Our Story

The Town of Sims, chartered in 1913, was named for the owner of W.W. Simms Co., a large lumber company located beside the Norfolk Southern Railroad. The lumber company provided growth for this small rural community, and ultimately, birth to a new town in the Old Fields Township. The Town’s prosperity was due in larger part to the surrounding agricultural production, and the railroad stop for freight exchange. In 1908 there was already a United States Post Office located in “Old Fields” and the Sims School opened in 1922 and operated until 1978. It wasn’t until 1923 that the Town was incorporated and re-named Sims.

Our town established the first gated community in Wilson County, Crystal Lake Commons. As of July 1st, 2024 the population estimate come out to 434 residents. Sims is currently home to approximately 15 businesses and rapidly growing. As subdivisions and residential lots continue to be added to the Town, an Advisory Committee has been commissioned to plan for our future and to revise land use regulations.

Small town living often evokes a sense of community, familiarity, and a slower pace of life. The atmosphere of our town is typically characterized by a strong sense of community, where people know each other and are often involved in each other's lives. Like other small towns who often have a slower, more relaxed pace compared to larger cities, with a focus on local traditions and a simpler way, so is life in Sims. The citizens of Sims are friendly, neighborly, and close-knit, with a strong sense of belonging and a connection to the local community.

Quick Timeline

• Pre-1900s — Old Fields Township is settled by farming families on land long inhabited by Tuscarora peoples; Sims develops within Wilson County’s agricultural-rail corridor. (ncpedia.org)

• 1898–1899: W. W. Simms establishes and incorporates his lumber company.

• 1908–1909 — U.S. Post Office established at “Sims,” marking a distinct community identity (first postmaster: Mark Peel). (carolana.com); Simms Siding appears as a named railroad location

• Early 1900s — W.W. Simms Co. lumber mill operates beside the railroad, catalyzing growth around the freight stop.

• 1913 — Town of Sims is chartered by the State as “Simms” (not yet fully incorporated under the current name). (wcgs.org); first mayor and commissioners appointed.

• 1922 — Sims School opens (one of three Old Fields Township schools designed that year by architect Charles C. Wilson). (ncarchitects.lib.ncsu.edu)

• 1923 — Sims is formally incorporated and re-named “Sims” (transition from the Old Fields community identity).

• 1930: Burnett’s Supply Company fire.

• 1948–1949: Sims Drug Store grand opening; Lions Club organized.

• 1924–1950s — Regional rail and highway investments strengthen access to markets; US‑264 completion (1950) improves east–west connectivity for western Wilson County communities, including Sims. (wcgs.org)

• 1953: Town commission expanded from three to five seats.

• 1978 — I‑95 completed through Wilson County, increasing regional mobility and growth pressures. (wcgs.org)

• 1979 — Sims Community Rural Fire Department (SVFD) organized as a nonprofit responder for Old Fields/Toisnot service areas. (causeiq.com)

• 1986 — Bullock‑Dew House (c. 1902), near Sims on NC‑581, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (en.wikipedia.org)

• By 2008 — Homes are being constructed in Crystal Lake Commons; later cited by the Town as Wilson County’s first gated community. (zillow.com)

• 2010s–2020s — Residential subdivisions expand; Town commissions an Advisory Committee to plan for growth and update land‑use regulations. (townofsimsnc.com)

• 2020 (revised in 2024) — Following the Census Bureau’s Count Question Resolution program, Sims’ official 2020 population is corrected to 307 (+32 from the original count), adjusting future estimates and funding baselines. (osbm.nc.gov)

• Mar 13, 2024 — Town leadership meets with Governor Cooper’s Hometown Strong team to discuss broadband, sidewalks/bike paths, community center, and economic revitalization priorities. (townofsimsnc.com)

• July 1, 2024: Certified population estimate reaches 434.

• FY 2024–25 — Board adopts a revenue‑neutral property tax rate, lowering the Town rate from $0.51 to $0.35 per $100 valuation. (townofsimsnc.com)

• 2025 — Community Center expansion advances (including an April 26 training burn on the site) and the Town updates its solicitation ordinance (Oct 13). (townofsimsnc.com)

Pre-European Contact

The original habitants of what is now Wilson County and surround areas were the people of the Tuscarora Tribe, whose range of landscapes and cultures were incredibly diverse.

Railroad Roots: From Simms Siding to Sims

• The earliest community hub was a lumber mill site along the Norfolk Southern line between Bailey and Wilson. Eastbound steam locomotives took water at Bailey; the next named locations were Neverson and Simms Siding.

• Passenger trains traveled through Simms Siding. In 1908 the fare from Simms Siding to Raleigh was $1.25. Norfolk Southern maintained a telegraph office here, though there was no depot. It is unclear whether passenger stops were routine or by signal.

• A nearby signaled stop at Neverson (about one mile west) allowed passengers to flag the train by waving a white handkerchief.

• Despite the name “Simms Siding,” historical records differ on whether any siding or spur was ever laid at the stop. A 1955 newspaper described a spur and suggested the name came from it; however, the 1909 town plat shows no spur or siding at Simms Siding.

What’s in a Name?

• 1898–1899: Stantonsburg farmer W. W. Simms acquires land and forms the W. W. Simms Lumber Company, incorporated with $25,000 in capital stock.

• “Simms Siding” becomes the recognized railroad location for loading the company’s wood products.

• 1913: The North Carolina General Assembly incorporates the town as “Simms” (dropping “Siding”). D. R. Weaver is appointed the first mayor; commissioners: J. M. Burnett, J. S. Bailey, and Nathan Peele.

• 1923: The General Assembly re‑incorporates the town as “Sims” and directs the three commissioners—J. M. Burnett, J. S. Bailey, and Eddie Nichols—to elect a mayor; they elect J. L. Hinnant. A 1962 newspaper later reported that W. H. Jones served as mayor beginning in 1923; records from the period vary, and both accounts are part of the town’s historical record.

• The spelling “Sims” gradually replaces earlier usages (“Simms,” “Simms Siding”) in official documents and publications.

Early Post Office and Civic Life

• Before the train stop, the U.S. mail stop for the area was at the home of Mark Peel, appointed postmaster on June 19, 1908.

• Successive postmasters/postmistresses included Veanie Peel (who later married Dr. W. T. Sanders) and Christopher Columbus Peel, who served when “Simms” was incorporated in 1913.

• Jennie R. Flowers became postmistress in 1919 and served through the 1923 change to “Sims.”

• As the town grew, the post office moved from private homes into a corner of Eddie Nichols’ grocery on Main Street (later a furniture store operated by Osborne Keith Howell).

Schools and Community

• By the 1923–1924 school year, Sims School (a few miles south of town) enrolled 232 students in grades 1–6, with a six‑teacher faculty.

• The original Sims Elementary School—once a landmark south of town—was demolished in later years.

• The town’s civic life included churches, civic clubs, and gathering places such as Nichols Drug Store and Peele’s entertainment hall. In 1949, residents formed a Lions Club with Sims School principal A. O. Folk as the first president.