Historical Markers Near You

Cooleemee's Brick High School. To satisfy the expanding education needs of Cooleemee and Jerusalem Township a new brick school was built here. It eventually comprised grades one through eleven. Its center stood 80 yards northwest. , Cooleemee High School was ready for occupancy on February 10, 1923. In 1925 the senior class published its first year book. , This modern structure was built with sixteen classrooms and an auditorium which seated 1,000. The auditorium stage measured 38'x60' and doubled as a basketball court. , From the beginning the school and its surrounding community shared the closest of bonds. The auditorium was full of proud parents and kinfolk for every school play, music recital, basketball tournament and commencement ceremony. , The community also utilized school facilities for J.C. Sell's annual fiddlers conventions and for lectures by the travelling Chautauqua group. A community cannery was added to the school yard in the 1930s and the Cooleemee School PTA was chartered in 1938. , In the 1930's the County Board of Education along with the Works Progress Administration built eight new classrooms. At the initiative of Erwin Mills, Textile Union #251 and school officials, a 1948 county bond referendum passed providing funds to build yet another wing. , A new gymnasium had a seating capacity of 1,000 on roll-away bleachers. An up-to-date industrial arts shop was added along with a new home economics classroom. A new cafeteria in the basement had a seating capacity of 150 students and staff. , School principals included Samuel Holton, W. T. Moore, E.W. Junker, George E. Smith, G. R. Madison and V.G. Prim. , Among its beloved teachers were: Annie Bost, Mrs. A. D. Walters, James Wall, Maude Bost, Lucille Bumgarner, Alma Bass, Gertie Smith, Elizabeth Carnes, Mrs. W. J. Moody, Paul Donnelly, "Shorty” Coulter, Mary Zachary, Marjorie Mosely, Mary Lee McMahan, Ralph Sinclair, Charlotte Purcell, Sue Munday, Beaulah Apperson, Lucille Ward, Tom Ridenhour, Jack Ward, Lena Sink, Ruth Bessent, Ruby Moore, Polly Bahnson, Mary Wall Sexton and Mariola Crawford. , The Class of 1956 was the last to graduate from Cooleemee High School. Much to the distress of local citizens it was demolished and set ablaze in 1974. , In 1998 a time capsule was buried 18 yards north of this spot to commemorate Cooleemee's Centennial year. It will be opened in the year 2048.

Hugh T. Lefler. Preeminent historian of North Carolina, author, and editor. Professor at UNC, 1935-1972. His birth-place is one mile east.

John Stokes. First U. S. Judge for District of N. C., 1790, captain in Revolution, state legislator, member of convention of 1789. His plantation was nearby.

Cooleemee's Riverside Hotel. Nestled in a grove of large shade trees, the Riverside Hotel stood 133 yards west of this spot at the end of Cross Street. The hotel overlooked the dam and the shoals of the South Yadkin River at Cooleemee., The Riverside Hotel was one of the town's earliest public buildings and opened before the cotton mill was fully operating. It was a two-story, wood frame structure with a porch extending across its front and was full of rocking chairs., In August of 1899 timber was being cut and milled by Samuel Jesse Tatum for the hotel's construction. By July of 1900 there were already residents living there., The 1900 Census reveals that Virginia-born Ellen Griggs was the first hotel keeper and she was assisted by two sons and a daughter. Her staff included cook Elvia Hill, waiter Paul Foster and teamster Charles Hill. Among its first guests were wagon master Frank Hairston, quarry superintendent Jackson White, surveyor Hubbart Carvel and machinists John Sutton and James Nanny., In the years to follow Cooleemee's Riverside Hotel came to represent the best in Southern hospitality. Its rooms were always shining with new paint and its floors were well kept. Its ceilings were high to keep residents cool during hot summers., At noon and in the evenings the hotel was filled with the aroma of well-prepared food served at the hotel's first-class dining room. White linen, china and silver were always used., Visiting mill officials and travelling salesmen were frequent hotel guests. These included Mr. W. A. Erwin, president of the mill company whose headquarters was in Durham, N.C., Many of Cooleemee's school teachers were long-term boarders at the hotel and it was only a short walk or drive to work via Cross Street. The mill held many of its "25-Year Club" banquets there for its retiring employees. Many groups, such as the Cotton Club, utilized its dining room for events., The tradition of restful accommodations, fine cooking and gracious dining were continued over the years by a succession of hotel managers. In 1910 the hotel was managed by Mary W. Wetmore, whose husband George was a school teacher. Cary Neely was a cook on her staff., By 1920, Julia F. Gilbreth ran the hotel. Mabel Tiller Alexander managed the hotel for many years of its existence. Her daughter, Nellie, was raised there. In later years, Hattie Moore ran the establishment. Among her staff members were Kelly Payne and Ruth Goodlett, well-known for her biscuits and chocolate pie., The steady roar of the river cascading over the nearby dam was enjoyed by many guests over the years. The hotel was demolished by the mill company in the 1960s.

Cooleemee's Old Wood School. On this corner lot stood Cooleemee's Old Wood School. It faced east on Watts Street and extended all the way to Duke Street. , Local school classes were held as early as 1899 in a mill house on Main Street. The foundation for this school was laid in 1901, with its official opening in December of 1902. , Its first principal was J.B. Craven, a Methodist minister and its student body numbered 160 students. Professor J.D. Hodges, Miss Rosa Tatum and others served as principals over the years. , The Old Wood School was a two-story frame building with eight class rooms. There was an assembly hall which was also used for chapel. , Each room had a pot-bellied stove. Scores of Cooleemee boys had the chore of firing-up these stoves each morning. There were outdoor toilets for the staff and young scholars in the rear yard. A cast iron pump provided water drunk from a gourd or a tin dipper. , The Old Wood School was a major step forward for education in Davie County. It was Jerusalem Township's seventh public school. , Erwin Mills built the school and maintained it. Erwin Mills General Manager T.V. Terrell and mill book-keeper J.W. Zachary served on the Jerusalem Township School Board in 1906 along with prominent farmer W.H. Hobson. , The Old Wood School drew white students from the surrounding countryside as well as the mill village. High School graduations began as early as 1908, when six scholars received their diplomas for completing eleven years of schooling. , Those who attended this Old Wood School recall their teachers as all being called "Miss". Many of them lived at the Riverside Hotel, located down the road on Cross Street. Among the list of beloved teachers were Rosa Tatum, Mary Eliza Hudson, Creola Wilson, Emma Grimes and Grace Coley. , After the "New Brick School” was built on Marginal Street in 1923, the Old Wood School continued to be used for teaching grades 1-3. At one time there were so many students that a nearby mill house and a tar-papered building were engaged to hold the student body. , Hundreds upon hundreds of students who sat in its classrooms and marched down its halls went on to become literate and productive citizens. Hugh T. Lefler, prominent North Carolina historian, received his first years of education at Cooleemee's Old Wood School.

Cooleemee's Old Square. From its inception, Cooleemee was planned as a modern turn-of-the-century town. Its center stood 130 yards north of here on Main Street., While the cotton mill was the focus of most family's working life, Cooleemee's Old Square was the hub of its public life. The main anchors of the Square were constructed by 1902., On the west side stood the J.N. Ledford Department Store which was Davie County's first modern shopping center. Also known as The Company Store, it had departments for clothes, dry goods, hardware and groceries—everything from fine ladies hats to coffins. Credit was liberal, with no interest charged. Most families had accounts there. Above the Company Store was a library, a band hall, an auditorium, and eventually Davie County's first beauty shop. At various stages, the basement floor of the store had the barber shop, a men's public shower, and a pool room. These businesses faced Bridge Street. In Cooleemee's early days a silent moving picture show stood across Bridge Street (then N.C. Highway 801)., In December 1899 citizens petitioned Washington for a post office at "Cooleemee Falls". Their wish was granted in February, 1900 but the town's official name was shortened to Cooleemee. The Post Office was housed in wooden structures until the brick building was built in the early 1930s. At the same time a new "talking" movie theater was built between the bank and the post office. The Bank of Cooleemee stood on the west side of the Square just below Ledford's Store. Opening in 1905, it later became Durham Bank and Trust., On the Square's east side stood a commercial complex which housed both the Cooleemee Drug Store and its Cafe and Meat Market. The Drug Store opened in 1903. Above the Drug Store were the offices of Dr. A.B. Byerly, the town's doctor, and also at various times a dentist office and a beauty shop. Upstairs from the Cafe and Meat Market was the Fraternal Hall, later home to Local 251 of the Textile Workers Union. At the back of the building the basement housed a shoe repair shop and later a dry cleaners., At the north side of the Square there was a service station, a telephone office, a taxi stand, and later a payroll office for the cotton mill., Except on Sunday and in the dead of night, there were always crowds of people at Cooleemee's Old Square. During the mill's shift change, hundreds would gather to talk before work. Men would perch on the old iron rails next to the Cafe and solve all the problems of the world., The town's heart and soul was demolished by the mill company in 1963, during the transition of ownership from Erwin Mills to Burlington Industries., A mural depicting the Old Square stands across the street on the wall of the present Stokes Co. Yarn Company. The mural was created by artist Jeremy Sams and was commissioned for Cooleemee's Centennial Celebration in 1998.

