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.]

Though the target of the sign is no longer here, they've at least put it close enough to the actual…read moresite that it makes sense. The sign is in excellent condition at the top of a rather high post. The marker reads, "Piedmont Wagon Company. Manufacturer of horse-drawn wooden wagons. At peak capacity produced 1000 per month. Operated from 1880 to 1940s 1/10 mile north." Online, there is more information. " In a felicitous turn of phrase local writer George Hahn wrote in 1911 that Hickory "was cradled in a wagon bed." His reference was to Piedmont Wagon Company that had made the town nationally famous. Founded by A. L. Ramseur and George Bonniwell on the site of Ramseur's rural sawmill, the company moved to the outskirts of Hickory in 1880. The site selected, at the junction of two railroads, was ideal for such a business. Nearby, other operations, such as Bonniwell's woodworking company, also took root. But it was Piedmont which, in the words of Gary Freeze, "became one of the most conspicuous examples of New South prosperity in North Carolina," on the order of the tobacco factories in Durham." "The success of the company can be measured on several counts. Their products, principally horse-drawn wooden wagons, were sold primarily across eleven states in the Southeast from Virginia to Texas. Best known for wagons with green bodies and red gear, the company was widely admired for the durability of the product. Output increased dramatically in the 1880s and Piedmont, by 1900 employing 100 workers, even weathered the depression of the 1890s with little problem. At the peak of capacity the thirteen-acre plant produced 1,000 wagons per month." "With the rise of the internal combustion engine in the 1920s, the fortunes of the company quickly changed. Sold to Daniel Rhyne in 1924, the property was sold again in the 1940s when production ground to a halt. A major fire destroyed much of the plant in 1958 and most of the rest was bulldozed in 1960 but one warehouse remains." [Review 15887 overall - 3103 in North Carolina - 1392 of 2021.]

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.]

It's been a while since I spotted a North Carolina historical marker and I really have to give…read moreprops to the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Sure, the sign is quite limited in the information it provides but the website has an entire essay of explanation. The marker reads, "Congressman from North Carolina, 1811-1817. Moved to Alabama where he was governor, 1821-1825, and United States Senator. Born 2 miles southwest." Online, there is much more information. "Israel Pickens was one amongst the stream of North Carolinians who migrated to the newly opened Alabama and Mississippi territories in the 1810s and 1820s. With experience as a legislator and congressman in his native state, Pickens quickly rose to political prominence in Alabama, serving as the state's governor from 1821 to 1825." "Pickens was Alabama's third governor. During his tenure he completed the organization of state government initiated by his predecessors... In February 1826, a few months after leaving the governor's seat, Pickens was appointed to the U.S. Senate, where he served until November." Quite the public servant, Mister Pickens. Thank you. There is parking in the adjacent gas station if you want to try to see the marker close up. [Review 17308 overall - 3295 in North Carolina - 826 of 2022.]

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.]

This marker was installed by the City of Newton rather than the State of North Carolina so it looks…read moredifferent. It reads, "Wilson Warlick. 1892-1978. Judge of United States District Court, 1949-1978, NC Superior Court Judge, 1931-1949, first chairman of NC Probation Commission and WWI veteran. Home stands 100 yards east." Online, there is more information. Judge Warlick was born here in Newton NC and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Catawba College in 1911 and a Backelow of Laws from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1913. He was in private practice of law in Newton from 1913 to 1930. He was a Judge of the Superior Court for the 16th Judicial District of North Carolina from 1931 to 1949. Warlick was nominated by President Harry S. Truman on January 13, 1949, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina vacated by Judge David Ezekiel Henderson. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 31, 1949, and received his commission on February 2, 1949. He served as Chief Judge from 1961 to 1962 and from 1966 to 1968. Warlick assumed senior status on June 24, 1968 and served in that status until his death on January 30, 1978. The marker is in front of the Catawba County Government Center. [Review 12719 overall, 31 of 2020.]

This marker on the side of the road recalls a battle of the American Revolution. Not one of the…read morebetter performances by the Colonials but they did eventually win the way. The marker reads, "British cavalry led by Colonel Tarleton routed a force of American militia, Feb. 2, 1781, at Torrence's Tavern, which stood nearby." As is usual with North Carolina's markers, there is more information online: 'The British wasted little time getting organized after defeating the small militia force of William Lee Davidson at the Battle of Cowan's Ford on February 1, 1781. Rain began falling again, slowing Cornwallis's progress, but the British army managed to reunite and made a wet camp six miles from Beattie's Ford during the evening hours of February 1. Before setting out from Cowan's Ford, Cornwallis dispatched Tarleton with the 23rd Foot and his Legion dragoons to discover Greene's location, seemingly unaware that the Continentals had fallen back to Salisbury." "Several postwar accounts claim that Tarleton found the militia in complete distress, many of them drunk, and completely incapable of fighting back. Joseph Graham, who did not witness the event firsthand, stated "The wagons of many of the movers with their property mixed in the lane, the armed men all out of order, and mixed with the wagons and people, so that the lane could scarcely be passed, when the sound of alarm was given from the west end of the lane." The British won the engagement. "Although Tarleton had destroyed the small militia force, the Whigs had bought precious time for Greene's army to continue its escape through Salisbury. Cornwallis would be halted again at the Trading Ford, kept at bay by the constant rain and swollen banks of the Yadkin River." [Review 13219 overall, 536 of 2020.]

This black historical marker stands in front of the elementary school but it points out what was…read morehere before it was that. The marker reads, "Startown School. Founded 1904. First graded school in what is now City of Newton. From 1914 to 1931 was site of Startown Farm Life School, an innovative state-supported high school integrating agriculture and home economics in curriculum. Continues as an elementary school." There is plenty of information on the current elementary school. There is very little information on the old Startown school. [Review 15925 overall - 3140 in North Carolina - 1430 of 2021.]