Thad Lincoln Tate (1865-1951) was one of Charlotte's earliest and most prominent African American businessmen. He came to Charlotte as a barber. In 1882, he opened his own shop, an enterprise that he would operate for 61 years.
In addition to a his own business, Tate was prominent in banking in Charlotte. He served as director of the Mechanics' Perpetual Building and Loan Company. He was a founder of the Mecklenburg Investment Company.
Comparing North Carolina's accomplishments to those of prestigious neighbors Virginia and South Carolina, she said in 1900, "Where there are mountains of conceit, there are bound to be valleys of humility." Her famous quote, which she spoke as the first woman ever to address the Mecklenburg Historical Society, has been repeated often. Widely known for her outspoken opinions, this Charlotte native wrote frequently about current and historical events for local and regional newspapers.
Dr. Dennis O'Donoghue (Dec. 8, 1841-Dec. 4, 1904) was a native of Ireland. He came to the United States in 1871. He soon joined the U.S. Signal Corps where he trained as a meteorologist. He was first assigned to Mobile, Alabama where he earned his medical degree while still working for the Signal Corps. He was next assigned to Washington, D.C. and it was from that post he came to Charlotte.Dr. O'Donoghue, as a Signal Corps member, opened and manned Charlotte's first real weather bureau.
From rural Edgefield County, S.C., came D.A. Tompkins (1851-1914), a man destined to bring industrial growth to Charlotte. He studied engineering at the University of South Carolina, and graduated from New York's prestigious Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1873.
Harriet Abigail Morrison Irwin (1828-1897) was the first woman architect to patent an architectural plan for a house. The patent, entered in 1869, was a design for a hexagonal house. She used her plan to design and build her house which was located at 912 W. 5th Street in Charlotte. She built at least two other houses in Charlotte. These two houses were built using more conventional designs.
Duncan Ochiltree was one of the original signers of the Meckenburg Declaration of Independence. Although Duncan Ochiltree was credited as being one of the original signers, his name was removed from all subsequent accounts of documents because he became a traitor by becoming a Quartermaster for the British. He owned a mercantile store as well as land, but he knew his fellow citizens would punish him for his change of heart and political leanings.
The Torrance house and store still stand today as reminders of this family's wealth and prominence. Hugh Torrance married a widow with eight children, and James Torrance (1784-1847) was the only child of that union. The family came to Mecklenburg County from Rowan County in 1788. Soon young James was sent to live with an uncle.
Though his family wanted him to attend the University of North Carolina, William Myers (1818-1901), born in Anson County, chose instead to go Texas and join the army in 1837.
Born in Salisbury, young James Walker Osborne (1811-1869) was sent when his mother died to live with Mecklenburg relatives Robert and Margaret Davidson. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1830 before his 19th birthday. He studied law and from 1836-38 served as Mecklenburg County Solicitor.
Zebulon Vance (1830-1895) was a lawyer, state legislator (1854), congressman (1858), U.S. senator (1870, 1878, 1885, 1891) and N.C. governor (1862,1864, 1876). He began his law studies in Tennessee, but came to the University of North Carolina in 1851. It was during this time that his true talent in politics emerged.