Boone Trail Highway Marker. Boone Trail Highway Metal from Battle Ship Maine in Tablet Daniel Boone.

Boone Memorial. , Daniel Boone , Hunter, Explorer , Backwoodsman, Soldir , Surveyor Roadbuilder , Legislator, Magistrate , He lived and learned woodcraft in Davie County 1750-65

Squire and Sarah Boone , Parents of Daniel Boone , Pioneers of the Yadkin whose remains are interred one mile N W. in Joppa Graveyard , Coming from PA 1749

Davie County War Memorial. front center Dedicated in Honor of All Davie County Veterans and to the Memory of Those Who Made the Supreme Sacrifice for Our Freedom, front left Spanish American War (?) World War I (18) Vietnam (9), front left World War II (53) Korean War (2) Beirut (1), back Civil War (259 + 36) ...They Gave the Last Full Measure of Devotion. 1861 - 1865.

Davie County in the Civil War. (Preface): , On March 24, 1865, Union Gen. George Stoneman led 6,000 cavalrymen from Tennessee into southwestern Virginia and western North Carolina to disrupt the Confederate supply line by destroying sections of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, the North Carolina Railroad, and the Piedmont Railroad. He struck at Boone on March 28, headed into Virginia on April 2, and returned to North Carolina a week later. Stoneman's Raid ended at Asheville on April 26, the day that Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to Union Gen. William T. Sherman near Durham. , ---- , On April 11, 1865, two brigades of Union Gen. George Stoneman's force, about 3,000 men, crossed the Yadkin River at Shallow Ford en route to Salisbury to free Federal captives in the Confederate prison camp there. A Home Guard of 21 men including fifteen-year-old E. L. Gaither assembled at Elisha Creek Hill just north of Mocksville, exchanged a few shots with the Federals, and then scattered. , , Stoneman's men burned the McNeely cotton factory half a mile west, it had not operated since the 1840s. Some threw county records into the street. A deed recorded in 1872 asserted that the original "was destroyed by Stoneman's men." The courthouse stood in the center of the square facing south and some of the troops used the weathervane for target practice. It was taken for repair to a tin shop in the March House southeast of here, but a later fire destroyed both the weathervane and the house. , , Townspeople here were forced to feed the soldiers and endure looting. Raiders broke into Baxton Bailey's store, ruined his goods, and stole four horses. His wife was held at gunpoint in the Lee House on Carter Street when she resisted demands for money; a bed pillow was set on fire, but the soldiers left without harming her. The fire was quickly extinguished. The only remaining artifact, a charred wallboard, is now on display at the library. , , Stoneman bivouacked south of town in Ephesus, taking five hostages, who escaped. He hastened to Salisbury to find the prisoners had been moved to Wilmington in February.

H. Andrew Lagle. Employee and Town Supervisor , Volunteer. Fireman and Fire Chief. , , His extensive knowledge, expertise, and resourcefulness - His dedication and compelling sense of duty ably served the citizens of Mocksville.

The Boone Family in Davie County. On 04 October 1750, Squire Boone received a Land Warrant and Survey for a 640-acre tract "lying...upon Grant's Creek, alias Lickon (Licking) Creek" in present Davie County. He received a grant for this 640 acres on the present Elisha and Dutchman creeks 30 April 1753 and a second grant on Bear Creek 29 December 1753. (A roadside marker locates this Bear Creek site on Highway 64 west.)

Eleven children of Squire and Sarah (Morgan) Boone all came and lived in present Davie County. They were Sarah (Boone) Wilcockson, Israel, Samuel, Jonathan, Elizabeth (Boone) Grant, Daniel, Mary (Boone) Bryan, George, Edward, Squire (Jr.), and Hannah (Boone) Stewart Pennington.

Squire Boone's nephew, John Boone (1727-1803), and wife Rebecca (Bryan?) Boone (c1735-1820) received a 630-acre grant on Hunting Creek 21 December 1753. Their nine children were born there. Most of this family migrated to Tennessee, though some of their descendants lived at this Hunting Creek site until the 1850's and some distant relatives still live in Davie County.

In addition to Squire and Sarah Boone, John and Rebecca Boone and John Wilcockson are buried here in Joppa Cemetery in unmarked graves. Israel Boone and his wife are probably buried here also.

Squire and Sarah Boone deeded the Elisha and Dutchman Creeks grant to son Squire Jr. on 12 October 1759. On the same day they also deeded the Bear Creek tract to Daniel and Rebecca.

Daniel Boone (1734-1820), son of Squire and Sarah Boone, married Rebecca Bryan (1739-1813) in Davie County on 14 August 1756. For some eight years, from about 1756 until about 1764, they lived on what was probably Bryan property in the forks of Sugar (tree) Creek in eastern Davie County.

Only tradition locates this homesite. Their first two sons, James and Israel, were born there. Though Daniel farmed some, he was primarily engaged in hunting and trapping. He is said to have killed as many as thirty deer a day, selling the hides in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Daniel and Rebecca moved to Wilkes County, North Carolina, about 1764. In 1773 an attempted settlement of Kentucky failed because of a Shawnee Indian attack and the murder of Daniel's 16-year-old son James and five other youths. Daniel and Rebecca with most of their relatives and many friends migrated permanently to Kentucky in 1779.

Daniel Boone, the archetypal frontiersman, acquired in Davie County the experience, endurance, resourcefulness, and expertness with the rifle which enabled him to become the great explorer and pioneer settler of the trans-Appalachian American West.

Erected by the Committee for the 250th Anniversary of Daniel Boone's Birthday, Inc., Howell Boone, Chairman

In 1827 Joannah Smith bequeathed $600 so her Church could have a pastor. The unparalleled generosity of dedicated Presbyterians Joannah and husband James Smith, enabled Joppa Presbyterian Church, then located at this site, to call the Rev. William A. Hall as pastor. Without these gifts, Joppa Church might have closed. The growing community and Rev. Hall's energetic leadership from 1827-1851 resulted in much growth and progress for the church.

Basil Gaither. BORN 1751, MARYLAND WIFE: Margaret Watkins Migrated to Rowan County (Now Davie) in 1781 CHILDREN: Ellen (Nellie) b. 1769; Walter b. 1772; Nicholas b. 1773; Basil, Jr. b. 1774; Gassaway b. 1780; Nathan b. 1788; Betsey b. 1790 CAPTAIN: Revolutionary War JUSTICE: Rowan County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions MEMBER: General Assembly of N.C. 1788-1802 (Except 1798) MEMBER: Ratification Convention, Fayetteville Voted to Ratify United States Constitution, Nov. 21, 1789 Died 1802, Burial Site Near Here.

Daniel Boone's Parents. , Squire and Sarah Boone are buried here. Daniel Boone, 1734-1820, lived many years in this region.

Hinton R. Helper. Author of The Impending Crisis, a bitterly controversial book which denounced slavery; U.S. Consul at Buenos Aires, 1861-66. Born 150 yds. N.

Boone Tract. In 1753 Lord Granville granted 640 acres on Bear Creek to Squire Boone who sold it in 1759 to his son Daniel. This was a part of the original Boone tract.

Boy Scouts Veterans Memorial. , In honor and memory we offer tribute to veterans of all branches of our armed services who served to preserve our freedom and safety , God Bless America

Cooleemee. Fine example of "Anglo-Grecian Villa." Built on 4,000 acre plantation by Peter W. Hairston in 1855. House stands 1 mi. south.

