USA > North Carolina > Mecklenburg County > Charlotte > Charlotte in picture and prose : an historical and descriptive sketch of Charlotte, North Carolina > Part 2
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Pines and Cedars near Elizabeth College
and caused Cornwallis to dub the brave little town "The Hornet's Nest," which historic appellation it still retains. The battle of King's Mountain, only thirty-three miles distant, occurred on Oc- tober 7th of the same year, and was an overwhelming defeat for the men under the command of Major Ferguson, a favorite officer of Cornwallis. He at once resolved to take his departure, declaring
City Hall
Mecklenburg to be "the most rebellious and ill-disposed county in all America." On October 12th, the British resumed the line of march, leaving behind many spoils collected on foraging tours. Davie and Davidson followed closely for a time and captured a part of the enemy's baggage. Charlotte was not again molested by the British ; the men of Mecklenburg had proven their ability to cope with the enemy, and throughout the war they rendered effective
Elizabeth Avenue
Elizabeth College
assistance to the American cause and upheld most ardently the prin- ciples of independence.
When peace again reigned in the land, Charlotte having laid aside the habiliments of war, resumed the life of quietude and industry which it had formerly maintained. At this time, although number- ing less than three hundred inhabitants, it was nevertheless a place of much importance. Here the people of the surrounding country came to sell or exchange farm produce; and to obtain the necessi- ties of life, which in that day were deemed few in number, as living was on a very frugal basis. Here, also, they came to receive the infrequent and irregular mails ; or occasionally, from some traveler,
Presbyterian College
to obtain tidings from the outside world. A time of great interest was the convening of the county court. The county was divided into militia districts, and assemblies met in the districts, sep- parately, or at Charlotte, when the entire county would be repre- sented. These muster days, as they were termed, were held for the purpose of discussing political questions of the day, but were also seasons of general social intercourse ; as local newspapers had not then been instituted, gatherings of this kind served in a measure for the dissemination of news. Public meetings afforded the prin- cipal diversion for the men of this period, but the women and chil- dren remained closely at home and knew little of social pleasures.
Charlotte in these early days, when the absence of railroads and telegraph made difficult all communication with the outside world, was not, however, entirely cut off from other sections of the country. Trips, on horseback or by private conveyance, were made to Charles- ton, Philadelphia, and other distant points, from which the trav- elers returned bringing stores of purchases, and also newspapers or other publications available. Until the introduction of the railroad, the stage-coach was the usual method of travel, and its coming was
heralded by the blowing of a horn by the driver-a signal for the gathering of a crowd about the tavern door, and a forewarning that the monotony of village life was, for a short while, to be broken by the arrival of the stage-coach with its passengers. Petersburg, Fayetteville, Charleston, Camden, and Cheraw were favorite places for trading, the goods being hauled by wagons to Charlotte from these points.
Closely following the establishment of homes in this new land was the building of school-houses and churches. Religious and indus- trial training was considered of chief importance, and all instruc- tion was of a practical nature ; necessary school books were difficult to obtain, so the elementary branches were principally taught ; occasionally the children of affluent parents were sent North to be educated. In January, 1771, a bill was passed by the Assembly of North Carolina, establishing and endowing in Charlotte a college to meet the increasing need for more advanced learning than was
A
South Graded School
then supplied by the schools of the state. This institution, chartered by the King, was called Queen's College, and opened under most encouraging auspices. Owing, however, to dissensions in the country at this time, the charter was disallowed by the King in 1773. The people, being anxious to have in their midst a high grade school, con- tinued the institution without a charter, under the name of Queen's Museum. In 1777 other changes were made, the school being incor- porated as Liberty Hall Academy. With the invasion of Cornwallis, the academy was compelled to suspend, and was not again opened. The site on which it stood is now occupied by the court-house.
On May 25, 1791, there was entertained in Charlotte a distin- guished guest, General George Washington, who being on a tour through the South, stopped to visit the little town which won such a notable reputation for bravery in Revolutionary days.
