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Wilkesboro, North Carolina
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==History == Wilkesboro was founded in 1800 and quickly designated as the county seat. The town is built atop a low, broad ridge which runs for over a mile along the south bank of the Yadkin River. For many decades a popular historic spot in Wilkesboro was the "Tory Oak", a large oak tree from which Colonel [[Benjamin Cleveland]], a well-known Wilkes County patriot during the [[American Revolutionary War]], hanged Loyalist militia leaders who supported the British king and opposed American independence from Britain. The oak was located behind the old Wilkes County courthouse. During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], many of Wilkesboro's residents remained loyal to the Union and opposed the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]]. In March 1865, General [[George Stoneman]], a Union cavalry leader, led a raid through the town. Shortly after the war ended, [[Tom Dula]] (Dooley), a Confederate veteran, was tried and hanged for the murder of his fiancée, Laura Foster. Many people were convinced that one of Dula's jealous ex-girlfriends murdered Foster, and that Dula was innocent of the crime. Dula's story was turned into a top-selling [[ballad]] in 1958 by [[The Kingston Trio]], titled "[[Tom Dooley (song)|Tom Dooley]]". The story was subsequently turned into a 1959 movie starring [[Michael Landon]] as Dula. Each summer, the Wilkes Playmakers present a popular play based on the story. The [[Robert Cleveland Log House]], [[Downtown Wilkesboro Historic District]], [[Federal Building (Wilkesboro, North Carolina)|Federal Building]], [[J. T. Ferguson Store]], [[Thomas B. Finley Law Office]], [[J. L. Hemphill House]], [[Johnson-Hubbard House]], [[Old Wilkes County Jail]], [[St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Cemetery]], [[Wilkes County Courthouse (North Carolina)|Wilkes County Courthouse]], [[Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church]], and [[Wilkesboro-Smithey Hotel]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
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