Yadkin College. A Methodist Protestant institution. Opened in 1856, made co-educational in 1878, closed in 1924. Building stands 1 mi. N.

Colonel Thomas W. Ferebee. Family Homesite Colonel Thomas W. Ferebee Bombardier, Enola Gay Dropped Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima, Japan August 6, 1945.

The Advance Academy. The Advance Academy Property deeded by F.M. Potts and Daniel Orrell in 1892 Academy established in 1893 Later became a public school operating until 1924 It is the largest Academy building still standing in Davie County.

Cokesbury School. Short lived. The first Methodist school in North Carolina. Began about 1790. Was two miles east.

Catawba College. Coeducational, liberal arts. Affiliated with Evangelical and Reformed Church. Opened at Newton, 1851. Moved here, 1925, and enlarged.

The British Army led by General Cornwallis crossed Dutchman's Creek at this point Feb. 6, 1781

Setzer School. Restored one-room log school of 1840’s. Now located at the Knox Junior High School, ¼ mile east.

Food Lion, Inc.. , Founded here in 1957 by Brown Ketner, Ralph Ketner, and Wilson Smith. Now a major U. S. supermarket chain.

Trading Ford. On famous trading path used by Indians and early settlers. There Greene, retreating from Cornwallis, crossed on Feb. 2, 1781. East 1 mi.

Honor Roll. , Ted Proctor . Charles Crook . Charlie Swink . Neil Madden . W.L. Mowery . Tom Amass

All Gave Some, Some Gave All. , In memory of world war one veterans , In memory of world war two veterans , In memory of Korean veterans , In memory of Vietnam veterans , In memory of Bosnia veterans , In memory of Desert Storm veterans , In memory of Saudi Arabia veterans , In memory of Iraq veterans , In memory of Afghanistan veterans , This monument dedicated to the men and women who served , In honor of all veterans

Veterans Memorial Helicopter and Tree. This helicopter and tree dedicated to all veterans who served their country

Stoneman’s Raid. , Southern troops turned back Stoneman's U. S. Cavalry, raiding through western North Carolina, at the Yadkin River Bridge, April 12, 1865.

Trading Ford. , General Nathanael Greene in his masterly retreat from the British army under Lord Cornwallis, crossed the Yadkin at Trading Ford, one-half mile southeast of this spot, February 2-3, 1781. A sudden rise in the river prevented the passage of the British and permitted the American army to escape and prepare for the Battle of Guilford Court House.

George Washington Boulder. George Washington Boulder On this rock President George Washington rested and ate dinner, enroute from Salisbury to Winston-Salem May 31, 1791, Erected by Gen Wm. Davidson Chapter D.A.R. Lexington N.C. 1926.

Joseph Charles Price High School. National Historic Register April 21, 2010 , A school of great heritage and academic success in times of repression.

Historic Spencer Shops. In commemoration of the 1977 gift to the State of North Carolina by Southern Railway Company of the property and buildings which formerly housed Southern's largest steam locomotive servicing facility. Historic Spencer Shops, North Carolina's Transportation Museum, is administered by the Division of Archives and History of the Department of Cultural Resources.

Monroe Street School. In 1923, became Salisbury's new Black public school. It was originally named Joseph C. Price High School in honor of Livingstone College's first president. The first principal was Professor L. Hamilton Hall. , In 1932, the school was renamed Monroe Street School, and Annie Rose Lowery succeeded Hall as principal until 1951. , Monroe Street School was closed in 1971 when Salisbury complied with federal desegregation laws. , The school played a pivotal role in the academic life of Black students.

Town of Spencer. When Southern Railway formed in 1894, its first President, Samuel Spencer, began looking for a location for a new repair facility halfway between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Ga. As Rowan County became the targeted location, former N.C. State Legislator John Henderson became involved. Henderson bought 141 acres and sold the land to Southern Railway for the construction of Spencer Shops. , Southern Railway subdivided approximately 85 acres of surrounding land into 500 lots that were sold to local residents and business owners for $100 each. The community, like Spencer Shops, was named for Samuel Spencer. By 1901, the town had grown to 625 residents. Incorporated in 1905, Spencer flourished, growing to more than 1,900 residents by 1910. A 48-bedroom YMCA accommodated workers own homes or those traveling by train from other terminals. The YMCA was torn down in the 1960s to make way for the current town hall. , Until 1938, a trolley line operated from the original Spencer Shops entrance to downtown Salisbury, giving workers additional access to the surrounding community. , Town life centered around the park built in the middle of town, featuring a baseball diamond and bandstand. In 1963, the park was converted into the Park Plaza shopping center. , Spencer's small town businesses thrived due to their relationships with railroad employees. Thomas Stanback, a worker at the Rowan Drug Store in Spencer, invented Stanback Headache Powders in 1911, providing samples to railroad workers. The Spencer Watchmaking Company trained 1,300 students over 4 decades in business, servicing railroad watches worn by many Southern employees. , The closure of Spencer Shops in the 1960s and 1970s transformed downtown, as railroad workers and their families moved away and the newly constructed Interstate 85 allowed travelers to bypass the small town. , (caption 1) , View of Fifth Street and Carolina Avenue. The large house on the right was used as a boarding house for employees and visitors, and still stands today. Spencer Lutheran Church, seen on the left, later constructed a new sancturary resembling the roundhouse. , (caption 2) , This view of Fifth Street shows the Wachovia Bank Building. Several stores were located on the first floor, and the Masons used the third floor for a temple. Other Spencer businesses included drugstores, livery and feed, furniture, grocery, clothing, and women's hats. ,

Food Lion Trailer No. 893615. , Builder: Great Dane Trailers , Manufactured: November 1968 , Model: 731T Dry Van , Weight: 12 feet 6 inches , Length: 45 feet , Weight: 13,600 pounds , Capacity: 49,960 pounds , PurchaSe price: $17,608.07 , The Great Dane Trailer Company began in part in 1931 when the Savannah Blowpipe Company sought to produce new lightweight trailers for the trucking industry. They hired a resident of Greenville, S. C., who was making trailers under the name Great Dane, because he was familiar with their use as draft animals in Europe. With new laws governing trailer weights in the 1930s, the Great Dane Company found just the right market for their trailers. , The trucking industry was always an interest of Food Lion's. Starting with the first store in 1957, Food Lion purchased its own trucks and created distribution centers. Today there are eight distribution centers in four states, including North Carolina. Almost SOO tractor-trailers are employed to drive the 52 million miles needed to deliver fresh groceries to stores each day. , Food Lion used this trailer to haul dry grocery products between warehouses and stores. Similar to other companies, logos were painted along the sides, acting as rolling billboards along the interstates. This trailer traveled over 1,000,000 miles and carried 6,620 loads of groceries and backhaul merchandise, weighing 297,900,000 pounds during a 17-year period. , Trailer donated by Food Lion LLC.

Food Lion LLC. Food Lion, founded in 1957 by Ralph Ketner, Brown Ketner, and Wilson Smith was originally named Food Town and located in what is now the Ketner Center in Salisbury, North Carolina. Grocery prices at the time included ten-pound-bags of potatoes for thirty-five cents. Most grocery stores were owned and operated as family businesses. , In 1968, Food Town started the concept of everyday low prices." Instead of weekly specials or coupons, the grocery chain priced items at their very lowest and kept them there every day, making them an industry leader and,creating the slogan, "LFPINC" or "Lowest Food Prices North Carolina." , In 1983, the company changed its name to Food Lion and expanded beyond its traditional base in south to Kentucky, West Virginia, and Maryland. By the early 1990s, Food Lion stores opened in Delaware, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Also, during the 1990s, the Delhaize Group of Belgium purchased the company. , In 2001 Food Lion opened its 1,000th store and continues to be a strong competitor in the supermarket business in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Other stores controlled by the Delhaize Group include Bloom, Bottom Dollar, Harveys and Reid's.

