City of Goldsboro
The City of Goldsboro is located within Wayne County and borders Seymour
Johnson AFB to the southeast. The 2010 population was 36,437. The city is
approximately 24.8 square miles and is located in North Carolina’s Coastal
Plain with Neuse River to the south, and the Little River to the west. Seymour
Johnson AFB has impacted the city, with population and the number of
businesses increasing as a result of the installation’s presence. Another
aspect of the local economy is the Goldsboro Milling Company, the tenth
largest producer of hogs in the US, and also a major producer of turkeys. The
city has also made an effort to maintaining its heritage and historic assets by
preserving seven buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The area occupied by the City of Goldsboro was originally founded as
Waynesborough in 1787, which was located around the county’s courthouse,
until development lead to the formation of its own community. This
development resulted from the completion of the Wilmington and Weldon
Railroad. The railroad allowed for passengers to be transported and soon
allowed the area to grow, establishing the town in 1847 and gaining the
name Goldsborough Junction, later called Goldsborough. In 1869, the spelling
of the city was officially changed to Goldsboro.
During the Civil War, Goldsboro played a significant role by providing
stationing for Confederate troops and transporting supplies to soldiers
through the use of the railroad. During World War II, the North Carolina
Congressional delegation gained the US Army Air Force installation, Seymour
Johnson Field in June 1942. The installation’s name changed to the Seymour
Johnson Air Force Base once the US Air Force became an independent service
in 1947.
Background Report
City of Goldsboro City Hall
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