This historical marker is located on a corner not far from downtown Statesville near a gas station…read moreand a lovely church. The marker points out a local newspaperman and his background. It reads, "J.P. Caldwell. Editor of Statesville "Landmark" (1880-92), Charlotte "Observer" (1892-1909). His home was two blocks north." Online, there is more information. "At the age of fourteen, Caldwell took an apprenticeship in the office of the Iredell Express, Statesville's first newspaper, under the tutelage of E. B. Drake. Drake's newspaper was renamed the Statesville American shortly after the end of the Civil War. Drake became a Republican in 1872, and a rival, Democratic newspaper, the Statesville Intelligencer, appeared in the northern part of Iredell County, published by Charles R. Jones. Jones soon enticed Caldwell away from Drake by offering to raise his pay one dollar a week." "Caldwell continued his journalistic pursuits, eventually becoming an editor of the Charlotte Observer. In January 1880 he purchased the rights to the Statesville Landmark, the successor to the Intelligencer. From 1880 to 1892 Caldwell published the Landmark before buying the Charlotte Chronicle, the successor to the weekly Charlotte Observer. He soon moved to Charlotte, renamed the Chronicle the Observer, and actively managed it into one of the state's most notable and well respected newspapers." "In 1877 Caldwell married Maggie Spratt. Together they had five children, only three of whom lived to maturity. Maggie died soon after Caldwell purchased the Chronicle, and he subsequently remarried to Addie Williams, who bore him a daughter. Caldwell edited the Charlotte Observer until March 8, 1909, when he suffered a stroke that paralyzed him. Transferred to Broughton Hospital at Morganton, Caldwell died there on November 22, 1911." I read the Observer often. Thank you, Mister Caldwell, for your efforts! [Review 14537 overall, 35 of 2021, number 2778 in North Carolina.]

This marker is under a tree and so it's not in great condition. It's also hard to read if you're…read morezipping by. I was able to park in the nearby church lot and walk over. The marker reads, "Whig general, was killed at Cowan's Ford, Feb. 1, 1781. Davidson College and Davidson County are named for him." Davidson College: https://www.yelp.com/biz/davidson-college-davidson Online, as is usual with North Carolina's brief markers, there is more information. "William Lee Davidson, for whom both Davidson County and of Davidson College are named, was born in 1746 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the son of George Davidson, an Irish immigrant. William's mother apparently died in childbirth, and George Davidson joined the migration from Pennsylvania to the Piedmont of North Carolina, eventually settling along Davidson's Creek in Iredell County. When his father died in 1760, William was placed under the care of Alexander Osborn and John Brevard, two of the wealthiest men in the area. Under their patronage, Davidson attended Sugaw Creek Academy near Charlotte and studied under Alexander Craighead. In 1767, Davidson married Mary Brevard, John's daughter, and sister of Ephraim Brevard, one of the authors of the Mecklenburg Resolves." "On February 1, 1781, Davidson's militia forces attempted to delay Cornwallis's crossing of the Catawba River at Cowan's Ford. His men held against a vastly numerical superior force until Davidson fell dead from multiple gunshots." "Davidson's death was much lamented in the American ranks. Described as the "chief instrument relied upon by Greene for the assemblage of the militia," Davidson was remembered as "a man of popular manners, pleasing address, active and indefatigable." His pistols, sword, and wallet were taken by British forces and given to Cornwallis after the skirmish. They are on display at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro." Quite the Continental hero. Much respect. [Review 13393 overall, 712 of 2020.]

This marker recalls an important local hero and citizen, responsible for much of what we have today…read morein Charlotte. The marker is not from the state marker database. It reads, "Richard Barry, 1726-1801), Tanner, Legislator, Signer of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. Co-founder of Hopewell Presbyterian Church, City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Superior Court. He recovered General William L. Davidson's body after the Cowan's Ford Battle and brought him to Hopewell Church for burial. Family homesite approximately 0.2 miles east." He is listed as one of Mecklenburg County's first magistrates. On February 6, 1764, he was sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives from Mecklenburg County. On November 7, 1768, by an Act of the General Assembly, Richard Barry was appointed as a member of a group of trustees and directors who were charged with the responsibilty of planning and building the town of Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to his community and business life, Barry was an active member of the Hopewell Presbyterian Church and is buried in its cemetery. [Review 13394 overall, 713 of 2020.]

