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Charlie Rose (talk show)

2025-09-10T00:55:00Z

2600:1004:B338:270C:5DF3:A21A:9576:8F24: /* History */ italicized term of Latin origin

{{Short description|American television interview show}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Use American English|date=October 2023}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox television
| alt_name = The Charlie Rose Show
| image = Charlie Rose logo.svg
| image_upright = 0.80
| caption =
| presenter = [[Charlie Rose]]
| executive_producer = Yvette Vega<ref name="Politico2014" />
| country = United States
| language = English
| network = {{Plainlist|
* [[PBS]]
* [[Bloomberg Television]]
}}
| location = {{Plainlist|
* [[Bloomberg Television]]
* [[731 Lexington Avenue]]
* [[New York City]]
}}
| camera = [[Multi-camera]]
| company = {{Plainlist|
* [[WNET]]
* Charlie Rose, Inc.
}}
| runtime = 54–57 minutes
| first_aired = {{Start date|1991|9|30}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2017|11|17}}
| num_episodes =
}}

'''''Charlie Rose''''' (also known as '''''The Charlie Rose Show''''') is an American television interview and talk show, with [[Charlie Rose]] as executive producer, executive editor, and host. The show was [[Broadcast syndication|syndicated]] on [[PBS]] from 1991 until 2017 and is owned by Charlie Rose, Inc. Rose interviewed thinkers, writers, politicians, athletes, entertainers, businesspersons, leaders, scientists, and fellow newsmakers.

==History==
[[File:Charlie Rose 2014 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|[[Charlie Rose]], host and namesake of the show]]
The show premiered on September 30, 1991. It was formerly presented by WNET, where it first aired as a local program. The program was additionally broadcast by [[Bloomberg Television]] with a week delay, which formerly provided the show's recording facility. The set was simple, set up with an [[black box theater|all-dark surrounding space]] around an [[oak]] [[Round table (furniture)|round table]] used since the program debuted and purchased by Rose himself, along with accompanying chairs.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/charlie-rose-pbs-show-25th-anniversary-history-iconic-table-interviews/|title=Celebrating 25 years of "Charlie Rose" show and the story behind his iconic table|date=29 September 2016|work=[[CBS News]]|access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref>

Funding for the show was primarily provided by donations from various corporations and charitable foundations. The program was criticized for not disclosing their list of donors within their [[Underwriting spot|underwriting disclosure]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2009/09/25/magazines/fortune/charlie_rose.fortune/index.htm|title=Why business loves Charlie Rose|last=Kaplan|first=David A.|author-link=David A. Kaplan|date=September 28, 2009|work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|access-date=September 7, 2016}}</ref>

In 2010, Rose and co-host [[Eric Kandel]] began ''The Brain Series'', episodes featuring [[neuroscientists]] and other experts;<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/you-illuminated/201009/recap-the-charlie-rose-brain-series-episode-1 |title= A Recap of the Charlie Rose ''Brain Series'': Episode 1 | author= Joshua Gowin| work= [[Psychology Today]]| access-date= 2014-11-08}}</ref> the series was later released on DVD.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://erin.sfn.org/resources/2012/03/14/charlie-rose--the-brain-series| title= Charlie Rose: ''The Brain Series''| publisher= [[Society for Neuroscience]]| access-date= 2014-11-08| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141108101330/http://erin.sfn.org/resources/2012/03/14/charlie-rose--the-brain-series| archive-date= 2014-11-08| url-status= dead}}</ref>

On May 7, 2012, ''Charlie Rose'' began airing begin broadcasting in [[High-definition television|high definition]], with broadcasts in a [[letterboxed]] format for viewers with [[standard-definition television]] sets watching via either [[Cable television|cable]] or [[satellite television]]. The program also introduced a new set and converted its graphics package to HD.