The Muscle of Spencer Shops. The Muscle of Spencer Shops , While the Bob Julian Roundhouse, located just south of here, provided routine maintenance for Southern Railway's steam locomotives, the Back Shop was where the heavy lifting was done—literally. Locomotives came to the Back Shop for major overhauls and repairs. Ceiling-mounted cranes were used to lift locomotives weighing up to 90 tons and shuttle them through the building. A machine shop was located on the eastern side of the building. When completed in 1905, the Back Shop became the largest manufacturing building in the state of North Carolina. Building this behemoth took 2.5 million bricks and $483,000—a project that today would cost in the tens of millions to complete. The giant windows and skylights provided an abundance of natural light in the building. The building, which could accommodate 15 locomotives at a time, is 596 feet long (nearly two football fields), 150 feet wide and 80 feet high. Workers turned out one completed locomotive per day. , A Milestone in Restoration , Ater work at Spencer stopped altogether, the shop buildings fell into deep disrepair for decades. By the time the shops were donated to the State of North Carolina for use as a transportation museum, the Back Shop had hundreds of broken windows, badly damaged brick and was covered in kudzu vines. , Preliminary efforts to stop further damage, including a new roof, began in 1980, but a more extensive restoration would be more than 20 years later. In 2005, the initial phase of restoration was completed, including replacing the roof again (the 1980 roof was damaged first by a tornado and then by Hurricane Hugo in 1989), stabilizing the foundation, extensive masonry work, replacing windows and skylights, and sandblasting/repainting steel roof trusses. Additional restoration needed to complete the building's transition to an exhibit hall includes installation of a new floor, electrical and plumbing work, construction of interior walls, restroom installation, and much more.

Norfolk and Western Caboose 555012. , Builder: International Car Company, Kenton, Ohio , Date Complete: April 1976 , Cost: $45,000 , Built as: Norfolk and Western Railway 555012, In 1976 the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) placed an order for one hundred new cabooses with the International Car Company. Cabooses from that order, of which the museum's 555012 is one, were the last cabooses for the N&W. , The car's configuration and appointments came directly from the company catalog and are typical of the last generation of cabooses built for America's railroads. , Cabooses often were assigned to specific train crews and replaced on a train when the crew changed. This caboose, however, was a pool caboose: it stayed on the train even when the crews changed. That arrangement saved time, and crews received extra pay to serve on pool cabooses. , The color of 555012 probably reflects tradition rather than function. In the early days engineer could glance back at his train and easily spot a red caboose. Spying the car meant the train had not accidentally split in two. , The car was retired in 1990 after only fourteen years of service. Electronic devices that monitor brake pressure and unsafe conditions had made cabooses obsolete. Norfolk Southern donated 555012 to the museum in July 1990. ,

Spencer Shops Roundhouse and Turntable. This 37-stall roundhouse and 100-foot turntable built by the Southern Railway are among the few survivors of a distinctive type of locomotive repair facility that was once common across North America. The radial track and turntable arrangement was based on the operational and maintenance needs of steam locomotives, though this facility received modifications after 1950 to service diesels. , While other roundhouses survive, this is among the best preserved examples of a large, modern roundhouse that continues to function as a railroad shop.

Signals. Railroads use signals for traffic control. They give crews permission for track use.. One of the most interesting signal styles is the position light, first used on the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1915. Instead of one light signifying the signal aspect, three lights in changing rows were used. As originally used, all lights were yellow, but by 1959 were changed to red, yellow, and green, depending on the signal aspect. The position light signal uses vertical for "proceed" [or clear], an angle for "approach" [prepare to stop at next signal] and horizontal for "stop. " Secondary heads were used for upcoming signals or side tracks. This style of signal was based on rows of lights, which could still be read even if one of the bulbs was out. It also made reading the signal easier at speed or during inclement weather. , Only three railroads in the U.S. employed this style of signals, the Pennsylvania Railroad, Norfolk and Western, and Baltimore and Ohio. Today, their successors, Norfolk Southern Corporation and CSX, are replacing all position light signals with standard, modern vertical color lights. , The first color light signals were installed during the 1920s, incorporating the Automatic Block System (ABS) to regulate trains. ABS signals were only located on the main track between Richmond, Va. and Hamlet, N.C. As a train passed a signal, it would automatically change from green to red, signifying the block of track was occupied. As the train left the block, the signal would change from red to yellow, then back to green. Centralized Traffic Control, or OTC, was installed over the Seaboard main lines during the 1940s, and completely changed how trains operated. Instead of ABS signals, train dispatchers could view all main and side tracks for a particular section on panels. They lights to show the location of trains as they moved along their route. Using radio, dispatchers would allow trains to operate between two locations and could change direction of track switches by moving a lever from hundreds of miles away. Seaboard became one of the most advanced railroads due to CTC, which eventually controlled over 1 , 700 miles of track. , This signal mast has two different heads and would have been placed near a switch for a passing siding or spur track. The, upper three light head controlled the main line, with the lower controlling access to the siding., This exhibit was made through the generous support of the North American Railway Foundation (NARF)

Magnetic Signal Company. The Magnetic Signal Company, formed sometime after 1910, received its first patent, on May 19, 1914. The Los Angeles-based company mainly sold its crossing signals to western railroads, such as the Santa Fe and Union Pacific. Pacific Electric Railroad was the first railroad to use the wig wag signal. Griswold Signal Company purchased Magnetic Signal Company and moved the headquarters to Minneapolis and continued produce these signals and replacement parts into the 1960s. Very few original wig wag signals still operate in the United States. , Displayed here is a Model 11, type KCR. This model had a special cage to protect, the swinging arm from damage at a grade crossing. A train approaching the crossing would activate this signal and continue to operate it until the train had cleared. At the same time, a warning bell would warn motorists of the impending tram. This signal could be activated by any of the three tracks it guarded at the crossing., This exhibit was made through the generous support of the North American Railway Foundation (NARF)

Southern Public Utilities Co. 1927 Streetcar #85. Streetcar #85 was manufactured in Charlotte in 1927 by the Southern Public Utilities Company The trolley ran 11 years in the city, powered by overhead electric wires. It was the last streetcar running and was the centerpiece of a ceremony that heralded the discontinuation of streetcars in favor of city buses in 1938. During the late 1980s, the Director of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission discovered the trolley being used as housing and in deplorable condition. The Commission raised the necessary funds to restore it. From 1996 to 2003, the Charlotte Trolley Powerhouse Museum provided popular, two-mile rides on the streetcar. When the tracks were no longer available, however, the trolley was placed into storage. In 2016, the Landmarks Commission agreed for the trolley to be leased and moved to the museum.

Trading Path. Colonial trading route, dating from 17th century from Petersburg, Virginia, to the Catawba and Waxhaw Indians in Carolina, passed nearby.

Joseph C. Price. Minister, teacher, and founder of Livingstone College. Home stands here. Grave 700 ft. E.

Third Creek Church. Presbyterian. Founded before 1789. Present building erected 1835. Stands 2 miles north.

John Steele. Congressman, 1789 – 93, Comptroller of the United States Treasury, Federalist Party Leader. Home stands 2 blocks east.

Blackmer-Woodson House c. 1880. Built by William Cole Blackmer. Lived in by generations of Woodsons, a family prominent in medicine, law, business, and politics. The families of Horatio N. Woodson, Dr. Charles Whitehead Woodson, and H. Nelson Woodson lived here. , Given by bequest 2006 to Historic Salisbury Foundation by longtime historic preservation advocate and supporter, Mary Holt Whittle Woodson, wife of H. Nelson Woodson. , . Protected by Historic Salisbury Foundation with preservation covenants. , Listed: National Register of Historic Places.

Knox Home. Home of the Knox family since colonial days. James Knox, grandfather of President James Knox Polk, lived there. House stood 4 miles west.

Lee S. Overman. United States Senator, 1903-30, a leading supporter of Wilson’s war policies, Speaker of the House of Representatives. His home is here.

John W. Ellis. , Governor, 1859-61. A leader of the secession movement in N. C. Died July, 1861, aged 40. Home stands 1½ blocks south.

