Scotland County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the southern part of the U.S. state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

and is its smallest county by area. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is and largest city is Laurinburg. The county was formed in 1899 from part of Richmond County and named in honor of the Scottish settlers who occupied the area in the 1700s. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,174. The area eventually comprising Scotland was originally inhabited by Native Americans and was settled by Europeans as early as the 1720s, though settling heavily increased after the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Scotland County was created out of Richmond in 1899 largely for political reasons. The area began to industrialize at the turn of the century but suffered heavily during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Industrialization increased after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

as agriculture mechanized. In the 2000s, the county's economy suffered a major downturn due to the departure of textile manufacturers and the

Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At ...

. The economy continues to struggle in the area and the county regularly suffers from one of the state's highest unemployment rates.

History

Early history

The earliest residents of the land which became Scotland County were

Cheraw The Cheraw people, also known as the Saraw or Saura, were a Siouan-speaking tribe of indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, in the Piedmont area of North Carolina near the Sauratown Mountains, east of Pilot Mountain and north of the ...

Native Americans. Scottish Highlanders and some English

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

began colonizing the area as early as the 1720s when it was within the British Province of North Carolina. The land encompassing Scotland County was originally under the jurisdiction of

Bladen County Bladen County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

...

. As North Carolina grew, its original counties were subdivided and the future Scotland portion was placed in the new

Anson County Anson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,055. Its county seat is Wadesboro. History The county was formed in 1750 from Bladen County. It was named for George Anson, ...

. The relevant portion was then moved into the new Richmond County in 1779. Richmond County was bisected by the Sandhills, leaving the eastern portion of future Scotland geographically separated from the rest of the county. More immigrants came after the

, especially one large group of Highland Scots which came from the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Caro ...

. The group split and settled two areas in the county, Johns and Laurel Hill, the latter in the vicinity of the Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church, established in 1797. Laurel Hill became the first major community in the region, prospering as a post-revolution trading center. More immigrants settled the area at this time, including Germans, Welsh, English, and Ulster Scots. Enslaved Africans were also brought into the area. The Laurel Hill community largely moved south in 1861 after the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad laid a line through the area.

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...

was spoken in the area through the 1860s. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, the railroad's shops were moved to Laurinburg in the hope they would be safer from

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

attack; however, in March 1865, Union forces reached Laurinburg and burned the railroad depot and temporary shops. The shops were rebuilt after the war, though economic recovery was slow. Laurinburg was incorporated in 1877. It continued to develop as a railway town until 1894 when the shops were moved.

Creation

By the late 1800s Richmond County had a majority black population and tended to support the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa * Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

in elections, while the state of North Carolina was dominated by the Democratic Party. In response to this, white Democrats built up a political base in Laurinburg. Legislator Maxey John introduced several unsuccessful bills in the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets in the North Caroli ...

to carve out a new county around Laurinburg between 1893 and 1897. During the state legislative elections of 1898, Democrats organized intensely in the area to unseat the Fusionist coalition of state Republicans and Populists, including the deployment of paramilitary Red Shirts in Laurinburg to intimidate blacks and other opponents at the polls. Democrats regained a majority in the General Assembly. In tribute to the efforts of Democrats in Laurinburg, on February 20, 1899, the assembly split off the town and the surrounding area from Richmond County and created the new Scotland County, named in homage to the Scottish settlers. Laurinburg was designated the county seat. Scotland County began operating as an effective unit of government on December 10, 1900. The first courthouse was erected in Laurinburg the following year. At its creation, the county was socially and politically dominated by its resident white planter class and businessmen. No black people were allowed to register to vote again until 1928. The county's first cotton mill was built in 1899. In subsequent years additional textile mills were established, as was a cotton oil mill, a flour mill, and a fertilizer plant. A county road law was passed by the state in 1903, leading the county to construct its first improved roads of sand and clay. Another road law passed six years later led the county to greatly increase its road building program and erect its first concrete bridges.

