Hill's Charlotte (Mecklenburg County, N.C.) City Directory [1953], Part 2

Author: Hill Directory Company.
Publication date: 1953
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 1420

USA > North Carolina > Mecklenburg County > Charlotte > Hill's Charlotte (Mecklenburg County, N.C.) City Directory [1953] > Part 2

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Pyramid Life Insurance Co

.left side lines and

150

Queen City Coach Co

.right side lines and

Queen City Self Service Co Inc .

Radio Station W G1V

right side lines and 206

Radio Station WIST

. left bottom cards and 206

Ray Chemical Co

Reese's Antique Shop

left side lines and

Reid & Thompson Inc

Ritch Grady S . . left bottom cards and

184

Robertson C J & Son. left top cards and 81 Robinson Harry C Insurance Agency . left bottom cards and 155 Ross & Witmer Inc.

left bottom lines, 2 and

Royal Coal & Coke Co

S & S Fixture Co Inc . 107

Saxon's Inc . 252

Schwartz Sam Machinery Corp 240

Scoggins Memorial Art Shops

. right top lines and

172

Sears, Roebuck and Co

. left bottom lines and

Selwyn Hotel

137

Shaw Victor Co ... . left side lines and 241

Sherrill Construction Co .

Shuman-York Co. left bottom cards and

Small R F Co Inc . . right top cards and

Smith, Haviland Commercial

Photographer. .. left top cards and 190 Smith, Haviland Recording Studios. .. 218

Smith Holly Camera Store 57 Smith Johnson C University

. left side lines and 65

Smyth Norman A Co 82

Snyder M R Co.

165

Southeastern Construction Co.

Southerland Blue Paint Co .

.47 and

190

Southern Bearings & Parts Co Inc. ..

Southern Construction Co Inc

Southern Engineering Co right top cards, 50, 51 and X

Southern Flight Service Inc right side lines, 36 and 38 Southern Flooring & Acoustical Co . .right side lines and 108

Southern Metals Co Inc 157 Southern Pest Control Co. 188 Southern Trailer & Equipment Co Inc. . 243

Spangler C D Construction Co Inc 78

Spangler Realty Co. 214

Sparks Wm K. . right bottom cards and 214

Speir & Co Inc .

left top cards and

154

Speir N G Inc.

. back cover

. left top cards, 174 and 211 Standard Ice & Fuel Co . . left bottom lines and 61

Standard Plumbing & Heating Co. . . .. 202 Steel Service of Carolina Inc . . right side lines and 232 Sterling Drug Stores Inc right bottom lines and 98

FARMERS' DAIRY

NOLLVN HOKE LUMBER CO.

128 29

. insert at

Page

. right top cards and 119

VIII

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

Page

Stimpson's Valeteria.

Stockton Motor Co right bottom cards and 5.9

Stone E B Finance Companies 158

Stratford House . . . left top cards and 125

Strawn C V & Son. .

Suburban Rulane Gas Co

left top lines and 127

Suburban T V Service right top cards and 238

Swinson Food Products . top stencil and 111

Tate-Brown Co Inc GO

Taylor K G Construction Co. left bottom cards and 82

Taylor Motors Inc 30

Telephone Answering Service Inc right top lines, 236 and B

Thies Realty & Mortgage Co. right side lines and 215

Thomas C D Co 79 Thomas C L C Co 217

Thomas Cadillac-Oldsmobile Inc.

.right side lines and 22

Thomas Electric Co 105

Thompson Antique Co 7

Thompson Cleaners 102

Thompson Wriston A & Associates 215

Tillis Allen Motors 31

Todd's Flowers Inc. . left top cards and

110 Torrence Chas A . left top lines, 47 and 191 Trailmobile Inc .

Transportation Supply Corp

. left side lines and 23

Tri-State Engineering Service

Tucker-Kirby Co right hottom cards and 54

right top lines, 53 and 113

Turner Bros Agency

right bottom cards and 218

L'nion National Bank The . front cover, Page

right top lines and 45 Union Warehouse Co Inc 234

Upchurch C W & Co Inc.

Valley Bag Co Inc. . 39 . . right top lines and 24 Vinson Realty Co Inc 212 WBT-WBT V Jefferson Standard Broadcasting Co. . . back cover and 207 Waddell J R & Sons. 82

Walke Henry Co The

Walker's Drug Store right bottom lines and 100

Washburn Printing Co Inc right side lines and 205 Wearn Lumber Co The . right bottom lines and 168 Weathers Furniture Co Inc. right top lines and 122

Webb James E

184

Westside Auto Parts Inc

Westside Ice & Fuel Co.