J.E.K. Aggrey (1875-1927), also, Rose D. Aggrey (1882-1961). Born in West Africa's Gold Coast (now Ghana), James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey enrolled at Livingstone College in 1898 and later joined the faculty. In 1920 he returned to Africa where he influenced the course of post colonialism. In 1905 Aggrey married Rose Douglass, teacher long active across the state in groups advocating education, social welfare, and racial harmony. This was their home.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®. Delta Xi Omega Chapter Chartered April 19, 1947 Salisbury, North Carolina. On April 19, 1947, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Delta Xi Omega Chapter was chartered in Salisbury, North Carolina by Clarissa K. Dillard, South Atlantic Regional Director. The charter members of the graduate chapter were members of Alpha Xi Chapter of Livingstone College who were professors, staff and associates. , Charter members. Tillatha M. Brooks . Ann E. Drew . Julia B. Duncan . Permilla F. Dunston . Marion E. Gunn . Beatrice R. Hall . Lucille M. Satterwhite . Carrie M. Shute . Eloise M. Simpson . Lavolia W. Vails

315 West Council Street. This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.

309 West Council Street. This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.

Mount Zion Baptist Church. This property Mount Zion Baptist Church has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior December 30, 1985.

303 West Council Street. This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.

Lynching in America, also, Lynching of African Americans in Rowan County. Lynching in America. Racial terror lynching claimed the lives of thousands of African Americans and created a legacy of injustice that can still be felt today. After slavery ended, many white people remained committed to racial hierarchy and used lethal violence and terror against Black communities to maintain a racial, economic and social order that oppressed and marginalized Black people. Lynching became the most public and notorious form of subordination directed at Black people and was frequently tolerated or even supported by law enforcement and elected officials. White mobs were usually permitted to engage in brutal violence with impunity. Many Black people were pulled out of jails or given over to mobs by law enforcement officials who were legally required to protect them. Terror lynchings often included burnings and mutilation, sometimes in front of crowds numbering in the thousands. Many of the victims of these acts of violence were not recorded and remain unknown, but over 120 lynchings have been documented in North Carolina. On January 15, 2019. Salisbury's City Council formally adopted a Resolution of Reconciliation, committing the city to enacting policies and practices to guarantee equity and justice as well as the publication of an annual report on the city's efforts to eliminate inequity. Memorializing this history is a critical step in advancing the continuing struggle for equality and dismantling systemic inequities., Lynching of African Americans in Rowan County. On June 11, 1902, a white mob of more than fifty men abducted two African American children, ages 13 and 11, named Harrison and James Gillespie from the Rowan County jail and lynched them in front of a crowd of over 400 people. The two boys had been arrested and accused of murder. The white mob hanged them and shot their bodies repeatedly. Four years later, on August 6, 1906, two African American men, Jack Dillingham and Nease Gillespie, and Mr. Gillespie's teenage son, John Gillespie, were abducted from the Rowan County jail in Salisbury and lynched by a white mob of more than two thousand people. Without any evidence of their guilt, they were accused of killing four members of a white family in their home in Unity Township in July 1906, primarily because they worked for the white homeowner. More than two decades later, Laura Wood, a 59-year-old African American woman, who was a farmer, wife, and mother, was lynched on February 11, 1930 in Barber. Mrs. Wood had been accused of stealing food from her white employer. After her family noticed she was missing, her body was found not far from her home hanged from a tree with an iron chain. During this era, the deep racial hostility that permeated Southern society burdened Black people with a presumption of guilt while lynching and other acts of racial terror denied them equal justice under the law. Almost all of the mob members escaped punishment for these acts of lynching.

Maxwell Chambers House. A good example of the larger homes built about 1820. Now used by the Rowan Museum. Located ½ block south.

Old English Cemetery. Cornwallis’ men buried here in 1781. Granted to city in 1770 by British government. Grave of Gov. John W. Ellis is here.

Harry Cowan. Baptist minister vital to growth of church in N.C. Founder of Mount Zion Church (1867), which is one block W.

Stoneman’s Raid. , Stoneman’s U.S. Cavalry occupied the town of Salisbury, Apr. 12, 1865, and destroyed the Confederate warehouses, supplies, and prison.

J.C. Deagan Tubular Bell Tower Chimes. , "The principle use of the Deagan Tower Chimes is…to carry the message of Christ and Christianity beyond the walls of the church building into the hearts and homes and homes of the entire community"

The J.C. Deagan Company of Chicago, Illinois was known to manufacture the finest church tower chimes (sometimes known as Carillons) ever produced the first genuinely musical tower chimes to be electronically operated. J.C. Deagan Tower Chimes were not produced in a foundry but were precisiono tuned musical instruments made with the highest quality materials and craftsmanship. J.C. Deagan Company produced 441 systems between 1917 and 1958, of which today fewer than 125 remain operational.

St. Johns' Lutheran Church's 16 note tower chimes are locoated in the corner tower at the intersection of East Innes and Church Street. The chimes were decicated to the Glory of God on September 23, 1931 and in recent years the Chimes have gone through periods of non operation. St. John's Tower Chimes were restored to near original operating condition and rededicated June 12, 2011. The system now operates with a Westminster Clock Chime device, paper roll hymn player, and sanguary organ keyboard.

Note: Also in the same tower resides a 1,080 lbs. #10 bell from The McShane Foundry in Baltimore Maryland purchased by Pastor R.V. Lanier February 16, 1891 for 12 cents a pound.

Old Lutheran Cemetery. Established 1768. Land given to German Lutheran congregation by John Lewis Beard. Contains graves of German, Scotch-Irish, and English settlers. Site of only church building in Salisbury for about 50 years. Wall built 1878.

Hall House. In 1859, Dr. Josephus Wells Hall bought this house, which was constructed in 1820 as the Salisbury Female Academy, and added a new entrance and the double veranda with lacey ironworks. Inside, he had ornate French wallpaper hung and the hall ceilings decoratively painted., After the Civil War began in 1861, Hall served as hospital surgeon at the Confederate States Military Prison at Salisbury. Two years later, the Confederacy built a new general hospital that served wounded soldiers arriving on railroad cars and was always “full to overflowing.” Hall remained as surgeon in charge at the prison until the war ended and also served other local military hospitals., To feed the army, the Confederate government asked farmers to donate ten percent of their farm produce. Hall owned extensive agricultural property near his home in Salisbury. In 1864, the value of his tithe was $4,470, and in 1865, when approached again for help, he was still able to give two barrels of flour and 150 pounds of bacon., After the war, Hall requested and received a pardon from the U.S. government and returned to his pre-war endeavors in farming and real estate. He died in 1873, but his family and descendents lived in the house until 1972 when Historic Salisbury Foundation purchased it and many of the original furnishings from his great-granddaughter. It currently serves as a house museum.

Rowan County World War I Memorial. Erected by the Elizabeth Maxwell Steele Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in memory of the Rowan County boys who fought in the World War - 1919.

Christian Reid. Wrote more than forty novels, odes and poems. "The Land of the Sky" has been an inspiration to all who have read it, and many travelers have visited North Carolina to enjoy scenic beauties so graphically described by her.

Elizabeth Maxwell Steele. This tablet is erected to the memory of Elizabeth Maxwell Steele Patriot, 1781 - 1911.

Hambley-Wallace House. Large Jacobean-style mansion built 1900-1903 by E. B. C. Hambley using local granite from the Whitney Mine. Purchased by the Leo Wallace, Sr. family in 1927. Restored in 2011-12 by Mona Lisa and Leo Wallace, III. Listed on National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Washington’s Tour of the Southern States. In Patriotic Commemoration of the visit of George Washington on his tour of the Southern States 1791.

Salisbury Confederate Memorial. , In memory of Rowan's Confederate Soldiers that their heroic deeds, sublime self-sacrifice and undying devotion to duty and Country may never be forgotten, Soldiers of the Confederacy, Fame has given you an imperishable crown. History will record your daring valor, noble sufferings and matchless achievements to the honor and glory of our land., They gave their lives and fortunes for Constitutional Liberty and State sovereignty in obedience to the teachings of the Fathers who framed the Constitution and established the Union of these States, Deo Vindice , R. I. P.