Great Depression

Cotton field and barn in Scotland County

Scotland's black population increased in the 1910s and early 1920s as tenant cotton farmers moved north from the

Deep South The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion in the Southern United States. The term was first used to describe the states most dependent on plantations and slavery prior to the American Civil War. Following the wa ...

to escape areas infested by the boll weevil. County cotton production peaked in 1920 as farmers diversified their operations and began growing fruits and melons. Cotton nevertheless remained the dominant crop through the 1920s despite stagnating prices. The area suffered heavily during the

, as two banks in Laurinburg failed and a state report indicated that one fourth of the local population was destitute. Many smallholding farmers lots their lands in foreclosures and bankruptcies. The county nonwhite population dropped, and urbanization increased as people relocated to towns. In May 1934, 500 workers at textile mills in East Laurinburg went on strike in protest of work conditions and living conditions in their company-provided housing. The strike gained state-wide media attention after the strikers engaged in a brawl with loyalist workers, with nine people wounded by gunfire, before the dispute was resolved by arbitration. The United States

Resettlement Administration The Resettlement Administration (RA) was a New Deal U.S. federal agency created May 1, 1935. It relocated struggling urban and rural families to communities planned by the federal government. On September 1, 1937, it was succeeded by the Farm S ...

purchased much of the low-quality land in the sandhills portion of the county and turned it into a recreational area. The federal Agricultural Adjustment Act and Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936 incentivized landowners to reduce production and, as a result, many tenant farmers and sharecroppers were put out of work and migrated north in search of employment.

World War II and aftermath

During

, the United States government established Camp Mackall in the Sandhills portion of Scotland County to train paratroopers and the

Laurinburg–Maxton Army Air Base Laurinburg–Maxton Army Air Base is an inactive United States Air Force base, approximately 6 miles east-northeast of Laurinburg, North Carolina. It was active during World War II as a I Troop Carrier Command training airfield. The Laurinb ...

in the east to train glider pilots. The latter facility was used to train about 30,000 personnel. Many local residents worked in civilian capacities at the base, which provided them with a secure source of income. It closed in October 1945 and was turned into a civilian airport. Mechanization of agriculture in the 1950s led to depopulation in rural areas, as former farm laborers moved to Laurinburg, Wagram, and outside the county in search of new jobs; from 1950 to 1960, the population decreased by over 1,100 people. Much agricultural land was retired through the

Soil Bank Program The Soil Bank Program is a federal program (authorized by the Soil Bank Act, P.L. 84-540, Title I) of the late 1950s and early 1960s that paid farmers to retire land from production for 10 years. It was the predecessor to today’s Conservation Res ...

, and tenant farming and sharecropping rapidly declined. Agriculture continued to mechanize and consolidate into the 1970s. Faced with the decline in agricultural employment, county leaders in the postwar era appealed for state and federal grants to improve local infrastructure and attract outside industry. Funds were acquired to build low-income housing, pave roads, and support the creation of a new hospital. The first outsider-owned manufacturing plant began operations in Scotland in 1959. A new courthouse was built in 1964. The county and Laurinburg school system were merged and racially integrated in the late 1960s. In the 2000s, the county's economy suffered a major downturn due to the departure of textile manufacturers. The

led to the closure and shrinking of other manufacturing businesses, leading its employment rate to peak at 18.6 percent in July 2011. In 2018, the county was heavily impacted by Hurricane Florence.

Geography

Located within the southeastern portion of the state of North Carolina, Scotland County rests at the border between the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions. It is bordered by Hoke, Robeson,

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...

, and

Moore Moore may refer to: People * Moore (surname) ** List of people with surname Moore * Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador * Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior officer in the British Army * Moore Powell (died c. 1 ...

counties, and the state of

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water. It is the smallest North Carolina county by area. Scotland is one of the state's ten counties within the Sandhills region. The hills mostly populate the northern section of the county, with rest being largely flat. Geologically, most of the soil in Scotland consists of sand, sandstone, and mudstone, with the sandiest soils in the Sandhills. The extreme western portion of the county is in the

Pee Dee River The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in the Carolinas of the United States. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course, above the mouth of the Uwharrie River, is known as ...

drainage basin, while the rest is in the Lumber River basin. The Lumber forms the eastern boundary of the county. Several smaller tributary watercourses, including Big Shoe Heel Creek, Juniper Creek, Jordan Creek, Leith Creek, Gum Swamp Creek, and Joes Creek, flow across the area and into the Lumber. Most such streams are blackwater and flow southward or southeastward. The county is also populated by several hundred Carolina bays, most of which are concentrated in the northeast, east, and just south of Laurinburg. Some of these form seasonal ponds, and there are several other manmade bodies of water including millponds. The region generally experiences mild winters and hot summers. Native trees include loblolly pine, sweetgum, red maple, and water oak. Longleaf pine grows in the Sandhills Game Land, a state nature preserve which covers part of Scotland County. The Sandhills region is also populated by fox squirrels. Other fauna in the county include Carolina gopher frogs, eastern tiger salamanders, and loggerhead shrikes. Portions of the Lumber River State Park are also in the county.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 34,174 people, Laurinburg recorded 15,024 residents. Racially, 14,402 county residents identified as white, 13,162 identified as black or African American, 3,745 identified as American Indian, 343 identified as Asian, and 15 identified as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 718 identified as other, and 1,789 identified as two or more races. Of the total among the races, 1,106 people identified as Hispanic or Latino. Scotland proportionately has the third-largest Native American population of any North Carolina county at 14 percent. Scotland County is included in the Fayetteville– Lumberton–Laurinburg, NC

