Is Franklinton KKK Country? (Raleigh, Durham: transplants, for sale, real estate)

[veganwriter]

I spotted a couple of nice houses and I'd like to know more about the town.
City-Data showed that some pretty good professional athletes have come from Franklinton.
I also scanned the types of crime and noted there seems to be a high number of assaults.

The two together give me the impression that perhaps guys in Franklinton are ... proud of their ability to fight? Maybe a high level of ego?

I'm only trying to get an impression of the area because I read various post by women who seemed to love the place... but nothing about how the men experience the place... especially since the mill closed.

What about drugs and alcohol?
Those two kind of rise when people have nothing but time on their hands.

How's agriculture fairing in Franklinton?
Are there any trends other than, "Business as usual"?

And would someone please speak to the comments that were posted about KKK meeting signs being posted in the area? What part of town is more active, and what influence does the Klan have in Franklinton and the area?

[bluecomet]

I have no idea why KKK has popped up as a discussion item on this forum recently. Google KKK in NC. Most recent information (2002) from WRAL Barefoot Case Shows KKK Still Alive In Areas Of N.C. :: WRAL.com indicated there were about 100 KKK members in NC. KKK is not a problem in NC.

[j-mart77]

you might want to put a link to the source of the comments about KKK signs in the area that you read about.

I've lived here for over 10 years now and have never seen a KKK sign. Of course, I've only lived in the Triangle (which is the forum your posting on). I've never been to Franklinton, and had to look it up on google maps to find out where it is --- Franklin County, which I believe is not technically even in the Triangle. Still, it's not far outside the Triangle and I can't imagine there is some sort of KKK problem there. Is there any particular reason you're looking to move there instead of somewhere within Orange, Durham, or Wake Counties?

[veganwriter]

Oh ye great goddess of the internet sometimes called, "bluecomet"... thank you for your wise information. In return... as a show of gratitude... you might have a new neighbor!

(That's right dear friend... "No good deed goes unpunished!" )

[Green Irish Eyes]

Originally Posted by j-mart77

you might want to put a link to the source of the comments about KKK signs in the area that you read about.

I've lived here for over 10 years now and have never seen a KKK sign. Of course, I've only lived in the Triangle (which is the forum your posting on). I've never been to Franklinton, and had to look it up on google maps to find out where it is --- Franklin County, which I believe is not technically even in the Triangle. Still, it's not far outside the Triangle and I can't imagine there is some sort of KKK problem there. Is there any particular reason you're looking to move there instead of somewhere within Orange, Durham, or Wake Counties?

I imagine it's this thread, posted six years ago, referencing events from the 1980's.

[tompope]

Just to be clear, veganwriter, are the houses you're looking at actually in the old town of Franklinton itself, or just in the quasi-rural boonies out around Franklinton but with a Franklinton ZIP code and mailing address? The actual town of Franklinton is quite small, really only a few blocks more or less along the railroad tracks, and not the place that typically draws a lot of transplants from elsewhere, if only because there's not a whole lot there. In the surrounding areas, though, there has been quite a bit of semi-suburban growth over the past ten or fifteen years, and there are several subdivisions and other housing with Franklinton mailing addresses that have appealed to newcomers. In either case, though, you should be reasonably safe from whatever it is that seems to haunt you. As bluecomet pointed out, the actual, literal KKK is simply too small and inconsequential in 2013 to need to be a significant concern in Franklinton or almost anywhere else. There are, of course, a handful of knuckleheads scattered everywhere who still cling to the KKK "thing" and occasionally act out, but they're so few and insignificant that the chances of anything happening around you are exceedingly remote, and not substantially less remote in Franklinton than in most places in America.

That's not to say that there aren't or couldn't be problems (including maybe even racist problems) in Franklinton or anywhere else, but again, the chances are tiny, and there's no reason why it would be any more likely in Franklinton. Franklinton is a fine place. The old town of Franklinton is, as I said, very small, but pretty nice. It has a mixture of elements of old Southern small town culture and newer modern suburbia. Being, in part, an old small town, it has a few "rough around the edges" spots, and I'm sure one could find trouble there if one tried hard enough, but overall it's perfectly decent. As with just about any other place in America these days, if you are nice to people and mind your own business and are not involved in crime or the drug trade yourself, there's no reason why you should be at any particular risk of assault or anything else there. But also, as with any other place, it would be worth taking the most obvious, basic, commonsense precautions, too, if you're concerned about crime. But Franklinton's okay. And in the suburban subdivisions out in the outskirts of Franklinton, the culture is (for better or worse) essentially indistinguishable from any other suburban sprawl development anywhere else in the country, in terms of crime or anything else.

I've never lived in Franklinton, but I've spent a good deal of time there over the years, and I see no indication that guys there like to fight especially or have a higher level of ego than anywhere else (to some extent, of course, those traits just go along with the male gender, for better or worse), but it would be interesting if that was true. Drugs and alcohol can surely be had in Franklinton, just like everywhere else in the world in the 21st century, but I've never observed a particular influence on the culture there. I suppose it is possible that something in the dynamic of the juxtaposition of the old, rural, poor-ish small town with the new, more upscale suburbs could make drugs or alcohol more of a problem there, but I think that's a stretch, and it definitely would not be (to me) a reason not to move to Franklinton. Nowadays, people who are drawn to drugs and alcohol can and do find them literally wherever you go.