Rowan County Courthouse. The Old Rowan County Courthouse, a visible reminder of Salisbury’s antebellum prosperity, was erected in 1855 and is one of North Carolina’s finest Greek Revival-style public buildings. It served as Rowan’s third courthouse until 1914. Salisbury native John W. Ellis, who was North Carolina’s governor when the war broke out, was the first judge here. He was called the “secessionist governor” for refusing to send state troops in answer to President Abraham Lincoln’s call for volunteers to suppress the “rebellion.” On May 20, 1861, North Carolina became the last state to secede from the Union., Almost four years later, on April 12, 1865, Union Gen. George Stoneman, leading a cavalry raid through western North Carolina, rode into Salisbury. His forces burned vast quantities of military stores, including 10,000 weapons, a million rounds of ammunition, 17,000 uniforms, 250,000 blankets and more than 200 tons of food and other supplies. Light from the giant bonfires reportedly was seen 30 miles away. The stores had been sent to Salisbury to prevent them from falling into Gen. William T. Sherman’s hands as he marched north from Georgia. Stoneman also burned and destroyed the Confederate States Military Prison located in Salisbury. Although Stoneman’s raiders burned military supplies and facilities here in town, the courthouse escaped destruction., “ . . . I can be no party to this wicked violation of the laws of the country, and to this war upon the liberties of a free people. You can get no troops from North Carolina.” – Telegram to President Lincoln from Governor Ellis, April 15, 1861.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Parish established in 1753. Present building constructed in 1828, stands one block west.

Washington's Southern Tour. President Washington was a visitor in the town of Salisbury, May 30 – 31, 1791.

Wiley Immanuel Lash (1908-1995), son of the Reverend Wiley H. and Mayzonetta "Mary" Grundy Lash received his education at a local black parochial school and Livingstone College. He rose to political prominence in the Negro Civic League where he spearheaded a drive to register voters and worked for better facilities, jobs, and schools for black citizens. Widely respected in the community, Lash advocated peaceful integration in the 1960s. After serving 15 years on the Board of Education, he was elected to the City Council in 1979 and was appointed mayor pro tem, Lash became mayor in 1981 and upon finishing his term in 1985, he was named Salisbury's first honorary mayor. , For years Lash owned and operated a self-service grocery at 129 East Council Street. The store was an informal hub for political activism and a place where the deserving poor were never turned away. , , Let us start anew, and so live that all our ties will bind us to the life that is noble for ourselves and for humanity. , -Wiley Lash

The Travelers' Club. In 1909 twelve ladies, led by Mrs. James Preston Moore (nee Beulah Stewart), organized the Travelers' Club for the purpose of becoming well informed on foreign countries and other subjects. "Miss Beulah," as she was affectionately known, was intelligent, outspoken, and championed a cause when there was one. Interested in the betterment of their community, she and fellow Travelers spearheaded an effort to establish a public library. Engaging the help of other clubs and leading citizens, a committee was formed and Archibald Henderson Boyden was elected chairman. He offered the use of the Henderson Law Office, located on his property, to house the library. In 1911, the forerunner of the Rowan Public Library opened on this site. Today the Travelers' Club still supports the library as one of its projects.

Salisbury Cotton Mills. , Religious fervor provided the impetus for establishing Rowan County's post-Civil War textile industry. On November 9, 1887, during a three-week revival held in the Farmer's Warehouse on this site, the Reverend R.G. Pearson, a visiting evangelist, called for the building of the factories to provide employment. The momentum of the revival led the Reverend Francis J. Murdoch and other local leaders to organize the Salisbury Cotton Mills.

The cornerstone was laid on August 2, 1888. By 1900 Rowan County had become a leading producer of textiles.

Cotton Mills Corner. , The property at this corner of Church and Fisher Streets was the location of a three-week revival that in 1887 initiated the textile industry in Rowan County. The Salisbury Public Art Committee designed a bronze history marker for the site and saw an opportunity to further improve the corner with the creative talents of local school children.

The Committee planned a serpentine brick wall to feature textiles designed and created by 4th grade art studetns from local schools. The Waterworks Visual Arts Center hosted sessions where students drew patterns based on symbols from the textile indistry, transferred and molded the patterns into the clay, and then fired and glazed the tiles. Under the guidance from artist Ray Moose, the Committee worked closely with Rowan-Salisbury Schools Director of Elementary Education Dr. Sara Hensley, school arts specialists, and the Waterworks staff to conduct the workshops. The tiles were completed during the fall 2008 school session. The wall, which was built with bricks from the original Kesler Cotton Mill (1895), was dedicated on November 21, 2009.

The plan also included the planting of trees and shrubs to provide beauty and comfort for pedestrians. Seven members of the Southeast Middle School 8th grade football team helped with the planting, along with their coach and team mother.

Macay Law Office. Spruce Macay (1755-1808), prominent local attorney, law teacher and judge, built his office on this lot. Andrew Jackson, U.S. President and William R. Davie, Revolutionary war hero and founder of the University of North Carolina studied under Macay at this office. In 1876, the wood-frame building, approximately 14×14 1/2 feet was dismantled into four parts and shipped by its owner, E.B. Wells, to Philadelphia for Centennial Exhibition. Philadelphia has no record of the nearly 100 year old building having arrived or being part of the World's Fair. Its whereabouts remain a mystery.

Salisbury Rotary Club.

June 15, 1920—First formal meeting, installation of local officers, and presentation of its charter from Rotary International was held on the roof garden of the Wallace Building (now The Plaza).

, The need to build a separate high school was the impetus for 22 men to band together, form a civic club and affiliate with Rotary International. Because of their efforts, the $500,000 bond issue passed and Boyden High School (now known as Salisbury High School) became a reality. In 1925 the club led the local drive to raise $150,000 toward the endowment needed to ensure Catawba College's relocation from Newton to Salisbury.

Through the 1940s, the club promoted agricultural growth. They presented Guernsey cows to yough and helped establish a creamery in town which boosted Rowan County's dairy interests.

From their earlier earlier emphasis on educational and rural affairs, Rotarians expanded their involvement to include all facets of local life. Throughout its history the club, composed of business and professional persons, has been in the forefront of numerous civic endeavors, has awarded scholarships to students and has promoted cultural exchange programs. The club's projects continue to impact the community Salisbury Rotarians epitomize their motto: ,

Service Above Self.

Town Well. Dug in the mid-1700s, it was last used by the A.H. Boyden family in the early 1900s. The well was the source of water for those who resided on this property, notably the familes of Adlai Osborne, Archibald Henderson, and Spruce Macay, along with his two famous law students: Andrew Jackson (president of the United States), and William R. Davie (founder of the University of North Carolina).

Boone Trail 1769. From this town Richard Henderson in Behalf of Henderson and Company dispatched Daniel Boone, John Findlay, John Stuart, Joseph Holden, James Mooney and William Cooley to explore the wilderness of Kentucky.

Hinton Rowan Helper.

Friendless, penniless, and above, he took his own life, and died at the age of eighty — this man who had shaken the Republic from center to circumference and who at a critical period had held and filled the center of the stage. , —Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky

, Hinton Rowan Helper (1829-1909) was the author of The Impending Crisis of the South: How to Meet It. This influential and controversial book about the economics of slavery was reviled in the South but was extremely popular in the North. It was used by the Abolitionists prior to the Civil War to support their cause. Hostile feelings erupted in 1858 when Helper was charged with assaulting Salisbury Congressman Burton Craige in the halls of Congress. A prolific writer, Helper was also appointed consul to Buenos Aires, Argentina, by President Abraham Lincoln and was a leading proponent of the Three Americas Railway. For three years, 1848-1850, helper clerked for merchant Michael Brown whose store was on this site.

Crossroads: Past Into Present. , This mural depicts Salisbury at the turn of the 20th century. Local artist Cynvia Arthur Rankin completed the 127' × 48.5' mural over three years. The mural was dedicated on November 30, 1980. One hundred forty-one local citizens in period costumes populate the artwork. Many are members of the Rowan Art Guild, Inc., originator and sponsor of the mural. Landmark 19th century buildings, the original fountain at the square, and trolley lines serve as a backdrop. One of the largest outdoor murals in the country, it was painted with latex enamel and sealed with a plastic shield. Every few years the painting is refurbished; and new townspeople are often added. The mural is copyrighted and protected by The Mural Preservation, Inc.

Contributions for the ongoing maintenance and preservation of this landmark are welcome and may be sent to The Mural Preservation, Inc., at P.O. Box 2481, Salisbury, NC 28145.

