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 is located on the corner where Salisbury Avenue switches from North to South. There is…read morea gas station where I was able to park and read the marker. It is number L-60 and it was erected in 1959 by the North Carolina Archives and Highway Departments. It has the same text on both sides and reads, "Built 1766 by Michael Braun. One of the few remaining Pennsylvania German stone houses in North Carolina. Stands 1/2 mile northeast." If you'll go to check out the house, you'll learn about the life of an immigrant who arrived in the colonies as a young tradesman and eventually became a prominent Rowan County landowner, businessman and public official. Its preservation as a museum highlights both the architectural significance of the structure and Michael Braun's deep involvement in the region's early civic and economic development, from his work as a wheelwright and printer to his roles as magistrate, justice of the peace, and property speculator. The house's long family occupancy, its ties to local Revolutionary War tradition, and the complex arc of Braun's life all contribute to its value as a surviving link to the area's eighteenth-century German heritage. [Review 659 of 2026 - 4747 in North Carolina - 25840 overall]

The Declaration of Independence is nice and all that but did you know that Mecklenburg, North…read moreCarolina declared independence over a year earlier? The marker reads, "Bold set of anti-British resolutions, adopted on May 31, 1775, in meeting 50 yards S.W. organized by Thomas Polk, fired spirit of independence." It is marker number L-115 and it was erected in 2015 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. Aadopted here in Charlotte, North Carolina, just weeks after the battles of Lexington and Concord and drafted by the Mecklenburg County Committee of Safety, the Resolves declared that all laws and commissions originating from the British Crown or Parliament were null and void, effectively ending British authority in the region. While not a formal declaration of independence, the Resolves laid out a framework for self-governance, including the establishment of local judicial and military structures. They also called on other colonies to form their own governments, signaling a significant shift toward autonomy. Though they left open the possibility of reconciliation if Britain rescinded its oppressive policies, the Resolves marked one of the earliest organized rejections of British rule in the colonies and helped ignite the spirit of independence in the American South. [Review 1425 of 2025 - 4496 in North Carolina - 24976 overall]

This marker is located at the corner of 7th Street and Hawthorne Lane, adjacent to Independence…read morePark. It points out the history of a participant in the fight for Civil Rights. The marker reads, "Harry Golden. 1902-1981. Nationally known writer, humorist, & civil rights advocate. Published The Carolina Israelite, 1944-1968. Lived 1 block northeast." There is more information online. "Harry Golden achieved fame as publisher of The Carolina Israelite, which he issued from 1944 to 1968 from Charlotte to an international audience. According to Robin Brabham, retired UNC-Charlotte archivist, "At the height of his appeal, he had two books on the bestseller list at the same time; his life was depicted in a Broadway play; he appeared frequently on television talk shows, including Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person; and he testified before Congress on civil rights legislation."" "Golden used humor and satire to oppose Southern racial and political practices. Martin Luther King Jr. recognized his significance by identifying him as one of "our white brothers who have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it." "Golden was born Herschel Goldhirsch in the Ukraine, then part of Austria-Hungary. In 1904 his father and his oldest brother immigrated and soon after sent for the rest of the family. Golden grew up in a tenement on New York City's Lower East Side and attended City College. He married Genevieve Gallagher in 1926, and they had four sons. "Failed business ventures led to his guilty plea to mail fraud in October 1929. Sentenced to five years in federal prison, he was released in 1933. In 1941, he moved south, first to Norfolk, then to Charlotte where he worked for the Charlotte Labor Journal, affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. Golden issued the first regular number of The Carolina Israelite in February 1944. The monthly magazine initially carried the subtitle, "A Monthly Review of Jewish Affairs, Dedicated to Interfaith Amity." "In 1955 Golden addressed the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association on "The Jewish People of North Carolina." He came to national attention in 1956 after he testified before the Pearsall Commission that white Southerners did not seem to mind standing with African Americans: "It is only when the Negro 'sets' that the fur begins to fly." Thus, he suggested, public schools could be painlessly integrated by providing desks but no seats. He went on to suggest sixteen more plans that mocked Southern racial mores. "Wide circulation of his "Vertical Negro Plan" soon generated interest in his writing and in 1958 a compilation of his columns, Only in America, appeared on the best seller list. He advised Robert Kennedy in his 1964 and 1968 campaigns for the U. S. Senate and the Democratic presidential nomination. He continued to publish the Israelite until 1968 when he closed the paper. In 1979 he received the North Carolina Award for Literature. He is buried in Hebrew Cemetery in Charlotte." There is brief parking across the way at the pizza place. [Review 11 of 2025 - 4013 in North Carolina - 23584 overall]

Not a review of the Mint Museum, which I did not have time to visit today (I've lived in Charlotte…read morefor 13 years, I need to make the time) but the state's historical marker that is posted at the entrance to the parking area. It reads, "Operated as Branch U.S. Mint, 1837-61. Relocated to present site as art museum, 1936. Building expanded, 1968 and 1985." There is more information online. Gold was discovered in Cabarrus County in 1799 that caused a gold rush in North Carolina by 1825. As it was difficult to ship the gold to the Philadelphia Mint, laws were passed to build branch mints in the South including here in Charlotte, Dahlonega GA and New Orleans LA. The Charlotte Mint operated until North Carolina seceded from the Union in 1861. During its operation, it count about five million dollars in half eagles ($5), quarter eagles ($2.50) and gold dollars. The Mint was moved from its original location on West Trade Street (wondered why there's a Mint Street in Uptown?), piece-by-piece to this location and reconstructed during 1934-1936. Do visit the actual Mint Museum nearby and the one in Uptown. [Review 12303 overall, 2087 of 2019.]