.65 and

138

White Plumbing Co. right bottom lines and 200

Wiggins Ice & Fuel Co . right top cards and 65

Wilkerson Furniture Co. 126 Wilkinson James W. right top cards and 154 Willard Hotel. . . left bottom cards and 137 Wilson Geo N Agency 218

Woods Frank Inc . . . left top cards and 25

Yandell Motor Sales

right top cards and 31 Yellow Cab Inc. . right bottom lines and 234

Yellow Trailer Rental 37

Younce Lumber Co Inc right side lines and 164 Young Construction Co . 80 Younts Realty & Insurance Corp . . left side lines and 216

CO.

Phone 8157

GENUINE FORD PARTS

Ford

SALES

251

CHARLOTTE "QUEEN CITY OF THE SOUTH"

(Courtesy Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, Inc.)

LOCATION

Charlotte, chief city of the Carolinas, dominates a rich, undulating plateau between the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic coastal plain. The city is the geographic center of a young, rapidly-expanding market. It is 550 miles southwest of

New York; 230 miles northeast of Atlanta; 600 miles southeast of Chicago; 330 miles southwest of Washington; 160 miles from the Atlantic Ocean; and far south of knee-deep snow. Charlotte is accessible from every direction by every known conveyance except an ocean-going ship. It is 779 feet above the sea, in lati- tude 35 degrees 14 minutes n., longitude 80 degrees 50 minutes w.

ECCECEE

NESTE

BINICH

Tryon Street

FARMERS' DAIRY

NOLLVN HOKE LUMBER CO

INTRODUCTION

CLIMATE

Charlotte winters are seldom uncomfortable and never as severe as those experienced in the Northern and Western states. Summers are warm, but rarely uncomfortable. The average an- nual temperature is 60.7 degrees, with a seasonal variation of 36.5 degrees from 42.3 degrees in January to 78.8 degrees in July. Pleasant, mild temperatures are enjoyed for more than six months of the year -60.4 degrees in spring, 51.8 degrees in fall. Average winter temperature is 43.2 degrees; summer, 77.6 de- grees The frost-free season spans midyear from March to No- vember, averaging 237 days. Other data: Annual rainfall aver - ages 49.12 inches. Morning humidity averages 78 per cent, noon, 57 per cent, and evening, 63 per cent.

POPULATION

Charlotte, with a 1953 estimated population of 145,000, is by far the largest city in the two Carolinas, and Mecklenburg County, with a 1953 estimated population of 215,000, is the most populous county. Other significant census figures for Charlotte are: 1850, 1,065, 1900, 18,091; 1920, 46,338, 1940, 100,899, 1950, 134,042. The females have a slight majority of 51.8 per cent. The white race accounts for 72 per cent. Less than 1 per cent is foreign-born. The population of the retail trading area (60-mile radius) exceeds 1,325,000; the wholesale trading area (150-mile radius) has a booming 4,500,000 consumers.

GOVERNMENT

Charlotte is governed by a popularly-elected mayor and seven councilmen. A city manager, appointed at the pleasure of the council, is the administrative head of the city government. The City Hall is a handsome three-story building of neo-classic design which was erected in the early 1920's on a site six blocks from the center of the city. Public services include excellent schools, an expertly-manned police department, a modern fire department, extensive water and sewerage facilities, health and welfare departments, and many others.

Mecklenburg County, of which Charlotte is the seat, is governed by a board of county commissioners. The chairman of this board is the chief administrative officer of the county. His- toric Mecklenburg, the wealthiest county in the state, has a fine school system and an efficient rural police force, and provides its citizens with superior public services. The Mecklenburg County Court House, situated adjacent to the City Hall, is an im- posing building with stately columns of neo-classic design. Like the City Hall, it has become one of Charlotte's showplaces.

TAXES

The City and County assess ad valorem taxes on all real and tangible property at the following rates per $100 valuation: City, $1.55; County, '69c. In actual practice property valuations are well below true values. Only minor occupational licenses are required by the City. North Carolina income tax is assessed at a rate of 3 per cent for the first $2,000 net income; 4 per cent on the next $2,000; 5 per cent on the next $2,000; 6 per cent on the next $4, 000; and 7 per cent on all over $10,000. Corporations are taxed 6 per cent of their taxable net incomes. Liberal exemptions are allowed for both individuals and corporations.

