Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

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Reconstruction 1866-1878

1875 - Jewish Community

During the Civil War, Charlotte's Jews raised $150 to help Confederate volunteers. In 1868, the Hebrew Cemetery was established on McCall Street. Although it will be many years before the Hebrew Congregation has its own building in which to worship, area Jews will maintain a tradition of charitable deeds. This year they will help fund an old-age home.

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1875 - Freedom Centennial

May 20, 1875 - It's the 100-year, or centennial, anniversary of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, a document that proclaimed freedom in 1775 from British rule. Masses of people from Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and both Carolinas crowd into Charlotte for the celebration. For more, see this exhibit on the Meck Dec.

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1870 - Lee Visits Charlotte

March 28, 1870 - As Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his daughter, Agnes, pass through Charlotte, they are greeted by a welcoming crowd. They have just visited the Warrenton grave of Lee's daughter, Annie. When Lee reaches Augusta, Georgia, a 13-year old boy named Woodrow Wilson will visit the war hero. In 1913, Wilson will become America's 28th president. 

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1872 - Town of Pineville

Before the railroad came through in 1852, the little village was known simply as Morrow's Turnout. Now, the town south of Charlotte is incorporated as Pineville. In 1903, it will have a cotton mill. By 1960 it will be the only area within Mecklenburg County still producing a significant amount of cotton.

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1872 - Richmond to Atlanta

The Carolina Central Railroad connects Charlotte to Wilmington, nearly 200 miles away. Within two years the railroad will reach from Richmond, Virginia to Atlanta, Georgia. The cotton trade booms as textiles made in the region travel to markets beyond.Steam Engine

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1873 - Charles W. Chesnutt

African American novelist Charles Waddell Chestnutt (1858-1932) leaves his home in Fayetteville and arrives in Charlotte to teach school. He is fifteen years old. Chestnutt would eventually become an assistant to the principal. After leaving Charlotte in 1877, he became a successful business man. Chestnutt was also a highly respected author and writer and became popular for such works as The Conjure Woman, a collection of stories. 

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1873 - A Beginning for Schools

At Miss Hattie Moore's house behind St. Peter's Episcopal Church, the first North Carolina graded school opens. There is no tuition charge for the 175 students who are taught by eight teachers. But the school will run out of money, and disputes over taxes will delay permanent funding for the school.

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1873 - Center for Elegance

The old Mansion House, built in 1840 at the corner of Trade and Tryon streets, is transformed into the elegant Central Hotel. Leading citizens will gather at its elegant ballroom, dining room and bar. The Central Hotel will be considered by many patrons the finest hotel between Richmond and Atlanta.Central HotelView from NW corner of Trade and Tryon

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1874 - Stumptown-Matthews

People call it Stumptown for all the tree stumps left standing when land is cleared. There was little more than a stagecoach stop in the small town which now changes its name to Matthews, in honor of the railroad official who helps bring the Central Carolina line to the town.

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1874 - Last Stagecoach

December 15, 1874 - The last stagecoach carries mail from Charlotte to Wadesboro as railroad lines now link major cities throughout the Carolinas and the South. There is now a distillery to make liquor in Charlotte, and four dealers who sell the intoxicating spirits.

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