Clay County, North Carolina
Clay County | |
---|---|
Motto: "Clay County – It's Good for the Soul" | |
Coordinates: 35°03′11″N 83°45′08″W / 35.052997°N 83.752264°W | |
Country | United States |
State | North Carolina |
Founded | 1861 |
Named for | Henry Clay |
Seat | Hayesville |
Largest community | Hayesville |
Area | |
• Total | 220.78 sq mi (571.8 km2) |
• Land | 214.98 sq mi (556.8 km2) |
• Water | 5.80 sq mi (15.0 km2) 2.63% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 11,089 |
• Estimate (2022) | 11,614 |
• Density | 51.58/sq mi (19.92/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 11th |
Website | www |
Clay County is a county located in the far western part of U.S. state North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 11,089. The county seat is Hayesville.
History
This area was occupied by the Cherokee Nation at the time of European settlement. The name of Brasstown, an unincorporated community in the county, was derived from a Cherokee term for a village location, which English speakers confused with another that meant "brass." They referred to the village as Brasstown, a translation unrelated to the Cherokee history of the site.
The first white settlers moved into the area, which at that time was a part of Macon County, in the early 1830s. Migrants into the area were primarily of Scots-Irish descent, who had moved into the backcountry of the Appalachians from eastern areas. They moved south from Pennsylvania and Virginia after the American Revolution. Most became yeomen farmers and few owned slaves in the antebellum years.
In October 1837, Tennessee militia established Fort Hembree at present-day Hayesville to prepare for deporting the Cherokee people. Approximately 1,000 Cherokee were held prisoner there and removed from the area. The U.S. Military abandoned Fort Hembree in June 1838.
In the fall of 1860, George Hayes, who was running for state representative from Cherokee County, promised his constituents to introduce legislation to organize a new county in the region. That would bring business associated with a new county seat, and make government accessible to more people. In February 1861 the legislation was introduced and passed by the North Carolina General Assembly. Clay County was formed primarily from Cherokee County, North Carolina, however a small area was taken from Macon County; it was named for statesman Henry Clay, former Secretary of State and member of the United States Senate from Kentucky. In honor of Mr. Hayes, the legislature designated the new county seat as Hayesville. The town was incorporated on March 12, 1913.
In 1860 Fort Hembree was reactivated to train soldiers for the Civil War. Early county trials and the first county commissioners’ meetings were held at the fort. It also contained a general store. Given the interruption of the war, Clay County lacked an organized, formal government until 1868.
After the initial wood-frame county courthouse was destroyed by arson in 1870, the brick courthouse was constructed in 1888. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In mid-2007, courthouse operations moved to a new complex built 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the town square.
The first post office to open in what became Clay County began service January 8, 1844, at Fort Hembree. At its peak, Clay County boasted 17 post offices. By 1976 there were only three remaining, in Hayesville, Warne, and Brasstown.
Clay County’s two-story brick jail was built in 1912 to replace a log building. In 1972, shop class students from Hayesville High School constructed a replacement prison in downtown Hayesville. That was in use until 2008 when a new $4.3 million detention center opened at the judicial complex site. Today the brick jail is home to the Clay County Historical & Arts Museum.
Tiger’s Store is thought to be the oldest continuously operating business in Clay County. It was established around 1899 in Shooting Creek and moved to Hayesville around 1908. Clay County's first official bank opened on May 18, 1910. A creamery opened in Brasstown in 1924. Gold mines operated in Tusquittee, Warne and Brasstown around the 1930s. In the 1940s and 50s, Clay County’s largest employers were band saw lumber mills. One of the county’s only manufacturing companies, Lidseen of North Carolina, Inc., has operated a metal fabrication plant in Warne since 1957. Another manufacturing plant, American Components Incorporated, made a metal film resistor for the Saturn V rocket that carried Neil Armstrong to the moon. Clay County has also manufactured ladies’ dresses, items for combat soldiers, and kitchen and bathroom fixtures.
The county’s first electric power came from a small dam across Shooting Creek near the Elf community in January 1920. The Blue Ridge Electric Association of Young Harris, Georgia, took over providing electricity for all of Clay County in 1939. By 1950, every community in the county had electricity. The Clay County Rescue Squad was organized in 1964.
