Spring Lake, North Carolina, was incorporated on April 9, 1951, with an estimated population of 2,500; however, the area had been settled by the Scottish long before. Spring Lake was named in 1923 for a spring fed lake, which probably formed when the railroad was built about 1860. The community grew slowly until World War II. At its incorporation, the town selected the post office on Main Street as the center of town. The town limits extended only eight-tenths of a mile from its center, but increased rapidly as nearby Fort Bragg was built up. Today, Spring Lake remains a quaint town of 8,000, with its close ties to nearby Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base recognized in the town motto, Unity for Prosperity.