Sheldon, North Carolina

**Sheldon, North Carolina** is a small town located in western North Carolina near the state border and is part of Raccoon County.

## History

The town was founded by Sheldon T.C. Hartford, the president of the Knoxville & Asheville Railroad Company, in early 1905, originally as a camp for the railroad workers and a place for a future repair shop. But as the months drew on, buildings started to pop up. Saloons, hotels, restaurants, a sheriff's office, etc. Pretty soon by the Summer of 1905, a town had been built. When the railroad drove its last spike on August 7th, 1905, Sheldon and Raccoon County officially became an established location.

The site was approximately the midpoint of the railroad's mainline between Knoxville, Tennessee and Asheville, North Carolina, as well as a connection to the Erwin & Sheldon Railroad, the Sheldon, Lake Junaluska & Mount Morris Railroad, the Raccoon County Railroad, the Sheldon & Watchout Mountain Railroad, the Waynesville & Southeastern Railroad, and the Mount Watchout Railroad Companies.

Instead of creating a traditional "company" town in which the workers rented houses, the K&A sold the lots to workers or businesses for $75.00 a piece. The deeds did contain restrictive covenants which maintained that a dwelling costing in excess of $300 and approved by a K&A appointed architect be built within a year. The K&A donated lots for religious institutions such as the Sheldon Baptist Church, the Sheldon Catholic Church and School, and the Sheldon Hebrew Temple. The railroad also helped establish a YMCA in the town as well as a Sheriff's Office (with the first Sheriff being elected in the summer of 1905). In 1906, the Watchout Mountain Inn was built and soon after a hotel was built on the cliffside opened too. Because of this, the community grew quickly and by 1910 had over 1,750 residents.

On August 14th, 1919, a pendemic of Spanish Flu hit the town badly, with the town losing a third of its population.

In 1922, the infamous Watchout Mountain Inn caught fire and was burned to the ground. After that, the Cliffside Hotel was torn down when the building inspector found the building's structure was too weak. This caused the Mount Watchout Railroad to close down too.

## Demographics

Today the town's population is about 3,457, including 1,307 households and 698 families. The makeup of Sheldon is 35% caucasian, 36% African-American, 10% Native-American (Cherokee), 5% Asian, 10% Hispanic, and 4% Middle-Eastern.

## Locations in Sheldon

* **County Courthouse:** Where trials are held and county records are kept.
* **Cliffside Hotel (torn down):** This was the final stop of the narrow gauge Mount Watchout Railroad. It had 57 rooms and it was perched on the cliffside of the mountain. The hotel was known for its verandas and spectacular views of the valley below. It was torn down in 1922 when the building inspector found the building's foundation to be weak.
* **Cinema Duplex:** The local Drive-In Movie theatre located near North Ridge.
* **Dead Shiner's Curve:** Many moonshiners had wrecked and died there trying to outrun the law. This is where Christopher wrecked and Sandy Pinkerton died.
* **Galilahi Gorge**
* **Galilahi Gorge Camp Grounds**
* **Chopwell Scrap & Salvage:** The local scrapyard where many old cars and locomotives that have past their prime go to be taken apart, cut up, and then crushed. The Knoxville & Asheville Railroad has an industrial spur track there. It is run by Big Joe Chopwell.
* **Great Smoky Mountains National Park Headquarters**
* **Greens Peak:** Greens Peak is a small village located near the Greens Peak Mine. It housed all of the Mining Company's employees and miners.
* **Greens Peak Elementary School:** An Elementary School located at the village of Greens Peak.
* **Greens Peak Mine:** The Greens Peak Mine was originally a coal mine that offered employment to 48% of the townsfolk.
* **Hartford Park:** Opened in 1905 and named after the town founder.
* **Watchout Mountain Inn (abandoned):** Built in 1906 on top of Watchout Mountain, it served as a hotel and social club for the town. It had 450 rooms, 2 towers, and an impressive ballroom. The locals nicknamed it "The Castle of the Mountains". It was abandoned after it was destroyed by fire in 1922 (ironically, it was rumored to be fireproof). A local legend told by the town's elderly population says the derelict building is haunted.
* **Heavenly Pastures Cemetary:** The town's local graveyard where the local populace get buried after they pass away. Anyone of any kind of religion is allowed to be buried here.
* **Honest Bud's Car Dealership:** A local automobile dealership run by Honest Bud. You can find used and new cars for sale at reasonable prices. This is where Christopher was bought. This is where Sandy's Cadillac came from.
* **Knoxville & Asheville Railroad Sheldon Yard and Shops:** This is where the locomotives of the Knoxville & Asheville Railroad get serviced and repaired. Freight trains also stop here to drop off and pick up freight cars.
* **Lake Raccoon:** A lake located between Sheldon and Possum Hollow. It's based off of Lake Stecoah in Robbinsville, NC.
* **Long Neck Point**
* **North Carolina State Police Headquarters:** Located at Winslow Junction, near the Trailer Park and the Waffle House. This is where the NC State Police of the Sheldon Pct. are stationed.
* **North Ridge:** North Ridge is a small village that started out as a company town for the Seamus Lumber Company. It even has its own police force, overseen by County Constable Cameron Earle.
* **Possum Hollow Penitentiary:** Where convicted criminals are incarcerated. It is owned by the railroad and is paid by the state to run it.
* **Pleasant Acres:** An upper-class neighborhood on the north side of Sheldon. A lot of wealthy folks live there.
* **Sammy & Moe's Garage:** A local garage where cars are worked. It was originally run by Sammy and Moe, a couple of shady mechanics who deal in some not so honest business deals.
* **Mayor Stewart's Office:** This is where Mayor Stewart works.
* **Sheldon T.C. Hartford Memorial Hospital:** The town hospital. Opened in 1955 as part of the town's 50th-anniversary celebrations.
* **Railroad station:** Where all the trains drop off and pick up passengers and mail.
* **Railroad Hotel:** Owned by the Railroad. Where passengers in need to stay the night go to sleep and or have a meal.
* **Raccoon County Sheriff's Office:** The Headquarters of the Raccoon County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Beaudry's office is located there and so is the garage for the department's patrol cars and the town jail.
* **Raccoon County Volunteer Fire Department:** The local volunteer fire department that neighbor's the Sheriff's Department.
* **Raccoon County Public Library:** The local library.
* **Raccoon County Elementary School:** Located in town.
* **Raccoon County National Bank:** The local bank of Sheldon, North Carolina and all of the county. It was originally called the Sheldon National Bank, until 1955 when it merged with several other banks in the county to create the Raccoon County National Bank.
* **Sheldon Middle School**
* **Sheldon Union High School**
* **Sheldon Catholic Church and School**
* **Sheldon Jewish Community High School**
* **Sheldon Baptist Church**
* **Automobile Graveyard:** An old vehicle graveyard located near Westbury. You can find old trains and old cars there rotting away into oblivion.
* **Watchout Mountain:** Watchout Mountain is a small mountain community that rests on top of the mountain west of town.
* **White Lightning Ice Cream Factory:** A local Ice Cream factory owned by Mayor Stewart. It was opened when he declared the county Dry when he was re-elected in 1961. It is located near Raccoon County.
* **Winslow Junction:** A small community located west of Sheldon on the other side of Watchout Mountain. It acts as a control center for the Knoxville & Asheville Railroad to make sure the passenger and freight trains go on their seperate paths. It is also where the K&A interchanges with the Greens Peak Mining Company and the Westbury Railway Company.
* **John F. Kennedy Middle School:** Opened in 1964 and named after the deceased 35th President of the United States of America.
* **Winslow Junction High School**
* **Willy's Gas and Service:** A gas and service station located along Ridgewell Road.
* **YMCA**