In October 2014, a segment called "[[Al Hunt]] on the Story" was launched as a "regular feature interview"; Hunt's first interview under this banner was with Secretary of State [[John Kerry]].<ref name="Politico2014">{{cite web| url= https://www.politico.com/tipsheets/playbook/2014/10/4-days-to-midterms-halloween-edition-whos-who-of-hillaryland-meet-nov-21-in-nyc-playbook-election-contest-pick-em-by-mon-win-lunch-with-mike-and-daniel-al-hunt-segment-on-charlie-rose-212543 | title= 4 days to midterms – Halloween Edition – Who's Who of Hillaryland meet Nov. 21 in NYC – Playbook Election Contest: Pick 'em by Mon.; win lunch with Mike and Daniel – Al Hunt segment on 'Charlie Rose' |first1=Mike |last1=Allen |date= 31 October 2014| publisher= [[Politico]] | access-date= 2014-11-08| quote= Executive producer Yvette Vega emails the staff: "Albert Hunt of Bloomberg View is going to help the CR program in making it even better. We will have a regular feature interview called 'Al Hunt on the story'. [Today] launches his first interview with SoS John Kerry." |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109013216/http://www.politico.com/playbook/1014/playbook15903.html |archive-date= Nov 9, 2014 }}</ref>

The show was formerly taped at [[731 Lexington Avenue]] in [[Midtown Manhattan]], where Bloomberg Television and [[Bloomberg L.P.]] are based.<ref>[http://www.charlierose.com/about "About"], Charlie Rose.</ref>

In February 2017, the show utilized a number of guest hosts (guest hosts also filled in for Rose on ''[[CBS This Morning]]'') while Rose underwent heart surgery. Afterwards, Rose stated a planned return in March.<ref>{{cite web |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |url=http://www.vulture.com/2017/02/charlie-rose-is-taking-a-break-from-cbs-for-heart-surgery.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222113134/https://www.vulture.com/2017/02/charlie-rose-is-taking-a-break-from-cbs-for-heart-surgery.html |archive-date=22 February 2017 |title=Charlie Rose Has to Squeeze Heart Surgery Into His Schedule, But He'll Be Back on CBS in March (Charlie Rose Is Taking a Break From CBS for Heart Surgery) |first=Hunter
|last=Harris |date=8 February 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

On November 20, 2017, [[WNET]], Bloomberg Television and PBS announced the suspension of distribution of the show after former employees of Charlie Rose, Inc. alleged Rose sexually harassed them. Bloomberg Television also pulled reruns of the series within only an hour's notice. The next day, both PBS and Bloomberg cancelled distribution of the program and terminated their relationship with Rose; this ''[[de facto]]'' cancelled the show.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/eight-women-say-charlie-rose-sexually-harassed-them--with-nudity-groping-and-lewd-calls/2017/11/20/9b168de8-caec-11e7-8321-481fd63f174d_story.html |title=Eight women say Charlie Rose sexually harassed them — with nudity, groping and lewd calls |date=20 November 2017 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=20 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=PBS fires Charlie Rose after sexual misconduct accusations by staffers on his interview show|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/pbs-fires-charlie-rose-after-sexual-misconduct-accusations-by-staffers-on-his-interview-show/2017/11/21/b44591b8-ceea-11e7-a87b-47f14b73162a_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post|agency=Associated Press|access-date=21 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206215739/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/pbs-fires-charlie-rose-after-sexual-misconduct-accusations-by-staffers-on-his-interview-show/2017/11/21/b44591b8-ceea-11e7-a87b-47f14b73162a_story.html |archive-date=2017-12-06|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="nytimes20171120">{{Cite news
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/20/us/charlie-rose-women.html
|title=Charlie Rose Made Crude Sexual Advances, Women Say
|author1=Kim Barker
|author2=Eleen Garber
|date=November 21, 2017
|access-date=November 25, 2017
|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]
|edition=National
|page=A18
|issn= 0362-4331 |oclc= 1645522 }}</ref><ref name="nytimes20171122">{{Cite news
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/business/media/charlie-rose-fired-cbs.html|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214080743/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/business/media/charlie-rose-fired-cbs.html |archive-date=December 14, 2017|title=Charlie Rose Fired by CBS and PBS After Harassment Allegations|author1=John Koblin|author2=Michael M. Grynbaum|date=November 22, 2017|access-date=November 25, 2017|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|edition=National|page=A14|issn= 0362-4331 |oclc= 1645522 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-charlierose/u-s-tv-networks-fire-charlie-rose-after-sex-harassment-allegations-idUSKBN1DL2AU|title=U.S. TV networks fire Charlie Rose after sex harassment allegations|date=21 November 2017|publisher=[[Reuters]] |access-date=22 November 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> [[CNNMoney]] reported on November 29 that Rose called the show's staffers and let them know they would be paid until the end of the year and released from their contracts at the start of 2018; their access to the [[731 Lexington Avenue|Bloomberg headquarters]] where the show recorded to remove personal effects would be terminated on December 8.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/11/29/media/charlie-rose-staff/index.html|title=Charlie Rose staffers, in limbo, told they will be paid through the end of December|last=Gold|first=Hadas|author-link=Hadas Gold|date=29 November 2017|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=30 November 2017}}</ref>

