Editing High Shoals, North Carolina

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = High Shoals, North Carolina
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
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|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = NCMap-doton-HighShoals.PNG
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of HighShoals, North Carolina
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in North Carolina|County]]
|subdivision_name         = {{USA}}
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|North Carolina}}
|subdivision_name2        = [[Gaston County, North Carolina|Gaston]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = [[P.J. Rathbone]]
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = Incorporated
|established_date         = November 6, 1973

<!-- 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           = 6.88
|area_land_km2            = 6.74
|area_water_km2           = 0.14
|area_total_sq_mi         = 2.66
|area_land_sq_mi          = 2.60
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.06

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 595
|population_density_km2   = 88.28
|population_density_sq_mi = 228.67

<!-- 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             = 715
|coordinates              = {{coord|35|23|45|N|81|12|17|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 28077
|area_code                = [[Area code 704|704]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 37-31440<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2405829<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2405829}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
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}}
'''High Shoals''' is a city<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/1973-1974/SL1973-317.html|title=An Act to Incorporate the City of High Shoals in Gaston County Subject to an Election|work=North Carolina General Assembly|year=1973}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/High_Shoals_city,_North_Carolina?g=160XX00US3731440|title=High Shoals city; North Carolina|work=United States Census Bureau|year=2020}}</ref> in [[Gaston County, North Carolina|Gaston County]], [[North Carolina]], United States, named for the high rocky shoal across the [[Catawba River]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Powell |first=William S. |date=1982 |title=The North Carolina Gazetteer |location=Chapel Hill |publisher=The University of North Carolina Press |page=227 |isbn=0-8078-1247-1}}</ref> The population was 700 at the 2010 census.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3731440| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212190229/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3731440| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): High Shoals town, North Carolina| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=March 27, 2013}}</ref>

==History==
High Shoals was the location of the High Shoals Iron Works, founded by [[Switzerland|Swiss]]-born [[John Fulenwider]] in about 1795. Fulenwider developed one of the earliest methods of making [[pig iron]] with the charcoal process. During the [[War of 1812]], his High Shoals ironworks produced cannonballs for use by the [[United States Army]]. Fulenwider died in 1826 and is buried at High Shoals cemetery. The ironworks he developed remained in operation until 1875.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110714161358/http://ncmarkers.com/Markers.aspx?sp=map&sv=O-54 North Carolina Highway Marker O-54] (primary sources listed at that site). Retrieved on 2008-07-05.</ref>

In the last decade of the 19th century, the community of High Shoals became totally owned by High Shoals Mills, a textile company founded by [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] industrialist [[Daniel A. Tompkins]].<ref>[http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/tompkins/bio.html Biography of Daniel Augustus Thompkins], from the ''Dictionary of North Carolina Biography'', edited by William S. Powell. Copyright 1979-1996 by the University of North Carolina Press.</ref>

Eventually, the mill homes were sold to private owners. High Shoals was incorporated on November 6, 1973, the most-recently incorporated municipality in Gaston County.<ref>[http://www.co.gaston.nc.us/municipalities.htm Gaston County Official Government Website: Municipalities] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222081108/http://www.co.gaston.nc.us/municipalities.htm |date=2008-12-22 }}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|6.9|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|6.7|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.1|km2|order=flip|2}}, or 2.10%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

The [[South Fork Catawba River]] flows through High Shoals. Areas northeast of the river are assigned to the Hoyle Creek watershed, while those southwest of the river are in the Beaverdam Creek watershed. Sulfur Branch flows through western High Shoals (including Briarcreek Golf Course) and enters the South Fork at the south end of town.

Most of High Shoals is located in [[Dallas Township, Gaston County, North Carolina|Dallas Township]], except for a western portion of the town which is in [[Cherryville Township, Gaston County, North Carolina|Cherryville Township]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1980= 586
|1990= 605
|2000= 729
|2010= 696
|2020= 595
|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|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 729 people, 284 households, and 214 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|407.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 315 housing units at an average density of {{convert|176.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 88.07% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 9.33% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.27% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.14% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.19% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.33% of the population.

There were 284 households, out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,906, and the median income for a family was $36,429. Males had a median income of $31,711 versus $20,833 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $14,881. About 15.5% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 25.5% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
Public education in High Shoals is administered by the [[Gaston County Schools]] public school system. There had been one elementary school in the town. However, High Shoals Elementary was closed in 1998 for financial reasons and consolidated with Costner Elementary School near [[Dallas, North Carolina]].<ref>[http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/schools/costner/school_history.htm History of Costner Elementary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090730015507/http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/schools/costner/school_history.htm |date=2009-07-30 }}. Retrieved on 2008-08-07.</ref> Average attendance in 1908 was only 80. There was also another school named St. John’s Mission School.

Today, most of High Shoals is within the attendance district for Costner Elementary, except for a section on the eastern edge of town which belongs to the attendance district of Springfield Elementary School (grades K-2) and Kiser Elementary School (grades 3-5), both in [[Stanley, North Carolina|Stanley]]. All elementary school graduates from High Shoals feed into W.C. Friday Middle School and North Gaston High School, both in Dallas.<ref>Gaston County GIS. Retrieved on 2008-08-07.</ref>

==Religious life==
Churches in High Shoals include First Baptist Church, New Heights Baptist Church, High Shoals Church of God, and Riverview True Holiness Church of God.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://highshoalsnc.ning.com High Shoals, NC Now and Then], community website

{{Gaston County, North Carolina}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Gaston County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Company towns in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1795]]