Red Springs, North Carolina

Geography

Red Springs is located at 34°48′52″N 79°11′3″W (34.814363, -79.184281).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²). None of the area is covered with water.

History

Long before the city of Red Springs was incorporated in 1885 from its former name of Dora Post Office, it is known that one of the first settlers in this community was named Hector McNeill, known as "Sailor Hector" McNeill. It is not known exactly how he got his nickname but he is found using it in Bladen County tax lists of 1771 (Red Springs is in Robeson County which was formed from Bladen County in 1787). "Sailor Hector" McNeill's home was at the top of the hill on the edge of the McNeill cemetery in town, and he and his wife Mary are buried there in unmarked graves.

In the decades before the Civil War up into the early 20th century the community was known as "The Springs," and became a popular spa and resort in the mid-19th century. People of that time came from all parts to sample the sweet, iron-rich water and stay at the hotel there built before 1854 by Malcolm C. McNeill, the grandson of "Sailor Hector." A letter from a native of the area living in Mississippi dated 1854 mentions that "Red Springs" had a store. From that time and far beyond its incorporation in 1885, Red Springs grew a great deal.

Between 1896 and 1915, Red Springs could boast of having within the town itself a military school for boys as well as the Southern Conservatory of Music for girls from all over the country. The military school is long gone, but in time the Conservatory became Flora McDonald College, known today as Flora McDonald Academy, a private day school. Red Springs has always had a high regard for education for its citizenry; indeed, the region was settled by Scottish immigrants before the Revolution who brought their respect for education with them. Log house schools were numerous in the area. In the 1840s, Floral College for young women was established a few miles south of town by a local lawyer, John Gilchrist, Jr. of Mill Prong House. The school operated until the Civil War, reopened afterward, but closed its doors around 1870.

From 1947-1950, Red Springs fielded a professional minor league baseball team, the Red Robins, that was a farm team of the Philadelphia Athletics. The team won the Tobacco State League championship in 1948. In 1949, led by pitcher Bill Harrington, who would go on to pitch for the big league parent club, the Red Robins won a second title. The 1950 team was led by player/manager Ducky Detweiler, who had played for the Boston Braves.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,493 people, 1,320 households, and 893 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,233.0 people per square mile (476.6/km²). There were 1,458 housing units at an average density of 514.7 per square mile (198.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 49.16% African American, 38.19% White, 8.65% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 2.32% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.66% of the population.

There were 1,320 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples living together, 23.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the town, the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 82.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $24,194, and the median income for a family was $34,760. Males had a median income of $25,655 versus $18,974 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,347. About 26.0% of families and 30.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50.6% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.