Editing Four Oaks, North Carolina

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Four Oaks, North Carolina
| settlement_type    = [[Town]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = Come Grow with Us

<!-- Images -->| image_skyline      = File:Barbours Grove Park.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Barbours Grove Park
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map          = <!-- File:NCMap-doton-FourOaks.PNG -->
| mapsize            = 
| map_caption        = 
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
| pushpin_map        = North Carolina#USA
| pushpin_label      = Four Oaks
| pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| pushpin_mapsize    = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[North Carolina]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in North Carolina|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Johnston County, North Carolina|Johnston]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = Mayor-Council
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Vic Medlin (R)
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 6.34
| area_land_km2      = 6.32
| area_water_km2     = 0.02
| area_total_sq_mi   = 2.45
| area_land_sq_mi    = 2.44
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.01

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 2158
| population_density_km2 = 341.41
| population_density_sq_mi = 884.06

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 197
| coordinates        = {{coord|35|26|41|N|78|25|38|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 27524
| area_code          = [[Area code 919|919]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 37-24520<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2406515<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2406515}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|www.fouroaks-nc.com}}
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
}}
'''Four Oaks''' is a town in [[Johnston County, North Carolina|Johnston County]], [[North Carolina]], United States.<ref name=gnis/> As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]] it had a population of 1,921,<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US3724520| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Four Oaks town, North Carolina| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=October 12, 2018| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213102947/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US3724520| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref> up from 1,424 in [[2000 United States census|2000]].

==History==
Four Oaks was one of several towns founded along a branch of the [[Wilmington and Weldon Railroad]], completed though Johnston County in 1886.<ref name="Johnson">{{cite book | last1 = Johnson | first1 = K. Todd | last2 = Barbour | first2 =Durwood | title = Johnston County | publisher = Arcadia | year = 1997 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=d2iKyJHgkVwC&pg=PP1 | pages = 7, 8, 60, 62, 63, 102| isbn = 9780752408170 }}</ref>

Four Oaks&mdash;named for four oak tree sprouts growing from a stump&mdash;incorporated in 1889, and at that time had a post office, a public [[Cotton gin|gin]], saw and grist mills, a saloon and general store, a church, and a population of 25.<ref>{{cite book | editor1-last = Branson | editor1-first = Levi | editor2-last = Branson | editor2-first = Myrtle C. | title = Branson's North Carolina Business Directory, 1890 | publisher = L. Branson | year = 1889 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=rLYsAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA39| volume = 7 | pages = 393, 396, 397}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title = Laws and Resolutions of the State of North Carolina | publisher = J. Turner, Jr. | year = 1889 | url = https://archive.org/details/lawsandresoluti00carogoog | pages = [https://archive.org/details/lawsandresoluti00carogoog/page/n389 842]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Capace | first = Nancy | title = Encyclopedia of North Carolina | publisher = Somerset | year = 1999 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=MELvnaCMKz8C&pg=PP1 | pages = 256| isbn = 9780403097326 }}</ref>   Cotton and tobacco farming were notable industries in the surrounding community.<ref name="Johnson"/>

A brick school for white students opened in 1923. By the 1930s, several rural schools near Four Oaks consolidated, and enrollment at the brick school increased to over 1,900 students, after which the school claimed to be the world's "largest rural consolidated school". An arsonist destroyed the building in 1987. An elementary school for black students opened in 1928.<ref name="Johnson"/>

Street lights were installed in 1907, and by 1910 Four Oaks had a population of 329.<ref name="Johnson"/>

The [[Four Oaks Commercial Historic District]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |title=Four Oaks Comm ercial Historic District |url=https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/JT1343.pdf |website=North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office |access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref>

==Geography==
Four Oaks is in central Johnston County, southwest of [[Smithfield, North Carolina|Smithfield]], the [[county seat]]. The town limits extend northeast to Holts Lake on Black Creek, a tributary of the [[Neuse River]]. [[U.S. Route 301 in North Carolina|U.S. Route 301]] (Wellons Street) is the main road through the town, leading northeast {{convert|7|mi|0}} to Smithfield and southwest {{convert|8|mi|0}} to [[Benson, North Carolina|Benson]]. [[Interstate 95 in North Carolina|Interstate 95]], running parallel to US 301, passes the southeast corner of Four Oaks, with access from Exit 87.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town of Four Oaks has a total area of {{convert|4.2|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.02|km2|order=flip|2}}, or 0.42%, are water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 62
|1900= 171
|1910= 329
|1920= 583
|1930= 684
|1940= 828
|1950= 942
|1960= 1010
|1970= 1057
|1980= 1049
|1990= 1308
|2000= 1424
|2010= 1921
|2020= 2158
|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>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,424 people, 614 households, and 386 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,341.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 667 housing units at an average density of {{convert|628.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 78.23% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 16.22% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.63% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.14% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 3.72% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.05% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 7.65% of the population. The oldest living person in Four Oaks is 96 years old.

There were 614 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,427, and the median income for a family was $41,875. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $25,444 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $17,473. About 12.8% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 23.0% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Historic district==

[[File:Four Oaks, North Carolina.jpg|thumb|Four Oaks Commercial Historic District]]

The [[Four Oaks Commercial Historic District]] consists of 29 buildings dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some structures are built in the [[Mission Revival architecture|Mission Revival]] style.<ref name = nrhpinv>{{Cite web | author =M. Ruth Little and Carrie Ehrfurth| title =Four Oaks Commercial Historic District | work = National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory | date =November 2005| url = https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/JT1343.pdf | format = pdf | publisher = North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office | accessdate = January 1, 2015}}</ref> The district was listed with the [[National Trust for Historic Preservation]] in 2006.

==Arts and culture==
The Four Oaks Acorn Festival features live entertainment, vendors, children's activities, a barbecue competition, and an antique car and tractor show.<ref>{{cite web |title=Four Oaks Acorn Festival |url=https://www.johnstoncountync.org/event/four-oaks-acorn-festival/157/ |publisher=Johnston County Visitors Bureau |access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref>

==Education==
* [[Four Oaks Elementary School]]
* [[Four Oaks Middle School]]
* [[South Johnston High School]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Four Oaks, North Carolina}}
* {{Official website|http://www.FourOaks-nc.com}}
* [http://www.bensonfouroaksnews.com// Four Oaks-Benson News in Review]
* [http://www.visitfouroaks.org/ Four Oaks visitor info] at Johnston County Visitors Bureau

{{Johnston County, North Carolina}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Johnston County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Towns in North Carolina]]
[[Category:1886 establishments in North Carolina]]