Ramseytown, North Carolina
A suspension bridge over the Cane River, Ramseytown
A suspension bridge over the Cane River, Ramseytown
Ramseytown is located in North Carolina
Ramseytown
Ramseytown
Location within the state of North Carolina
Coordinates: 36°0′2.40″N 82°21′26.48″W / 36.0006667°N 82.3573556°W / 36.0006667; -82.3573556
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyYancey
IncorporatedFebruary 11, 1874
as Ramsey Town Baptist Church
DisincorporatedUnknown
Named forRamsey Family of Yancey County, NC
Area
  Total0.79 sq mi (2.0 km2)
  Land0.715 sq mi (1.85 km2)
  Water0.075 sq mi (0.19 km2)
Elevation
2,303[1] ft (996 m)
Highest elevation
(Julius Knob[2])
3,822 ft (1,165 m)
Lowest elevation
(Cane River[3])
2,099 ft (640 m)
Population
  Estimate 
(2020)
~45
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
28714
Area code828
GNIS feature ID1022144

Ramseytown, formerly known as Ramsaytown and Ramsey Town Baptist Church,[4][5] is an unincorporated community in far northern Yancey County, North Carolina, on the Cane River. Yancey County's Ramseytown Township derives its name from the settlement.

History

A U.S. Post Office bearing the name of Ramsaytown was established on November 5, 1852, with the first postmaster being Abraham Whitsen. It ceased operations on February 29, 1956.[4] The community was incorporated by the North Carolina General Assembly on February 11, 1874 as Ramsey Town Baptist Church, and the municipal limits were defined as a circle of one mile in radius, centered on the local baptist church. It was disincorporated on an unknown date. Alcoholic beverages consisting of 21% alcohol by volume or greater were illegal in the town, and the municipality's council was composed of five members.[5]

During World War I, five men from Ramseytown were drafted.[6]

The official name of the town, as recognized by the federal government, was changed from Ramsaytown to Ramseytown on January 1, 1931.[7]

On April 21, 1948, local railroad engineer Clarence Davenport (July 24, 1894–April 21, 1948) was killed in a boiler explosion near Ramseytown, described as one of the worst locomotive explosions in United States history at the time. The locomotive's fireman also perished in the blast.[8]

The community was home to the Ramsey Mine.[9]

Transportation and infrastructure

U.S. Route 19W runs through the community.[10] The community was formerly served by the Clinchfield Railroad.[8]

Ramseytown shares a fire department, the Egypt-Ramseytown Volunteer Fire Department, with the nearby unincorporated community of Egypt, North Carolina.[11] The department receives $21,037.50 in funding from the State of North Carolina as of 2023.[12]

U.S. Route 19W in Ramseytown

Weather

Ramseytown was the site of an EF1 tornado during the Tornado outbreak sequence of August 4–8, 2023. Tornadoes are exceptionally rare in the area.[13]

References

  1. US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "National Weather Service". forecast.weather.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  2. "OpenStreetMap". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  3. "OpenStreetMap". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  4. 1 2 "Yancey County Post Offices 1833 to 1971 - Alphabetical Order". www.carolana.com. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  5. 1 2 State of North Carolina (1874). Laws and Resolutions of the State of North Carolina, Passed by the General Assembly at Its Session, 1873-'74. Compiled by Turner, Josiah, Jr. (1873-'74 ed.). Raleigh, North Carolina: J. Gales & Son, 1874. p. 382.
  6. "Local Draft Board Records, Yancey County - North Carolina Digital Collections". digital.ncdcr.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  7. "Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  8. 1 2 Gardner, Tim (2023-04-21). "Locomotive Explosion Killing Avery County Engineer Ed Davenport Recalled on the Tragedy's 75th Anniversary". High Country Press. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  9. https://www.mindat.org/loc-27605.html
  10. "NCRoads.com: U.S. 19-W". www.vahighways.com. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  11. "Egypt-Ramseytown - wncfirepics". www.wncfirepics.com. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  12. https://www.ncosfm.gov/2023-fire-grant-recipients/open
  13. Newman, Anne (16 August 2023). "Tornado touched down in Yancey County, NWS confirms". WYFF4. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
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