Hoke County (Images of America)

Hoke County is located in the Sandhills region of North Carolina between the beaches and mountains. In the beginning, the countryside was covered with magnificent pine forest. Most of the early settlers were Highland Scots who started many of the region's churches. As communities grew, families were concerned about the education of their children. The first high school, Raeford Institute, was established in 1891. The village of Raeford, now the county seat, was chartered in 1901. J. W. McLauchlin, known as the father of Hoke County, was a state senator from Cumberland County. He introduced a bill in 1911 to form Hoke County from parts of Cumberland and Robeson Counties. Today the county has two golf courses, a wind tunnel, an ethanol plant, the Carolina Horse Park, Burlington Industries, and Unilever. The Fort Bragg Military Reservation covers a large part of the county, increasing the military population. Hoke is one of the top five fastest growing counties in North Carolina due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC).