Aberdeen, North Carolina

Scottish emigrants were the first Europeans to settle the area beginning in 1745. They were drawn to the area by bountiful hunting and virgin land, and they founded the communities of Bethesda and Blue's Crossing by the late 18th Century.

During the American Revolution, the people of what is now Aberdeen were generally Loyalists.[6] There were a few small skirmishes in the vicinity of Aberdeen, most notably the one at Ray's Mill Creek, in which Colonel Philip Alston of the House in the Horseshoe, who was in pursuit of Loyalist Colonel David Fanning, savagely beat Kenneth Black, a local who had acted as Fanning's guide through the area.[7]

One of the earliest industries of Bethesda and Blue's Crossing was naval stores due to the abundance of pine trees in the area. These goods were transported to market initially via the Cape Fear River to Wilmington, and later by plank road.

Over 1,500 residents of what is now Aberdeen participated in the Civil War. Nearly one-third of the soldiers sent were killed, which decimated the labor supply. After the Civil War, however, the Raleigh and Augusta Air Line Railroad connected the community of Blue's Crossing to the rest of the country, allowing them to sell their naval stores and timber to the rest of the country.

In 1877, a post office was established and Malcolm J. Blue was appointed postmaster. Four years later, Allison F. Page bought numerous forested acres to build a rail line, as well as to clear the land for timber. This land was later sold to James Walker Tufts for $1 an acre, and later became home of the historic golf resort, Pinehurst Resort. Blue's Crossing's name was officially changed to the present Aberdeen in 1888.

In the early twentieth century, tobacco farming came to the town. Aberdeen's proximity to Pinehurst resulted in a boom in the tourism and retirement industries, which remain a major part of the local economy today.[6]

The Aberdeen Historic District, Bethesda Presbyterian Church, John Blue House, and Malcolm Blue Farm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16 km²), of which 6.2 square miles (16 km²) is land and 0.16% is water.

Aberdeen Creek, a tributary to Drowning Creek (Lumber River), flows through the middle of Aberdeen.

The following schools are located in Aberdeen:

• The Academy of Moore County
• Aberdeen Elementary School
• Southern Middle School[9]

In addition, the area is served by Pinecrest High School and Sandhills Community College.[9]

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Aberdeen (North Carolina).

Media related to Aberdeen, North Carolina at Wikimedia Commons

• Official town website