Weldon

History

In 1752, Daniel Weldon purchased 1,273 acres of land on the Roanoke River. His plantation became known as Weldon's Landing. As it was just below the fall line, Weldon's Landing was the westernmost point of navigation along the Roanoke. The Roanoke Canal was built in 1823 to bypass the rapids and open up trade to Virginia. The aqueduct across Chockoyotte creek was built near Weldon's Landing, bringing an economic boom to the area. The canal is now dry, and is a hiking trail open to the public. Weldon was the first railroad hub in the American South. The Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad terminated in Weldon. In 1841, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad was completed, also terminating in Weldon. At the time, it was the longest railroad in the world. This led to the incorporation of the town in 1843. The Petersburg and Roanoke Railroad in 1848 and the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad in 1853 both extended to terminate in Weldon. During the Civil War, both railroad bridges over the Roanoke were burned. Only the Seaboard and Roanoke rebuilt their bridge. Grace Episcopal Church and the Weldon Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Weldon is located in northern Halifax County and is bordered to the west by Roanoke Rapids, the county's largest community, and to the north by Northampton County, across the Roanoke River. U.S. Route 301 passes through the town, leading south to Rocky Mount and north to Emporia, Virginia. U.S. Route 158 runs east–west through the town, connecting the downtown area with Interstate 95 at the town's western border. US 158 leads east to Murfreesboro and west into the southern part of Roanoke Rapids. Interstate 95 leads north to Emporia and south to Rocky Mount, providing a highway alternative to US 301. Located on the Roanoke River, Weldon calls itself the "Rockfish Capital of the World" due to abundant fishing during the May spawning season. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  790
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  755
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  595
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  551
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  507
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  485
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  425
• Eastern Bluebird

  Sialia sialis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  391

Largest nearby schools

• Roanoke Rapids High School
  High · Roanoke Rapids · 783 students · 17:1 ratio
• Manning Elementary School
  Elementary · Roanoke Rapids · 647 students · 16.2:1 ratio
• Chaloner Middle School
  Middle · Roanoke Rapids · 616 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Belmont Elementary School
  Elementary · Roanoke Rapids · 595 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• KIPP Halifax College Preparatory
  Elementary · Halifax · 591 students · 19.1:1 ratio
• William R Davie Middle S.T.E.M. Academy
  Middle · Roanoke Rapids · 277 students · 17.3:1 ratio
• Everetts Elementary S.T.E.M. Academy
  Elementary · Roanoke Rapids · 245 students · 22.3:1 ratio
• Weldon Elementary Global Academy
  Elementary · Weldon · 244 students · 13.6:1 ratio