Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

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1916 - Woodrow Wilson Visits

May 20, 1916 - The man who attended Davidson College for one year comes to Charlotte. He is now President Woodrow Wilson. It is blisteringly hot on Meck Dec Day, Mecklenburg's celebration of Independence. Mayor T.L. Kirkpatrick speaks so long when introducing the president that wool-clad members of a marching band faint.From l. to r.: Governor Manning of South Carolina, President Wilson, Governor Craig of North Carolina, Mayor Kilpatrick of Charlotte

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1924 - Speedway

October 24, 1924 - The old dirt track has been replaced, and the first race is run on Charlotte's Speedway's new wooden track south of town. The 250-mile race draws nearly 50,000 fans. The track will operate until 1927, then close. The new Charlotte Motor Speedway will not open until 1960. 

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1929 - Black Monday

October 31, 1929 - Many stock market investors lose everything they own as the stock market collapses in the Crash. Families panic and try to withdraw their money from banks. As banks run out of cash they shut their doors. Bad loans and business conditions force many companies to close. There is no work for millions of Americans. The Great Depression has begun.

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1916 - Flood

July 1916 - After 22 inches of rain fall in the North Carolina mountains, a storm brings 50-mile-per-hour winds to Mecklenburg County. All along the Catawba River, factories and bridges are washed away, along with bales of cotton going to market.

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1926 - The Babe in Charlotte

April 8, 1926 - Baseball legend Babe Ruth delights sports fans when he hits a home run as the New York Yankees play the Brooklyn Robins in Charlotte. Four thousand fans show up to see the exhibition game played at Wearn Field on South Mint Street.

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1930 - No Jobs

Factories have shut down. People who had jobs just a short time ago have no money. Families try to share what little they have. A charity called the Salvation Army open soup kitchens and bread lines, trying to feed the hungry. In Charlotte, First National Bank, Mechanics & Farmers Bank, and Independence National Bank must close. They have no money to lend or to pay their depositors. Can America survive the Great Depression?

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1917 - Rosenwald's Gift

Northern businessman Julius Rosenwald donates millions of dollars to help build schools for black children in the South. In 15 states, there are 5,000 Rosenwald schools. Of the 813 in North Carolina, 26 are in Mecklenburg County. Many will be torn down as the school system modernizes, but a few will remain standing 80 years later.

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1927 - Banking Grows

December 1, 1927 - A branch of the U.S. government's banking system, called the Federal Reserve, opens in Charlotte. Not only will the Reserve Bank bring prestige to the city, the money it supplies helps local banks grow stronger.

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1930 - Local Business Support

Everyone feels the hardships of the Great Depression. But some businesses survive, including Thad Tate's barbershop on East Fourth Street. Although owner and staffed by black Charlotteans, the shop serves only the white customers who live in this part of town. Black families patronize businesses in their own neighborhoods.

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1917 - Emergence of Suburbs

Electric-powered streetcars have made it possible for families to move to suburbs beyond Charlotte's downtown area. Now, the city has nine streetcar lines, with cars displaying billboards that encourage families to buy homes in new neighborhoods. Buy a home in Dilworth for rent money! one proclaims.Charlottte Streetcar

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