## Law Enforcement

There are 3 law enforcement agencies in Sheldon. The Raccoon County Sheriff's Department, the North Carolina State Police, and the K&A Railroad Police. The Sheriff's Department headquarters are located in the town square whilst the State Police headquarters are located a few miles west in Winslow Junction, near a Gypsy trailer park and a diner. The K&A Railroad police are located at the Sheldon yard.

## Places of Education

* Raccoon County Elementary School
* Sheldon Middle School
* Sheldon Union High School
* Sheldon Catholic Church and School
* Sheldon Jewish Community High School
* Greens Peak Elementary School
* John F. Kennedy Middle School
* Winslow Junction High School

## List of Mayors and Deputy Mayors

* **Henry Trousdale (1878 - 1963):** Served from 1905 until 1925. Bob Holden as the Deputy Mayor.
* **Edward J. Hyde (1897 - 1972):** Served from 1925 until 1929. George Reagan as the Deputy Mayor.
* **Hubert Slyde (1882 - 1948):** Served from 1929 until 1934 (Impeached for embezzlement). Jon Whittiker, the Deputy Mayor, is then sworn in.
* **Jon Whittiker (1903 - 2009):** Served from 1934 until 1941. Harry Stewart as the Deputy Mayor.
* **George Reagan (1900 - 1982):** Served from 1941 until 1949. Harry Stewart originally as the Deputy Mayor until he joined the U.S. Navy. Replaced by Frank Durant.
* **Harry Stewart (1919 - 1983):** Served from 1949 until 1965. Forced to drop out of the 1965 election for corruption. Bo Marley as Deputy Mayor.
* **Bo Marley (1925 - still alive):** Served from 1965 until 1969. Dix Richardson as Deputy Mayor.
* **Dix Richardson (1913 - 2003):** Served from 1969 until 1973. Murray Clinton as Deputy Mayor. Somewhat unpopular by the younger generation.
* **Robert Holden II (1926 - still alive):** Served from 1973 until 1981. Charlene Milhouse as Deputy Mayor (first female Deputy Mayor). First African American Mayor of Sheldon.
* **Charlene Milhouse (1948 - still alive):** Served from 1981 until 1985. Burt Calloway as Deputy Mayor. First female mayor of Sheldon.
* **Jim Buchanon (1933 - 2020):** Served from 1985 until 1989. Joe Whittiker as Deputy Mayor.
* **Murray Clinton (1941 - still alive):** Served from 1989 until 2001. Manolo Rodregiz as Deputy Mayor.
* **Manolo Rodregiz (1957 - still alive):** Served from 2001 until 2009. Homer Powell as Deputy Mayor. First Latino mayor of Sheldon.
* **Clam Holbrook (1969 - still alive):** Served from 2009 until 2017. Adeel Abdalla as Deputy Mayor (first Muslim deputy mayor).
* **Donny Stromp (1978 - still alive):** Served from 2017 until 2020 (kicked out for cheating on the last election). Homer Powell as Deputy Mayor. Stromp was very unpopular and nearly brought Sheldon to its knees.
* **Adeel Abdalla (1975 - still alive):** Serving since 2020 with his wife Aabroo as his deputy. First Muslim Mayor of Sheldon. Re-elected in 2021.

## Trivia

* The fictional county Sheldon is located in, "Raccoon County", is a nod to the author's favorite 1980s Canadian cartoon, "The Raccoons".
* Sheldon is based off of the cities of Chattanooga, TN; Spencer, NC; and Robbinsville, NC.