Waxhaw, North Carolina

Waxhaw is a town located in Union County, North Carolina. The population was 9,859 according to the 2010 Census.

Geography

Waxhaw is located at 34°55′42″N 80°44′41″W / 34.92833°N 80.74472°W / 34.92833; -80.74472 (34.928201, -80.744835). Daune Gardner is the current mayor of the Town of Waxhaw.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 11.54 square miles (29.9 km²).Waxhaw is located north of Lancaster, South Carolina and lies about twelve miles south of the Charlotte city limit.

Waxhaw is located in the historic region called the Waxhaws and named after the indigenous Native American tribe that lived there prior to colonial settlement. Waxhaw is in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, which is a wooded area with rolling hills. This region is where gold was first discovered in the United States. The Howie Gold Mine is not far from the city limits.

History

Originally called the Wysacky, the community was settled by European-Americans in the mid-eighteenth century. Most settlers were of German and Scots-Irish origin. Settlers became subsistence farmers and were known for being independent. Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, was born nearby in 1767. There is some disagreement as to which of the Carolinas was his birthplace because of the proximity of the border.