The Gastonia Gazette from Gastonia, North Carolina • Page 12

Wit I THE GASTONU (N. GAZETTI MONDAY, MMUARy II, 19S5. Mt. Holly, Steeped In History, Is Industrial, Cultural Center Two Versions To Origin Of Town's Present Name In Mount Holly today, the constant hum of industrial machinery is an economic symphony that sings of prosperity in a fast-growing city. A visitor in Mount Holly's shopping district will note the quick-step of the crowds.

He will surmise, correctly, that here is a happy, a self- sufficient community. Investigation will bear this out. Though situated nearly midway between metropolitan Charlotte and burgeoning Gastonia, Mount Holly is entirely independent of either. It Is a city of modern business methods, and its stores are shelved with Ihe same wares and appliances that stock Fifth avenue stores. Mount Holly, one of the most Important 'textile centers in the nation, is likewise a city of many cultural facets.

It is city of churches, and it Is city of service clubs. It has one of the most active Junior Chambers of Commerce in the state, with a present membership of 173, under the current guidance of President Curtis Popwell. The city boasts a fine new community building, built largely through the efforts of the local Jaycees. CULTURAL CENTER Mount Holly has its music teachers and its dancing and dramatics instructors, and these classes are an important part of the community life, reflecting the obvious Mount Holly attitude that "There Is a time to work, and a time to play," both vital good community life. Another Important organization in Mount Holly is the Future Homemakers of America, headed by.Miss Doris A.

Parks, home economics teacher. This group is contributing, even while learning, to the city's cultural wealth, and will continue to do so in the years to come. The town's Merchants Association is rated high In credit and business circles of North Carolina, and is definitely one of the pillars of the Mount Holly business community, providing leadership in many civic enterprises each rear. Until 1950, the population of Mount Holly was listed officially as about people; but this figure did not reflect the true picture of the city's size and economic- value. Hundreds of persons living outside the city limits called Mount'Holly their home.

A move was undertaken Mount Holly takes pride In Its unit of Leaksvllle Woolen Mills, and the Globe Mill, which Is Just beyond the city limits on the road toward Stanley. A good barometer of Mount Holly's rise business-wise is the records of the Mount Holly post office, whose receipts have shown an Increase every year of the past 15, and which now is on the verge of meeting the government's requirements for first class post office designation. James W. Nantz Sr. is postmaster.

Mount Holly has about oneJMassey. telephone for every four citi-i zens, the total of installations dents attend KeU High School in Belmonl. The Neitro school in Mount Holly recently waV renovated and enlarged, and it was rated by a Gastou grand jury as one of the best schools in Gaston county. Mount Holly has a police force made up by Chief Burnie Snyder and six paid The city's fire chief Is Ralph Holland. The department is mainly a-volunteer organization, with about- 15 members: but there are two paid fulltime firemen In Herbert and Ray in 1950 to bring these people into the city proper, and this effort resulted in an extension of the city limits.

More than 2,000 names were added to the city's population in this manner. Thus, the 1954 population of Mount Holly is around 4,200, which places the community in the "small city" classification. Mount Holly Is located on C. highways 27 and 273, and also is situated on the Seaboard and the Piedmont Northern railroads; thus, it is easily accessible by motor or rail route to the industrial centers of metropolitan areas. This stands it in good stead industrially.

INDUSTRIAL GIANT Reflecting this favored position, Mount Holly is the proud home of American Efird Mills, which employs some 1,300 persons in Mount Holly. American Efird operates four cotton spinning mills in the city, making counts of cotton yarn from 4s to 120s. These yarns are used for many manufacturing needs, but principally in knitting. Recently transferred to Mount Holly from Lawrenceburg, by American Efird, were Holly Knit Finishing Plant, a yarn-finishing unit, a weaving division for wool and synethetics, and a thread yarn plants-plus, a "pilot" plant and new quality control laboratory. American Efird is a giant in the textile world.

Its total revenue from sales in 1953 was $34,352,829.84, in addition to $7,119,395.43 realized from the sales of raw materials, according to James H. Arthur of the Cost Department. In connection with the American Efird company, which produces the Durene product, Mount Holly has become known nationwide for its annual staging of a weeklong "Durene Festival," which is marked by gala street parades, beauty contests, athletic events, community get-togeth- ers, and speakers of national reputation, Besides American Efird, OUT OF THE PAST That is a partial picture of Mount Holly today. But it has not always been such, now' are being procc'essed and! Faint on the winds morn- now being 1,350. There are around 1,000 water connections.

Gas has just been made available, and customers' applications connections made. Mount Holly is In close proximity to River Bend, a section on the Catawba river, hear which Duke Power Company operates a giant steam generating plant for electric power. Surrounding the modern and efficient business and industrial ing are echoes of constant music in the Catawba Valley. It wafts down upon us in this the fields of the years; the echo of the un- harnessed river rapids near Mount Holly; and we hear again the lullaby the Red Man heard in his forest home by the Catawba. Records of yesteryear tell us center that is Mount Holly, whi Martin an Burcn a rich farming area dotted was president of the United pleasant and convenient homes suburban churches, and neighborhood shopping centers.

