This marker is at the intersection of NC 27 and Westland Farm Road. I did drive the quarter mile to…read morethe west but did not see anything that looked like it might have been an 18th century home. The marker reads, "Joseph Dickson 1745-1825. Colonel in Revolution, later brigadier general, member of legislatures of North Carolina and Tennessee, and of United States Congress. His home stands 1/4 mile west." Online, there is more information. "Military and political leader Joseph Dickson was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in April 1745. At the age of ten he moved with his family to Rowan County. In 1775, on the eve of the Revolution, he was a member of the Rowan County Committee on Safety. That same year he was commissioned as a captain in the Continental Army." "While in the Senate he sat on a committee that established the University of North Carolina and became one of the original trustees of the University. After serving in the Senate he returned to Lincoln County where he was elected as a Federalist to the United States House of Representatives. He represented Wilkes, Burke, Rutherford, and Lincoln counties in the Sixth Congress from 1799 to 1801. He served two terms in the Tennessee legislature, from 1807 to 1811. During the second term he was Speaker of the House, his last position in public office." And here we learn that the house referenced in the marker text no longer stands and the sign will be updated when funds permit. [Review 14253 overall, 1576 of 2020, number 2688 in North Carolina.]

This marker is located at the very center of Uptown Charlotte. It's easily accessible if you're on…read morefoot but there is limited parking near here. The marker points out an important hero of the American Revolution. It reads, "Nathanael Greene. 1742-1786. Replaced Horatio Gates as leader of American army opposing Lord Cornwallis. He assumed command in Charlotte, Dec. 3, 1780." It is marker number L-19 and it was erected in 1987 by the 1987 by Division of Archives and History. Major General Nathanael Greene, known as the Fighting Quaker, played a pivotal role in the American Revolution and has a direct connection to Charlotte. After General Horatio Gates suffered a devastating defeat at Camden in August 1780, Greene was appointed by George Washington to lead the Southern Army. He officially assumed command in Charlotte on December 3, 1780, where he found a struggling force of militia and Continental soldiers camped near what is now Camp New Providence*. Greene's leadership marked a turning point in the Southern campaign, and his strategic persistence helped drive British forces out of the Carolinas. His legacy is honored in North Carolina through sites like Camp Greene** in Charlotte and the city of Greensboro, both named in his memory. * Camp New Providence Historical Marker: https://www.yelp.com/biz/camp-new-providence-historical-marker-weddington?hrid=zYYZKedqE7ffaCLpA9OfXA ** Camp Greene Memorial https://www.yelp.com/biz/camp-greene-memorial-charlotte?hrid=9IWHxUmRQU90o774VJyGPA [Review 1424 of 2025 - 4495 in North Carolina - 24975 overall]

This marker alongside the road denotes a historic school that sadly no longer exists. This is a…read morecounty marker rather than a state one, so it's not in the state database. The marker reads, "Site of Plato Price School 1915-1966. Mecklenburg County school for African Americans, Greads 1-12. Notable attendees included Philip P. Berry, Chairman of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, and U.S. Congressman Mel Watt. Erected September 2006." Congressman Watt was my Congressman for a period of time until he stepped down to take an administrative role in the Obama administration. [Review 12963 overall, 279 of 2020.]

This is not an official North Carolina marker. It's black with gold lettering, standing on a post…read moreon US_29 at the intersection with Lincoln Academy Road. It is in excellent condition. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, ""Founder: Emily Pruden, educator and philanthropist from Orange, Connecticut. A co-educational boarding and day school, grades 1-12, for children of African descent. Accredited 1923. Home of Mildred Wellmon Elementary School, a historic Rosenwald building. Sponsored by American Missionary Association. School was located on Lincoln Academy Road." It was erected in 2012 by the Lincoln Academy National Alumni Association. [Review 2259 of 2024 - 3845 in North Carolina - 23276 overall]

Located at the entrance of Elizabeth Park, this bronze statue is dedicated to a local hero that…read moremost Americans will not be familiar with. That person is Captain James Jack. He delivered the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence to Congress in Philadephia. This document declaring independence from Great Britain was signed by citizens of Mecklenburg County (a county that includes Charlotte and nearby cities) on May 20, 1775. Notice that this predates the more well known 1776 Declaration of Independence signed by the 13 colonies. It's a nice statue and I learned an interesting bit of history by stumbling upon it.

