Editing Knightdale, North Carolina (section)

===19th century===
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After independence, the population of the area began to increase, with farmers growing products such as tobacco and cotton. Slaves were used at [[Midway Plantation House and Outbuildings|Midway Plantation]] and [[Beaver Dam (Knightdale, North Carolina)|Beaver Dam Plantation]] in Knightdale. There are unmarked grave plots for slaves throughout Knightdale. Although documentation of grave sites has been lost, the burials remain a significant part of the local landscape.

During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] and [[Union Army|Union]] armies were present in the area. The Clay Hill and Midway plantations saw the greatest damage, and after the war had ended, the residents began to rebuild. During this time, nearby Raleigh experienced a population boom. As a result, local leaders redrew the map of Wake County and divided it into [[township]]s. The area that became Knightdale was located in [[St. Matthew's Township, Wake County, North Carolina|St. Matthew's Township]], where it still is today.

For many years the Knightdale area was a crossroads served only by a post office. By the end of the 19th century, locals decided there was a need to establish a town. Henry Haywood Knight donated some of his land holdings in the area to the [[Norfolk Southern Railway (1942–1982)|Norfolk and Southern Railroad Company]] in order to entice the company to build a railroad that would provide freight and passenger service. Although Knight did not live to see the railroad arrive in Knightdale, not long after his death in 1904, the railroad finally came to the community that would bear his name.