Editing Jamestown, North Carolina (section)

==History==
===The Keyauwee===
As early as 1701, the [[Keyauwee Indians|Keyauwee]] [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|people]] were living in a village in this region. They enjoyed the area's mild climate, abundant natural resources, and the fertile hunting grounds along the Deep and [[Uwharrie River|Uwharrie]] rivers.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}

Part of a loose confederacy of 20 or more tribes, it is believed that by the 1760s, the Keyauwee had moved south, close to the boundary between the two [[Carolinas]], where they were likely absorbed by the [[Catawba people|Catawba tribe]].<ref name=SIEthnology1907>{{cite journal| editor-last1=Hodge| editor-first1=F. W. | title=Kenyuwee| journal=Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin| date=1907| volume=30| issue=1| pages=677| url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/87747#page/695/mode/1up| access-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref>

===Quaker settlement===
By the late 18th century, European settlers came to Jamestown. Many were [[Quaker]] families who moved to the area from [[Pennsylvania]] in search of productive farmland. Among the original settlers was James Mendenhall, who established a farmstead near present-day Jamestown in 1752. Though Mendenhall moved to [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] in 1775, his son George remained, and by 1816, he founded the village of Jamestown in honor of his father.

The Mendenhall family, who owned and operated the area's first [[gristmill|grist]] and lumber mills, also owned much of the town's original land. Today, High Point City Lake is situated where the original family farmhouse and land was located.

In 1781, during the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], British General [[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis|Cornwallis']] army camped near the settlement and commandeered provisions from local farms and mills prior to his engagement with [[Nathanael Greene]]'s troops at New Garden, in modern-day Greensboro.

===19th century===
{{US Census population
|1880= 90
|1950= 748
|1960= 1247
|1970= 1297
|1980= 2148
|1990= 2600
|2000= 3088
|2010= 3382
|2020= 3668
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
By 1800, Jamestown was a bustling settlement of 150 residents with its own post office, inn and [[Freemasonry|Freemasons']] lodge. Around this same time, gold was discovered near Jamestown, and several [[gold mine|mines]] profited until the [[California Gold Rush]] frenzy shut down local efforts.

In 1811, James Mendenhall's son Richard, a local [[tanning (leather)|tanner]], built the Mendenhall Plantation homestead, a highlight of any tour of Jamestown today.

In addition to farming and related industries, Jamestown was home to a gun factory, which manufactured a sturdy and accurate [[muzzle-loading rifle|muzzle-loading gun]] known as the "Jamestown Rifle", the mainstay of Jamestown's industry through the latter half of the 19th century and a highly prized collectible among gun enthusiasts today.

During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Jamestown's Quakers, who opposed war and violence, attempted to remain neutral. However, the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] demanded that those who were able to make shoes, uniforms, or weapons continue to do so or pay heavy taxes. Records indicate that Confederate President [[Jefferson Davis]] and his entourage passed through Jamestown during their hasty retreat to the south after the Civil War ended.

Prior to the war, Jamestown was a known "stop" along the [[Underground Railroad]], which helped fugitive slaves reach freedom in the North. According to local historical records, many Quaker homes in this area had a [[trap door]] leading to the basement to help slaves escape. Further, according to records, the Mendenhall and Beard families were instrumental in assisting in emancipation efforts.

Built in 1856, the railroad bisects Jamestown, and still provides a vital link for freight and some passengers between the port cities to the east and interior destinations.

===20th century===
By April 1947, the [[North Carolina General Assembly]] granted Jamestown [[municipal corporation|incorporation]]. Several months after incorporation, Jamestown adopted [[zoning]] districts and began construction of a municipal water and sewer system.

T. C. Ragsdale Sr. served as the town's first mayor, and Charles P. Turner was the first [[town manager]].

In the 1950s, with a population of approximately 750, the town boasted such improvements as street lighting, water and sewer service, and a fire department.

During the 1960s, Jamestown grew quickly. Several residential neighborhoods sprang from old farmland. An [[Alcohol laws of North Carolina|ABC]] board was formed and a liquor store was constructed, enabling the town to pay off debt incurred for water and sewer lines as well as fund the building of Town Hall in 1967 and the Jamestown Park and Golf Course in 1974.<ref>[http://www.jamestown-nc.gov jamestown-nc.gov]</ref>

The [[Former Jamestown High School]], [[Gardner House (Jamestown, North Carolina)|Gardner House]], [[Jamestown Historic District (Jamestown, North Carolina)|Jamestown Historic District]], [[McCulloch's Gold Mill]], [[Richard Mendenhall Plantation Buildings]], [[Oakdale Cotton Mill Village]], and [[Ragsdale Farm]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>