The first automobile came to Clay County in 1914. From the early 1900s until the 1930s, every male citizen of Clay County between the ages of 18 and 45 was required to work five days per year without pay to help maintain public roads. Construction on US 64 between Hayesville, Warne, and Brasstown started in 1921. In 1959 the US 64 moniker moved to a new route built through Sweetwater to Peachtree and the former route became Old Hwy. 64. US 64 connected Hayesville to Franklin, North Carolina in the early 1930s. NC 69 was built between Hayesville and Georgia in 1922. The entire road had to be relocated when Chatuge Lake was created twenty years later.
In fall 1920 Clay County’s first and only railroad line, the Peavine, was completed between Hayesville and Andrews, where it connected with the Southern Railway. Cherokee and Clay counties each contributed $75,000 toward its construction. The Peavine hauled mainly lumber, but also kaolin mined in Clay County. The line was dismantled in 1951.
Since the nineteenth century, Clay County has remained largely agricultural. Given its relative isolation, in the 21st century, residents continue to be overwhelmingly of European-American ancestry.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 220.78 square miles (571.8 km2), of which 214.98 square miles (556.8 km2) is land and 5.80 square miles (15.0 km2) (2.63%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in North Carolina by land area and smallest by total area.
Clay County is bordered to the south by the state of Georgia and the Chattahoochee National Forest. The Nantahala River forms part of its northeastern border. The county is drained by the Hiwassee River. In the southern part of Clay County is Chatuge Lake, on the North Carolina–Georgia border. Much of Clay County exists within the Nantahala National Forest. Fires Creek Bear Reserve is north of the township of Tusquittee.
The eastern portion of the county is preserved as part of the Nantahala National Forest.
Climate
Clay County has a humid subtropical climate, (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification, with hot, humid summers and mild, but occasionally cold winters by the standards of the southern United States.
Like the rest of the southeastern U.S., Clay County receives abundant rainfall, which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. Average annual rainfall is 55.9 inches (1,420 mm). Blizzards are rare but possible; one nicknamed the Storm of the Century hit the entire Eastern United States in March, 1993.
National protected area
- Nantahala National Forest (part)
State and local protected areas
- Fires Creek Wildlife Management Area (part)
- JackRabbit Mountain Recreation Area
- Nantahala National Forest Game Land (part)
Major water bodies
- Buck Creek
- Chatuge Lake
- Crawford Creek
- Hiwassee River
- Little Tennessee River
- Nantahala River
- Park Creek
- Tusquitee Creek
Adjacent counties
- Cherokee County – northwest
- Macon County – east
- Union County, Georgia – southwest
- Towns County, Georgia – south
- Rabun County, Georgia – southeast
- Cherokee County – west
Major highways
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1870 | 2,461 | — | |
1880 | 3,316 | 34.7% | |
1890 | 4,197 | 26.6% | |
1900 | 4,532 | 8.0% | |
1910 | 3,909 | −13.7% | |
1920 | 4,646 | 18.9% | |
1930 | 5,434 | 17.0% | |
1940 | 6,405 | 17.9% | |
1950 | 6,006 | −6.2% | |
1960 | 5,526 | −8.0% | |
1970 | 5,180 | −6.3% | |
1980 | 6,619 | 27.8% | |
1990 | 7,155 | 8.1% | |
2000 | 8,775 | 22.6% | |
2010 | 10,587 | 20.6% | |
2020 | 11,089 | 4.7% | |
2022 (est.) | 11,614 | 4.7% | |
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
2020 census
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 10,044 | 90.58% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 60 | 0.54% |
Native American | 44 | 0.4% |
Asian | 40 | 0.36% |
Pacific Islander | 7 | 0.06% |
Other/Mixed | 456 | 4.11% |
Hispanic or Latino | 438 | 3.95% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 11,089 people, 4,996 households, and 3,424 families residing in the county.
2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 8,775 people, 3,847 households, and 2,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 41 people per square mile (16 people/km2). There were 5,425 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (9.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.01% White, 0.80% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 0.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,847 households, out of which 23.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.10% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.68.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 18.60% under the age of 18, 6.20% from 18 to 24, 22.80% from 25 to 44, 29.80% from 45 to 64, and 22.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,397, and the median income for a family was $38,264. Males had a median income of $29,677 versus $19,529 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,221. About 7.80% of families and 11.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.60% of those under age 18 and 13.00% of those age 65 or over.
