Page:Eastern North Carolina Encyclopedia.djvu/45



Pitt County is located in the central part of Eastern North Carolina. The center of the county is about 85 miles east of Raleigh; 150 miles southwest of Norfolk, Va.; 150 miles south of Richmond, Va., and 117 miles north of Wilmington. The distance across the county east and west, north and south, is from 30 to 35 miles. The area is 401,280 acres, or 627 square miles.

The slope of the county is to the east and southeast. The highest point in the county is 121 feet on the western border just north of Fountain, while the lowest place is practically at sea level at the confluence of Tranters Creek and Tar River on the east edge of the county. The average elevation is about 61 feet. With an unusually large number of open days, Pitt County is a most delightful place in which to live. The yearly average temperature is 61 degrees and yearly average precipitation of 49.52 inches.

Wonderful strides have been made in the prevention of disease in Pitt County. The fact that our county was among the first to see the need of a health officer, and to employ one, is something of which we can be justly proud. It is this progressive, far-seeing spirit of our people, which makes Pitt a good place in which to live. We have been successful in combating malaria. Anyone seeking a home will not find a healthier place than Pitt in the eastern part of the State. Investigate Pitt and then you will locate in Pitt.

The county of Pitt has thirteen banks to serve the needs of the various sections. Figures given below cover all of the banks of the county, and show the remarkable standing of the combined financial institutions:

The steady increase in population of Pitt County since 1850 is shown by the following table:

The highway system of Pitt County is a fitting tribute to the progressive citizenship, and is attracting the attention of large distributors who specialize in motor transportation. The system embraces ninety and five-tenths miles Thirty-Nine