This marker is located in a parking lot and next to the Jones Fish Camp…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/jones-fish-camp-denver-5. It recalls what used to be here and is a neat piece of history. The marker reads, "Drumsville. 1880-1936. Drumsville business district was concentrated primarily on the northeast side of the base of Little Mountain near Mountain Creek and the T-Junction of roads known today as Mathis Church Road at Little Mountain Road. That's a distance of about 1.72 miles from Jones Fish Camp." "Named after the Dum family, Drumsville was a community of farms, residences, and businesses owned primarily by Drums whose progenitor John Drum settled in the area between 1800-1805." "The businesses included a flour/roller mill, general store, cotton gin, sawmill-shingle mill, blacksmith shop, boiler, auto repair garage, and post office, the latter originally located a short distance from the main group of businesses. Members of the Drum family later served Catawba County and beyond in agricultural, dental, educational, government, healthcare, legal, manufacturing, media, military, mortuary, postal, religion, retail, plus other service, commercial and professional fields." "A number of area businesses have been and are owned by Drum descendants, including Jones Fish Camp established in 1953." "The Drum-Wilkinson Clan is most grateful to the 3rd and 4th generation owner/operats of their family in Jones FIsh Camp for permitting placement of this Drumsville Historic Marker on their property." [Review 16913 overall - 3240 in North Carolina - 429 of 2022.]

On Main Street between Lincolnton and US-321, this marker points out some industrial history that…read moredates back to before the Civil War but did not survive it. Marker O-7 reads, "First cotton mill in N.C. Built prior to 1816 by Michael Schenck and Absalom Warlick. Mill stood one-half mile N." The marker was originally cast in 1939. There is no parking here and the adjacent shopping center has a fence making access to the marker a challenge. Online, there is more information. The Schenck‑Warlick Mill began operating in 1814 near the Catawba River east of Lincolnton and is recognized as North Carolina's earliest established cotton mill. Michael Schenck, a Pennsylvania‑born merchant, built it using machinery shipped from Rhode Island and additional components crafted locally by his brother‑in‑law Absalom Warlick. Floods destroyed the first mill in 1816, but the partners rebuilt a larger and more successful operation nearby within a year. Their success led Schenck to invest in a second, even larger mill in 1819, which became a major regional center for cotton processing until it burned in 1863. [Review 560 of 2026 - 4654 in North Carolina - 25742 overall]