Owing to its settlement chiefly by the Scotch-Irish, Charlotte has always been known as a stronghold of Presbyterianism, though churches of many other denominations flourish. Among the min- isters of the Presbyterian faith who exerted great influence throughout this section during its forma- tive period was the Rev. Alexander Craighead, who in the year 1759 be- gan his pastorate at Rocky River and Sugar Creek churches. There being at that time no church in the town, the people worshipped at Sugar Creek Church. Mr Craighead was a man of fearless and in- trepid spirit, of unflinch- Carnegie Library ing principles, and im- bued with great patriotic zeal. His influence in guiding the people aright at a time when the country's fate was wavering cannot be overestimated.
Residence on South Tryon Street (Under one of these large oaks Aaron Burr and guards are said to have rested while en route to Richmond)
In 1792 the local officers of Charlotte first took the oath of alle- giance to the Federal Government; shortly afterwards a United States post-office was established, and the village began to assume the semblance of a town. The wealthiest class of people, however, resided in the country, and their large estates were cultivated by slaves.
Tidings of renewed difficulties with the British Government in 1812 aroused again the spirit of patriotism in Mecklenburg; five companies were sent to join the United States forces and served until peace was restored.
Phifer Avenue
An epoch in town history was reached when the first local news- paper made its appearance in 1824, edited by Thomas J. Holton, under the name of "The North Carolina Whig"; later it was changed to "The Charlotte Journal."
One company from Charlotte participated in the Mexican war ; Captain Green W. Caldwell was in command. From April, 1847 this company served until mustered out at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., July 31, 1848.
On October 21, 1852, the first passenger train entered Charlotte amid cheers from an enthusiastic throng ; this event marked a new era in the development of the town and added materially to its growth.
In the war between the States, 1861-65, soldiers from Charlotte and Mecklenburg were among the first to volunteer for the Con-
Views of Myers Park and Providence Road
Views of Myers Park and Providence Road
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federate cause, participating in the battle of Bethel, June 6, 1861. During the four years of the war, the town and county furnished twenty-one companies, or, with recruits, 2,713 soldiers. They sus- tained most worthily a reputation for valor throughout the war. Among those that
won distinction were Lieut-Gen- eral D. H. Hill. Brig .- General Jas. Lane, Brig .- Gen- eral Rufus Bar-
ringer, Col. C. C.
Lee, Col. John A. Young, Col. Edwin A. Osborne, Col. John E. Brown.
Col. McKinney,
Col. W. A. Owens.
Col. J. T. Taylor,
Major Thomas
McG. Smith and
Major Egbert
Ross. Charlotte,
although spared
The Charlotte Drum Corps
many of the hor-
rors of war, and terrible destruction visited upon other sections of the country, suffered keenly from the effects of this fratricidal conflict, and many homes were darkened by the loss of those who had gone forth to battle for their country's rights. While the 'men were fighting at the front, the women banded together, and with untiring labor furnished garments and needed supplies of every kind, adding no little to the physical comfort of the soldiers, and by their loyal and patriotic spirit giving inspiration and encouragement President Jefferson Davis and the Confederate Cab- inet, accompanied by a thousand cavalrymen, had just reached Char- lotte on the 15th of April, 1865, when a telegram announcing the assassination of President Lincoln was handed President Davis. The Confederate officials remained for several days awaiting further de- velopments in this crucial period. On the 20th of April the last meet- ing of the Confederate Cabinet, before it permanently dissolved, was held at the home of Mr. William Phifer, on North Tryon Street. This historic residence is now the property of Col. William E. Holt.
During the war it was considered advisable to remove the Con- federate navy yard from Norfolk, Virginia, to a place of greater safety. No point on the coast seeming to be sufficiently protected, Charlotte was selected as being far enough inland to be comparatively safe, and the navy yard was accordingly moved here. It was used, however, chiefly for the making of cannon balls, repairing of guns, etc. The Mint building served as headquarters for the naval offi-
cers. Some of the former employes of the navy yard are among the residents of Charlotte at the present time.
Among the prominent men who chose Charlotte as their home after the war were Brig .- General R. D. Drayton, Brig .- General R. D. Johnston, and Col. Hamilton C. Jones. A noted citizen and prominent lawyer of the town for several years was Zebulon Baird Vance, North Carolina's distinguished war-governor, who later served for fifteen years in the United States Senate. One of the most honored residents to-day is Mrs. Stonewall Jackson, who is esteemed not only for the name she bears, but also for her own true worth and charming personality.