On December 4, it was announced that ''[[Amanpour]]'', a [[CNN International]] interview program hosted by [[Christiane Amanpour]], would re-air on PBS as an interim replacement for ''Charlie Rose''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/12/04/media/pbs-charlie-rose-replacement/index.html|title=PBS announces 'Amanpour' as interim replacement for Charlie Rose|last=Stelter|first=Brian|author-link=Brian Stelter|date=4 December 2017|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=4 December 2017}}</ref> Rose's show was ultimately replaced by Amanpour hosting ''[[Amanpour & Company]]''.

==Show musical theme==
The ''Charlie Rose'' music theme used up until its cancelation was composed exclusively for the series by [[David Lowe (television and radio composer)|David Lowe]] and David Shapiro, the father of [[Ben Shapiro]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

==''Charlie Rose: The Week''==
''Charlie Rose: The Week'' premiered on PBS on July 19, 2013. The show was a half-hour long, consisting of interviews from recent episodes of ''Charlie Rose'', with occasional unique segments produced for the weekly broadcast. ''The Week'' replaced the cancelled series [[Need to Know (PBS)|''Need to Know'']], and occupied that show's former Friday time slot.<ref>{{cite web|last=Vyse|first=Graham|title=PBS expands ''NewsHour'' and ''Charlie Rose''|url=http://www.current.org/2013/07/pbs-expands-newshour-and-charlie-rose/|work=[[Current (newspaper)|Current]]|publisher=[[American University School of Communication]]|access-date=July 19, 2013|date=July 2, 2013}}</ref> It was cancelled by WNET and PBS on November 20, 2017, due to the sexual harassment allegations. Both also removed the show's content and archives from their websites.

==See also==
*[[List of longest-running United States television series]]
*[[List of programs broadcast by PBS]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{Official website}} (includes videos of the show)
* {{IMDb title|0270116|Charlie Rose}}
* {{YouTube|user = CharlieRose|Charlie Rose}}
[[Category:1991 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:2017 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1990s American late-night television series]]
[[Category:2000s American late-night television series]]
[[Category:2010s American late-night television series]]
[[Category:1990s American television talk shows]]
[[Category:2000s American television talk shows]]
[[Category:2010s American television talk shows]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Bloomberg L.P.]]
[[Category:PBS original programming]]
[[Category:Television shows filmed in New York City]]
[[Category:Midtown Manhattan]]

Little Nine Partners Patent

2025-09-10T00:43:05Z

2600:1004:B338:270C:5DF3:A21A:9576:8F24: Dash rather than hyphen

[[Image:Little Nine Partners Patent Lots Division 1744.jpg|thumb|right|1897 reprint of a 1744 map showing division of the Little Nine Partners Patent in Dutchess County into Lots]]
[[File:Little Nine Partners Patent 1744 Partition Dutchess County.pdf|thumb|Little Nine Partners Patent 1744 Partition Dutchess County]]

The '''Little Nine Partners Patent''' was a [[land patent]] granted in 1706 in [[Dutchess County, New York]], United States. It was the last of [[Dutchess County, New York#The Patents|fourteen patents]] granted between 1685 and 1706 which came to cover the entirety of historic Dutchess County (which until 1812 included today's [[Putnam County, New York|Putnam County]]).

The first ten, granted between 1685 and 1697, covered almost all of [[Hudson River]] shoreline in the original county, with three – [[Rombouts Patent|Rombouts]], the [[Great Nine Partners Patent|Great Nine 7Partners]], and [[Philipse Patent]]s, extending significantly inland. The eleventh, and smallest, Cuyler, 1697, was the first to contain solely inland territory, just in from the Hudson. The twelfth, and next smallest, Fauconnier, in 1703, completed the Hudson River shoreline. The last two, [[Beekman Patent|Beekman]], 1705, and the Little Nine Partners, 1706, laid claim to the remaining interior lands.