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and ...

Demographic change

Scotland County has long had significant white, black, and Lumbee Indian populations. The Hispanic population grew in the early 21st century. From 2010 to 2020, Scotland County's population declined from 36,157 to 34,174, a decrease of about five percent. The proportion of county residents under the age of 18 dropped by 19.2 percent. According to the

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

, from 2017 to 2021 there were an estimated 12,214 households in the county with an average of 2.65 persons per household.

Law and government

Government

Scotland County is governed by a county commission. The commission is funded by a 2 percent share of local

sales tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a gove ...

revenue and the local property tax. The county charges the highest property tax rate in the state, 0.99 percent. A third of the county's land is owned by the

United States Forestry Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

and the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

, from whom no tax revenue is collected. The armed forces operate the Luzon Drop Zone military airfield and Camp Mackall in the county (the latter only partially). Scotland County is a member of the Lumber River Council of Governments, a regional planning board representing five counties. It is located entirely in

North Carolina's 9th congressional district The 9th congressional district of North Carolina is a congressional district in south-central North Carolina. The district's current boundaries were redrawn in February 2016 after a U.S. District Court overturned the existing boundaries because ...

and is also included in the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for e ...

's 24th district and the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, ...

' 48th district. It is one of the four counties within the jurisdiction of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, and tribal members within the county elect some members of the tribal council.

Law enforcement and judicial system

Scotland County lies within the bounds of the 21st Prosecutorial District, the 16A

Superior Court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civi ...

District, and the 16A District Court District. County voters elect a sheriff. The sheriff's office provides law enforcement in the unincorporated areas of the county, maintains the Scotland County Detention Center, and provides security at the Scotland County Courthouse.

Politics

As of 2022, Scotland County is home to about 20,600 registered voters, of whom 10,000 are registered Democrats, 4,200 are registered Republicans and 6,300 are unaffiliated. While the county has historically voted for Democratic candidates, in recent years it has become a

swing Swing or swinging may refer to: Apparatus * Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth * Pendulum, an object that swings * Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus * Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse * Swing ri ...

county. Democratic voter registration shares declined from 58 percent of the county's registered voters in 2016 to 48 percent in 2022, while Republican and unaffiliated voter registration rates increased.

Economy

Scotland County's economy is largely based in agriculture. Area farmers mostly grow corn, cotton, tobacco, and soybeans, and raise hogs. Forestry products including lumber and paper are also sourced in the county. Manufacturing firms increased in the county after 1950. The local manufacturing industry produces textiles, cabinet accessories, mobile homes, hospital equipment, and automotive parts. Following a national trend, manufacturing—especially in textiles—has declined since 2000, damaging the economy of the county. In the early 2020s retail grew along the U.S. Route 74 corridor. As of 2022, manufacturing remains the highest-employing sector in the county. The

North Carolina Department of Commerce The North Carolina Department of Commerce was formed in 1971 by the North Carolina State Government Reorganization Act. The department is headed by the Secretary of Commerce, who is appointed by the Governor of North Carolina. The Secretary is p ...

classifies Scotland as one of the state's most economically distressed counties and it has long suffered from one of North Carolina's highest unemployment rates. According to the American Community Survey, from 2017 to 2021 the estimated median household income was $39,866. The

child poverty Child poverty refers to the state of children living in poverty and applies to children from poor families and orphans being raised with limited or no state resources. UNICEF estimates that 356 million children live in extreme poverty. It's es ...

rate is 46 percent.

Transportation

Scotland County is served by Interstate 74 (undesignated, currently Future I-74), U.S. Route 15 ( Bus.), US 74,

US 401 U.S. Route 401 (US 401) is a north–south United States highway, a spur of U.S. Route 1, that travels along the Fall Line from Sumter, South Carolina to Interstate 85 near Wise, North Carolina. Route description Starting in Sumt ...