The Mural As History , Buildings 🔵 , A. Cyrus West Building - 1839 , B. Meroney Theater - 1905 , C. Bell Tower ofo 1892 First Presbyterian Church , D. McNeely-Young Building - 1858 , E. Confederate Monument dedicated May 10, 1909 , F. Bell Block - 1898 , G. Federal Building - U.S. Post Office - 1911 , H. Grubb-Wallace Building (The Plaza) - 1912 , I. Mansion House - 1822 , J. Fountain on the Square - 1888-1905 (Replica at Robertson Gateeway Park) , K. Kluttz's Drug Store - circa 1858-1859 , L. Overman Building - Smith Drugs - 1890 , M. Boyden House- (Empire Hotel) - 1855 , N. First Methodist Church Tower - 1892 , O. Washington Building - 1902 , P. Hedrick Block - circa 1890 , Q. R.W. Norman Furniture - 1900 , R. Wachovia Bank - circa 1900 , S. 1856 County Courthouse (now Rowan Museum) , T. Street Car Line laid in 1905- removed 1938 , U. Clock at the Square (given by Norman Ingle)

People on the Mural ⚪ , 1. Emily Turner , 2. Selena P. Siler , 3. The Revend James R. Cress , 4. Virginia "Coco" McKenzie Murphy , 5. Katharine Weisiger Osborne , 6. John Suther , 7. Julian Hart Robertson , 8. Blanche Spencer Robertson , 9. Keneko "Connie" Okada McNeill , 10. Norman Ingle , 11. Janie Bonds Allen , 12. Harry Mark Arthur , 13. April Gail Arthur , 14. Jason Mark Arthur , 15. Lynda Snipes , 16. Billy Ray Snipes , 17. Brent Snipes , 18. James Shober Brawley , 19. Loyd E. Hill , 20. Marvette Pratt Aldrich , 21. Cherie Dawn Aldrich , 22. Craig A. Aldrich , 23. Richard L. Eller , 24. Edward Michael Murphy , 25. James Allan Dunn, Jr. , 26. Lena McCathern Blount , 27. Harry A. Blount, Jr. , 28. John R. Harlege , 29. Francis M. Luther , 30. Lucile "Judy" Proctor Norovell , 31. Wiley Immanuel Lash , 32. H.E. LeGrand , 33. Raymond H. Hayworth, Jr. , 34. Carl B. Morgan , 35. Audrey Madans , 36. Jerome Madans , 37. Elizabeth Brandon Bram , 38. Joseph D. Linn , 39. Berthe Michel , 40. Paul G. Isenberg , 41. Judith Banister , 42. Dr. Edward B. McKenzie , 43. Garland Gaither , 44. Laura Simons Newman , 45. James F. Kluttz , 46. Thomasene "Tomie" Cates Troxler , 47. Tom Harrell , 48. Sylvia Wiseman , 49. Stella Isenberg , 50. Louise "Lou" Paine Clement Murphy , 51. R.O. Everett , 52. Charles David Taylor, III , 53. Charles David Taylor , 54. Glenn D. Freeman , 55. Ozell K. Freeman , 56. Paul Garrett , 57. Virginia Shaver Wallace , 58. J.H. Knox , 59. Patricia Weinhold , 60. Donald L. Weinhold, Jr. , 61. Alma Ruth Arthur , 62. Lena Ham Arthurs , 63. Colonel John S. Cadwallader , 64. Ave Cadwallader , 65. Verna Bragg , 66. Edward Henry Clement , 67. Ida Hauser Duncan , 68. Kaye Brown Hirst , 69. William Michael Hirst , 70. Roy P. Shoaf , 71. Marshall Stokes, Jr. , 72. Hazel Stokes , 73. Maria Janine Stokes , 74. Harry Wallace Arthur , 75. Catharine Blount Arthur , 76. Ccynvia Gene Arthur-Rankin (mural designer and conceptual artist) , 77. Willa "Billie" Frances Hedrick Johnson , 78. Allen Starling Johnson, Jr. , 79. Fred Shipton , 80. Jeff L. Ritchie , 81. Calvin B. Helms , 82. Robert Cowan , 83. Troy Brawley , 84. James Alfred Mesimer , 85. Charles Smith , 86. Hubert "Red" L. Michaels , 87. John Bell , 88. Karl "Andy" Anderson Arthur , 89. Helen Ashley Arthur , 90. Brian Scott Arthur , 91. Laura Allen Bowler , 92. Michele Tisch , 93. Janice Fuller , 94. James Michael Fuller , 95. Megan Teresa Fuller Matthews , 96. Alison Deidre Fuller , 97. Edward "Chip" C. Allen , 98. Ellen Goodnight Isaacs , 99. Laura Allen Bowler , 100. Jo Holler , 101. Meher Baba , 102. Clyde Overcash , 103. Elizabeth "Betty" H. Watson , 104. Nicole S. Hinson , 105. Eva Mae Lefler , 106. W. Bruce Leftler , 107. Edward M. Post , 108. Rose Zimmerman Post , 109. Sue Palmer Fisher , 110. Paul Edward Fisher , 111. Ralph W. Ketner , 112. George Knox , 113. Elmer "Sonny" L. Allen, Jr. , 114. Haley Ellen Bowler , 115. Clair Julia Allen , 116. Angela Davis Allen , 117. James Franklin Hurley, III , 118. Geraldine "Gerry" Trammell Hurley , 119. Margaret Harry Kluttz , 120. George Fisher Kluttz , 121. Fannie Butler , 122. David Joseph Butler , 123. N.A. Trexler , 124. Paul Leake Bernhardt , 125. Martha Barnhardt Arthur , 126. Elizabeth Grace Taylor , 127. Hannah Taylor , 128. Phyllis Branch Zimmerman , 129. Leon Zimmerman , 130. Darrell Hancock , 131. Charles A. Hoffman , 132. Edward A. Hirst, Sr. , 133. Wilburn T. Taylor , 134. Joe T. Taylor, Jr. , 135. Diane Dillon Hooper , 136. Diane Monday (contributing artist) , 137. Kevin Zorn , 138. Earle Kluttz Thompson (contributing artist) , 139. Edward P. Norvell , 140. Susan Linn Norvell , 141. Melanie Tische

Salisbury Arsenal. In 1856 Nathaniel Boyden and other investors established the North Carolina Foundry and Agricultural Machine Works. It was located on East Kerr Street on an acre lot lying between the railroad and Long Street. The property, with its three large brick buildings housing a foundry, blacksmith shop, and pattern shop, changed proprietors several times. During April 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, it became the Confederate Ordnance Works, engaged in the manufacture of shoes for horses and mules, bayonets, cannonballs, and muskets for the troops. A year later, by official order, it was designated the Salisbury Arsenal. , This military supply complex was set ablaze and destroyed by Union general, George Stoneman, on April 12, 1865.

William Valentine. , William Valentine, a free man of color, was born in North Carolina and lived in Salisbury for a number of years. His home on East Bank Street, purchased before the Civil War, was located just outside the gates of the Confederate States Military Prison. After the war, it was known as the old garrison house and is the only remaining structure associated with the prison.

Prominent in the affairs of the black community, Valentine was one of the trustees for Dixonville Cemetery and the African M.E. Zion Church, now known as the Soldiers Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church. In 1874 the Carolina Watchman noted that he was recognized as one of the best barbers in the state, and stated: "Billy Valentine shaved last year 1,120 persons besides cutting hair." Patrons entered his barbershop located in this building from Innes Street.

John Willis Ellis. , John Willis Ellis was born November 20, 1820, in the area of Rowan County which later became a part of the new county of Davidson. In 1842 he opened his law office at No. 2 Cowan's Row, located in this block. Early in his career he won a seat in the House of Commons, and by the age of 28, he was serving as a Superior Court judge. Ellis was elected Governor of North Carolina in 1858 and reelected for a second term.

On April 15, 1861, two days after Fort Sumter at Charleston, S.C., fell to Confederate troops, President Lincoln issued a call for Federal trorops to include two regimentss from North Carolina. Ellis promptly responded: "Lincolnl can get no troops from North Carolina." He then ordered state troops to occupy the federal forts and to seize the Fayetteville Arsenal. On May 20, 1861, a convention met in Raleigh to determine North Carolina's course of action. The Ordinance of Secession, introduced by Burton Craige of Salisbury, was unanimously adopted, and North Carolina linked "her fate with her sisters of the South."

Ellis, ill with tuburculosis, journeyed to Red Sulphur Springs, Virginia, in hopes of regaining his health. He died there on July 7, 1861, at age foroty. First buried in the Ellis family graveyard in Davidson County, his remains were later removed to the English Cemetery, Salisbury, and interred next to those of his first wife, Mary White Ellis.