==History==
The patent was located in the northern part of the county, and comprises all or parts of the modern towns of [[Milan, New York|Milan]], [[Pine Plains (town), New York|Pine Plains]], and [[North East, New York|North East]]. Roughly triangular in shape, it was bounded on the north by [[Columbia County, New York|Columbia County]], on the south by the [[Great Nine Partners Patent]] (1697) and on the west by the [[Schuyler Patent|Schuyler]] (1686) and [[Rhinebeck Patent|Rhinebeck]] (1697) [[Land grant|patent]]s. Its eastern boundary was the area known as [[The Oblong]], a narrow strip of land along the eastern edge of Dutchess County, bordering the state of [[Connecticut]].

===Partners===
There were eight original patentees of the Little Nine Partners Patent:
* Sampson Broughton
* Rip Van Dam
* Thomas Wenham
* Roger Mompesson
* Peter Fauconier
* Augustine Graham
* Richard Sackett
* Robert Lurting

George Clarke subsequently bought a ninth share, becoming the ninth partner, but not a patentee.<ref>[http://lnphs.com/the-little-nine-partners-patent Little Nine Partners Historical Society]</ref>

===Allocation===
Although awarded in 1706, it was not until 1744 that the allocation of each of the nine partners was associated with a specific lot through a Dutchess County Court process that involved a lottery system, drawn by "two boys...under the age of sixteen."

==See also==
{{Portal|Hudson Valley}}
* [[Great Nine Partners Patent]]
* [[Rombout Patent]]
* [[Dutchess County, New York#The patents|Dutchess County land patents]]
* [[Philipse Patent]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~nylnphs/ Little Nine Partners Historical Society]
* [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nylnphs/Images/L9P_MAP.JPG Historic map]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Pre-statehood history of New York (state)]]
[[Category:History of the Thirteen Colonies]]
[[Category:1706 in the Province of New York]]

{{NewYork-stub}}

Bessemer City, North Carolina

2025-09-09T21:23:18Z

2600:1004:B338:270C:5DF3:A21A:9576:8F24: /* History */ consistent dash lengths for lifespans

{{Use American English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Bessemer City, North Carolina
|settlement_type = [[City]]
|nickname = City with a Heart
|motto =


|image_skyline = NC161-NC274-Bessemer City.jpg
|imagesize =
|image_caption = Directional signs of [[North Carolina Highway 274|NC 274]], at the end of [[North Carolina Highway 161|NC 161]], in Bessemer City

|image_flag =
|image_seal =


|image_map = NCMap-doton-BessemerCity.PNG
|mapsize = 250px
|map_caption = Location of Bessemer City, North Carolina
|image_map1 =
|mapsize1 =
|map_caption1 =

|subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in North Carolina|County]]
|subdivision_name = {{USA}}
|subdivision_name1 = {{flag|North Carolina}}
|subdivision_name2 = [[Gaston County, North Carolina|Gaston]]
|government_footnotes =
|government_type = Council-Manager
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name = Becky Smith
|leader_title1 =
|leader_name1 =
|established_title = Incorporated
|established_date = March 6, 1893

|unit_pref = Imperial
|area_footnotes = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude =
|area_total_km2 = 13.63
|area_land_km2 = 13.53
|area_water_km2 = 0.10
|area_total_sq_mi = 5.26
|area_land_sq_mi = 5.22
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.04


|population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes =
|population_total = 5428
|population_density_km2 = 401.08
|population_density_sq_mi = 1038.85


|timezone = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset = -5
|timezone_DST = EDT
|utc_offset_DST = -4
|elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft = 902
|coordinates = {{coord|35|17|03|N|81|16|58|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code = 28016
|area_code = [[Area code 704|704]]
|blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info = 37-05220<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website |archive-date=December 27, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info = 2403865<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2403865}}</ref>
|website = {{URL|www.bessemercity.com}}
|footnotes =
|pop_est_as_of =
|pop_est_footnotes =
|population_est =
}}
'''Bessemer City''' is a small [[Suburb|suburban city]] in [[Gaston County, North Carolina]], United States. The population is 5,340 (as of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]]).<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3705220| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210215801/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3705220| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 10, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Bessemer City city, North Carolina| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=March 26, 2013}}</ref> The city is approximately {{convert|6|mi|0}} northwest of [[Gastonia, North Carolina|Gastonia]] and {{convert|25|mi}} west of [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]]. It was settled in 1756 and founded in 1893.

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|12.5|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|12.4|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.1|km2|order=flip}}, or 0.78%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010" /> The elevation at city hall is {{convert|904|ft|m}} above sea level.

