Editing Apex, North Carolina (section)

==History==
[[File:ApexUnionDepotSmall.JPG|thumb|left|[[Apex Union Depot]], built in 1914]]

In 1869, the Chatham Railroad, connecting Chatham County with [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], was completed. At the highest point of the line, which railroad workers dubbed the "apex of the grade", existed a pond. Trains leaving out of Chatham would stop at the pond to replenish their water. A community began to grow around the stop, which the railroad workers called Apex.<ref name= leah>{{cite web| url = https://www.wral.com/story/apex-s-secret-identity-lost-pond-hides-true-origins-of-nc-town/21046589/| title = Apex's secret identity: Lost pond hides true origins of NC town| last = Leah| first = Heather| date = September 14, 2023| website = WRAL-TV| publisher = Capitol Broadcasting Company| access-date = September 17, 2023}}</ref> The town of Apex was incorporated in 1873.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/town-of-apex/ |title=Town of Apex |access-date=2018-11-08 |last=Bynum |first=Sheryl |work=North Carolina History Project}}</ref> The pond was eventually drained by culverts and ceased to exist by 1900.<ref name= leah/>

Apex grew slowly through the succeeding decades, despite several devastating fires, including a June 12, 1911, conflagration that destroyed most of the downtown business district.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apexvfd.org/history/history_fire.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117232826/http://www.apexvfd.org/history/history_fire.html |archive-date=2016-01-17 |title=History of the Apex Volunteer Fire Department |access-date=2018-11-08 }}</ref> The town center was rebuilt and stands to this day, now one of the most intact railroad towns in the state. At the heart of town stands the Apex Union Depot, originally a passenger station for the [[Seaboard Air Line Railroad]] and later home to the locally supported Apex Community Library. The depot now houses the Apex Chamber of Commerce.

Apex suffered mild setbacks during the [[Great Depression]] era, but growth began again in earnest in the 1950s. The town's proximity to RTP spurred additional residential development, yet the town managed to preserve its small-town character. During the 1990s, the town's population quadrupled to over 20,000, placing new demands upon Apex's infrastructure.

Apex has continued to grow in recent years. A sizable shopping center was built at the intersection of [[North Carolina Highway 55|Highway 55]] and [[U.S. Route 64|US 64]], and several new neighborhoods have been built as the town grows toward the west.<ref>{{cite news | title=Beaver Creek Crossings to Bring More Than 650,000 Square Feet of New Retail Space to Apex, N.C. | date=2005-04-21 | work =The Creative Investor }}</ref>

In October 2006, a chemical explosion and fire in a waste-processing facility prompted the evacuation of over 16,000 residents.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charlotte.legalexaminer.com/health/toxic-substances/thousands-evacuated-in-apex-chemical-fire/ |title=Thousands Evacuated in Apex Chemical Fire |access-date=2018-11-08 |work=InjuryBoard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181109070929/https://charlotte.legalexaminer.com/health/toxic-substances/thousands-evacuated-in-apex-chemical-fire/ |archive-date=2018-11-09 }}</ref> There were few serious injuries, and residents were soon able to return home.<ref>{{cite news | title=Chemical fire evacuation over | url =https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna15150819 | work =NBC News | access-date = 2018-11-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbs17.com/news/apex-chemical-explosion-10-years-later/1017018261|title=Apex chemical explosion 10 years later: How it changed haz-mat site regulations|last=Reeves|first=Jeff|date=2016-10-05|work=WNCN|access-date=2018-11-08|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2009, a federal court approved a $7.85M settlement to compensate Apex residents affected by the disaster. Each household received $750. Businesses received $2,200.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6145630/|title=Apex chemical explosion settlement approved :: WRAL.com|last=WRAL|work=WRAL.com|access-date=2018-11-08|language=en}}</ref>

In 2015, Apex was named the number-one place to live in America, according to ''Money'' magazine.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Places to Live 2015: Apex, North Carolina |url=https://money.com/collection-post/apex-north-carolina-best-places-to-live-2015-2/ |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=Money |language=en}}</ref>

In addition to the Apex Union Depot, the [[Apex City Hall]], [[Apex Historic District]], [[Calvin Wray Lawrence House]], and [[Utley-Council House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>