Wendell Map
Wendell (pronounced 'WIN-DELL', not 'windle' as in the male name) is a town in Wake County, North Carolina United States. It is a satellite town of Raleigh, the state capital. The population was 4,247 at the 2000 census
Wendell was first settled in the 1850s when farmers in Granville County were hit with what came to be known as the Granville County Wilt. Their tobacco crops had failed and they needed to move to a location with more fertile land to plant their crops.
As the area grew, a small village began to form. The people in the area needed a name for the town. They asked their schoolteacher, M.A. Griffin, to come up with a name. In honor of Oliver Wendell Holmes, one of his favorite poets, Griffin suggested they call their town Wendell. However, the pronunciation of the town is different from the way one normally pronounces Oliver Wendell Holmes; the townspeople pronounced each syllable with emphasis, and it continues to this day.
Nearby cities include Clayton, Rolesville, Bunn, Bailey, Garner.