No, it's not Paul Revere. It's Captain James Jack!…read more According to local legend, a band of local patriots met on May 19, 1775 and drafted a set of Resolves that outlined the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. The documents declared that the actions of the British government were intolerable and that Mecklenburg County was no longer under British rule. You'll note that this was BEFORE July 4, 1776. At the time, he was a tavern owner but Captain Jack courageously volunteered to take these powerful documents on the journey from Charlotte to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. His actions were a risk to everything, all for the rights and protections that we take for granted today. If he'd been captured, the documents would certainly have led to his death as a traitor. But he made it and this was no doubt a part of the impetus towards the famous Declaration of Independence that all those other people signed. This statue is in Elizabeth Park, at the corner of Kings Drive and 4th Street, not far from Uptown Charlotte. And the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery on South Tryon has a beer named in his honor. Try it, it's tasty stuff! Round number review! #6400!

The employee who did our tour was very knowledgeable. And it was only $4. So just do it. I love…read morevisiting different historical places and learning about the times before. It's not a huge place but held a great deal of information. Definitely worth stopping in if you're in the area.

Being from the west coast, I don't get to see many historic places. So I look forward to my annual…read morevisit to the Chartlotte area where I can go a bit further back into US history. On my latest visit, I made my way to the James K. Polk State Historic Site. The site on which it is believed that President Polk was born. There is a museum inside and recreations of period cabins outside. Also a garden and interpretive signs telling a bit about the plants that can be seen around the museum grounds. This is a free site for the most part though you can opt for a guided tour that takes you into the buildings if you are so inclined. I was there late in the day and not long before closing so the tour was no longer being offered. It was still cool to walk around and see the grounds. History doesn't quite come alive here but it becomes more tangible.

Dead-center Charlotte, where Trade Street meets Tryon Street. Where North meets South and East…read moremeets West. Independence Square is the "Uptown" of Uptown Charlotte. It is the very center, the core of the Queen City. The Sculpture on each of the four corners are dedicated to Transportation, Future, Commerce and Industry. Try and see if you can recognize the face of the banker in Commerce - it's supposedly retired Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, but I don't see it. It's worth a stop if you're exploring Charlotte.

This is one of Charlotte's most idiosyncratic spots. Charlotteans claim that Mecklenburg county…read moredeclared independence from Britain in 1775, one year before them Yanks at the Continental Congress stole the idea. This original and 100% not-made-up declaration was lost in a house fire 25 years later. Honest. And we commemorate this with The Sculptures at Independence Square, a quartet of vaguely bigoted statues, one of which bares its magnificent bosom to the bustling city below. I cannot explain how her breasts are related to the rampant historical revisionism capitalizing on the success of the American Revolution, but it does make me smile to see such a statue thrust upon our conservative city.

Located in front of the Cleveland County Courthouse (now the Earl Scruggs Center) is this memorial…read moreto those who fought on the side of the Confederacy. As we all know, the Union ended up the victors of the war but the statue was still installed and remains in 2021. On top a granite base with engravings on multiple sides, "In honor of the Confederate Heroes of Cleveland County, 1861-1865. Lest we forget." and "Erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy, November 21, 1906" with a plaque below it, "Restored by the Cleveland Guards, Chapter #443 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, September 15, 1991." The statue is in excellent condition, depicting a moustached Confederate soldier in uniform, holding his rifle in ready position. Below him, "C.S.A." and a battle flag. [Review 14928 overall, 430 of 2021, number 2828 in North Carolina.]