Asheboro, North Carolina

== History == Asheboro was named after Samuel Ashe, the ninth governor of North Carolina (1795–1798), and became the county seat of Randolph County in 1796.

Asheboro's population only began to grow significantly following its connection to railroads: the High Point, Randleman, Asheboro and Southern Railroad first served the city in ...

Asheboro emerged as a textile production center in the 20th century with the opening of the Acme Hosiery Mills in 1909.

The city's main tourist attraction, the North Carolina Zoo, opened in 1974.

=== Retail === Asheboro Mall opened in 1982.

Black & Decker Corp was one of the main employers in the mid 1990s; one of its products, the SnakeLight, sold millions after being introduced in late 1994.

The plant employed about 1,100 workers in 1998 and was one of the three biggest employers in Randolph County.

=== 2000 census === As of the census of 2000, there were 21,672 people, 8,756 households, and 5,516 families residing in the city.

Built by Goodyear and acquired by Hyosung in 2011, the plant makes wires for use in car and truck tires.

Asheboro suffered from an economic downturn in the 2000s due to a decline in its traditional manufacturing industries amid increasing competition from overseas; the national new...