==History==

Bessemer City is named for Sir [[Henry Bessemer]] who created the [[Bessemer process]] for smelting iron. Bessemer City was founded on land purchased from the Ormand family, near the Sloan-Washington-Ormand Iron Furnace, but the Bessemer Process made Bessemer City's early iron smelting industry obsolete.

The earliest European settlement in the Bessemer City area dates to 1754, when King [[George II of Great Britain]] granted about {{convert|2000|acre|sqkm}} to James Ormand (1716–1771), who established the Ormand Mining Company to extract iron ore. By 1786, a furnace had been built on the land, called the Washington Furnace after the family of Colonel John C. Washington. The Old Ormand Furnace was used to process most of the iron ore that was mined in the area and today is one of the oldest remaining furnaces in the country.<ref name="NCHistory">[http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/83/entry North Carolina History Project: Bessemer City] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623144000/https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/bessemer-city/ |date=June 23, 2022 }}, based on Charllotte Crawford, Hilda Gunst, Enid Kiefer, and Elizabeth Thornburg, eds., Centennial 1893-1993: Bessemer City, North Carolina (Charlotte, 1993). Retrieved on 2008-07-12</ref> Despite a local tale that cannonballs were made during the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], there is no proof the furnace was built that early. The furnace was sold and later bought back by the family of Zenas Stanhope Ormand (b. July 12, 1802 – d. July 28, 1878). The furnace made iron implements and other products for local and statewide use and was in operation until the mid-19th century (when the Bessemer process made small furnace operations uneconomical). The "Old Furnace" is still owned by the Ormand Family Foundation, and the site is used as a gathering place for the Ormand, Ormond Family Reunion, one of the oldest family reunions in America, held annually since 1897.

During the late 1840s, corn and cotton were the region's two main crops. [[Whiskey]] production was also profitable. Gaston County had more licensed whiskey distilleries than any county in North Carolina.<ref name="NCHistory" />

In 1871, the Atlanta & Charlotte Division of the Richmond & Danville Railroad Company built through Gaston County. Laying the track through Whetstone Mountain, located west of modern-day Bessemer City, was considered a great engineering accomplishment.<ref name="NCHistory" /> John Wooten built a general store next to the railroad on the site of present-day Bessemer City and called the store and depot "Wooten's Station".<ref>Piper Peters Aheron. Images of America: Gastonia and Gaston County North Carolina. Arcadia Publishing, 2001 ({{ISBN|0-7385-0673-7}})</ref>

In 1891, John Askew Smith, previously of [[Reidsville, North Carolina]], moved with his wife Fannie and brother-in-law, John A. Pinchback, to Gaston County. Smith purchased {{convert|1700|acre|km2}} and wanted to establish a town to the east of Whetstone Mountain. By 1893, Smith and other residents petitioned the North Carolina legislature to incorporate the town. On March 6, 1893, Bessemer City was officially chartered. Smith hired W. R. Richardson, an engineer from [[Guilford County, North Carolina|Guilford County]], to lay out the town.<ref name="NCHistory" /> In 1896 Smith built the first luxurious home in the area he named "Long View" where he lived with his wife for nearly 20 years. This house still stands in pristine condition, and the Mitchell family has taken up its stewardship. Smith's "Highacre" house, built in the early 20th century, is now occupied by the Eury family.

The population of Bessemer City at the time of its charter was very small, with only a few families, but by 1900 it had grown to between 500 and 600 people. In 1895, Stonewall Jackson Durham and John M. Odell incorporated Southern Cotton Mills and as their first venture completed and opened the failed Smith/Pinchback Mill. A series of textile mills opened by Smith and Pinchback; Durham and Odell; Frank, Robert and Max Goldberg; as well as the Ragan Spinning Company, gave Bessemer City its industrial foundation.<ref>[http://www.bessemercity.com/history.html History of Bessemer City] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723125852/http://www.bessemercity.com/history.html |date=July 23, 2008 }}, Bessemer City official city government website. Retrieved on 2008-07-12</ref>

In 1929 Textile mill striker and songwriter [[Ella Mae Wiggins]], 29, the mother of nine, was killed when local vigilantes, thugs and a sheriff's deputy force the pickup truck in which she was riding off the road and begin shooting.

