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 statue of Sam Mills stands on the East side of Bank of America stadium. It is inside the gates…read moreso you'll probably only be able to visit when there is a game on. It depicts Sam Mills in uniform and seeming to look across the field. At his feet, the caption reads "Sam Mills. Leader and Gentleman. Linebacker. Carolina Panthers 1995-1997". For the squad, Mills was more than simply a linebacker. During the franchise's early years, he was its lifeblood. At 5'9", Mills was deemed tiny, yet he brought unparalleled intensity, leadership, and tenacity to the field. After joining the Panthers in 1995, he immediately established himself as a vital member of their defense. His status as a player was solidified by his famous interception in the team's first-ever victory and his selection to the Pro Bowl at the age of 37. The team's enduring motto, "Keep Pounding" was inspired by his bravery off the field as he battled cancer while still coaching. His #51 jersey was the first retired by the team. In 2022, he was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [Review 517 of 2025 - 4117 in North Carolina - 24078 overall]

With monuments from Pennsylvania and Maine, dedicated to the soldiers from those states who came to…read morethe South to fight in the Civil War, this is a peaceful and quiet place. I was here on Memorial Day Weekend with all of the flags laid out. A great tribute to our military. Prior to being a cemetery, the land was an abandoned cotton mill before it was converted into a military prison. At one time, it held as many as 10,000 men and in such a tight area, there was disease. Many died from malnutrition and were buried in mass graves. It is a column place and I was glad to have visited on this weekend. You won't be able to miss the Federal Monument to the Unknown Dead, a 38 foot tall granite obelisk. There are a number of context markers that explain the layout and history. [Review 1123 of 2024 - 3618 in North Carolina - 22147 overall]

This cemetery is the historic, original national cemetery. It's operated and run by the main annex…read moreon Statesville Blvd. near the VA Center, but is worth stopping by for the historical significance. The minute I drove in I could see the difference: the large cast iron gates and stone perimeter fence, the multiple plaques and monument to the unknown soldiers, the Maine and Pennsylvania monuments honoring the soldiers from those states that died in the prison camps of the 1860s. There's a lot to see in this 12 acres. The trees and vegetation are larger, more established, and there's less of frenetic pace here than in the newer location. It's what you would expect, the immediate emotion evident in the newer locale is here replaced by the bittersweet sadness of monuments to those who may no longer have living relatives or any who can come by regularly. There were only a few people at this spot, all elderly, paying respects to Korean or Vietnam war vets, buried here just before the new annex opened. There's a stateliness about this spot and a more intimate feeling. It's beautifully maintained. The state has kept this location as well groomed as the newer national cemetery annex. It's a fascinating location to visit and pay respects, before or after visiting the new cemetery, and it matters little if you're a history buff or not.

This large bronze artwork is located across from the Mecklenburg County Courthouse. It is a hand…read moreand for being such a simple sculpture, there is much to it. The hand is located in a small plaza that is outfitted with covered picnic tables and next to the parking deck. The Little Village Grill is also here. The sculpture is my Asheville-based artist Hoss Haley. The caption at the base reads, "The hand symbolizes exchange, agreement, fairness, compassion - all of which reference our judicial system and its many responsibilities to the community. Integrity refers to the state of being complete and undivided." I also found a statement online, "A challenge for Haley was positioning the hand so that is appeared neither begging nor oppressive. The result is a neutral hand, 'as if to say I'm simply offering my hand without judgment.'" That's a powerful message, quite appropriate for the location. [Review 18908 overall - 3392 in North Carolina - 2431 of 2022.]

It's been a while since I spotted a North Carolina historical marker and I really have to give…read moreprops to the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Sure, the sign is quite limited in the information it provides but the website has an entire essay of explanation. The marker reads, "Congressman from North Carolina, 1811-1817. Moved to Alabama where he was governor, 1821-1825, and United States Senator. Born 2 miles southwest." Online, there is much more information. "Israel Pickens was one amongst the stream of North Carolinians who migrated to the newly opened Alabama and Mississippi territories in the 1810s and 1820s. With experience as a legislator and congressman in his native state, Pickens quickly rose to political prominence in Alabama, serving as the state's governor from 1821 to 1825." "Pickens was Alabama's third governor. During his tenure he completed the organization of state government initiated by his predecessors... In February 1826, a few months after leaving the governor's seat, Pickens was appointed to the U.S. Senate, where he served until November." Quite the public servant, Mister Pickens. Thank you. There is parking in the adjacent gas station if you want to try to see the marker close up. [Review 17308 overall - 3295 in North Carolina - 826 of 2022.]

