Editing Gates County, North Carolina (section)

===1900s===
On May 9, 1925, the first bridge opened across the Chowan River between Gates and Hertford counties. In 1925, [[U.S. Route 158]] opened between Gates and [[Pasquotank County, North Carolina|Pasquotank]] counties, constructed through the [[Great Dismal Swamp]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Funk |first=Megan |date=May 2021 |title=Historic Structures Survey Report Replace Bridge No. 5 On SR 1103 (Esclip Rd) Over Chapel Creek Pasquotank County, North Carolina |url=https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/historic-preservation-office/PDFs/ER_21-1421.pdf |access-date=September 16, 2023 |website=files.nc.gov |page=8}}</ref>

In the 1930s Gates County still had no paved roads and few people owned automobiles. Most families grew their own produce and some raised livestock. In 1935 during the [[Great Depression]], the Sunbury Ruritan Club was established, the first and oldest Ruritan chapter in the state. The civic organization of men was active in improving the town: "in its first three months..., the Sunbury Ruritan Club sponsored a Community Agriculture Fair; contacted NC DOT to place a stop signal at the Edenton-to-Suffolk Road; purchased school books for needy children; paid one-half the cost of new shades for the school; had the school piano tuned; and later made a contribution to the school's basketball team and sponsored a move to hire a police officer to serve the community."<ref>[http://www.roanoke-chowannewsherald.com/2015/08/23/sunbury-salute/ Cal Bryant, "Sunbury Salute"], ''Roanoke-Chowan News Herald'', August 23, 2015; accessed August 11, 2016</ref>

Beckford Junction was a train switch in the city that enabled trains to go to Suffolk, Elizabeth City, or Edenton. Beckford Junction was abandoned in 1940. The last passenger train serving Gates County ended service in 1954. That year the Gates County Historical Society was established.<ref>{{cite news|author=William T. Cross |date= 24 June 1954|title= Cross Says Gates Rich In History|url= https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn93064799/1954-06-24/ed-1/seq-1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101063512/https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn93064799/1954-06-24/ed-1/seq-1.pdf|archive-date=1 Jan 2025|work= Gates County Index|location= Gates County, North Carolina|access-date=1 Jan 2025}}</ref>

In 1973 A.B. Coleman donated {{convert|925|acre|km2}} of land in the Millpond to the state. This was the basis of the [[Merchants Millpond State Park]].{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

In 1984 a [[tornado]] struck Gates County, killing two people and causing an estimated $500,000 to $5,000,000 worth of damage. [[Hurricane Floyd]] hit Gates County in 1999.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}