New Hanover County

County Formation: 1729 from Craven County

Name: New Hanover County was named in honor of English King George I who also ruled the Kingdom of Hanover, Germany. The English royal family was therefore, called the House of Hanover.

County Seat: Wilmington

Townships: Cape Fear, Federal Point, Harnett, Masonboro and Wilmington

Land Area: 198.4 square miles, the second smallest county in the state

Total Area: 219.6 square miles, the smallest in the state

Elevation: ranges from sea level to 38 feet at Wilmington

Tallest Buildings: First Union Building, 201 Front Street, 11 stories; New Hanover Regional Medical Center, 2131 South 17^th Street, 10 stories; Atlantic Trust Building, 8 North Front Street, 9 stories

Festivals and Annual Events: North Carolina Azalea Festival; Azalea Garden Tour; North Carolina Jazz Festival; New Hanover County Fair; Riverfest; Pleasure Island Springfest; Cape Fear Marlin Tournament; Atlantic Surf Anglers; St. Patrick’s Day Parade; David Walker Festival; Wilmington Greek Festival

Wilmington

Incorporation: Wilmington was incorporated in 1739/40 but had been established as early as 1733. The first name given to the town was New Carthage, followed by New Liverpool, New Town or Newton, finally settling on Wilmington.

Name: Wilmington was named for Spencer Compton (1673-1743), Earl of Wilmington, who was the patron of Governor Gabriel Johnston during whose administration the town was chartered.

Seal: The seal of the city shall be of circular shape and is described as follows: In the center is a hive located on a stand, built at the water’s edge, about and around which bees are at work; partly encircling this hive is a vegetation; immediately below the platform is the date 1866; above the hive the word "Preserve" ; encircling the border are the words, "City of Wilmington," "State of north Carolina." [The date of 1866 reflects the new charter the city received after the Civil War. Later the date of 1866 was replaced with 1739 to reflect the city’s past.]

Flag: The flag has yellow lettering on a background of blue and contains the city seal in the center.

Flower: Azalea

Longitude & Latitude: 34.13' N 77.56' W

North Carolina

Name: Carolina is from the word Carolus, the Latin form of Charles. King Charles I of England chose the name.

Nickname: The "Old North State" which applied to the older, northern settlement when Carolina was divided into North and South Carolina in 1710. North Carolina is also called the "Tar Heel State" because of the enormous naval stores businesses (tar, pitch, rosin, turpentine and lumber) which existed during the state’s first two centuries. Referring to the same commerce, the state has also been called the "Land of the Longleaf Pine."

Statehood: 1789, the twelfth state to enter the Union

Capital: Raleigh, named for Sir Walter Raleigh

Number of Counties: 100

Largest County: Robeson County, 3 square miles larger than Sampson County

Smallest County: Chowan County

Area: 52,712 square miles

Highest Elevation: Mt. Mitchell, 6,684 feet

Longest River: Pee Dee River System, 435 miles

Largest Natural Lake: Lake Mattamuskeet

Largest Man-Made Lake: Lake Norman

Largest City: Charlotte, population 394,934 (1990 Census)

U.S. Presidents from North Carolina: James K. Polk, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson

Recipe for Tar Heel Pie:

1 cup of chocolate chips
1 stick melted butter
½ cup plain flour
½ cup white sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 eggs beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla

Pour butter over chocolate chips and stir. Blend all remaining ingredients and stir into chocolate chip mixture.

Pour into unbaked pie shell.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.