The State Legislative Building it open to sightseen year around. The lint building ever constructed by any state for the exclusive use of its Legislature
wos designed by Edward Durrell Stone of New York in association with Holloway- Reeves of Roleigh. — (Photo from State Advertising Division.)
Wake County Today
Yiiri«4l. prosperous, liveable — the
brier-paleli capital county emerges
as one of \»rtli Carolina's most at¬
tractive anil promising sections — anil
the best is yet to come.
Wake Couniy today is a prosperous
county, populous, handsomely con¬
structed. versatile. It is modern in
appearance and progressive in spirit,
albeit subdued by a Icisurelincss ab¬
sorbed from its Eastern Carolina loca¬
tion.
In a capsule: it is large in area
( 864 square miles); it is the fourth
most populous county; it is first in
educational equipment; third in retail
trade; first in banking resources. It
also is a center of research, art,
archives, education, sports, politics,
government, publishing, transportation,
agriculture, distribution.
Terrain
Most North Carolinians know Wake,
but for others: It is well-drained, roll¬
ing land, usually around 350 to 400
feel in altitude. The cultivated fields
arc interspersed with forests of pine
and hardwoods, all of which have been
extensively lumbered. The climate is
about like that of the Sandhills —
moderate in winter, warm (sometimes
hot) in summer. Rainfall averages 45
inches annually.
These features and the location once
seemed ordinary enough, and ac¬
cording to its more mature rivals, defi¬
nitely inferior. Near the center of the
state. Wake lies on the fall line, where
the rivers shoaled and narrowed be¬
yond hope of navigation. When Wake
turned toward the cast, it faced the
older agricultural section of North
Carolina — the land of cotton, to¬
bacco and peanuts, peopled by a
sociable and relaxed race. On this 150-
milc slope to the sea were many other
and older communities, but Wake at
last outstripped them all in wealth,
trade and influence. Raleigh, its coun¬
ty seat, was to become not only the
political capital of North Carolina, but
also the economic capital of the coastal
plains.
Gateway
When Wake turned around, it faced
the heavily industrialized Piedmont
section, and beyond it. 195 miles away,
the resort and industrial areas of the
mountains.
Л
kind of portal between
east and west. Wake is a synthesis of
both, but has fascinating distinctions
of its own.
As Wake is the center of North
Carolina, Raleigh is the center of
Wake. Around it cluster ten towns, the
largest 4,000-souls strong. Each is
proud of its independence; neverthe¬
less as this large county fills up, the
concept of a single metropolitan unit
is beginning to appear.
To most North Carolinians. Wake
already is synonymous with Raleigh,
a city now claiming over 100.000 resi¬
dents. It is a neat city, composed
largely of well-kept homes, attractive
business places, imposing institutions.
Wake is a citadel of middle-class peo¬
ple with average "effective" incomes
of around $7,500 per family (S8.850
in Raleigh). In city and town, they
live in sections, old and new. which
often arc spacious, landscaped, appeal¬
ing to the eye.
Stabilized Income
No county's work force has more
stability. Of the 78,250 employed in
1964, over 16,000 worked for the gov-
i z
THE STATE. APRIL IS. 1965