Law, government, and politics
Government
The Clay County government is a constitutional body and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of North Carolina, most of which are determined by the state's General Assembly. The county is governed by an elected five member four-year term Board of Commissioners.
Clay County is a member of the regional Southwestern Commission Council of Governments.
Politics
In the North Carolina Senate, Clay County is part of the 50th Senate district and is represented by Republican Jim Davis. In the North Carolina House of Representatives, Clay County is part of the 120th district, represented by Republican Kevin Corbin.
No Democratic presidential candidate has won Clay County since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Bill Clinton in 1996 was the last Democratic candidate to reach forty percent of the county's vote. Before the Progressive Era, Clay County was uniformly Democratic, but since Charles Evans Hughes became the first Republican to carry the county in 1916, it has voted for the GOP in all but five elections.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 5,112 | 74.16% | 1,699 | 24.65% | 82 | 1.19% |
2016 | 4,437 | 73.83% | 1,367 | 22.75% | 206 | 3.43% |
2012 | 3,973 | 70.42% | 1,579 | 27.99% | 90 | 1.60% |
2008 | 3,707 | 66.88% | 1,734 | 31.28% | 102 | 1.84% |
2004 | 3,209 | 65.95% | 1,628 | 33.46% | 29 | 0.60% |
2000 | 2,416 | 62.72% | 1,361 | 35.33% | 75 | 1.95% |
1996 | 1,769 | 48.40% | 1,462 | 40.00% | 424 | 11.60% |
1992 | 1,890 | 47.73% | 1,600 | 40.40% | 470 | 11.87% |
1988 | 2,174 | 62.47% | 1,289 | 37.04% | 17 | 0.49% |
1984 | 2,259 | 62.42% | 1,340 | 37.03% | 20 | 0.55% |
1980 | 2,136 | 60.22% | 1,324 | 37.33% | 87 | 2.45% |
1976 | 1,428 | 47.41% | 1,569 | 52.09% | 15 | 0.50% |
1972 | 1,545 | 65.19% | 797 | 33.63% | 28 | 1.18% |
1968 | 1,390 | 54.94% | 847 | 33.48% | 293 | 11.58% |
1964 | 1,286 | 46.88% | 1,457 | 53.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 1,657 | 56.73% | 1,264 | 43.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 1,442 | 52.84% | 1,287 | 47.16% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 1,443 | 50.07% | 1,439 | 49.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 1,213 | 47.11% | 1,307 | 50.76% | 55 | 2.14% |
1944 | 1,263 | 50.36% | 1,245 | 49.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 1,176 | 46.57% | 1,349 | 53.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
1936 | 1,525 | 53.23% | 1,340 | 46.77% | 0 | 0.00% |
1932 | 1,265 | 48.39% | 1,341 | 51.30% | 8 | 0.31% |
1928 | 1,106 | 55.05% | 903 | 44.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 1,090 | 52.89% | 953 | 46.24% | 18 | 0.87% |
1920 | 911 | 54.68% | 755 | 45.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
1916 | 453 | 53.11% | 400 | 46.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
1912 | 17 | 2.19% | 372 | 47.94% | 387 | 49.87% |
Law and public safety
The Clay County sheriff's office is the sole policing agency for the county. The sheriff protects the court and county owned facilities, manages the jail, and provides patrol and detective services.
Education
Clay County Schools serves all of the county with about 1,200 students attending a total of 4 separate schools, located on a central campus in Hayesville. After county government, Clay County Schools is the largest employer in the county with a staff of 205 people. Hayesville High School serves grades 9-12.
Media
The Clay County Progress is published weekly in Hayesville. It is the only newspaper in the county. Between 1903 and at least 1909 the community was served by the Clay County Courier newspaper. Between 1926 and 1938 the area was served by the Clay County News. The Progress was founded in 1951 and faced competition from weekly newspaper The Smoky Mountain Sentinel between 1987 and 2012.
Communities
Town
- Hayesville (county seat and largest community)
Unincorporated communities
- Brasstown
- Elf
- Shooting Creek
- Tusquittee
- Warne
Townships
The county is divided into six townships:
- Brasstown comprises the westernmost township
- Hayesville is centrally located and home to the county seat
- Hiawassee, named after the major river in the region, is the smallest township, surrounding Chatuge Lake
- Shooting Creek is the easternmost township
- Sweetwater is a small township northwest of Hayesville
- Tusquittee is one of the larger townships and the most northern