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©Photos courtesy Gerber Photography stylized by Stellar Visual |
A STRONG ECONOMIC BASE GETTING STRONGER
Vance County and the City of Henderson are currently home to more than 900 businesses, including more than 50 manufacturers, 250 retailers and 250 businesses in the service industry. Major products manufactured here include yarn, hosiery, apparel, home furnishings, filters, glass containers, pet food, tobacco processing, metal fabrications, manufactured homes and lumber. There also are four major distribution facilities located in the county, along with several smaller ones. Approximately one third of Vance County's labor force is employed in manufacturing. The area's location, halfway between New York and Florida, makes Vance County an excellent location for manufacturing and distribution.
Henderson also serves as a major
retail shopping center for a four-county region. Since 1991, retail
sales have risen more than 70 percent from under $300 million to nearly
$500 million annually. The area's growth and strong economic base
have spurred numerous new developments, including retail shopping areas,
restaurants and a major new distribution center. With new projects
still under development, Henderson and Vance County should continue to
experience strong economic growth well into the next millennium.
For the outdoor enthusiast, Henderson and Vance County have excellent nearby parks, including hiking trails, picnic areas and water recreation. Kerr Lake, the largest lake in the state, spreads across the North Carolina-Virginia border, deep into Vance County, offering 800 miles of unspoiled shoreline.
The lake offers a multitude of activities from sailing to swimming to camping, sunbathing, picnicking, wind surfing, and of course, fishing. The wide-open waters are home to a variety of fish from large mouth and striped bass to crappie, catfish and bream. The lake continues to host state and national fishing tournaments, as well as sailing regattas.
More than 1.6 million people visit Kerr Lake each year. Many enjoy the seven recreational areas with over 700 family and group campsites that include picnic tables, fire pits and pads for tents or campers. Modern bathhouses with hot showers are within easy access of campsites.
Vance County's two marinas and 17 boat ramps feature rental boats and cottages, fuel, fishing supplies, camping, docking and dry docking facilities, electrical and water hook-ups for recreational vehicles, and boat repairs.
The Vance County Tourism Department sponsors special events on the lake that include a Fourth of July Independence Day celebration and a Labor Day Parade of Lights on Water.
Other local recreational sites include Fox Pond Park, the largest of the city's ten parks. Fox Pond Park has athletic facilities, play areas, picnic shelters, tennis courts, nature trails, paddle boats, an amphitheater and more. The recently opened Aycock Recreational Complex offers four state-of-the art, lighted baseball/softball fields, with a soccer/football field and indoor facilities currently under construction. In addition, the Henderson-Vance Parks and Recreation Department offers karate, baseball, swimming, basketball, softball, soccer and exercise programs throughout the year.
Other area amenities include golf, tennis and swimming at the community's two country clubs, several neighborhood clubs and the YMCA. Additional leisure activities include bowling, miniature golf, roller skating, an outdoor theater and four indoor theaters.
For more information on tourism and recreation facilities
in the area, please contact:
| Nancy Wilson, Director
Vance County Tourism Department 943-K West Andrews Ave. Henderson, NC 27536 Phone: 252-438-2222 E-mail: vctourism@gloryroad.net Web site: www.kerrlake-nc.com |
Alan Gill, Director
Henderson Vance Recreation Department P.O. Box 1556 Henderson, NC 27536 Phone: 252-431-6090 |
The area where Henderson is located was originally part of a land grant by the King of England to the Earl of Granville. In 1780, the Revolutionary State of North Carolina laid claim to the area. A series of subdivisions of the grant finally led in 1881 to the creation of Vance County. The already existing town of Henderson, because of its size and central location, was designated as county seat.
The beginnings of the settlements that led to the incorporation of Henderson preceded the creation of Vance County by more than a century. By the early 1700s, Scotch, German and Irish settlers had migrated to the area, and well-identified communities had begun to emerge. As agriculture, particularly tobacco, prospered, the Henderson-Vance County growth began in earnest due to its strategic location on the east-west and north-south stage and wagon trails. With the construction of the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad in 1835, the economic impetus was further accelerated. Local residents donated tracts of land on which the railroad built warehouses and shipping facilities. These, in turn, attracted merchants and others who built stores, homes, churches, stables, taverns and schools, which combined led to the charter and incorporation of the town of Henderson in 1841. The town was named for Chief Justice Leonard Henderson, an outstanding colonial jurist and native of Henderson.
From 1860 until after the Civil War, the area saw economic dormancy and stagnation. Nevertheless, the town of Henderson, because of its central location between the tobacco-rich areas to its west and the cotton-rich areas to its east, managed to quadruple in size between 1860 and 1870. Henderson's first tobacco market opened in 1872, and by 1885, upwards of 7,000,000 pounds per year were being marketed. A cotton market opened in 1878 and it, along with tobacco, made up the principal economic production of the area. A newspaper, The Gold Leaf, was established in this time and remained in print until 1914 when it was sold to the Dennis family and later renamed the Henderson Daily Dispatch. In 1994, the paper was purchased by Paxton Media Group of Kentucky and is now the Daily Dispatch.
The economic and industrial growth of the past was indeed a prologue for the future. In the decades since 1914, the expansion and enhancement of the City of Henderson and its metropolitan area have been without parallel in the region. Recent years have seen educational improvements in building facilities and curriculum capacity. In addition to its public schools, the area has two private schools and nearby Vance-Granville Community College, an institution dedicated to academic, technical and cultural learning at advanced levels.
A vastly increased network of main highways and paved secondary roads have made the "dirt" road of yesteryear a rarity. Henderson sits astride main arteries of two major railroads. Raleigh-Durham International Airport is within an hour's drive, and the city and county share with neighboring communities a local airport that can accommodate small private and commercial aircraft.
The growth and diversification of industry and business within the Henderson area continues to be unabated. Henderson is proud of the variety of manufacturing, merchandising, and service businesses available. The majority of these have located within the area during the past 25 years, attracted in large by the features of the location, mild climate, excellent medical facilities, churches, schools, water supply, recreational facilities, stable labor force and outstanding municipal services.
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The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 1302
414 S. Garnett Street
Henderson, NC 27536
252 438-8414 ~ Fax 252 492-8989