COMMERCE

With more than 1,350, 000 people living within easy motor - ing distance of Charlotte, the city has become one of the 25 great - est markets in the nation. The retail sales volume now exceeds $252,000,000 annually. Approximately 1, 750 retail establishments in the city offer consumers almost every conceivable product. Downtown streets are lined with modern, well-appointed stores which, through attractive merchandising, draw people from all sections of the Piedmont. The total buying power of the Charlotte market exceeds $1,000,000, 000 annually, and the city's per -family buying power is tops for the Carolinas.

Charlotte, strategically located in the center of the South - east, is rapidly becoming Dixie's leading distributor. Hundreds oftrucks, operated by over 90 different truck lines and four rail- roads moving an average of 325 carloads a day, shuttle goods in and out of this vast Dixie warehouse. According to the Blue Book Southern Progress in 1951, wholesale sales in Charlotte came to a whopping $1,042, 000,000. This volume of wholesale distribu - tion outstrips such larger cities as Birmingham, Richmond, Nash- ville and Jacksonville.

Wholesale distribution from Charlotte has grown so tre- mendously in recent years because the city is well situated to serve the growing Southern market and has superior transporta - tion facilities. More than 500 national companies have established offices or warehouses in the city.

Charlotte is far and away the financial giant of the Caro- linas. The city's eight large commercial banks cleared $6, 143, - 612,321 in checks during 1952. Total resources of these banks are $681,103,715. One of Charlotte's many investment banking concerns is ranked as the ninth largest in the country, which is a reflection of the financial activity of the city. Charlotte also has a branch of the Federal Reserve Bank.

INDUSTRY

Charlotte is the geographical center of the vast Southern textile industry which has its heaviest concentration in the Pied - mont Carolinas, where two-thirds of all the looms and spindles in the South are located. Although there are 60 textile mills in the immediate vicinity, Charlotte, unlike many Southern cities, is not completely dependent upon textiles. Machinery, chemicals, food products, furniture, clothing, printing, building materials, all are major products of Charlotte's balanced economy.

Charlotte's 500 manufacturers employ more than 22,000 persons, many of whom have developed great skill in the tech- nological processes of modern industry. In addition, there is a sizeable reserve of manpower on the many farms of the sur - rounding area available to supplement the present labor force. Native -born Americans comprise 99 per cent of the entire labor force. Charlotte always has enjoyed excellent labor-management relations and has never had a major work stoppage.

Charlotte offers manufacturers many advantages which have contributed to the rapid expansion of industry in this area. Some of the advantages are: (1) Reserve of skilled and unskilled labor. (2) Superior rail and trucking facilities. (3) Excellent communi- cation facilities. (4) Extensive power and water supplies. (5) Ex- cellent plant sites and buildings. (6) Pleasant, mild climate. (7) A friendly, progressive community. (8) Central location in the South - east.

Although the expansion of manufacturing in the Charlotte region has been substantial, agriculture is still the basic indus - try of Mecklenburg County. Mecklenburg's fine farms and dairies support nearly 16,000 farmers and farm hands. Principal products are corn, cotton, grain, vegetables, poultry and dairy products.

UTILITIES

Charlotte is headquarters for the Duke Power Co., which supplies electrical power throughout the Piedmont Carolinas. The vast Duke Power system has twelve major hydro-electric plants with a total rated installed capacity of 444,220 kilowatts and eight steam plants with a capacity of 1,170,000 kilowatts. Total rated installed capacity is 1, 614,220 kilowatts. Duke Power's forward - looking policies, as evidenced by a $175,000,000 post-war ex- pansion program, have played a vital part in the industrialization of the Piedmont. Another step forward for the Piedmont is the proposal by several companies to construct a pipeline to bring natural gas to this area.

The City of Charlotte has invested an estimated $12,000,000 in its water facilities. The present rated capacity of the system is 25,000,000 gallons per day; however, expansion of facilities will soon boost the rated capacity. The city was the first in the Southeast to introduce fluorine into its water as a means of re- ducing tooth decay. The fluorination program, which was begun April 1, 1949, will be particularly beneficial to future genera- tions of Charlotte citizens.

TRANSPORTATION

Charlotte is the transportation center of the Carolinas. Four railroads operate 27 passenger trains and haul an average of 295 carloads of freight every day; four air lines operate 74 scheduled flights a day; five bus companies schedule over 300 regular de- partures each day; and 110 truck lines haul thousands of tons of goods to points throughout the South and East. Railroads with lines into Charlotte are: Southern, Piedmont & Northern, Sea- board, and Norfolk-Southern. Air lines are: Eastern, Capital, Piedmont and Southern. Bus companies are: Queen City Coach, Carolina Scenic Stages, Carolina Coach, Carolina Transit Lines, and Greyhound.

