Turkeyfoot, North Carolina

File:Turkeyfoot Country Market.jpg

Turkeyfoot Country Market from Airplane

Turkeyfoot, North Carolina is located on the Davie County, North Carolina, and Iredell County, North Carolina, lines. Turkeyfoot is located at 36.001063°N 80.702648°W / 36.001063; -80.702648.

The Turkeyfoot community is a small region in rural North Carolina. There are significantly fewer options for recreation and employment than in larger American communities such as New York City. Despite the small size and lack of municipal services, the citizens of this community remain proud and unaffected. Local legend claims that the name of the community was derived from aerial photographs taken in the mid-twentieth century. From the air, the topography of the area resembles a turkey's foot.

The Turkeyfoot Country Market is the primary cultural center of this community. One can purchase soft drinks, alcohol, tobacco products, snacks, sandwiches, novelty T-shirts, and fishing tackle at the Turkeyfoot Country Market. The store has recently reopened after a period of time being up for sale

Another country market with more extensive offerings, Gunter's Country Store & Grill, is located a few miles away at 2328 Sandy Springs Road. Of historical note, Steve Gunter operated his store at 2107 Sandy Springs Road in the 1970s prior to relocation to 2328 Sandy Springs Road. Recreational pool is often played in the rear room of this establishment.

The Sheffield Music Hall is found at 114 Turkeyfoot Road only a few miles from Turkeyfoot in the larger Sheffield community. The Sheffield Music Hall hosts live music events every Saturday night starting at 7pm. Also available for recreational needs are the Sheffield Community Center, and to the north, the Joyner Community Center.

Services available in the nearby Sheffield community include automative repair garages, a farrier, a machine shop, landscaping services, dairy farms, digital film production services, a wooden palette production business, and accounting services. The spiritual needs of the community are met from local churches including Rock Springs Baptist Church and Sandy Springs Baptist Church.

From the mid-1970, family farming has followed the national trend of decline in Turkeyfoot. Regulations, such as acreage allotment, on tobacco farming has severely impacted acreage cultivated in tobacco once common in the mid-1970's. In the 1980's some larger farms were sold and subdivided into residential lots.

One prominent local topographical feature would be Bear Creek. It is of such local prominence that after Sandy Springs Road crosses from Iredell County to Davie County, the road name changes to Bear Creek Church Road. While not directly named after the creek, this road is named after a local church that is named after the creek. While not a navigable waterway, Bear Creek does have a bit of history associated with it. Local legend claims Daniel Boone often hunted along Bear Creek while he lived in the Forks of the Yadkin. Bear Creek is a tributary of the Yadkin River.

The residents of this community are highly independent and proud of their rural traditions. It perhaps bears noting that no major military engagements have occurred for control of this community.