( Bus.),

US 501 U.S. Route 501 (US 501) is a spur of U.S. Route 1. It runs 355 miles (571 km) from Buena Vista, Virginia at U.S. Route 60 to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at U.S. Route 17 Business. It passes through the states of Virginia, North Caroli ...

North Carolina Highway 71 North Carolina Highway 71 (NC 71) is a state highway that serves the communities of Maxton, North Carolina, Maxton, Red Springs, North Carolina, Red Springs, Shannon, North Carolina, Shannon, Lumber Bridge, North Carolina, Lumber Bridge, and Park ...

, NC 79, NC 44, and NC 381. County government supports a

public transport bus service Public transport bus services are generally based on regular operation of transit buses along a route calling at agreed bus stops according to a published public transport timetable. History of buses Origins While there are indications ...

, the Scotland County Area Transit System. Airplane facilities are provided by the Laurinburg–Maxton Airport. Local railways are operated by

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

and

Laurinburg and Southern Railroad The Laurinburg and Southern Railroad ( reporting mark LRS) is a short-line railroad operating in North Carolina. The railroad has of track that runs south from Raeford to Laurinburg, North Carolina and industries south of there. However much of ...

. The longest straight stretch of railroad track in the United States, spanning 78.86 miles, connects Wilmington to the east with the Scotland community of Old Hundred.

Education

Scotland County Schools operates public schools in the area. As of 2022, the system operates 10 schools and serves 5,592 students. The district was classified by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as low-performing in 2021 but its rank improved passed low-performing status in 2022. The county hosts a satellite campus of the Richmond Community College and

St. Andrews University (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

, a private liberal arts school. According to the 2021 American Community Survey, an estimated 15.3 percent of county residents have attained a bachelor's degree or higher level of education.

Healthcare

Scotland County is served by a single hospital, Scotland Health Care System, based in Laurinburg. According to the 2022 County Health Rankings produced by the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

Population Health Institute, Scotland County ranked 98th in health outcomes of North Carolina's 100 counties. Per the ranking, 28 percent of adults say they are in poor or fair health, the average

life expectancy Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, current age, and other demographic factors like sex. The most commonly used measure is life expectancy at birth ...

is 73 years, and 14 percent of people under the age of 65 lack

health insurance Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among m ...

Culture

Scotland County High School marching band

Many surnames, streets, and places in Scotland County reflect Scottish origins. Since 2008, the county has hosted an annual

Scotland County Highland Games The Scotland County Highland Games, or SCHG, are a Scottish event held in Laurinburg, North Carolina, United States. Each year, the games are held the first weekend of October at the John Blue House and Grounds in Laurinburg. The event was star ...

festival in homage to the heavy Scottish ancestry of its population. The Scotland County High School's sports teams are called the Fighting Scots and the school marching band wears traditional Scottish garb, including

kilt A kilt ( gd, fèileadh ; Irish: ''féileadh'') is a garment resembling a wrap-around knee-length skirt, made of twill woven worsted wool with heavy pleats at the sides and back and traditionally a tartan pattern. Originating in the Scottish ...

sporran The sporran (; Scottish Gaelic and Irish for " purse"), a traditional part of male Scottish Highland dress, is a pouch that performs the same function as pockets on the pocketless kilt. Made of leather or fur, the ornamentation of the sporra ...

s, plaid shawls, and Glengarry bonnets. The county also hosts an annual Kuumba festival to celebrate African American heritage. Several area buildings and sites have been listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Religion is a key part of local public life. Fishing is a popular recreational activity.

Communities

City

* Laurinburg (county seat and largest city)

Towns

Gibson Gibson may refer to: People * Gibson (surname) Businesses * Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based * Gi ...

* Maxton (partially) *

Wagram Deutsch-Wagram (literally "German Wagram", ), often shortened to Wagram, is a village in the Gänserndorf District, in the state of Lower Austria, Austria. It is in the Marchfeld Basin, close to the Vienna city limits, about 15 km (9 mi) northe ...

Census-designated places

* Deercroft * Laurel Hill * Old Hundred * Scotch Meadows

Other unincorporated communities

* East Laurinburg * Montclair

Townships

* Laurel Hill * Spring Hill * Stewartsville * Williamson

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * {{coord, 34.84, -79.48, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NC_source:UScensus1990 Scottish-American culture in North Carolina 1899 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1899 Majority-minority counties in North Carolina