# Eastern North Carolina Encyclopedia/Pitt County

PITT COUNTY
LOCATION
Pitt County is located in the central part of Eastern North Carolina. The center of the county is about 85 miles east of Raleigh; 150 miles southwest of Norfolk, Va.; 150 miles south of Richmond, Va., and 117 miles north of Wilmington. The distance across the county east and west, north and south, is from 30 to 35 miles. The area is 401,280 acres, or 627 square miles.
CLIMATE
The slope of the county is to the east and southeast. The highest point in the county is 121 feet on the western border just north of Fountain, while the lowest place is practically at sea level at the confluence of Tranters Creek and Tar River on the east edge of the county. The average elevation is about 61 feet. With an unusually large number of open days, Pitt County is a most delightful place in which to live. The yearly average temperature is 61 degrees and yearly average precipitation of 49.52 inches.
HEALTH
Wonderful strides have been made in the prevention of disease in Pitt County. The fact that our county was among the first to see the need of a health officer, and to employ one, is something of which we can be justly proud. It is this progressive, far-seeing spirit of our people, which makes Pitt a good place in which to live. We have been successful in combating malaria. Anyone seeking a home will not find a healthier place than Pitt in the eastern part of the State. Investigate Pitt and then you will locate in Pitt.
BANKING FACILITIES
The county of Pitt has thirteen banks to serve the needs of the various sections. Figures given below cover all of the banks of the county, and show the remarkable standing of the combined financial institutions:
POPULATION
The steady increase in population of Pitt County since 1850 is shown by the following table:
HIGHWAY SYSTEM
The highway system of Pitt County is a fitting tribute to the progressive citizenship, and is attracting the attention of large distributors who specialize in motor transportation. The system embraces ninety and five-tenths miles ​of hard surface roads, which will soon be completed, and a program for future construction of around thirty miles. All of the main roads run east and west and north and south, and connect with various adjoining counties. A program for intensive maintenance of dirt roads will be put into effect at an early date, which, when completed, will give Pitt County 500 miles of improved highways passable 12 months in the year.
SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
Pitt County is taking the lead, in a number of ways, in her educational system and is attracting the attention of other parts of the State. Pitt has 109 grammar schools, with a total enrollment of over 14,500; 11 high schools with a total enrollment of 893. The rural and city schools together employ 325 teachers. The school census of the county is 17,000. The county has six modern consolidated schools, which require 30 school trucks to transport 900 children daily. An additional high school will be built by the opening of 1924–1925 term, which will make available high school instruction in every township in the county except two.
The East Carolina Teachers College, which is located at Greenville, the county seat, is now in the midst of an expansion program, which calls for a total expenditure of $1,025,000.00. When completed, the college will be in position to care for between 700 and 800 students. The East Carolina Teachers College is the only institution in the State that devotes all of its resources to training teachers.
TRAIN SERVICE
Pitt County is traversed by three branch lines of the Atlantic Coast Line, the main line of the Norfolk Southern, East Carolina and the Shelmerdine railways, all of which are located as to serve the interests of the county in a splendid manner. Eastern cities can be reached within 12 to 18 hours.
WATER TRANSPORTATION
Pitt County is almost centrally divided by Tar River, which, in times past, was the only medium of transportation. In fact the county was served by the Old Dominion Steamship Company, the Clyde Line and others. Pitt is in the center of the most wonderful inland waterway system in the entire United States, unless it be around the Great Lakes. It is the consensus of opinion that there will soon be inaugurated a movement to make actual our present potential river transportation possibilities.
AGRICULTURE
Pitt County, according to the 1919 census and based on agricultural and live stock values, took second place in the entire State of North Carolina, and was excelled only by Robeson. Pitt, in keeping with this report, was also given the thirty-fifth place in a selected list of the fifty best counties in the United States. The value of crops for Pitt for the year 1919 was $21,486,117.00. Tobacco and cotton are the two main money crops, with a normal annual cotton production of 20,000 to 25,000 bales and a ​normal yearly tobacco production of 30,000,000 pounds.
Soils, climate, open days and precipitation are so favorable to Pitt County as to make any line of farming attractive. Any crop that will grow anywhere, unless it be tropical fruits, can be grown in Pitt County. Dairying, trucking, and poultry are the three fields which offer sure and certain rewards, when matched by experience, intelligence and a reasonable capital.
CHURCHES
There are over 50 white churches in Pitt County, with a total membership of over 10,000. There are also a large number of churches serving the colored population.
TAX RATE
The assessed valuation for Pitt County, real and personal property, is around $52,000,000.00, with a tax rate of $1.00 on the hundred. There is no State tax, as the revenue for the State is provided for by special taxes—privilege and franchise.
BUILDING ACTIVITY
An intensive building program has been carried on for the past year, which totals approximately $1,750,000.00.
For further information, farmers, manufacturers, distributors and others are invited to write or come for personal investigation.
Pitt County Chamber of Commerce
Greenville, North Carolina