I've lived in Charlotte for 13 years now and while I knew of the Catawba River and the Native…read moreAmericans who lived here, it was still interesting to find this marker. It is in a small observation parking lot that has a view of the Cowans Ford hydroelectric plant. You can't get close to the dam (security!), but you can see it pretty well from here. The marker was erected at around the same time. The marker reads: In 1747 Adam Sherrill and his 8 sons migrated from Pennsylvania and settled west of the Catawba River. By July, 1749, John Beatty had also crossed the Catawba. Sherrill's Ford (site underwater) and Beatty's Ford (underwater) were named for them. Another ford used by the original settlers was Island Ford. During the late 1740's Andreas Killen, Robert Leeper, Jacob Forney, Pieter Heyl, and John Clark settled on creeks which today bear their names. An early settler on the headwaters of Clark's Creek was Henry Weidner (home destroyed). The site of his homeplace has changed little since 1750. Remnants of Beatty's Ford and Tuckaseege roads, two of the earliest roads used by these and other early settlers, may still be seen. During the Revolution important battles were fought at Ramsour's Mill (June 20, 1780) (destroyed) and Cowan's Ford (Feb. 1, 1781) (preserved). During the Colonial and Early National periods it was customary to use privately-owned buildings for public purposes. Accordingly, the Tryon County Jail (partially preserved) was located in 1784 at the springhouse of Henry Dellinger, an early settler. Andrew Loretz was the first minister of the German Reformed Church in western North Carolina. His brick home (1793) is one of the oldest west of the Catawba River (preserved). Open-hearth furnaces were established by Peter Forney Alexander Brevard, Joseph Graham, and others between 1785 and 1800. The homeplaces of Brevard (Mt. Tirzah) (preserved) and Graham (Vesuvius Furnace) (preserved) include sites of two of these furnaces. A third furnace, built by Peter Forney, still stands. The "Ore Bank," a chief source of iron ore, was nearby (large pits to be seen). Graham, a Revolutionary officer and leader of North Carolina troops in the Creek Indian War (1811-12); Alexander Brevard, who served under Washington at the battles of White Plains, Trenton, Brandywine, and Monmouth; and Robert H. Morrison, founder of Davidson College and father-in-law of generals D. H. Hill and "Stonewall" Jackson lie buried in Machpelah churchyard (preserved). One of the outstanding homes of the trans-Catawba region is "Ingleside" (preserved), built by Daniel M. Forney, son of Peter Forney and grandson of the pioneer Jacob Forney who settled there. "Mt. Welcome" (destroyed), another iron furnace built by Peter Forney, is the site of the birthplace of Robert D. Johnston, one of five Confederate generals born in Lincoln County. The others were Robert F. Hoke (home preserved), Stephen Dodson Ramseur (grave preserved), John H. Forney, and William H. Forney. For early history of the area east of the Catawba see marker located on N.C. 150--500 yds. east of Catawba River, Iredell County. [Review 12724 overall, 36 of 2020.]

Located just around the corner from the historic Iredell County Courthouse, this marker points out…read morea business that no longer stands in Statesville. Marker M-57 reads, "Wallace Brothers Herbarium. World renowned supplier of medicinal herbs, barks, berries & roots. Est. by Jewish immigrants, 1871. One block NW until 1942." David and Isaac Wallace, German Jewish immigrants, built a thriving mercantile and herb-trading enterprise in Statesville beginning in 1859, eventually creating what became the world's largest herbarium. Their success was fueled by botanist Mordecai Hyams, whose Appalachian expeditions and training of rural pickers supplied thousands of plant varieties to distilleries, pharmaceutical companies and international markets. The Wallace Brothers gained national and international acclaim, earning gold medals at major exhibitions in Philadelphia and Paris and later appearing at the Chicago and Saint Louis World's Fairs. Their herb trade provided crucial income for struggling North Carolinians during the 1870s, though the company's bankruptcy in 1895 ended the family's dominance even as descendants carried the business into the mid-twentieth century. Despite the decline of herbal medicine, the legacy of the Wallaces and the Hyams endures through their contributions to botany, the founding of Statesville's Jewish congregation, and the preservation of thousands of plant specimens now held in major institutions. It is marker number M-57 and it was erected by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History in 2023. There is limited parking nearby. [Review 589 of 2026 - 4678 in North Carolina - 25770 overall]

This marker is on US21 in front of the Barium Springs Home for Children…read more(http://www.childrenshopealliance.org/). It reads, "Formerly Presbyterian Orphans Home. Opened here in 1891 by Synod of N.C. Jethro Rumple was first chair, Board of Regents." and the marker is in very good condition. On line, as is customary with North Carolina's markers, there is more information. "The years 1870-1920 were the "golden age" of the orphanage movement. Sixteen institutions were started in North Carolina, most with the backing of a charitable group or religious denomination. Barium Springs Home for Children had its beginnings in Charlotte, where in 1883 Presbyterian ladies set up a home for destitute children. In 1888 they asked the Presbyterian Synod of North Carolina to assume oversight." "The Presbyterian Orphans Home, with peak enrollment of 377 in 1929, was a major part of life in Iredell County, fielding strong athletic teams. Financial support comes from Presbyterian churches across the state, the Duke Endowment, and other contributors. The home remained a long-term facility longer than similar institutions but, with the rise of foster care, has shifted focus to specialized short-term residential care and other services." [Review 13833 overall, 1155 of 2020, number 2526 in North Carolina.]