A native of [[Sevierville, Tennessee|Sevierville]], [[Tennessee]], Wiggins by 1926 settled in Gaston County, N.C., living in an [[African-American neighborhood]] outside Bessemer City known as Stumptown. Her neighbors would look after her children as she worked as a spinner at American Mill No. 2. According to an article published online by the [[North Carolina Museum of History]], "she worked twelve-hour days, six days a week, earning about nine dollars a week."She became a bookkeeper for the union, which was Communist run, and traveled to [[Washington, D.C.]], to testify about labor practices in the South. She also told her story: "I’m the mother of nine. Four died with the [[whooping cough]], all at once. I was working nights, I asked the super to put me on days, so’s I could tend ‘em when they had their bad spells. But he wouldn't. I don’t know why. ... So I had to quit, and then there wasn't no money for medicine, and they just died." She also sang her ballads, including her best-known song, "A Mill Mother’s Lament," which has been recorded by Pete Seeger, among others. Wiggins believed in organizing African-Americans along with whites, and in a close vote, her local NTWU branch voted to admit African-Americans to the union.

On September 14, 1929, she and other union members drove to a union meeting in Gastonia. They were met by an armed mob, and turned back. They had driven about five miles toward home when they were stopped by a car; armed men jumped out and began shooting. Wiggins was shot in the chest and killed. Her five children were sent to live in orphanages. Five Loray Mill employees were charged in Wiggins's murder but were acquitted after less than 30 minutes of deliberation in a trial in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] in March 1930 despite the fact that the crime was committed in daylight and more than 50 people witnessed it. She was buried in the Bessemer City Cemetery on North 12th St. Hers is one of the biggest markers there, after being expanded by the [[AFL–CIO]] in 1979 to include a marker inscribed, "She died carrying the torch of social justice."

An historic Supreme Court case on sexism originated in Bessemer City in 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=470&invol=564|title=FindLaw - Cases and Codes|work=findlaw.com|access-date=26 February 2015|archive-date=March 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312192110/http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=470&invol=564|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Anderson v. Bessemer City]]'' was a case involving a woman who sued the city after applying for a position and then not being chosen based solely on the fact that she was a woman. The Supreme Court found that discrimination was present in the decision. The factors that Phyllis Anderson showed the court to demonstrate that the hiring committee were sexists, because 1) Ms. Anderson was better qualified, 2) Testimony from one of the committee members that he thought the position would be "real hard" for a woman and that he wouldn't want his wife to perform such duties, 3) Ms. Anderson alone among the applicants was asked whether she realized that the job would involve night work and travel and whether her husband approved of her applying for the job, and 4) The reasons offered by the all-male hiring committee as to why they hired a less qualified man were pretextual.

The [[Bessemer City Downtown Historic District]] and [[Central School (Bessemer City, North Carolina)|Central School]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/weekly-list-2014-national-register-of-historic-places.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=2014-05-30|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 5/29/14 through 5/23/14|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>

==Government of Bessemer City==
Bessemer City operates a [[Council-Manager]] type of government. The [[City Council]] consists of six members elected from single member [[ward (electoral subdivision)|wards]], and the [[Mayor]]. The Mayor serves as ex-officio chair of the council. The Council and Mayor are elected every two years with no term limits. The current mayor of Bessemer City is Becky S. Smith.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 68
|1900= 1100
|1910= 1529
|1920= 2176
|1930= 3739
|1940= 3567
|1950= 3961
|1960= 4017
|1970= 4991
|1980= 4787
|1990= 4698
|2000= 5119
|2010= 5340
|2020= 5428
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015|archive-date=April 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426102944/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Bessemer City racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3705220&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-20|website=data.census.gov|archive-date=June 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623143958/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3705220&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|url-status=live}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 3,915
| 72.13%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 855
| 15.75%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 29
| 0.53%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 30
| 0.55%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 249
| 4.59%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 350
| 6.45%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 5,428 people, 1,994 households, and 1,363 families residing in the city.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 5,119 people, 2,009 households, and 1,436 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,205.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,149 housing units at an average density of {{convert|506.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 83.49% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 13.42% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.31% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.59% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.04% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.15% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.50% of the population.

