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Chartered in 1889, Four Oaks, North Carolina is located in Johnston County, on I – 95 and US 301 just about exactly halfway between New York City and Miami.
The town has retained a laid-back, relaxed atmosphere that is rooted in a rich, rural, Southern heritage. Friendly merchants, a historic downtown, and a strong community spirit have made this town of 1,800 residents a very desirable “home town”.
Four Oaks developed, like many towns in this area, as the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was being built. In fact, the town got its name from the railroad which chose this particular site as a supply depot for construction materials because of a unique landmark located about fifty feet off of the rail bed. The landmark was an unusual oak which had four trunks growing out of one base. The four oaks were easily recognized by suppliers. Legend has it that the unusual tree was the result of a hunting outing in which a local fellow treed an opossum in the top of an oak sapling. Intent on his prey, he chopped down the tree and retrieved his prize. Four shoots sprouted out from the stump and developed into full oak trees – and there you have, as Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story”.