This large park is located behind the City Hall of Mount Pleasant. The park features a large…read morelighted baseball field, a permanent structure with restrooms and picnic tables and a large playground with all sorts of climbing and playing equipment. The park is in excellent condition and there is plenty of parking. I enjoyed my time here. [Review 14392 overall, 1717 of 2020, number 2717 in North Carolina.]

This marker recalls a local who was Governor of North Carolina for a period and also served in the…read moreAmerican Revolution. The marker reads, "Governor, 1805-07. Was a surgeon in Revolutionary War; later Congressman. Birthplace was 3 mi. N." As is customary with the North Carolina markers, there is more information online. "Nathaniel Alexander, who served as a surgeon in the American Revolution, lived near Harrisburg in a house on the present site of Lowes (Charlotte) Motor Speedway. Born on March 5, 1756, in present-day Mecklenburg (then Anson) County, he was the eldest of six children born to Moses Alexander and the former Sarah Taylor." "Nathaniel Alexander practiced medicine for several years in South Carolina following the Revolution, but then returned to his native Mecklenburg County. He was active in Charlotte in establishing local Masonic lodge. He represented the county in the lower house of the North Carolina General Assembly in 1797 and in the upper house in 1801 and 1802, affiliating himself in the legislature with the ascendant Jeffersonian Republicans. He was then elected to the United States House of Representatives, where he served from 1803 to 1805. He resigned from Congress in November of 1805, having been elected by the state legislature to replace James Turner as governor. Reelected without opposition in 1806, he served as chief executive for just over two years." "He died in Salisbury on March 6, 1808, less than a year after leaving office, and was buried in the cemetery of the First Presbyterian Church in Charlotte." [Review 13188 overall, 505 of 2020.]

I've lived in Charlotte for 13 years now and while I knew of the Catawba River and the Native…read moreAmericans who lived here, it was still interesting to find this marker. It is in a small observation parking lot that has a view of the Cowans Ford hydroelectric plant. You can't get close to the dam (security!), but you can see it pretty well from here. The marker was erected at around the same time. The marker reads: In 1747 Adam Sherrill and his 8 sons migrated from Pennsylvania and settled west of the Catawba River. By July, 1749, John Beatty had also crossed the Catawba. Sherrill's Ford (site underwater) and Beatty's Ford (underwater) were named for them. Another ford used by the original settlers was Island Ford. During the late 1740's Andreas Killen, Robert Leeper, Jacob Forney, Pieter Heyl, and John Clark settled on creeks which today bear their names. An early settler on the headwaters of Clark's Creek was Henry Weidner (home destroyed). The site of his homeplace has changed little since 1750. Remnants of Beatty's Ford and Tuckaseege roads, two of the earliest roads used by these and other early settlers, may still be seen. During the Revolution important battles were fought at Ramsour's Mill (June 20, 1780) (destroyed) and Cowan's Ford (Feb. 1, 1781) (preserved). During the Colonial and Early National periods it was customary to use privately-owned buildings for public purposes. Accordingly, the Tryon County Jail (partially preserved) was located in 1784 at the springhouse of Henry Dellinger, an early settler. Andrew Loretz was the first minister of the German Reformed Church in western North Carolina. His brick home (1793) is one of the oldest west of the Catawba River (preserved). Open-hearth furnaces were established by Peter Forney Alexander Brevard, Joseph Graham, and others between 1785 and 1800. The homeplaces of Brevard (Mt. Tirzah) (preserved) and Graham (Vesuvius Furnace) (preserved) include sites of two of these furnaces. A third furnace, built by Peter Forney, still stands. The "Ore Bank," a chief source of iron ore, was nearby (large pits to be seen). Graham, a Revolutionary officer and leader of North Carolina troops in the Creek Indian War (1811-12); Alexander Brevard, who served under Washington at the battles of White Plains, Trenton, Brandywine, and Monmouth; and Robert H. Morrison, founder of Davidson College and father-in-law of generals D. H. Hill and "Stonewall" Jackson lie buried in Machpelah churchyard (preserved). One of the outstanding homes of the trans-Catawba region is "Ingleside" (preserved), built by Daniel M. Forney, son of Peter Forney and grandson of the pioneer Jacob Forney who settled there. "Mt. Welcome" (destroyed), another iron furnace built by Peter Forney, is the site of the birthplace of Robert D. Johnston, one of five Confederate generals born in Lincoln County. The others were Robert F. Hoke (home preserved), Stephen Dodson Ramseur (grave preserved), John H. Forney, and William H. Forney. For early history of the area east of the Catawba see marker located on N.C. 150--500 yds. east of Catawba River, Iredell County. [Review 12724 overall, 36 of 2020.]