I've got to say, though, that like j-mart77, I'm a but curious as to how you came to be looking at Franklinton in the first place. Your handle would suggest that you may be a vegan and/or a writer, and stereotypically the Franklinton area would not tend to be as big a draw as other parts of the Triangle, like Raleigh, Durham, or Chapel Hill/Carrboro, or even some of the more hipsterized small towns like Pittsboro or Hillsborough. But that's fine, and as I said, Franklinton is a perfectly fine place, and there's no reason why you wouldn't be perfectly happy there. It's just interesting.

In any event, best of luck with everything, and welcome (in advance) to the area!

[wizard-xyzzy]

There are isolated, tiny groups of lunatics throughout the USA, but there's no reason to worry about Franklinton or anywhere else in NC. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, one of the most aggressive groups at present is the National Socialist Movement -- which is headquartered in that bastion of southern heritage, Detroit.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by tompope

I've got to say, though, that like j-mart77, I'm a but curious as to how you came to be looking at Franklinton in the first place. Your handle would suggest that you may be a vegan and/or a writer, and stereotypically the Franklinton area would not tend to be as big a draw as other parts of the Triangle, like Raleigh, Durham, or Chapel Hill/Carrboro, or even some of the more hipsterized small towns like Pittsboro or Hillsborough.

I've watched Veganwriter post in several places over the years. He's after enough land to grow vegetables, and he likes rural isolation. He also has a very small budget.

[HungryMind]

Originally Posted by wizard-xyzzy

There are isolated, tiny groups of lunatics throughout the USA, but there's no reason to worry about Franklinton or anywhere else in NC. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, one of the most aggressive groups at present is the National Socialist Movement -- which is headquartered in that bastion of southern heritage, Detroit.

I heard someone from the SPLC say recently on a podcast that the number of white nationalist groups has increased during the last decade from under 200 groups to about 1,200 groups. And, yes, many of these are in the Midwest.

[veganwriter]

Greetings Tompope and everyone else...

No, no... I'm not attached to Franklinton ... it's just that I spotted a house for sale that was located there and was curious about it and when I pulled up the City-Data page, some information about the KKK popped up so I asked about that too.

By the way goldenage1, my "budget" has shockingly gone up and I'm currently living and traveling throughout Southeast Asia. I would return on Feb 1st, but I've been hearing about how cold this winter is and also about the "Flu Epidemic" going around ... so maybe I'll wait a month or two before coming home. (But I'm still a long way from rich.)

I've given myself the range between Richmond, Virginia (south-and-west) and the areas in, around, and north of the Triad/Triangle areas.
[list][*] I want to be just outside of a city or town. [*] I want to be close enough to drive comfortably to Home Depot or Lowes for supplies but far enough away to miss the drama. (I'm just plain burnt out on unnecessary "Drama.") [*] I love Permaculture and Hugelkulture ... and I just "need" to putz around the yard doing stuff.[*] I love to fix up a place... the house as well as gardens, trees, hedges... all of it. Lots of ideas running through my head.[*] I used to be a Military Dog Handler so I want to fence in some large dogs and maybe even give them a few goats to guard. [*] I want to raise some free-rang chickens and maybe a few turkeys... so maybe an unincorporated area or an Ag Zoned area.[*]My "Dream House" would be an older house with a basement on 2 to 5 (or more) acres. I'd LOVE it if there was some out buildings with some old "stuff" still laying around.[*] I'm a creative person and "Art" to me is everything from sculpture and writing, to a well laid-out farm and the effort one puts into painting a house. [*] I've lived in so many apartments through the years that I'd rather my neighbors be ... "down the road a piece." The world doesn't revolve around me, but I'd rather not listen to someone who has politics that are averse to humanity.[*] I am also tired of "Thug Kulture" ( ) so I don't want to listen to no, "Beats" ( ) when I'm trying to relax with a book. (So please, I hope no one personalizes my questions or comments because I'm just TIRED of both extremes of stupidity... and yes, I spent 16 years working in the Social Service trenches so I know addiction and substance abuse knows to borders nor economic barriers.)[*] I drove flatbed truck for a while--something this pin-headed typically white-collar wage slave is very proud of--so I fell in love with the Southeast. (My mother was from Mississippi and my pops was from Louisiana so I got a good taste of Southern Culture growing up because everyone in my post WWII neighborhood had parents from the South. Yes, I grew up saying, "Ma'am" and "Sir" too.)
In my mind, I want to build a sanctuary of peace and beauty to retire to. Tall fences make good neighbors. I'm friendly... but when I go home, [Mod cut: No real estate site links, please. ] is an example of what I'd love to find. Something "too nice" might be boring because it would have had everything already done to it. I need to have a reason to get up in the morning and do something. (What I read about the Farmer's Markets and other cooperative events is really a draw for me to North Carolina. I might be able to find the exact house I'm looking for in Virginia... but I might be TOO removed and remote up there.)

When I return, I'll look for a house to rent. Durham sounds pretty good to me. Then I'll drive around for some months before I seek to buy.

The Veterans shocked me and retired me early. PTSD has worn out my nerves. ((chuckle)) Hence, I don't need a job nor do I need to worry about property taxes.

I'm taking all comments and suggestions and logging them. Last summer, I spent several months in Virginia driving around investigating that beautiful state. I'm told that North Carolina is even more progressive and just as pretty. I'm not looking for much ... just a chance to wave to normal people as I slowly drive my old pickup home.

PS: Yes, I love to write ... but my waistline will contest to the fact that I USED to be a Vegan. Maybe I'll be one again one day. ((chuckle))


[Mod cut: Links to Real Estate sites are not allowed.]