Hill's Gastonia (Gaston County, N.C.) City Directory [1962], Part 2

Author: Hill Directory Company.
Publication date: 1962
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 1088

USA > North Carolina > Gaston County > Gastonia > Hill's Gastonia (Gaston County, N.C.) City Directory [1962] > 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).

Ashley High School in Gastonia.

Main office in Gastonia of the Gaston County Public Library.

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INTRODUCTION

North Carolina Textile Vocational School, located in Gaston County.

Churches and Character Building Agencies

The firm religious convictions of the pioneer settlers still persist in the Gastonia community today, as is fully attested by the countless thousands who regularly attend services in the 100 sanctuaries. These churches include the usual Protestant denominations found in the southeast, together with the Catholic and Jewish. Millions of dollars have been spent by local congregations in recent years for new and improved edifices. Gastonia has distinguished itself by the large number and excellence of its Boy and Girl Scout Organizations, by the Boys' Club of America organization for Negro boys, its modern and well equipped YMCA building, and the variety of its program for adults as well as the youth of the community.

Gastonia is a church-going community with 100 sanctuaries and many other character building agencies.

INTRODUCTION

The Y. M. C. A. is a beehive of activity, patronized by all ages.

Recreational

The City of Gastonia has a well organized Recreation Department serving both races and geared to fit the needs of all ages. There are community centers, a skeet range, swimming pools, an 18-hole golf course, a regulation athletic field, all-weather tennis courts, picnic tables, an 85-acre lake for boating and fishing, and playgrounds for little children. The city has 13 parks, aggregating 250 acres, well distributed geographically for every potential user. Private enterprise has provided two bowling alleys with 52 lanes, four golf courses, basketball courts, and fields for baseball, football and all kinds of outdoor sports. On the Catawba River are several artificial lakes created by the Duke Power dams where year-round fishing and aquatic sports and boating are only 15 min- utes distant. The Blue Ridge Mountains are only 60 miles to the northwest, and the Atlantic beaches can be reached in four hours.

Gaston Country Club is outstanding for its fine golf course and its nice, com- modious quarters.

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INTRODUCTION

Water Skiing on Catawba Lake, only eight miles from Gastonia.

Government

Gastonia operates its fiscal affairs efficiently under the City Manager-Council (Plan D) form of government. Its tax rate is $1.50 per $100 of valuation, which is approximately 33 % of actual value. The County also operates with a Manager.

. .

Photo by Harley Ferguson

City Hall, the seat of Gastonia's government.

Health and Climate

There are four hospitals with 451 beds in Gastonia, including the North Caro- lina Orthopedic. These institutions have all facilities for the modern practice of medicine by the 55 physicians and surgeons who practice here. The County provides a Public Health Department which is very active in ferreting out and eliminating unsanitary conditions and guarding the public health generally.

Gastonia's elevation of 825 feet above sea level and its position relative to the mountains insure against extremes of both heat and cold and excessive hu- midity. Below zero temperatures have occurred on only four days since 1878, and above 100 degree readings occur on the average of twice in three years.

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INTRODUCTION

Gaston Memorial Hospital, one of the four splendidly equipped hospitals in Gastonia.

The average growing season-frost free period -- is 230 days, extending from March 24 to November 10. Snowfall is infrequent and over a long period of time has averaged 5.7 inches per year.

Communications and Utilities

Gastonia has one newspaper, the Gastonia Gazette, an afternoon daily, with circulation of 23,000. There are three radio stations, WGNC, WLTC, and WGAS. The Southern Bell Telephone & Telegraph Company serves the area with over 38,000 telephones in the local exchange.

Water and sewerage utilities are owned and operated by the City of Gastonia, as also is electricity within the city limits. Outside, electricity is retailed by the Duke Power Company. Natural gas is available through the Public Service Company of North Carolina, its supply coming from the Transcontinental Pipe Line Company.

One of Duke Power Company's generating plants near Gastonia. Two million k.w. of electrical energy is generated in Gaston County.

GASTONIA Statistical Review

Form of Government -- City Manager-Council ( Plan D).

Population-1960 Federal Census 37,276; Greater Gastonia, 60,000.

Area -- Eleven square miles.

Altitude -- 825 feet above sea level.

Climate-Mean annualtemperature, 60.6º F .; average annual rainfall, 45.28 inches.

Parks -- Thirteen with total of 250 acres.

Assessed Valuation -- $70 million, with $1.50 per $100 tax rate.

Bonded Debt -- $7,508,000 gross (funded).

Financial Data-Three banks with total assets of $585,408,512. Two Savings and Loan Associations with assets of $29,229,150.

Postal Receipts-1930, $65,841; 1940, $102,002; 1950, $320,640; 1955, $633,- 430; 1961, $879,160.

Telephones in Service -- 38,014.

Trade Area -- Retail trade area has radius of 25 miles, with over 250,000 population.

Newspapers -- One daily, Gastonia Gazette, circulation 23,000.

Radio Stations -- WGNC, 250 watt, dial 1450; WLTC, 1000 watt, dial 1370; WGAS, 500 watt, dial 1420.

Motels-Ten, with 215 rooms.

Railroads -- Three-Carolina & Northwestern, Piedmont & Northern and South- ern.

Highways-Interstate 85; U. S. 29, 74 and 321; N. C. 7 and 274.

Airports-One landing field on outskirts of City, one airport, and Douglas Airport, 15 miles' distant with 100 flights per day.

Amusements-Four motion picture theatres with total seating capacity of 3,200; two golf courses; two bowling alleys with 52 lanes; largest auditorium in city seats 1,654 persons.

Education-Ten public schools with 8,221 pupils enrolled and 310 teachers; Evans College of Commerce; Gaston Technical Institute; School of Nursing at Gaston Memorial Hospital; and Gastonia Industrial Education Center. In the County also are Belmont Abbey College (Senior); Sacred Heart Academy (Junior for girls). and North Carolina Vocational Textile School.

Public Libraries -- One with 111,230 volumes; 425,000 annual circulation and seven branches throughout the county.

City Statistics-Total street mileage (paved) 152; sewers, 225; water meters, 12,869; light meters, 12,927; water works capacity 12.5 million gallons daily with average daily pumpage of 6.5 million gallons; miles of mains, 180; number of fire hydrants, 751. Fire Department has 3 stations, 10 pieces of motor equip- ment, 100 fire alarm boxes and 44 firemen. Police Department has one station, 12 pieces of motor equipment, and 58 personnel. Value of municipal property is $14,950,434.

Gastonia's attractive business and shopping district, a feature of which is ite abundance of off-street parking facilities.

CLASSIFIED BUYERS' GUIDE OF THE CITY OF

GASTONIA (NORTH CAROLINA)

1962

PRO BONO ASSN OF NORTH AMERICAN

OGANIZE

1898

DIRT DIRECDIE DIRECDIRECTORIO

Hill's Gastonia (Gaston County, N.C.) City Directory [1962], Part 2

Author: Hill Directory Company. Publication date: 1962 Publisher: Hill Directory Co. Number of Pages: 1088

Author: Hill Directory Company.
Publication date: 1962
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 1088