This marker is on a tall pole outside the guard's shack that is at the entrance to the university…read more There is no parking here but I was able to briefly stop to read the marker and the guard didn't mind though he probably thought I was crazy. Like most North Carolina markers, the text on the marker is brief. It reads, "Est. in 1867 as Biddle Memorial Institute for freedmen. Became a university, 1877. Present name adopted in 1923." Online, there is more information. "Established in 1867 by the Presbyterian Church, modern-day Johnson C. Smith University was known from that year until 1876 as Biddle Memorial Institute. Samuel C. Alexander, minister at Steele Creek Presbyterian Church, took a lead role in the establishment of a school "for the education of preachers and teachers among the ex-slaves, realizing that only in this way could they be fitted for Christian citizenship." Around 3,000 former slaves lived in Mecklenburg County in 1867. Stephen Mattoon was the first president, presiding over the school for fourteen years. "Mary D. Biddle of Philadelphia raised $1,400 for the new school and selected the name to honor her late husband, Major Henry Biddle. W. R. Myers, a wealthy Charlotte businessman, donated the first eight acres of land on Beatties Ford Road for the campus. In 1876 the state legislature formally chartered the school at which time the name was changed to Biddle University. Biddle Hall, the centerpiece of the campus, was completed in 1884. The first African American president was Daniel Sanders, who served in the position from 1891 until his death in 1907. "In 1921 and 1922, Jane Berry Smith of Pittsburgh donated funds for a theological dormitory, science building, teachers' cottage, and memorial gate. In addition she established an endowment in memory of her late husband, Johnson C. Smith. In recognition of her gifts, trustees voted to rename the institution. Consequently, the charter was amended to reflect the new name in 1923. James B. Duke, the tobacco magnate, included the school as a beneficiary of the Duke Endowment, created in 1924, putting in place an affiliation that has benefitted the university greatly over the years. "In 1932 women first enrolled at JCSU. Today the school retains its affiliation with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, reporting to its General Assembly through the Board of Christian Education. Since 1944 JCSU has been associated with the United Negro College Fund." This is marker number L-101 and it was erected in 2022 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. [Review 2551 of 2024 - 4003 in North Carolina - 23562 overall]

Located along Cabarrus Avenue and in front of the college that is still standing, this marker gives…read moresome background on the founding of this educational institution. The marker reads, "Presbyterian. Est. 1867 by Luke Dorland to educate Negro women, Scotia Seminary merged in 1930 with Barber Memorial Institute. Coed since 1954." It is marker number L-102 and it was erected in 2001 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. The institution that became Barber-Scotia College began as a parochial school modeled on Mount Holyoke and dedicated to training Black women as teachers and social workers. It grew steadily after its 1870 charter, adding land, buildings, and enrollment, evolved into a women's college in the early twentieth century, merged with Barber Memorial Institute in 1930, achieved junior-college accreditation in 1934, advanced to a four-year college with its first bachelor's degrees awarded in 1945, and later opened its doors to all students while maintaining its historic church affiliation despite significant financial and accreditation challenges in recent decades. There is parking across the street and of course, you can park on the campus too. [Review 670 of 2026 - 4756 in North Carolina - 25851 overall]

This marker is in front of a mixed-use building that has some retail at the ground floor and…read moreapartments/condos on the upper floors. There are some street parking spaces and the Gold Line goes past. The marker reads, "D.A Tompkins. 1851-1914. Crusader for southern industrial development, manufacturer, engineer, author, and publisher. Grave is 1/2 mile north." There is more information online. "Daniel Augustus Tompkins, industrialist and newspaper editor, was born in Edgefield District, South Carolina, on October 12, 1851 to Dewitt and Virginia Tompkins. Interested in engineering since his boyhood, Daniel entered the University of South Carolina in 1867, but shortly thereafter transferred to the Renssalear Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, where he graduated in 1873 with an engineering degree. "After graduation, Tompkins became a master machinist with Bethlehem Iron Works in Pennsylvania. The factory head, John Fritz, considered Tompkins one of the finest machinists in the industry, and sent him to Germany in 1877 to oversee the development of the Schwerte Iron Works. Following his return in 1879, Tompkins took a position with the Crystal Plate Glass Company of Crystal City, Missouri. Two years later, Tompkins moved to Charlotte as a machinist for the Westinghouse Machine Company. Soon thereafter, he began his own business, D. A. Tompkins Company, installing steam engines in the numerous cotton mills of western and central North Carolina. "By the late 1880s D. A. Tompkins Company had expanded operations to the construction of various mills and electric plants. By 1910, the organization had developed 250 cotton oil mills, 150 electric plants, and 100 cotton plants. Because of his success in the manufacturing industry, President William McKinley appointed him a member of the United States Industrial Commission. In addition, he served as a member of the board of trustees at what is now North Carolina State University and was instrumental in the development of the university's textile school. He also served as the director of Equitable Life Insurance. "Tompkins also understood the influence of mass media, and how he could use it to give voice to his industrial New South policies. Therefore, he obtained controlling interests in the Charlotte Daily Observer, the Charlotte Evening News, and Greenville (S.C.) News. Under the guise of several ghostwriters, Tompkins also produced a number of pamphlets and books such as Cotton Values in Textile Fabrics and History of Mecklenburg County from 1740 to 1903 (written by Charles Lee Coon). "Tompkins spoke out against compulsory public school, child labor legislation, and wage per hour regulation and sought to maximize profits and retain cheap labor in the southern mills. Tompkins retired from business in 1910, owing to poor health, and moved to his summer home in Montreat. He died of a paralytic condition on October 18, 1914, and was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte. After the death of his fiancée in 1884, Tompkins never married and left no children." [Review 2550 of 2024 - 4002 in North Carolina - 23561 overall]