Winston-Salem North Carolina History & Facts

Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in North Carolina, the third-largest urban area in North Carolina, and the 90th most populous city in the United States. With a metropolitan population of 679,948 it is the fourth largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. Winston-Salem is home to the tallest office building in the region, 100 North Main Street, formerly known as the Wachovia Building and now known locally as the Wells Fargo Center.

In 2003, the Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point metropolitan statistical area was redefined by the OMB and separated into the two major metropolitan areas of Winston-Salem and Greensboro-High Point. The population of the Winston-Salem metropolitan area in 2020 was 679,948. The metro area covers over 2,000 square miles and spans the five counties of Forsyth, Davidson, Stokes, Davie, and Yadkin.

Winston-Salem is called the "Twin City" for its dual heritage, and "the Camel City" is a reference to the city's historic involvement in the tobacco industry related to locally based R.J. Reynolds' Camel cigarettes. Many natives of the city and North Carolina refer to the city as "Winston" in informal speech. Winston-Salem is also home to six colleges and institutions, most notably Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State University, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, which ranks as one of the best arts schools in America. In 2021, the city ranked No. 46 out of 150 cities on the "Best Places to Live" list from U.S. News & World Report. In April 2021, a study from Lendingtree's Magnify Money blog ranked Winston-Salem the second-best tech market for women.

The origin of the town of Salem dates to January 1753, when Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg, on behalf of the Moravian Church, selected a settlement site in the three forks of Muddy Creek. He called this area "die Wachau" (Latin form: Wachovia) after the ancestral estate of Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. The land, just short of 99,000 acres (400 km2), was subsequently purchased from John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville.

On November 17, 1753, the first settlers arrived at what would later become the town of Bethabara. This town, despite its rapid growth, was not designed to be the primary settlement on the tract. Some residents expanded to a nearby settlement called Bethania in 1759. Finally, lots were drawn to select among suitable sites for the location of a new town.

The town established on the chosen site was given the name of Salem (from "Shalom", meaning "Peace", after the Canaanite city mentioned in the Book of Genesis) chosen for it by the Moravians' late patron, Count Zinzendorf. On January 6, 1766, the first tree was felled for the building of Salem. Salem was a typical Moravian settlement congregation with the public buildings of the congregation grouped around a central square, today Salem Square. These included the church, a Brethren's House and a Sisters' House for the unmarried members of the Congregation, which owned all the property in town. For many years only members of the Moravian Church were permitted to live in the settlement. This practice had ended by the American Civil War. Many of the original buildings in the settlement have been restored or rebuilt and are now part of Old Salem Museums & Gardens.

Salem was incorporated as a town in December 1856.Salem Square and "God's Acre", the Moravian Graveyard, since 1772 are the site each Easter morning of the Moravian sunrise service. This service, sponsored by all the Moravian church parishes in the city, attracts thousands of worshipers each year.

Famous Peoples From Winston-Salem North Carolina

Hubbard Alexander

Hubbard Lindsay "Axe" Alexander (February 14, 1939 – August 28, 2016) was an American football coach. He won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) and two national championships at the University of Miami. He played college football at Tennessee State University.

Alexander played high school football, basketball and baseball at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem North Carolina. He earned four varsity letters in football, three in basketball and four in baseball. He was captain of the 1958 football and basketball teams his senior year while earning All-City/County and All-State honors in football. Alexander led the basketball team to the N.C.H.S.A.A. State Championship during the 1956–57 season.

Alexander played center for the Tennessee State Tigers.He lettered his freshman year, and started the next three years. He garnered All-Midwestern Conference accolades his junior and senior years. Alexander earned All-American honors his senior year. He was also a team captain three years in a row. He graduated with a degree in Health and Physical Education in 1962.

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