Salisbury Fire Dept.. , 1817: Townsmen donate $415. "We … do promise to pay to the Commissioners of the Town of Salisbury … to procure an engine and other fire apparatus … for the safety of the town." Witnessed 12/8/1817.

1866: A new fire engine was purchased replacing the engine destroyed by Gen. Stoneman. A Negro fire company was organized, of about 30 members who were exempt from paying poll taxes in return for their services.

1887: First municipal water works established. They installed 5 miles of water mains and 52 fire hydrants. Fire department began to use several horse-drawn hose reels. The City owned 1 horse. Other horses were rented.

1900: Construction began in 1896 of a new Fire Station, Town Hall and Calaboose; the building was occupied around 1900. This building served the fire department for 65 years. It is located at 113 S. Lee St.

1906: Salisbury's American LaFrance Metropolitan Steam Pumper (#3216), 600 GPM. It cost $5,500. This pumper is credited with saving Salisbury from a conflagration in the Empire Hotel block of S. MAin St. in 1909.

1912: Salisbury Fire Department and Southside men make up this hose reel team who competed in the N.C. State Fireman's Association (NCFSA) events. The last NCSFA tournament was held in 1940 in Salisbury.

1932: For many years, members of the Salisbury Fire Department repaired collected toys. At Christmas of 1932 they were delivered to area children, with the help of the Salvation Army.

1944: A memorial to fallen firefighters was erected next to Station 2. It was expanded in 2002 to memorialize local fallen firefighters. It is located 14 blocks south from here on Main St.

1946: North Carolina's first fully equipped Rescue Truck, including cutting-edge breathing apparatus: an E&J Resuscitator Inhalator and Aspirator. The truck was donated by the Salisbury Jr. Chamber of Commerce.

1956: The 1941 Aerial Ladder used to put out the enormous fire in the Victory Theatre on E. Innes St. was fully restored in 2017. The restoration was in honor of Salisbury's Fire Department past, present and future.

1965: Engine 6 ready for response in the newly constructed Central Fire Station. This fire station is now Fire Station #1, located 4 blocks east at 514 E. Innes St.

1973: A modern fire training tower was erected behind the Central Fire Station for training. This 46' tower with 4 levels, a fire escape and smoke room provided practice with aerial ladders and sprinkler systems.

1980: A large fire erupted in the Empire Hotel block of S. Main St. This time the Steamer was not part of the response, but the Salisbury Fire Department succeeded in saving the block from the conflagration.

1984: The Salisbury home of actor Sidney Blackmer was the scene of a spectacular fire. After a long battle, the flames were halted. Restoration was completed in 2015. The house is located on S. Fulton St.

2000: Salisbury, an ISO Class 2 fire department, was the first N.C. fire department to utilize the Quint concept, providing vehicles that included aerial ladders as well as standard equipment.

2017: Fire Chief Bob Parnell stands in front of Fire Station #1. The Salisbury Fire Department is proud of our 200 years of history and looks forward to continuing to serving our citizens for another 200 years!

Andrew Jackson. Studied law under Spruce Macay, 1784 – 85, at an office which stood 1 bl. W. Admitted to the bar in Rowan County, Nov. 6, 1787.

Meroney’s Theatre. When Dr. L. J. Meroney and his sister Lena built the theater in 1905, its large seating capacity attracted professional troupes to Salisbury. Two of the most famous thespians of the day, the “Divine” Sarah Bernhardt and the glamorous Lillian Russell, performed on its stage. Also appearing here were “The March King,” John Philip Sousa, and the New York Symphony Orchestra. With the advent of motion pictures, part of the building was turned into a cinema; eventually the whole theater became a movie house. Through the years the theater-movie house was known by many different names: Bijou, Fotosho, Grubb, Colonial, Strand, State, Center, and lastly, Towne Cinema., Piedmont Players Theatre, Inc., purchased the building in 1992. After extensive renovations, they inaugurated the 1995-96 season in their new home. Once again the Meroney Theater is used for stage productions.

City of Salisbury. Settled by Scotch-Irish in 1747, coming from Pennsylvania along the “Great Wagon Road”. Established as the county seat in 1753. Named after the cathedral town (New Sarum) in England. Largest city in western North Carolina in the 18th and 19th centuries. Also served as major center for trade and politics during this period.

The Town that Loved the Circus. Charles Sparks chose Salisbury as the winter home for his Sparks World-Famous Shows (1910-1916 and 1918-1919) because of its north-south and east-west railways and the nearby Spencer Shops that could refurbish the circus train. Each year, before loading 50 red and yellow railroad cars to begin the annual tour, Sparks treated the town to two performances. Circus Day was declared a holiday for schools and businesses. Thousands lined the streets to watch the parade of gilded wagons, steam calliopes, exotic animals. Local citizens welcomed the performers and their families, and Salisbury was known as the town that loved the circus.

Livingstone College. Founded as Zion Wesley Institute, 1879. Became College in 1885. Rev. J.C. Price president 1882-93. Named for British missionary. 5 blocks west.

C.S. Military Prison. On November 2, 1861, the Confederate government purchased about 16 acres here for a prison. The tract included an abandoned three-story cotton mill, a boiler house, six tenements, a superintendent’s house, and several smaller buildings. A stockade was erected around the buildings and the first 120 prisoners of war arrived on December 9. By July 1862, most of the Union prisoners of war had been exchanged, leaving only a small contingent of Confederate and Union deserters, political prisoners, and convicts. The facility received no additional military prisoners until October 1864., Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, to further strain Southern resources, slowed the exchange of prisoners in 1864, and beginning in August stopped the exchanges entirely until February 1865. In October 1864, the prison began receiving large numbers of Union soldiers captured on the Virginia battlefields. By early November, the prison, designed to hold about 2,500, became inundated with about 10,000 men. The overcrowded inmates occupied tents and partial underground shelters throughout the fall and winter of 1864-65 because most of the buildings had to be used as hospitals. In February 1865, after about 3,500 prisoners had died from exposure, disease, and other causes, those remaining were transferred to Wilmington, N.C., and Richmond for exchange. In mid-April, Union Gen. George Stoneman’s cavalry entered Salisbury and destroyed the prison., The main entrance to the prison compound stood 40 yards across the bridge to your right, enclosed by a wooden stockade and a “dead line” that inmates could be shot for crossing. The log garrison house in front of you is the only surviving structure used by the prison., “There we sat, night after night, in the thick darkness, inhaling the foul vapor and acrid smoke, longing for the morning when we could again catch a glimpse of the blue beaming sky.” , - Four Years in Secessia, Junius Henry Browne

Confederate Prison. Enclosure, 16 acres. Once held 10,000 men. Destroyed by Federals, 1865. Site one block south.

Pennsylvania Monument. [ Left Tablet: ] This monument is erected by authority of an Act of the Pennsylvania Legislature approved June 13th 1907., To commemorate the patriotic devotion, heroism, and self-sacrifice of the officers and soldiers of the Pennsylvania Volunteers who died while confined as prisoners of war in the Confederate Military Prison at Salisbury, North Carolina, during the War of the Rebellion and were interred among the unknown Union soldiers and sailors in the eighteen trenches at the southeast side of the monument., A grateful commonwealth renders the tribute to their honor and memory., [ Right Tablet: ] Many Pennsylvania Soldiers are Buried Here, They were citizens of a state whose founders came across the sea and established a commonwealth where all men would be equal and, under just laws, free to enjoy their inalienable rights in the pursuit of happiness, unmolested by King or Noble or prejudiced class. They used the sword only to preserve the peace and unity of their country. Twice on the soil of their state were crucial struggles for the republic. First at Valley Forge, that tested the courage and fortitude of the Patriot Army; then at Gettysburg, that proved the Nation could not be broken. Respecting the example of the Romans, who never raised emblems of triumph over a foe, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania erects this monument to perpetuate the memory of the dead and not as a commemoration of victory., Their memory cannot be forgot; Forever shall men’s hearts revere their loyalty, and hold this spot sacred because they perished here..

“Christian Reid”. Pen name of Frances Fisher Tiernan, author of Land of the Sky and other novels. Her grave is 200 yards N.W.