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With the
establishment of the “Goose Nest” post
office in 1888, this community - which
began in the early 1880s as a small,
rural trading center around a collection
of farmhouses - received its first
official name. In 1905 the town’s name
was changed to Oak City because a town
citizen visiting Raleigh saw “Oak City
Laundry” on a delivery wagon and liked
the name enough to urge the General
Assembly to effect the change.
With
farmers and traders attracted by the new
Wilmington and Weldon Railroad service,
Oak City enjoyed dramatic and steady
growth during the early 20th
century. By 1910 the population had
more than doubled to 251 residents, and
the town’s educational and religious
offerings expanded to meet the growing
needs of this area. While commercial
activity included a number of general
stores and boarding houses, the
industrial activity consisted of saw and
planing mills, as well as a grist mill.
The
proliferation of the automobile after
the 1910s, accompanied by improvements
in the county’s roads, brought
significant changes to Oak City.
Residents were now able to visit larger
towns, so merchants gradually reduced
their offerings to cover the basic needs
of locals. The end of passenger rail
service in 1939 brought about an end to
that chapter of town history. Today,
the town remains a strong community in
northwestern Martin County, with NC 125,
NC 11 and NC 42 converging to bring
visitors through town. St. Mark’s
Missionary Baptist Church, organized in
1883 as the 1st church for
African-Americans in Goose Nest
Township, is also located in the Oak
City area but underwent considerable
remodeling in 1968.
Info
from Martin Architectural Heritage:
The Historic Structures of Rural North
Carolina County, edited by Thomas R.
Butchko. |
