Editing Knightdale, North Carolina (section)

===20th century===
After the railroad and depot were built, the area began to develop quickly. Norfolk and Southern moved families into the community to take care of the railroad, and many of the older homes that exist today in Knightdale were built specifically for the use of railroad workers and their families. The first railroad stationmaster's house can still be seen along the tracks on Railroad Street.
 
As the community continued to grow, Knightdale received its articles of official [[Incorporated town|incorporation]] from the [[North Carolina General Assembly|North Carolina Legislature]] on March 9, 1927, with the first mayor being Bennett L. Wall.

On February 7, 1940, a fire broke out in the center of town. The townspeople turned out to help extinguish the fire, but the fire was not brought under control until firefighters arrived from Raleigh with an adequate water supply. Several businesses and homes were destroyed and the townspeople rebuilt the historic downtown area.

[[Image:2009-04-12 The Home Depot in Knightdale.jpg|thumb|[[The Home Depot|Home Depot]] hardware store on US 64 in Knightdale]]

After [[World War II]], the population of Knightdale grew at a steady pace, thanks to the [[Post–World War II baby boom|Baby Boom]]. The corner drugstore, the bank, and the barber shop located on First Avenue served as places of business, as well as places for social gatherings. Movies were often shown on the wall of the old bank building, which is located at the intersection of First Avenue and Main Street. In 1952 a [[Water supply network|municipal water system]] was installed.

Beginning in the 1960s the majority of new businesses in Knightdale began locating along [[U.S. Route 64|US 64]]. With the addition of the Mingo Creek sewer outfall in the late 1980s, development on the south side of US 64 began. Subdivisions such as Parkside, Planter's Walk and Mingo Creek subdivisions were built, rapidly increasing the town's population. Between 1990 and 2000 Knightdale's population increased from 1,700 to more than 6,000 residents, making it the seventh fastest-growing town in North Carolina.<ref>[http://www.knightdalenc.gov/mayorandcouncil/townhistory.html Town of Knightdale :: Town History<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

[[Frankie Muniz]], a popular television and film actor, grew up in Knightdale.  He started his acting career performing the role of [[Tiny Tim (A Christmas Carol)|Tiny Tim]] in "[[A Christmas Carol]]" for three years. Nominations for his performances include the Hollywood Reporter Young Star Award and the Young Artist of Hollywood Award. He currently resides in [[Scottsdale, Arizona]].