licensed CBS affiliate WNCN, virtual channel 17/RF channel 8, originally known as WYED-TV, signed on from studios and a transmitter in Clayton in 1988 before moving to Raleigh studios in 1995.

Newspapers

• Clayton News-Star
• Kenly News
• Four Oaks-Benson News in Review
• Princeton News Leader
• The Selma News
• Pine Level News
• Johnstonian News
• The Daily Record
• The Smithfield Herald
• The Cleveland Post
• The Garner-Cleveland Record
• The News & Observer

Communities

Map of Johnston County with municipal and township labels

Towns

• Archer Lodge
• Benson
• Clayton (largest community)
• Four Oaks
• Kenly
• Micro
• Pine Level
• Princeton
• Selma
• Smithfield (county seat)
• Wilson's Mills

Townships

• Banner
• Bentonville
• Beulah
• Boon Hill
• Brogden
• Clayton
• Cleveland
• Elevation
• Ingrams
• Meadow
• Micro
• O'Neals
• Pine Level
• Pleasant Grove
• Selma
• Smithfield
• Wilders
• Wilson Mills

Unincorporated communities

• Allens Crossroads
• Bagley
• Blackmans Crossroads
• Cleveland
• Emit
• Flowers
• Grabtown
• Hocutts Crossroads
• Jordan
• McGee's Crossroads
• Peacocks Crossroads
• Powhatan
• Spilona
• Stancils Chapel
• West Smithfield
• Willow Spring (part)

See also

• List of counties in North Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Johnston County, North Carolina
• List of places named after people in the United States
• North Carolina in the American Civil War
• Johnston United Soccer Association

References

1. "QuickFacts: Johnston County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2023". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
4. Complete Revisal of All the Acts of Assembly, 1773, p. 103.
5. Complete Revisal of All the Acts of Assembly, 1773, p. 146.
6. Complete Revisal of All the Acts of Assembly, 1773, p. 223.
7. Complete Revisal of All the Acts of Assembly, 1773, pp. 476–478.
8. Public Laws of the State of North-Carolina, Passed by the General Assembly, at its Session of 1854–'55: Together with the Comptroller's Statement of Public Revenue and Expenditure. Raleigh: Holden & Wilson. 1855. p. 30. LCCN   83644405 – via Internet Archive.
9. Johnson & Barbour 1997, p. 7.
10. Johnson & Barbour 1997, pp. 7–8.
11. Johnson & Barbour 1997, p. 8.
12. Johnson & Barbour 1997, p. 8, 13.
13. Johnson & Barbour 1997, p. 13.
14. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States (Report) (2nd ed.). Washington: Government Printing Office. p. 170 – via United States Geological Survey.
15. "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
16. "Hannah Creek Near Benson, NC - 02088210". waterdata.usgs.gov. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
17. "Mill Creek Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
18. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
19. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
20. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
21. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
22. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
23. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
24. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
25. "Scheduled Board Meetings". www.johnstonnc.com. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
26. "Meet the Commissioners". www.johnstonnc.com. November 30, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
27. Bergquist, Garrett (June 23, 2021). "A tradition of service and leadership". Spectrum News 1. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
28. "Johnston 911 Center Re-accredited". JoCo Report. September 22, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
29. Barbour, Jason (March 4, 2015). "Johnston County, NC Successfully Tests Wireless Broadband Technology To Improve 9-1-1 Reliability". www.businesswire.com. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
30. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
31. "Johnston Community College". Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
32. "District Profile - Johnston County Schools". Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
33. "North Carolina school board bans critical race theory from its classrooms". TheGuardian.com . October 5, 2021.
34. "Johnston County Affiliated Libraries". www.jocolib.org. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
35. "Clayton Transition Announcement". Mary Duncan Public Library. March 6, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
36. "Home | Tobacco Farm Life Museum, Inc". Tobacco Farm Life Mu. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
37. Mickey (January 28, 2022). "Johnston County Heritage Center Spotlighted In New Video". JoCo Report. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
38. "Johnston County Arts Council". Archived from the original on February 11, 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2008.
39. "Ava Gardner Festival". www.johnstoncountync.org. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
40. "Calendar of Events in Smithfield/Johnston County, NC". www.johnstoncountync.org. September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
41. "Broadcasting Station License Record" (PDF). licensing.fcc.gov. September 22, 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 24, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2022.

Bibliography

• A Complete Revisal of All the Acts of Assembly, of the Province of North-Carolina, Now in Force and Use.: Together With the Titles of All Such Laws as are Obsolete, Expired, or Repealed.: With Marginal Notes and References, and an Exact Table to the Whole. Newbern: James Davis. 1773. OCLC   1042380338 – via Internet Archive.
• Johnson, K. Todd; Barbour, Durwood (1997). Johnston County. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   9780752408170.

Further reading

• Johnston County, North Carolina, Court Martial Minutes, 1761-1779 (1st ed.). 1983. LCCN   83-244254. Transcribed by Weynette Parks Haun
• Marriages of Johnston County, North Carolina, 1762-1868. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. 1985. ISBN   0-8063-1120-7. LCCN   85-70012. Compiled by Brent H. Holcomb
• Sanders, W. M. Jr.; Ragsdale, G. Y. (1922). Johnston County: Economic and Social. University of North Carolina. LCCN   39014760. OCLC   6523398 – via The Smithfield Observer.

External links

• Official website
• Geographic data related to Johnston County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
• Johnston County Heritage Center
• Works by or about Johnston County, North Carolina at Internet Archive