The period of reconstruction was to this section, as elsewhere throughout the South, a season of gloom and depression-of unset- tled conditions and re-adjustment to a changed state of affairs. Over those unhappy years we would draw the veil of silence-their gloom has left a shadow on history's page which the passing of time cannot dispel. In 1870 the population of the town, including suburbs, num- bered about five thousand people. Stunned for a while by the great blow which had fallen so heavily upon the South, Charlotte remained apparently, at a stand-still, except for the dull routine of business. With the freeing of the slaves it was evident that a great change must take place throughout a country distinctively agricultural, and depending largely upon slaves for cultivation. By degrees, however,
View of South Tryon Street
recuperative power began to assert itself: the town commenced to turn attention to manufacturing interests, and henceforth a new life began to throb. Prior to the Revolutionary war a rifle factory had been established, and was one of three such factories in the United States; but not until the latter half of the toth century were there many manufacturing establishments to be found in
1
A Country Road
this vicinity. In 1881 the first cotton mill was built in the town; it was owned by the Messrs. Oates and was called the Charlotte Cotton Mill. To-day this city is the recognized center of the great cotton-mill district of the South. Within a radius of one hundred miles of Charlotte there are more than three hundred cotton mills, containing over one-half the spindles and looms in the South. These mills represent approximately a capital of $130,000,000 and operate about four million spindles and 100,000 looms. In Charlotte and in its suburbs there are twenty cotton mills and three cotton-seed mills. : The cotton-seed oil industry has developed largely, not only in the manufacture of oil for varied purposes, but of the meal for fertilizers, and the meal and hull for cattle food. As a supplementary food-product, cotton-seed oil finds ready sale, and is shipped to the North and West, as well as to foreign coun-
The Vance Residence At one time the home of Zebulon Baird Vance, Governor of North Carolina and U. S. Senator
tries. The manufacture of cotton into yarns and cloth represent a large amount of capital annually. Instead of selling raw cotton at six or seven cents per pound, as formerly, it has risen in value, through manufacture into salable goods, to many times that amount, China and other foreign countries being among the consumers.
For years an obstacle to manufacturing interests in the South was the lack of mechanical knowledge; by degrees this want is being supplied and has opened a large ficld of industry to young men. Charlotte is now independent in regard to the establishment of cotton-mills from the fact that without outside assistance, a cotton- mill can be designed, built, cquipped throughout, and put in operation while the cotton is growing at its door. While the manufacture of cotton is the leading industry there are other enterprises which
Independence Park
are aiding very materially in the industrial progress of the community. A number of machine shops are occupied in the construction of all kinds of machinery necessary for preparing cotton for the market, cotton-seed oil machinery, cotton mill machinery, and mining machinery. The Mecklenburg Iron Works and the Liddell Company are the oldest industries of this kind in Charlotte. The machine shops of the D. A. Tompkins Company are widely known as a most successful plant for the manufacture of machinery. Sev- eral large supply houses also find an active field for furnishing sup- . plies to the manufacturer. Among flourishing industries are clothing factories which give employment to many hundreds of people. A diversity of minor enterprises adds to the city's increasing wealth and progressiveness. A marked expansion of the banking business
Home of Mrs. Stonewall Jackson
gives unmistakable evidence of prosperity. Four National Banks, several State Banks, Trust Companies, and Building and Loan As- sociations, are on a sound basis, and proclaim the increasing strength of Charlotte's business interests. The Charlotte Consolidated Con- struction Company owns the electric car plant and is constantly ex- tending its lines in every direction, adding greatly to the upbuild- ing of the city, and especially the suburban development. This com- pany also furnishes gas and electricity for lighting purposes. More recent organizations are the Southern Power Company and the Catawba Power Company, which are developing the water power of the Catawba river. The Catawba Power Company furnishes electricity for lighting the streets of Charlotte. Both of these
companies own valuable water sites on the Catawba river, and the development of this magnificent water power and its distribution through the Piedmont region mean untold possibilities for this sec- tion of North Carolina. Mr. D. A. Tompkins, of Charlotte, who is thoroughly conversant with the manufacturing interests and elec- trical development of the South, has made a careful estimate of the water power available within sixty miles of Charlotte. Giving a map showing the main streams and tributaries within this distance, Mr. Tompkins says : "Any estimate in figures based upon the cubic feet of water and the fall, makes 1,000,000 horse power very conserv- ative as being available within sixty miles of Charlotte. The number of spindles which 1,000,000 horse power would run would vary ac- cording to the fineness or coarseness of the yarns. Taking the aver- age of what is already being made in this territory, 1,000,000 would run 30,000,000 spindles and 1,000,000 looms. In other words the water power available within sixty miles of Charlotte has been made by the introduction of electrical development available to be economi- cally used to run as many spindles as are in all England."