Ancestries:
* United States, 21.4%
* German, 8.7%
* Irish, 7.8%
* English 5.6%
* Scots-Irish, 2.0%
* Dutch, 1.7%

For population 25 years and over in Bessemer City:
* High school or higher: 68.6%
* Bachelor's degree or higher: 7.7%
* Graduate or professional degree: 2.4%
* Unemployed: 7.0%
* Mean travel time to work: 24.5 minutes

There were 2,009 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,826, and the median income for a family was $39,759. Males had a median income of $31,357 versus $23,133 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $15,971. About 8.8% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

==Business and industry==

One of the largest industries in Bessemer City is [https://web.archive.org/web/20151011140934/http://www.fmclithium.com/ FMC Lithium, Inc.], which operates out of [[Bessemer City mine|Bessemer City Operations mine]] and is one of the largest producers of [[lithium]] in the world.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mills|first=Richard|title=Talison - World's Only Pure Lithium Producer|url=http://www.resourceinvestor.com/2011/02/25/talison-worlds-only-pure-lithium-producer|work=Resource Investor: News That Trades|access-date=2 July 2013|archive-date=December 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224185441/http://www.resourceinvestor.com/2011/02/25/talison-worlds-only-pure-lithium-producer|url-status=live}}</ref> Lithium is used in many products including pharmaceuticals, batteries, ceramics, and construction products. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080712213406/http://www.ads-pipe.com/en/index.asp Advanced Drainage Systems], the largest [[polyethylene]] pipe and fittings manufacturer in the country, operates a {{convert|50000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} facility in Bessemer City employing 100 people. Other manufacturers include [[Hunter Douglas]] (Designer Shades Division) and Dole. There is also still some agriculture in the form of Kiser's Dairy Farm, among others. In 2008, Kiser's dairy was converted into a farm for raising [[American Angus|Angus]] beef cattle. Melvin Kiser is a descendant of one of the founding families of Bessemer City and he has about 200 animals.<ref>[http://www.bessemercity.com/businessecono.html Bessemer City Business and Economic Development] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723125531/http://www.bessemercity.com/businessecono.html |date=July 23, 2008 }}. Retrieved 2008-07-12.</ref>

==Education==
The following schools serve the Bessemer City area and are part of the [[Gaston County Schools]] system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us|title=Gaston County Schools / Homepage|work=gaston.k12.nc.us|access-date=26 February 2015|archive-date=March 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331133340/http://gaston.k12.nc.us/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Bessemer City Primary School (Grades: K - 2)<ref>[http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/schools/bcprimary/Pages/welcome.aspx Bessemer City Primary School] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201231830/http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/schools/bcprimary/Pages/welcome.aspx |date=February 1, 2014 }}</ref>
* Bessemer City Central Elementary School (Grades: 3 - 5)<ref>[http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/schools/bccentral/Pages/welcome.aspx Bessemer City Central Elementary School] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201231837/http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/schools/bccentral/Pages/welcome.aspx |date=February 1, 2014 }}</ref>
* Bessemer City Middle School (Grades: 6 - 8)<ref>[http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/schools/bcmiddle/Pages/default.aspx Bessemer City Middle School] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201231834/http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/schools/bcmiddle/Pages/default.aspx |date=February 1, 2014 }}</ref>
* Bessemer City High School (Grades: 9 - 12)<ref>[http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/schools/bchigh/Pages/welcome.aspx Bessemer City High School] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201231839/http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/schools/bchigh/Pages/welcome.aspx |date=February 1, 2014 }}</ref>

The Bessemer City Branch of the Gaston County Public Library serves this community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gastonlibrary.org/index.cfm/about-us/locations-and-hours/bessemer-city-branch/|title=Bessemer City Branch - Gaston County Public Library|work=gastonlibrary.org|access-date=26 February 2015|archive-date=February 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201150622/http://gastonlibrary.org/index.cfm/about-us/locations-and-hours/bessemer-city-branch/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notable people==

* [[Phil Crosby (American football)|Phil Crosby]], retired professional [[American football|football]] player with the [[Buffalo Bills]] of the [[NFL]]
* [[James Ijames]], 2022 [[Pulitzer Prize for Drama]] winning playwright of [[Fat Ham]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gastongazette.com/story/news/2022/05/16/bessemer-city-native-wins-pulitzer-prize-drama-fat-ham-north-carolina-barbecue-hamlet-james-ijames/9793388002/ |title=Bessemer City native wins Pulitzer Prize for drama set at NC barbecue |website=Gaston Gazette | access-date=June 27, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Kevin Millwood]], professional baseball player{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}}
* [[Jimmy Wayne]], country singer and songwriter, graduated from Bessemer City High School
* [[Ella May Wiggins]], martyr of the 1929 Loray Mill Strike, lived in the Stumptown section of Bessemer City.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.bessemercity.com/ Bessemer City official website]

{{Charlotte/Metrolina}}
{{Gaston County, North Carolina}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Cities in Gaston County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1756]]
[[Category:1756 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies]]