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is a town in in southern Cabarrus County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it lies in the region known as the Piedmont. The name of the town is derived from its location approximately one-half way between Charlotte and Oakboro on the railroad line. As the town was not yet incorporated at the time of the 2000 census, it was not listed then, but 2006 Census Bureau estimates give the town's population as 2,978.
Visitors and new residents to the area are often surprised to learn the local pronunciation of the town's name. In local parlance, "Midland" is pronounced as a spondee, with nearly equal verbal emphasis on both first and last syllables. Other Midlands around the country, including those in Texas and Michigan, are generally pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable. While Midlanders may refer to "MID-lind," Texas, they themselves live in "MID-LAND," North Carolina.
US Hwy 601 and NC 24/27 are the major highways. At this writing (January 2007) there is one traffic signal in the town at the intersection of Hwy. 601 and State Road 24/27, which is north of Midland proper and was once known locally as "Hell's Half Acre." The U.S. Postal Service has maintained a post office in Midland for many years (Zip code 28107), and rural mail routes extend from Midland into portions of four counties.
Midland began as a railroad town about 1913 with the arrival of rail service. The town is now incorporated, as of 2000. Prior to Midland's becoming a railroad village, a community named Garmon existed in the area and appears on an 1864 map of North Carolina.
Formerly, the economy of Midland was essentially agricultural with some textile-related manufacturing jobs. With the growth of Charlotte, N.C. to the west, farming has played a decreasing role in the economic life of the town. Increasingly, Midland has become a bedroom community for those commuting to work in nearby Charlotte and Concord. For many years, there were very few "outsiders" moving to Midland, but over the past two decades, many people with no familial roots in the area have settled there. New residents are attracted to the area for its lower taxes, less expensive housing and real estate prices, and a more rural flavor than that which is to be found in Charlotte or the surrounding larger communities.
The Reed Gold Mine, site of the first discovery of gold in the United States, is located east of the town. The Reed Gold Mine is now an historic site under State management and is open to the public. Visitors to the mine can tour a museum with extensive information and displays on North Carolina gold mining, and can walk through several hundred feet of mine tunnels. The area was an important gold mining center in the 19th century; however, gold mining activity in the region predates the founding of Midland.