Author Archives: dcreamer

By David Freeze

With a tight schedule this week, I was amazed to find four North Carolina county seats within 69 miles on the same road. U.S. 74 was my “road of the day” for Tuesday, May 2.

My first stop was Wadesboro, founded in 1783 as New Town and then changed to Wadesboro in 1787 to honor native son and Revolutionary War commander Colonel Thomas Wade of the local regiment. It’s the county seat of Anson County.

A settlement had grown along the banks of the Pee Dee River, but a more centralized location was needed for the county seat. The new site was found, and 70 acres of land were purchased by Patrick Boggan. Streets were laid out and named for Revolutionary War notables including Generals George Washington, Nathaniel Greene, Daniel Morgan and Griffith Rutherford; Colonels Thomas Wade and William Washington; and Governors Richard Caswell and Alexander Martin.

The most famous event in town history was the 1900 total solar eclipse. Scientists, astronomers and journalists came from around the world to view the event in what they deemed the best location possible. The eclipse lasted about 90 seconds according to one newspaper account. Blind Boy Fuller, a blues guitarist and singer, has his own mural. Father and son, Hoyt Patrick Taylor and Taylor Jr., both served as North Carolina Lieutenant Governors.

Wadesboro has steady heavy truck traffic through downtown, past dozens of historic homes and buildings. The downtown and historic courthouse sits on a knoll looking down to U.S. 74. Prominent and historic buildings in the downtown were Parson’s Drugs, in place since 1875, and H.W. Little and Co. hardware, open since 1894.

My next stop was Rockingham, the county seat of Richmond County. I found a town undergoing a 10-year revitalization plan that has new businesses opening. The first flat town in a while was good for my legs. U.S. 1, the highway that I followed by bike from Maine to Key West in 2014, goes right through one of the prettiest historic districts I’ve seen. A 173-year-old Lebanon cedar tree has its place on the National Register of Big Trees.

The town of Rockingham, founded in 1784, was named for the Marquis of Rockingham, Charles Watson Wentonworth, a strong friend of the Colonies, who was British Prime Minister in 1765. Richmond Community College has a new three-story location across from the old 1923 courthouse. Several stores and bank buildings built just after 1900 highlight the downtown near a fountain on the square which lights up in different colors at night.

I continued east on 74 to Laurinburg, the flattest town yet and the seat of Scotland County. Though not incorporated until 1877, Laurinburg by 1852 was a town that had a saloon, a store, a few shacks and a new private high school. The Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherfordton Railroad laid tracks through the town, but the first train didn’t arrive until 1861, four years before the railroad’s shops were also moved to Laurinburg in hopes of keeping them safe from the Yankees. The Yankees did burn the depot and the temporary shops, but the shops were rebuilt.

Economic issues that have hurt the town included the Great Depression, low cotton prices, the Belk department store moved away, and Hurricane Florence in 2018. I found the town had most of the storefronts occupied but very little happening and many of the stores closed when their schedules listed that they should be open.

The most famous citizen was Terry Sanford, a World War II paratrooper, N.C. governor and U.S. senator.

My final stop on U.S. 74 was at Monroe, county seat of Union County. Incorporated in 1843, the town was named for James Monroe, our country’s fifth president. I found the blocks around the courthouse to be very busy with traffic and plenty of restaurants, trendy bars and even a bread bakery. I was hungry but resisted the urge to stop in even though the smell was wonderful. The old-style movie theatre was set to show “Jaws” this weekend, complete with an all-you-can-eat popcorn and drink deal. More beautiful old homes were within just a few blocks of the courthouse on the southern side of town.

Most would count U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms as Monroe’s most famous past resident, being born here before becoming a five-term U.S. Senator. I also found that one of the three Black women who became world class mathematicians for NASA and were documented in the fantastic book Hidden Figures and the movie of the same name is also from Monroe. Christine Darden became an aeronautical engineer and the first African American to reach the level of senior executive service, the top rank of federal civil service.

The 1886 Union County Courthouse is one of the biggest I have seen of the grand old courthouses. The middle part was the original building, and the two wings were added in 1922. The old Monroe City Hall was originally built as a jail and is likely the oldest building in town after construction in 1847, although another plaque says 1848.

All the towns were historic and interesting along this portion of U.S. 74, and amazingly close together. My total miles on my feet for the four towns was 6.27, much of it flat. Our county total is now 34, with 66 left to visit. See you back here soon!