COMMUNICATIONS

The Southern Bell Telephone Co. has 67,825 telephones in Charlotte. The company has calculated that the city will have a population of 237,000 by 1966, and is rapidly expanding facilities on this assumption. Southern Bell's state headquarters are locat - ed in Charlotte. The city also is a relay point in the vast Western Union system, and processes telegrams for cities throughout the region.

SALES

CO.

Phone

8157

FORD GENUINE PARTS

Ford

INTRODUCTION

Central Business District

Charlotte Memorial Hospital

FARMERS' DAIRY

HOKE LUMBER CO.

VNOLL VN

XII

INTRODUCTION

EDUCATION

Charlotte's excellent public school system embraces 37 schools with an enrollment of 23,725. The Mecklenburg County system has 43 schools with an enrollment of 14,147 Both sys- tems are now undergoing large expansion programs. Colleges located in and near Charlotte are: Queens College, women, en- rollment 400; College Center of the University of North Carolina; Johnson C. Smith University, Negro co-educational, enrollment 1,600; and Davidson College (in Davidson, N. C., 20 miles north), men, enrollment 950. In addition to these, Charlotte has many fine business schools. Among these are Burton Institute, Kings Business College, National School of Commerce, Carolina Busi- ness School, and Evans College of Commerce.

MEDICAL FACILITIES

Charlotte has four excellent general hospitals with a com- bined total of 1,045 beds, and several special hospitals with 332 beds. The city has about 250 doctors, of which over 100 are cer- tified specialists. Because of these facilities and the availability of such a large number of specialists, Charlotte has become a medical center of considerable importance. The general hospitals are Charlotte Memorial, Presbyterian, Mercy (Catholic), and Good Samaritan (Negro).

NEWSPAPERS AND RADIO STATIONS

Charlotte has two widely-circulated, daily newspapers. These are The Charlotte Observer (published mornings, circula- tion 138,000, Sunday 140, 000) and The Charlotte News (published evenings except Sunday, circulation in excess of 72,000). There are six radio stations broadcasting programs of all major net - works. These stations are: WBT (AM and FM, CBS); WSOC (AM and FM, NBC), WAYS (AM and FM, ABC); WGIV (AM, indepen - dent); W1ST (FM, Mutual and Dixie FM), WMIT (FM).

TELEVISION

WBTV, the Carolinas' first television station, began opera- tions in July, 1949, and Charlotte's second TV station, WAYSTV, Channel 36, is scheduled to go on the air by September, 1953. Three other stations have TV applications pending, and an educa- tional channel has been allocated to the city. Present and future TV stations are connected with the major networks by coaxial cable.

TRAVELERS' ACCOMMODATIONS

Charlotte has seven principal hotels with 1,500 rooms, and a number of smaller hotels. In addition, there are numerous first- class tourist homes and motor courts convenient to the motor - ing public. The largest hotels are: Hotel Barringer, Hotel Char- lotte, Selwyn Hotel, Mayfair Hotel, Mecklenburg Hotel, and Clay - ton Hotel

CHARLOTTE'S GROWTH

Population

1923

42,143,554.00

1850 U. S. Census .

1,065

1924

47,333,988.80

1860 U. S Census

2.265

1925

1870 U S Census

4,473

1926

1880 U S Census

7,094

1927

77,207,866.92

1890 U. S. Census

11,557

1928

77,587,836.44

1900 U. S. Census

18,091

1932

47,331,867.00

1910 U S. Census

34,014

1937

79,304,000.00

1920 U. S. Census

46,338

1938

94,452,735.77

1930 U. S Census

82,675

1939

221,531,351.89

1940

252,468,994.05

1941

314,725,041.27

1943

406,690,971.00

1944

445,731,086.39

1945

547,886,404.50

1926

752,937.75

1949

1927

785,125.57

1950

3,018,958.35

1951

3,170,004 87

3,509,621 92

1931

727,720.75

Dec. 31, 1945. .

32,353

Dec. 31, 1946. .

39,744

Dec. 31, 1947. .. 42,000

Dec. 31, 1948. .

48,609

Dec. 31. 1949

. 54,134

Dec. 31, 1951.