Charlotte occupies a central location in the mining district of the Piedmont region, and since the latter part of the 18th century gold mining has been carried on in the neighboring localities with oft- times much success. In 1835 the Charlotte Mint, a branch of the United States Mint at Philadelphia, was established, and in Decem- ber, 1837, opened for business. Fifty thousand dollars was appro- priated by the government for the site and building. On July 27, 1844, the Mint was burned; after some months an appropriation of $35,000.00 was obtained, a new building erected, and the necessary
Scene in Wilmoore Woodland
"Heathcote." at Piedmont Park
machinery purchased. On the secession of North Carolina, May 20, 1861, operations at the Mint ceased, and the building was used by the Confederate authorities during the war. The total coinage of gold from 1838 to 1861 amounted to $5,059,188.00. At the close of the war the Mint was seized by Federal forces, and occupied by their officials until the summer of 1867; during that year it was re- opened as an assay office, and as such is continued at the present time.
The Gold Bullion deposited at the U. S. Assay Office in Charlotte, N. C., during the five years ended July 1, 1906, amounted to $1,233,147.58 The amount of Silver Bullion contained in above de-
posit of Gold, same period 3,834.06
Total $1,236,981.64
St. Catherine's and the Rudisill gold mines near the city are the largest mines in operation in this vicinity. The large patronage which the Mint has received, both for the coinage of gold and later only for the assaying of the metal, is evidence that Charlotte was judiciously selected for this purpose. In the Mint may be seen a large and valuable collection of North Carolina stones, many speci- mens being rare and beautiful.
An important factor in the development and material progress of Charlotte has been the good roads for which Mecklenburg county is
" Kilmichael " A Country Road
far-famed. Radiating from Charlotte as a center, these splendid ma- cadam highways extend in all directions through the county, render- ing travel easy and comfortable under all conditions of weather, con- tributing greatly to the pleasure of the people and enhancing the value of property. By a system of special taxation and convict labor, one hundred and fifty miles of roadway have been built in the past twenty years. A pioneer in the movement for good roads was Capt. S. B. Alexander, who, as a member of the North Carolina State Senate of 1879, drew up and secured the enactment of a bill providing for the improvement of roads in Mecklenburg county, authorizing the people to levy a special road tax, and to employ con- vict labor. This measure, being little understood, met with disfavor
A North Tryon Stree Residence
from the people, and at their request was repealed by the Legislature of 1881. In spite of the discouraging outlook, Captain Alexander continued his efforts in the interests of good roads, and in 1883 was returned to the State Senate for the express purpose of securing the re-enactment of the road-law. The bill passed the Senate but was defeated in the House. In 1885, however, Captain Alexander as- sisted by Captain W. E. Ardrey, was successful in securing the pas- sage of his bill and from that time good roads were assured. The work of road-construction has been necessarily slow ; but steadily carried on has fully demonstrated the wisdom of such methods, and recompensed for all labor and expenditure of funds.