By David Freeze

I’m so much enjoying these visits to the county seats in North Carolina and used Sunday, April 23, to add to my list. First I wanted to visit Greensboro, county seat of Guilford, with less traffic. The old part of town was called Greensborough, formed in 1808, and is centered on Washington and Elm streets. The name changed to Greensboro in 1895. I ran several races in that area years ago, but this was my first time exploring the same streets.

Right away, I found the modern courthouse just by being lucky to park near it. Just ahead. I found the old Carolina Theatre which opened on Halloween 1927, and the site where Jefferson Davis held two of his last cabinet meetings after the Confederate President had fled Richmond in 1865. Next was the Cigar District, a big thing from 1903-55, employing mostly young women in 14 manufacturing shops on Elm Street.

In this area, Blue Duck electric scooters and bikes were parked everywhere for rent, a couple on a corner, another here or there. North Carolina’s first and only women’s Holocaust monument was unveiled at LeBauer Park on April 18. The statue, “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots,” was designed in a shop on Elm Street. I visited the sprawling depot that serves Amtrak, Greyhound, city transportation and probably more.

The F.W. Woolworth store where four Black college freshmen sat down for lunch in the “whites only” section is now a Civil Rights Museum. Vicks VapoRub was created in a drug store nearby. The most impressive buildings in this area are the Lincoln Financial Tower at 20 stories next to the 18 story Jefferson Standard Building. The old town is full of interesting stores, most of them in historic buildings.

Modern Greensboro has lots of bagel stores and I had to visit one on the way out of town. I ate more bagels today than I have in total the last two months.

My next county seat was Graham, of Alamance. Graham became a town in 1851. It’s another town that surrounds the county courthouse built in 1923 and is loaded with interesting historic buildings. Parking was at a premium, with several large churches, shopping and one particular restaurant busy late on a Sunday morning. The Montwhite Building from 1907 was the Opera House first and one of the 70 downtown historic structures. There are several large historic mill buildings too, one with a separate bathroom building added in 1940. The 1902 Wrike Drugs is still in the original building with only the store front altered. The movie “Jesus Resolution” was showing all afternoon in the cinema building.

Most surprising to me was that the Press Restaurant offering coffee, crepes and cocktails had a 90-minute wait for a table. Graham is one of the few flat downtowns so far and has plenty to visit.

Then I drove on to Lexington, another historic downtown that I haven’t spent enough time in over the years. Lexington was incorporated in 1828 and named after Lexington, Massachusetts. I found a fantastic Old Davidson County Courthouse, now a museum, first built in 1858. The interior was burned in 1865 and repaired in 1867. I remain amazed at the quality, style and beauty of these old courthouses and this one is one of the best yet.

Two Lexington fixtures began with the Conrad Hinkle grocery store, built in 1919. Famous for old time homemade things like pimento cheese and chicken salad plus hand-cut meats, the store remains very popular. Just down the street is Lanier Hardware. Opened in 1940 and still operated by the Lanier family, locals say that if Lanier’s doesn’t have it in their 32,000 square feet of space, you don’t need it. The old post office became a library building but appears unused now. Decorative pigs are scattered along the sidewalks and each one advertises something different. Lexington calls itself the Barbecue Capital of the World.

Especially good was a statue near the police department of a uniformed officer holding the hand of a little girl while he talked with her. Bike racks along the sidewalk were placed in honor of local citizens. And the Sinfully Delicious custom bakery was taking orders for Elvis cakes. I hope to visit again next Sunday as the three-day 2nd Annual Elvis Festival targets a gospel competition.

The last city for this week is Concord, Cabarrus County seat. Concord means “to bring into harmony” and was first settled about 1750 and incorporated in 1806. It is the 10th largest city in North Carolina. Cotton and textile mills were stalwart industries as the city prospered. The 1839 Odell-Locke-Randolph Mill is now a popular retail space. Union Street is the one of the most beautiful streets I have ever seen with more than 200 historic structures. Often I have gone to Concord just to run out and back on Union, ending in the downtown area.

The historic and stately Cabarrus County Courthouse was built in 1876, one of four courthouses used since the town’s inception. Government buildings dominate the downtown area, with current courthouse expansion still underway and various city and county buildings. The City Hall and Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center, in particular, were especially interesting.

Several large murals, one honoring the hometown Avett Brothers, can be seen, along with one of the original What-a-Burgers, labeled as location No. 2 on it’s sign.

A giant step forward is the streetscape construction now underway on downtown Union Street. When complete, bike lanes, significant landscape plantings and widened walking areas will highlight the area. Concord looks successful and growing, and I’m betting that continues.

Now with 30 county seats complete, 70 remain. I had 6.27 miles on foot in these four towns, all very enjoyable. We’ll continue soon!