Ramseytown, North Carolina
Ramseytown, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 A suspension bridge over the Cane River, Ramseytown | |
  Ramseytown Location within the state of North Carolina | |
| Coordinates: 36°0′2.40″N 82°21′26.48″W / 36.0006667°N 82.3573556°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Yancey |
| Incorporated | February 11, 1874 as Ramsey Town Baptist Church |
| Disincorporated | Unknown |
| Named for | Ramsey Family of Yancey County, NC |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.79 sq mi (2.0 km2) |
| • Land | 0.715 sq mi (1.85 km2) |
| • Water | 0.075 sq mi (0.19 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,303[1] ft (996 m) |
| Highest elevation (Julius Knob[2]) | 3,822 ft (1,165 m) |
| Lowest elevation (Cane River[3]) | 2,099 ft (640 m) |
| Population | |
| • Estimate (2020) | ~45 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 28714 |
| Area code | 828 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1022144 |
Ramseytown, formerly known as Ramsaytown and Ramsey Town Baptist Church,[4][5] is an unincorporated community in far northern Yancey County, North Carolina, on the Cane River. Yancey County's Ramseytown Township derives its name from the settlement.
History[edit]
A U.S. Post Office bearing the name of Ramsaytown was established on November 5, 1852, with the first postmaster being Abraham Whitsen. It ceased operations on February 29, 1956.[4] The community was incorporated by the North Carolina General Assembly on February 11, 1874 as Ramsey Town Baptist Church, and the municipal limits were defined as a circle of one mile in radius, centered on the local baptist church. It was disincorporated on an unknown date. Alcoholic beverages consisting of 21% alcohol by volume or greater were illegal in the town, and the municipality's council was composed of five members.[5]
During World War I, five men from Ramseytown were drafted.[6]
The official name of the town, as recognized by the federal government, was changed from Ramsaytown to Ramseytown on January 1, 1931.[7]
On April 21, 1948, local railroad engineer Clarence Davenport (July 24, 1894–April 21, 1948) was killed in a boiler explosion near Ramseytown, described as one of the worst locomotive explosions in United States history at the time. The locomotive's fireman also perished in the blast.[8]
The community was home to the Ramsey Mine.[9]
Transportation and infrastructure[edit]
U.S. Route 19W runs through the community.[10] The community was formerly served by the Clinchfield Railroad.[8]
Ramseytown shares a fire department, the Egypt-Ramseytown Volunteer Fire Department, with the nearby unincorporated community of Egypt, North Carolina.[11] The department receives $21,037.50 in funding from the State of North Carolina as of 2023.[12]
Weather[edit]
Ramseytown was the site of an EF1 tornado during the Tornado outbreak sequence of August 4–8, 2023. Tornadoes are exceptionally rare in the area.[13]
References[edit]
- ^ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "National Weather Service". forecast.weather.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- ^ "OpenStreetMap". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
- ^ "OpenStreetMap". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
- ^ a b "Yancey County Post Offices 1833 to 1971 - Alphabetical Order". www.carolana.com. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
- ^ a b State of North Carolina (1874). Laws and Resolutions of the State of North Carolina, Passed by the General Assembly at Its Session, 1873-'74. Compiled by Turner, Josiah, Jr. (1873-'74 ed.). Raleigh, North Carolina: J. Gales & Son, 1874. p. 382.
- ^ "Local Draft Board Records, Yancey County - North Carolina Digital Collections". digital.ncdcr.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
- ^ "Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
- ^ a b Gardner, Tim (2023-04-21). "Locomotive Explosion Killing Avery County Engineer Ed Davenport Recalled on the Tragedy's 75th Anniversary". High Country Press. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
- ^ https://www.mindat.org/loc-27605.html
- ^ "NCRoads.com: U.S. 19-W". www.vahighways.com. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- ^ "Egypt-Ramseytown - wncfirepics". www.wncfirepics.com. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
- ^ https://www.ncosfm.gov/2023-fire-grant-recipients/open
- ^ Newman, Anne (16 August 2023). "Tornado touched down in Yancey County, NWS confirms". WYFF4. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
Municipalities and communities of Yancey County, North Carolina, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Town |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |