History of

Gaston County, NC

New! 41 Page Illustrated Booklet

Early days in Gaston County, North Carolina, are recalled in this new 41-page spiral-bound booklet, comprised of excerpts from several vintage books, the oldest dating from 1851. These source materials include John Hill Wheeler's Historical Sketches of North Carolina; North Carolina, A Guide to the Old North State, a product of the WPA; and A New Geography of North Carolina.

The tri-color front cover is printed on 80# card stock and has been protected with a vinyl sheet. The text is printed single-sided on 60# opaque paper, with the print enlarged to fit the 8.5" x 11" paper and improve readability.

Some of the places mentioned in the booklet include: Gastonia (the county seat), Belmont, Bessemer City, Cherryville, Cramerton, Crowder, Dallas, Dellview, East Gastonia, High Shoals, Lucia, Mount Holly, Ranlo, and Stanley.

Among the many subjects included are: Physical features, such as the Catawba River; Members of the General Assembly from Gaston County before 1851; biographies of Rev. Humphrey Hunter, Major William Chronicle, John Mattocks and Gen. John Moore, Revoluntionary War heroes; "the Banner Corn Whiskey County of North Carolina;" Civil War and aftermath; Rails and Power; Firestone Textiles and other industries; Religion, Schools and Recreation; Bishop James Cardinal Gibbons and Belmont Abbey, a monastery; Vocational Textile School; Gastonia Technical Institute; the state orthopedic hospital; the annual Greek picnic, a Communist-related textile strike in 1929 and numerous other interesting bits of history and trivia.

Our North Carolina booklets, unlike some of our other offerings, do not include an abundance of specific genealogical and biographical data. They are, however, a good resource for learning about the history, geography and social climate of places you or your ancestors may have lived. Then, if you should happen to find an ancestor mentioned, consider it a bonus!

Wouldn't this make a unique gift?