JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

'Jacksonville, North Carolina', is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census the city had a total population of 66,715. It is the principal city of and is included in the Jacksonville, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.
It is the county seat of Onslow County and the home of the U.S. Marine Corps Camp Lejeune and New River Air Station. Jacksonville is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. Camp Lejeune is the largest amphibious base in the United States.
Jacksonville has the highest per capita rate of pawn shops, strip clubs, and tattoo parlors in the United States. (Source 2000 US Census) This is attributed mainly to the large population of young single servicemen in the area stationed at Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune and New River Air Station. Many locals often call the town "J-action-ville."

Contents

Geography

Demographics

History

Law and Government

City Council

Notable people from Jacksonville

References

Radio Stations

Television

External links

Geography

Jacksonville is located at (34.759630, -77.409765).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 117.0 km² (45.2 mi²). 115.2 km² (44.5 mi²) of it is land and 1.8 km² (0.7 mi²) of it (1.51%) is water.
It is approximately 40 minutes from Wilmington and 15 minutes from the Intra Coastal Waterway. Jacksonville's neighbors include Richlands, Maysville, Swansboro, Topsail Beach, Atlantic Beach, and New Bern.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 66,715 people, 17,175 households, and 13,533 families residing in the city. The population density was 579.1/km² (1,500.0/mi²). There were 18,312 housing units at an average density of 159.0/km² (411.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.94% White, 23.96% African American, 0.75% Native American, 2.07% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 5.42% from other races, and 3.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.05% of the population. As of 2006 72,234 people live withn city limits.
There were 17,175 households out of which 49.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 16.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 36.3% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 8.8% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. Jacksonville has been named the youngest city in the nation (lowest median age) on various lists. For every 100 females there were 156.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 178.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,544, and the median income for a family was $33,763. Males had a median income of $17,121 versus $19,931 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,237. About 12.5% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 17.7% of those age 65 or over.

History

The early history of Jacksonville starts with the end of the Tuscarora wars in 1713. The pacification of hostile Native American tribes allowed for permanent settlement of the regions between New Bern and Wilmington. The headwaters of the New River became a center of production for naval stores, particularly turpentine. The downtown waterfront park is built on the site of Wantland's Ferry, with bridges being constructed on either side of the original ferry site.
In 1752, a devastating hurricane destroyed the county seat of Johnston, and Wantlands Ferry, located further up the New River at the present site of Jacksonville was chosen as the site of the new county courthouse. The area was later known as Onslow Courthouse. In 1842 the town was incorporated and renamed Jacksonville in honor of former U.S. President Andrew Jackson.
Jacksonville and Onslow County continued to rely on naval stores, lumber, and tobacco crops for industry. In 1939, Colonel George W. Gillette of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers surveyed and mapped the area from Fort Monroe, Virginia to Fort Sumter, South Carolina which included the Onslow County coastline and the New River. The map is believed to have fostered the interest of the War and Navy Departments in establishing an amphibious training base in the area. Congressman Graham A.Barden of New Bern lobbied congress to appropriate funds for the purchase of approximately 100,000 acres (400 km²) along the eastern bank of the New River. The establishment in 1941 of Marine Barracks, New River, later renamed Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base led to the relocation of 700 families. While the landowners were compensated, many of the families displaced were sharecroppers who did not own the land their houses were built on, and did not receive compensation for their structures. Some African American families were able to purchase property from Raymond Kellum and established the community of Kellumtown. Other displaced families established communities in Georgetown, Pickettown, Bell Fork, and Sandy Run. The latter communities have since been absorbed by Jacksonville. Col. Gillette had planned to retire near the small village of Marines, ironically named after a local family whose surname was Marine, but lost his land to the acquisition as well.
Construction of Camp Lejeune caused a population explosion in the small town of about 800 inhabitants as new workers migrated to the area. Growth continued to be fueled by both young Marine families and military retirees. Today, Jacksonville's primary industry is retail sales and services. The primary migration draw continues to be the U.S. Marine Corps.

Law and Government

The current mayor of Jacksonville is Jan B. Slagle.

City Council

★ Turner Blount (Ward 1)

★ Jerry Bittner (Ward 2 and Mayor Pro-Tem)

★ Michael Lazzara (Ward 3)

★ Fannie K. Coleman (Ward 4)

★ Horace Mann (Representative At-Large)

★ Sammy Phillips (Representative At-Large)

Notable people from Jacksonville

★ Ryan Adams, singer

★ Levi Brown, college football player

★ Chad Fonville, pro baseball player

★ Mike Frier, pro football player

★ David Green, pro football player

★ Sara Hickman, singer

★ Cheyenne Kimball, singer

★ Qasim Mitchell, pro football player

★ Dian Parkinson, television personality and model

★ Danielle Peck, singer

★ Mario Williams,pro football player

★ Edward B. Dudley, governor, congressman

★ Tyrone Willingham, Head Football Coach at The University of Washington, former head Football Coach at Notre Dame university, graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1972.

★ Marcus Jones, pro football player with Tampa Bay Buccaneers. ACC Defensive player of the Year while at University of North Carolina. Graduated from Southwest Onslow High School.

★ Theresa Williams, birth name Aleshire, author of the novel ''The Secret of Hurricanes'' and numerous short stories, graduated from Jacksonville Senior High School in 1974.

References

Murrell, Stratton C. and Billie Jean. ''Images of America: Jacksonville and Camp Lejeune'', Arcadia Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-7385-1356-3
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/top25s/youngest.html
Watson, Alan D. "Onslow County: A Brief History," Division of Archives and History, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, Raleigh, 1995. ISBN 0-86526-263-2

Radio Stations

★ 1120 AM: WSME Country Music

★ 1240 AM: WJNC News Talk Radio {1240}

★ 1290 AM: WJCV Religious Music

★ 90.1 FM: WJKA Unknown Format

★ 92.3 FM: WQSL 92.3 The Party to Play Hits & Oldies All Day

★ 94.1 FM: WWHA CHR {"The Hot FM"}

★ 95.1 FM: WRNS your country

★ 96.3 FM: WRHT Thunder Country

★ 97.3 FM: WMNX The Best Hip Hop Radio Station in Southeastern North Carolina Coast 97.3

★ 98.3 FM: WKVC Christian Contemporary

★ 98.7 FM: WILT Will FM on 98.7 Variety Hits from the 60's Through Today's Music

★ 99.9 FM: WKXB Jammin 99.9 The Greatest Hits of all time

★ 101.1 FM:WAGO Go Mix Christian Radio

★ 102.7 FM: WGNI Today's Best Variety Hits

★ 105.5 FM: WXQR Carolina Pure Rock {"Rock 105"}

★ 106.5 FM: WSFL Your Classic Rock Station

Television

★ WUNM Channel 19, PBS affiliate

★ W22CJ Channel 22, TBN affiliate

★ WPXU Channel 35, ion/My Network TV affiliate

External links

★ Official website of Jacksonville, NC

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★ Jactionville.com - Unofficial online community for Jacksonville, NC