Place Information
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Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,159 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wilkes County. The town is located along the south bank of the Yadkin River, directly opposite the slightly larger town of North Wilkesboro. Trivia and History
Wilkesboro was the adopted home of Chang and Eng Bunker, the famous Chinese American Siamese twins who were a popular international attraction in the early years of the 19th century. Wilkesboro is also the home of Wilkes Community College, which hosts the annual MerleFest music festival. Merlefest, which is sponsored by the legendary guitar player Doc Watson, has grown into the largest bluegrass and folk music festival in the United States, attracting over 85,000 music fans each year. Wilkesboro's largest industry is the Tyson Poultry food processing plant - it is one of the largest poultry plants east of the Mississippi River. The town also hosts a number of furniture and textile factories. Wilkesboro was founded in 1800 and quickly designated as the county seat. During the American Civil War many of the town's residents remained loyal to the Union, and the town and surrounding area were nicknamed "The Old United States" by pro-Confederate citizens. In March 1865 George Stoneman, a Union Cavalry General, led a cavalry raid through the town. Tom Dula (Dooley), a Wilkes native and Confederate veteran, was arrested shortly after the war and charged with the murder of his fiancee, Laura Foster. He was kept in the county jail (now a museum), before being convicted and hanged for the murder. To this day many people believe that Dula was innocent of the crime, and his legend was popularized by the Kingston Trio, a folk music group, in the top-selling 1958 ballad "Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley". Dula's story was subsequently turned into a 1959 movie starring Michael Landon as Dula, and each summer the Wilkes Playmakers present a popular play based on the story. Zach Galifianakis, a popular stand-up comedian and actor, is a native of Wilkesboro. (Note: "Wilkesboro" is not to be confused with the city of Wilkes-Barre, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, located about 550 miles from Wilkesboro.) Research Tips
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