. 63,166

Dec. 31, 1952.

67,825

Value Building Permits

1923

$ 5,263,340

1925

7,363,805

1943

1,418,584.00

1927

5,449,364

654,758.277.97

1949

3,981,298,386.03

1928

658,895,377.79

1950

4,993,643,497.02

1929

725,602,773.24

1951

5,787,932.723 07

1932

404,084,638.69

1952

6,143,612,321 32

Federal Reserve Bank

The Carolina Branch of the Fifth District Federal Reserve Bank cleared:

1936

8,652,009 checks valued at $ 1,803,371,000

1938

9,464, 000 checks valued at

1,811,118,000

1939

9,899,000 checks valued at

2,093,793,000

1940

11,182,000 checks valued at

2,603,114,000

1941

13,823,000 checks valued at

4,067,416,000

1943

15,825,000 checks valued at

5,777,406,000

1944

. 17,731, 000 checks valued at

6,244,514,000

1945

19,849,000 checks valued at

7,046,219,000

1946

22,708, 000 checks valued at

9,025,297,000

1947

23,423,000 checks valued at

10,426,171,000

1948

24,906,000 checks valued at

11,603,754,000

1949

26,220,000 checks valued at

11,472,884,000

1950

.29,268,000 checks valued at

13,961,519,000

1951

36,504,000 checks valued at

16,208.586,000

1952

43,371,000 checks valued at

17,132,590,000

Carloadings

Inbound

1948

27,203

1938

36,793

1939

40,852

1940

45,552

1943

57,839

1944

60,072

1945

51,256

1946

63,047

1947

60,341

1948

74,488

1949

70,327

1950

73,735

1951

72,836

1952

70,440

Outbound

1938

11,241

1939

13,963

1940

16,439

1943

31,027

1944

34,174

1945

24,131

1946

25,426

County)

460,000,000.00

Charlotte's Post-Office Receipts

1920

$ 431,490.00

1944

1,670,490.47

1921

460,003.00

1945

1,731,637.14

1923

600,000.00

1946

1,810,335.00

1924

661,567.00

1947

2,096,791.58

1925

722,672.54

1948

2,413,907.00

533,952,669.13

1947

548,669,473.65

1925

200

1948

1930

167

1939

277

1943

285

1946

. 324

1948

360

1950

.400

1953

. 500

1927

$ 46,479,955.20

1928

46,475,693.14

1932

30,563,805.15

1938

1,046,183.24

1910

1920

41,111,524.00

1939

206,288,680.25

1940

234.012,455.99

1936

651,731,959 03

1943

1944

422,502,265.02

1939

735,226,831.37

1945

517,472,586.99

1940

847,446,979.74

1946

501,188,906.53

1941

1,159,172,561 00

1947

514,633,541.73

1943

1,868,817,678.00

1948

513.824,110.00

1944

2,052,448,000 00

1949

513,977,157 29

1945

2,303,310,718 00

1950

551,537,175.53

1945

3,078,797,756.00

1952

570,822,051.62

1947

3,636,029,117.69

Bank Clearings

1948

4,042,169,184.00

1927

SALES

Phone

8157

GENUINE FORD PARTS

Ford

1900

$ 3,900,000.00 9,970,000.00

1937

69,937,000.00

1939

1,122,790.68

1940

1,190,044.36

1,174,644.33

1952

788,094.41

Telephones

1951

654,028,817.47

1952

681,103,715.00

1933

766,641.92

1934

834,760.21

890,870.69

950,589.00

1,028,553.02

County)

168,527,520.00

1947 (City and

County) .

193,107,045.00

1952 (City and

26,044

1952

23,999

Real Estate Taxable Value (2.3 Cash Value)

1939 (City and County)

above. . . . $130,331,525.00

1940 (City and County)

. . 145,230,795.00

1943 (City and

County) . 163,434,015.00

1944 (City and

County) . 164,338,505.00

1945 (City and

County) 165,383,395.00

1946 (City and

1940 U. S. Census

100,899

1950 U. S. Census

134,042

1953 estimate

145,000

Industrial Plants

1900

1946

1910

.108

1928

842,857.07

1929

843,330.53

1930

1932

736,605.66

Bank Deposits

1935

1936

1937

552,934,196.00

1949

559,414,246.43

1950

597,111,468.48

1938

86,845,519.40

1941

294,663,259.19 1937

726,253,626.91

385,567,229.00 1938

769.108,200.00

1949

27,711

1950

25,866

1951

1942 14,265,000 checks valued at

5,132,640,000

1947

24,616

2,758,973.21

Bank Resources

60,000,000.00

66,593,522.28

CO.

