Mount Holly in Gaston County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

1830-1910 Life on Freedom Farm

— Walking Timeline —

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 28, 2026

1. 1830-1910 Life on Freedom Farm Marker

Inscription. Ransom Hunter sold vegetables and livestock at a market stand near the Mighty Oak Tree. Neighbors also brought goods to sell, creating a small local market. In the barn, the Hunter family kept horses and goats. Family members remember playing there as children, jumping from the loft into haystacks below.

After Ransom Hunter passed away, his widow, Maggie, took over the farm. Maggie is remembered for her strength and wisdom, qualities that lived on in her descendants. Eventually, Maggie's daughter, Mena, assumed management of the household, and by the early 1960s, the Hunter family farm was home to threegenerations of women.

(captions)
Sample of artifacts recovered from the Ransom Hunter Property. Top Row, Left to Right: Pearlware rim spall: Chinese export porcelain rim sherd. Bottom Row, Left to Right: Brass harmonica reed plate fragment; Copper alloy shank button or cuff link with engraved "D"; Copper alloy clothing rivet.

Ransom Hunter and Maggie Wells Hunter are laid to rest at Mount Sinai Baptist Church Cemetery, located at the intersection of Hawthorne Street and Catawba Avenue.

This is an archival photo of Mena Hunter and her son, Summey Wilson seen in front of the house.

Erected 2025

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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1830.

Location. 35° 17.645′ N, 81° 1.256′ W. Marker is in Mount Holly, North Carolina, in Gaston County. It is at the intersection of West Glendale Avenue and South Hawthorne Street, on the right when traveling east on West Glendale Avenue. Located along a walking trail in Ransom Hunter Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 325 W Glendale Ave, Mount Holly NC 28120, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Piedmont

and in Greater Charlotte.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are

1830-1910 Life on Freedom Farm Marker near the playground at the park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 28, 2026

2. 1830-1910 Life on Freedom Farm Marker near the playground at the park

within walking distance of this marker: 1910-1960s Building the Freedom Community (a few steps from this marker); 2000-2025 Community Landmark (a few steps from this marker); 1830-1910 Enslavement to Landowner (a few steps from this marker); Historic Homesite and Landscape (within shouting distance of this marker); Ransom Hunter & Freedom Rock (within shouting distance of this marker); The Mighty Oak Tree (within shouting distance of this marker); 128 South Main Street (approx. 0.3 miles away); 126 South Main Street (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mount Holly.

More about this marker. The marker is the first of four that gives a timeline of the life of Ransom Hunter and the future community he influenced.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 28, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.