Charles Alexander (b. between 1730 - 1735? d. circa 1802) was one of the original signers of the Meckenburg Declaration of Independence. History has not recorded a well rounded life of Captain Charles Alexander perhaps due to the shadow cast by his more noted brother, Adam, but it is recorded he was just as staunch a citizen of his adopted county as he was a patriot. It is believed he was born between 1730-35 in Somerset County, Maryland.
Well-liked as a newspaper writer and editor, J.P. Caldwell (1853-1911) was born near Statesville. He worked at the first newspaper in Iredell County before coming to Charlotte in 1872. He bought a Statesville newspaper, the Landmark, in 1880, but is best remembered for his partnership with industrialist D.A. Tompkins. In 1892 the two men formed a new publication from what had been known as the Charlotte Chronicle. It was the forerunner of today's Charlotte Observer. For all his prestige and respect in the community, Caldwell was not a highly educated man.
James Harris (circa 1739 - circa 1778) was one of the original signers of the Meckenburg Declaration of Independence. His father, Samuel Harris, came from Scotland, and died at sea before reaching New York. His sons buried him in Manhattan. Other sons had already come to America and had settled near Carlisle, PA.
Joseph Wilbur Cash (1900-1941) was one of the most respected writers ever associated with Charlotte. He was born in Gaffney, S.C., and attended North Carolina's Wake Forest University. He used his initials, in reverse, and became known as W.J. Cash. Cash wrote for The Charlotte Observer, then moved to Chicago. He returned to North Carolina and worked for The Charlotte News, and also as a freelance writer.
Richard Harris was one of the original signers of the Meckenburg Declaration of Independence. There were several residents of Mecklenburg County named Richard Harris, and Victor King was unable to pick out which man could have possibly been a signer of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence when he wrote his book in 1956.
Documentation
(1) King, Victor C. Lives and Times of the 27 Signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence of May 20, 1775. Charlotte, NC, 1956.
An 1852 honors graduate of Davidson College, this Mecklenburg native came from one of Charlotte's most prominent families. He was descended from Rev. Alexander Craighead and Mecklenburg patriot John McKnitt Alexander. John Brevard Alexander (1834-1911) graduated from the Medical College of South Carolina at the top of his class in 1855. He was a Civil War surgeon with Company C, NC 37th Infantry. He returned to Charlotte after the war and in 1890 moved to North Tryon Street. Until ill health befell him in 1898 he managed a Charlotte drug store. Also a historian, Dr.
Charles Waddell Chesnutt (1858-1932) was born during the era of slavery to parents who were free Blacks. He was the best known North Carolina author of African-American descent in his era. As a young man, he worked in his father's Fayetteville grocery store. By the age of 16, he had come to Charlotte to teach the city's black schoolchildren. He had an intense thirst for knowledge. At a time when few educational opportunities existed for black Americans, he studied math, music, literature and languages.
Wilbert H. Harrison (1929-1994), the son of James William and Nancy Grafton Harrison, was born on January 5, 1929, in Charlotte, NC. One of 22 children, Wilbert spent his early childhood at 936 Oliver St. in Charlotte. His mother also raised 25 foster children and died at age 90. Many of his family still live in the Charlotte area.
John McKnitt Alexander (1733 - 7/10/1817) was one of the original signers of the Meckenburg Declaration of Independence.He is probably one of the most famous signers. Born in Maryland, his came to Mecklenburg County with some siblings. His brother, Hezekiah, built a home that is reportedly one of the oldest homes in the county. When he arrived, he settled in the Hopewell section (north) of Mecklenburg County, before it was established in 1762. After arriving he left the occupation of tailor and became a surveyor.