INTRODUCTION

XIII

Mecklenburg County Court House

Skyline from the Railroad Yards

HOKE LUMBER CO.

IVNOLLVN

FARMERS' DAIRY

SALES

STATISTICAL REVIEW

Form of Government -Council-manager.

Area-31 square miles.

Climate -Mean annual temperature, 60.7 degrees F .; aver- age annual rainfall, 49.12 inches.

Altitude-779 feet above sea level.

Parks-27, including playgrounds.

Financial Data-10 banks of all types, with total resources of $681,103, 715 (Dec. 31, 1952). Branch of Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond located here. 3 building and loan associations.

Postal Receipts-$3,509,621.92 (1952).

Telephones in Use -- 67,825.

Churches-350, representing 18 denominations.

Building and Construction-Value of building permits, $20,652,299 (1952).

Industry -Chief industries of city and surrounding territory: Manufacturing, 55 per cent; agriculture, 45 per cent. 500 manu- facturing establishments.

Trade Area-Retail area has radius of 60 miles, and popu- lation of 1, 350, 000; wholesale area, radius of 150 miles, and popu- lation of 4,500,000. 1,750 retail stores in city, with annual sales of over $252, 000, 000.

Newspapers-2 daily, 1 Sunday and 3 weekly.

Radio Stations -- 6 (AM and FM); also 2 TV.

Hotels-7 principal, with total of 1,500 rooms.

Railroads-4: Southern, Seaboard Air Line, Norfolk -South - ern and Piedmont & Northern

Highways-U. S. 29, 31 and 74, State 27, 49, 262 and 271.

Airports-4 privately-owned, 1 municipal, 5 miles from center of city.

Amusements-Largest auditorium in city seats 3,000 per- sons. Total seating capacity of theatres, 7.500. 13 golf courses in city and suburbs, including several municipal courses.

Hospitals-4 large hospitals and several small ones, with total of 1,312 beds.

Education-Queens College (for women), Johnson C. Smith University (for colored) 37 public schools, including 3 senior high and 2 junior high. 1 parochial school. Number of pupils in public schools, 23,725; in parochial, 180.

Public Libraries-10, including branches, with total of 115, - 000 volumes. 30 library service stations; 280 educational films; also slides and film strips, and phonograph records.

CHARLOTTE HISTORY

When the first settlers-Scotch-Irish, English, Germans, Huguenots-penetrated into the southern Piedmont section of North Carolina they found deer and bear, wolves and Catawba In- dians in awesome numbers. But, undismayed, the settlers went about the job of making homes for themselves.

Tiny Charlotte, only 360 acres of Mecklenburg County soil, was incorporated in November, 1768. Six years later the settle - ment became the county seat and organized a regular town govern- ment. Although Charlottetown could boast only a handful of sett - lers, its spirited defiance of the British was known from St. Augustine to Plymouth Rock On May 20, 1775, Charlotte patriots signed the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, a document which, though not generally acted upon until a year later, laid the foundations of the American Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Charlotte played a spunky and effective part in the conflict which followed. British General Cornwallis, who was in the town for awhile, called the place "a damned hornet's nest" of rebel- lion. That reputation has been perpetuated in the city seal.

During the days following the war, Charlotte began to show promise; even so, the town was still a mere upstart in the wil- derness. Wilmington, New Bern, Raleigh, Edenton, were far larger. Even by 1850 Charlotte could count only 1,065 heads.

After survivingthe rigors of the Civil War and reconstruc- tion, Charlotte began anew its ascendancy as the chief city of the Carolinas. Each Federal Census in the years which followed fore - told Charlotte's destiny. Today its top position in the Carolinas is undisputed.

CALENDAR OF HISTORICAL DATES

1748 First permanent settlers in Mecklenburg County. 1749 Earliest land grants from the Crown.

1750 Trade routes with Charleston, S. C., established over Indian trails.

1754 Meeting of King Hagler, chief of Catawba tribe, and commissioners appointed by the governor to establish amicable relations between In- dians and the settlers.

1762

Mecklenburg County created.

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Hill's Charlotte (Mecklenburg County, N.C.) City Directory [1953], Part 2

Author: Hill Directory Company. Publication date: 1953 Publisher: Hill Directory Co. Number of Pages: 1420

Author: Hill Directory Company.
Publication date: 1953
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 1420