Why does the Brunswick County seat share the same name with a country in South America?

Cheryl M. Whitaker, Wilmington StarNews
·1 min read
The Brunswick County Courthouse is located at 310 Government Center Drive, N.E. in Bolivia.
The Brunswick County Courthouse is located at 310 Government Center Drive, N.E. in Bolivia.

When most people hear of Bolivia, they're not thinking of the Brunswick County seat Bolivia, unless they are from the state. Chances are they're thinking of Bolivia, a country in central South America.

Bolivia is a small town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, with a population of more than 160.

A referendum passed on July 19, 1975, moving the county seat from Smithville (known today as the Southport area) to Bolivia.

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The Wilmington Morning Star on July 19, 1975, previewing the vote to move the Brunswick County seat from the Southport area to Bolivia.
The Wilmington Morning Star on July 19, 1975, previewing the vote to move the Brunswick County seat from the Southport area to Bolivia.

The town of Bolivia, North Carolina, was established in the 1890s and was incorporated in 1911. There are several theories of how the town received its name. The most widespread one is during the 1880s there were so many boxes being shipped and stamped from the country named "Bolivia" in South America, that the locals adopted it as the town's name. A post office called Bolivia has been in operation since 1892.

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This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Why the Brunswick NC seat shares its name with Bolivia, South America