Enderly
While progressing in other ways, Charlotte has not been unmind- ful of the educational needs of its people. Among the schools of earlier days was the Charlotte Female Institute, opened in 1857 under charge of Rev. and Mrs. Robert Burwell. This school, with several changes of name and ownership, is still continued as The Presby- terian College for Young Women ; occupying a handsome and com- modious building, it offers exceptional advantages. Another leading school of ante-bellum days was the Charlotte Military Academy, which opened in 1859 under the direction of Major D. H. Hill and an able corps of teachers. During the war of 1861-65, the school building was used by the Confederate Government as a medical dispensary. After the war ended it was reopened as a school by Col. J. P. Thomas, and finally passed into the hands of the city for use as a public school, and is now known as the South Graded School. Gen. D. H. Hill, who won distinc- tion as a Confederate officer, was a man of decided literary talent,
The Liddell Yard
and during his residence in Charlotte edited a magazine called "The Land We Love," and also a newspaper entitled "The Southern Home." Elizabeth College, a large Lutheran institution for young women, is beautifully situated on the Eastern heights overlooking the city, and enjoys a wide patronage. Two large graded schools for white children, and one for negroes, are conducted on modern and most approved plans under the superintendency of Prof. Alex- ander Graham, who has ably filled this position for a number of years. Between three and four thousand children are instructed annually, and the curriculum affords a liberal education. Other institu- tions are : The Charlotte University School for Boys, King's
ـجد علي
٠ ١٧٧٣٠ ٠مغربية --
Business College, St. Mary's Seminary, which is a Roman Catholic institution, special schools of music and art, kinder- gartens, and various private schools. Just west of Charlotte, beyond the sub- urb Seversville, is located Biddle Uni- versity, a college for negroes under the care of the Northern Presbyterian Church; it is named for Mrs. Mary D. Biddle, of Philadelphia, who contributed largely to its erection. The Piedmont Industrial School, at the Chadwick and Hoskins cotton-mills, near the city, is meeting with much sucess in the educa- tion and industrial training of mill people. Twenty miles distant, in the northern part of the county, is Davidson College which for three-quarters of a century has oc- cupied a prominent position as a College of Liberal Arts and Scien- ces. Many of its alumni are among the country's distinguished citizens ; and though not a school of theology, it has furnished 400 ministers to the Southern Presbyterian Church.
The religious life of Charlotte is well known; it is a city of churches. Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal, Lutheran, Associaté Reformed Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic congrega- tions occupy handsome church buildings, with large and increas- ing membership. In point of numbers, the Second Presbyterian Church leads, with more than twelve hundred members. In 1815 a large lot was set apart by the town for religious purposes, and a square just to the rear of this property was made a public burying ground. The citizens of the town united in erecting a church build-
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Cotton Weighing
ing, which for a number of years was used by all den o minations. The people of this section be- ing principally Scotch-Irish, and therefore Presby- terians, outnum- bered by far any other denomina- tion ; and in 1835 they obtained possession of this property on which they erected a larger house of worship The
Mecklenburg County Macadam Road
beautiful and imposing edifice, known as the First Pres- byterian Church, now stands upon this site, its grounds occupying a block in the heart of the city. This mag- nificent property, carpeted with rich green grass and shaded by ancient oaks, is justly an object of admiration to every passer-by. Prominent among its ministers of an earlier period was the Rev. Arnold W. Miller, a man whose rigid adherence to right, wide learning, and fearless utterances, during a pastorate of twenty-nine years, made his influence deeply felt throughout the community. The burying ground, known as "the old cemetery," has for many years been unused ; the present cemetery, Elmwood, occupies a natu- rally beautiful location to the northwest of the city. In the old
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When the Market Goes Up (Forty-eight bales of cotton produced on one farm, and which the advance in price has brought to market)
cemetery are the graves of Col. Thomas Polk, General George Gra- ham, Gov. Nathaniel Alexander, Hon. William Davidson, and many others prominent in the early history of the town and county.
The Young Men's Christian Association occupies an impor- tant place in the life of young men. Centrally located, with a well-equipped building, and numbering 750 members, it is actively engaged in a great work. The Young Women's Christian Associa- tion, though a more recent institution, affords to young women many and varied advantages. A number of hospitals alleviate the suf- fering of humanity : St. Peter's, the Presbyterian, the Mercy General, the Good Samaritan (for negroes), and others for the treatment of special diseases. Many charitable organizations provide for the needy and homeless. The Thompson Orphanage, under the care of the Episcopal Church ; the Alexander Home, a Presbyterian institution ; and the Day Nursery, which is supported by all denominations, are actively engaged in benevolent work for
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