Charlotte: Then and Now®

 

Charlotte began as one of several small courthouse villages in the Carolina Piedmont but grew after the discovery of gold nearby. In the years following the Civil War the town became a symbol of the New South transitioning from agriculture to industrialism at the heart of the pidemont's textile industry. By the turn of the century, skyscrapers, department stores, and congested streets testified to the expansion of the little crossroads village of the early 1800s. This easily accessible history of Charlotte is told using vintage photos, some taken just after the Civil War, right up until the 1960s. Readers can see how much or how little has changed in the intervening years. Sites include Trade Street, South Tryon Street, First Ward, Belk Brothers, Ivey's, City Hall, First National Bank Building, Masonic Temple, Hotel Charlotte, U.S. Mint Building, South Brevard Street, United House of Prayer, Elizabeth College, Ovens Auditorium, Dilworth, Myers Park, Queens College, Biddle University, and Davidson.