Bladenboro Map
Bladenboro is a town in Bladen County, North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,718.
Development around Bladenboro, a farming community also known in its earliest days for its turpentine and lumber, began to take off after a railroad was built through the area in 1859. In 1885, two brothers, R.L. Bridger and H.C. Bridger, came to Bladenboro from Little River, South Carolina, to operate a turpentine business. Soon afterwards, they became involved in the timber business and operated a cotton gin. The brothers and their descendents would have a major effect on the shaping of the town and its economy for much of the next century. Major businesses, owned and operated by members of the Bridger family and which employed many area residents, have included Bridger Corporation (a farming supply company and general store no longer in operation), Bladenboro Cotton Mills (established in 1912 and later sold to become Highland Mills), and the Bank of Bladenboro (established in 1908 and now part of First Citizens Bank).
The town of Bladenboro was incorporated in 1903.
Nearby cities include Evergreen, Elizabethtown, Lumberton, Orrum, Tar Heel.