Grover, North Carolina

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Grover, North Carolina
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto =

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mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location of Grover, North Carolina


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = North Carolina
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Cleveland
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
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established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 2.6
area_land_km2 = 2.6
area_water_km2 = 0.1
area_total_sq_mi = 1.0
area_land_sq_mi = 1.0
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 698
population_density_km2 = 272.7
population_density_sq_mi = 706.2

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 262
elevation_ft = 860
latd = 35 |latm = 10 |lats = 24 |latNS = N
longd = 81 |longm = 26 |longs = 54 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 28073
area_code = 704
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 37-28400GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0986178GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Grover is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 698 at the 2000 census.

History

Grover is a small, colorful railroad based town thriving off the NC/SC State Line just off of Interstate 85. Grover was once named Whitaker, NC but was changed to Grover after President Grover Cleveland. Grover is a welcome spot for travelers to typically eat and purchase inexpensive gasoline. It holds an antique look to it, especially on Gingerbread row (Cleveland Avenue - NC 216) where many homes are restored.

Grover is a railroad dominated town with train whistles and bells - started when the Atlanta Charlotte Airline Railway placed a turntable in the town for engines. Please visit http://www.thecarolinaline.com for more info and videos of trains in the area.They operated from the 1880s to the 1920s and Southern Railway (U.S.) continues to elate children and adults to this day (now known as Norfolk Southern).

Grover is also home to the internationally famous and historic - Entertainment Distribution Company (EDC). Pressing billions of music CDs and DVDs for the most famed artists in the world - EDC is made up of five manufacturing and distribution centers across the United States and Europe, specializing in supply chain solutions to the home entertainment market.

The name of the County that Grover is a part of, is historic Cleveland County, North Carolina. The County is named after Colonel Benjamin Cleveland (Cleaveland - Thorkil de Cleveland of Cleveland County York, England in the year 1066) - famed of the Kings Mountain battle - a friend of Colonel Frederick Hambright (with his son John by his side) during the Revolutionary war. In 1887, the Legislature voted to change the name of Grover's County to the more popular used English word version of, "Cleveland," from its previous version of Cleaveland. President Grover Cleveland had been in office since 1885 (The first Democrat elected after the Civil War, Grover Cleveland was the only President to leave the White House and return for a second term four years later).

This portion of history bears explanation and how it affected local matters. A bachelor, Grover Cleveland was ill at ease at first with all the comforts of the White House. "I must go to dinner," he wrote a friend, "but I wish it was to eat a pickled herring a Swiss cheese and a chop at Louis' instead of the French stuff I shall find." He gained intense publicity and coverage. Naturally, a town chosen to name itself after him followed suite. In June 1886, this predicament would be fixed for Grover - and Grover. President Cleveland married 21-year-old Frances Folsom; he was the only President ever married in the White House. Again, this historic event and the ensuing honeymoon took on unprecedented news attention and mention - in the papers and magazines. The name change of Grover's county took on epic proportions, likewise, shortly after this event. The town, White House and county historically affected each other in an unplanned manner.

Cleveland Avenue (Route 226) runs right through Grover - parallel to Main Street. Many Hambrights, Hamricks and Herndons lived on Cleveland Avenue. Today, the Shiloh Presbyterian Church (built in 1905) remains next to Doctor Hambright's home that he built after the Civil War. A statue was dedicated to Colonel Frederick Hambright (Hambrecht Prussian family) and Corporal Clyde Furman Horton on July 1, 2008 at 301 Cleveland Avenue, Grover, NC.

Many other prominent names dominate the makeup of Grover, families like Herndon, Hambright, Hamrick, Rountree, Keeter and Goforth,Hope,Harry,Spangler, Turner and Scruggs to name only a few. Within the history of Grover - it is often confused with President Grover Cleveland versus Benjamin Cleveland and where the names came from.

Grover is in the process of restoring itself to a more picturesque town of a turn-of-the-century look and feel. It's strong train history will show strongly in that. The current Mayor is Mr. Robert Sides. The town historian is Doctor Cobia Goforth.

Geography

Grover is located at coor dms|35|10|24|N|81|26|54|W|city (35.173354, -81.448199)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.6 km²), of which, 1.0 square miles (2.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (2.94%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 698 people, 280 households, and 206 families residing in the town. The population density was 706.2 people per square mile (272.2/km²). There were 313 housing units at an average density of 316.7/sq mi (122.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.12% White, 7.16% African American, 0.72% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.43% of the population.

There were 280 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,083, and the median income for a family was $43,000. Males had a median income of $33,977 versus $25,769 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,132. About 13.5% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

ee also

*Kings Mountain National Military Park
*American Revolutionary War, Battle of Kings Mountain

References

*Kings Mountain Mirror, Page 12 A, Wednesday, September 26 1973
*The Charlotte Observer, Gaston Section, Page 1, Friday, December 13 1996
*Shelby and Cleveland County, North Carolina by U.L. Rusty Patterson and Barry E. Hambright, Arcadia Publishing, 2000
*The Charlotte Observer, [http://legacy.charlotteobserver.com/238/story/698688.html A Heaping Helping of History, by Joe DePriest - Sunday, July 6, Neighbors section]
*The Shelby Shopper, [http://www.shelbyinfo.com/newsstory.asp?NewsID=10615 Unique, Grover's the Inn of the Patriots, by M. A. Andrews - June 26, 2008]
*The Gaston Gazette & The Shelby Star, [http://www.shelbystar.com/articles/home_32296___article.html/mongiello_history.html A Presidential Place, by Allison Flynn, July 11, 2008]
*Kings Mountain Herald, Inn to History, by Rebecca Piscopo, July 3, 2008
*Gaston Woman Magazine, August, 2008 issue
*The Foothills Gazette, The Inn of the Patriots, by Crystal Champion, Summer issue, 2008

External links

* [http://www.srha.net The Southern Railway Historical Association]