Dudley

History

Another town named Dudley originally existed several miles north from its current location. It was founded by Labon Lewis, the son of a Revolutionary soldier, named for his deceased brother Dudley Lewis. On January 13, 1840, a post office was established for this town. This office's name was later changed to Everettsville, which was moved to a new location in 1849 and was closed in 1866. The second and present town bearing the name was set up around 1836-1840 as a camp for the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad. This time, however, it was named for Governor Edward B. Dudley, the railroad's founder. In the years in which the village grew, it gained a depot and a passenger station. Its post office was established on February 3, 1850. In December 1862, during the Battle of Goldsborough Bridge, a number of buildings and railroad cars were destroyed in Dudley by the Union Army under Maj. Gen. John G. Foster. Dudley was incorporated in 1897, with J. W. Hatch elected as the town's first mayor. The town's government lasted for many years until eventually no more officials were elected and the incorporation ended. The Georgia Pacific Corporation opened a facility in Dudley in 1973 and now employs over 625 people.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,809
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  1,587
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  1,577
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,426
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  1,350
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,294
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,206
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,155

Largest nearby schools

• Southern Wayne High
  High · Dudley · 1,066 students · 19.4:1 ratio
• Spring Creek Elementary
  Elementary · Goldsboro · 829 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Brogden Primary
  Elementary · Dudley · 764 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• Spring Creek High
  High · Seven Springs · 753 students · 16.7:1 ratio
• Meadow Lane Elementary
  Elementary · Goldsboro · 692 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• Spring Creek Middle
  Middle · Seven Springs · 624 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• Brogden Middle
  Middle · Dudley · 588 students · 24.5:1 ratio
• Carver Elementary
  Elementary · Mount Olive · 556 students · 16.4:1 ratio