Mount Holly provides a convenient market place for the farm products grown In its proximity. An institution in Mount Holly is the Mount Holly News, edited by W. O. Barrett. This newspaper has earned for itself a respected place in the life of the community, and serves as a well-distributed, well-read advertising medium for Mount Holly merchants.

Editor Barrett is a man who is always in the forefront for civic betterment and progress in Mount Holly. COUNCIL GOVERNMENT Mount Holly has the city council form of municipal government, administered by the mayor and four elected councilmen. D. S. Beatty is mayor: and members of the council are W.

G. Alligood, Dr. B. D. Moore, J.

L. Davenport, and J. B. Thompson. city always has been known for clean and progressive government.

Laxton Hamrick is District Principal of Mount Holly schools. Assistant principals are A. B. Craig, Walter Spear, and A. M.

Rollins. Enrolled in the city's schools this year are 1,782 pupils. Of these, 316 are enrolled in the high school for white children, 1,138 in the elementary school for white children, and 338 in the elementary school for Negro children. Negro high school stn- States, a century and a quarter ago, the sound of the rapids near Mount Holly was a constant roar, by day and by night. That was before the hand of modern man stilled the tumult and harnessed the waters to his industrial ends.

It was the early day of the pioneer and the Individualist of the wide open spaces. The story is told of big Miles 4bernathy, who built a flat boat each, year and filled it with barrel staves. The boat then would be floated down to Charleston and the whole outfit sold. Mr. Abernathy would pocket money and walk back home! FIRST WAS WOODLAWN One of the oldest organized communities in this section of the state, Mount Holly has been known by several names since a post office site was established there 125 or more years ago.

In 1838, the post office was called Woodlawn. When the Carolina Central Railway came through in I860, the company named Its station The current name is attributed to two sources. Mount Holly Cotton Mills, built there in 1874 by A. P. and D.

E. Rhyue, were so named, some say, because at that time the best yarn was produced at Mount Holly, N. and the local proprietors wanted to give their plant a name associated with the best products. Another source attributes it to a number of young holly trees growing on the banks of nearby Dutchman's Creek. The town itself, however, stands on.

a site which dates I back to King George II. In colonial days, the English sov- jreign transferred the property 'to George Rutledge in a grant dated 1754, and described as a parcel of land "on the so. side of the Catiwba River on Kuy kendall, the Dutchman's FIKST COTTON MILL Two years after the formlni of the county, John L. Tate Greensboro bought the falls and moved hli cotton mill by wagon to this side ol the river. Thus began the cotton mill business that made Gaston tamoui The factory was solidly of brick three stories high, and the employees homes were aim of brick.

INCORPORATED IN IMS Building of the mill ajid the settling of several substantial families in the vicinity prompted Incorporation of the town in 1889. By petition the citizens requested It be chartered Mount Holly and that the names Woodlawn and Tuckaxege discarded. Hit Joseph H. Separk an amusing story concerning the early town administration. W.

B. Rutledge, mayor, and R. C. Belk and J. C.

Hamlet, ah nnan, made an efforl to bond the town for 1300' to purchase street lamps. A bond election was duly ordered and advertised by law. On election day the mayor, intent on plowing a certain field, forget the event until almost sundown. Suddenly remembering, he jumped on his mule and dashed to the polls just in time, and then wa -ci around to see the vic- toi count. A tabulation showed only two votes cast in favor of the bond, his own and one by his faithful alderman, R.

C. Belk. The outcome of that first election didn't set a pattern for future voting, however. Mount Holly folk, since, have indebted themselves at a single election for sums more than 1,000 times the amount of that original bond proposal. And they've always been able to meet their financial obligations.

The county's first steam electric plant was built there Franklin Ave Once Termec "Mill Street' A visitor to Gastonia In th Gay Nineties could have take you directly to Mill he would have been puzzled tia you mentioned Franklin avenu And that's scarcely wonderfu because Mill street didn't becom Franklin avenue until May, 1898 when the late d. W. Raga built a new home on the stree and requested that the narh be changed. But nobody seems to kno' where the "Franklin" came from One block from Franklin avenue today Second avenue. But when Franklin held forth ai Mill street, what is now Second avenue known by the picturesque name of "Elm." There li another "Elm street" in Gsstonla today.

In southwest Gwtonla. Many of the city's hundreds streets bear names to honor cit) )ioneers and other prominen 3astonians of today and yester day; for example: Bradley, Hoi and, Hanna, Gray, Love, Moore Craig, and Page. HOW NAMED Streets usually are named the suggestion of persons living on them, often after a petition to the city council. When donates a stree the city, he usually has the In the Catawba Power Company. Duke Power Company later gained control of that plant, increasin( its oat- put and constructed a powered plant at nearby Mountain Island.

Duke Power recently undertook a 55 million expansion at Mountain Island which is boosting trade and population of Mount Holly. MOUNT HOLLY SCHOOL" Has 7.206 People Kings Mountain On Threshold Of U.S. History In the shadow of'history stands the Town of Km A Shan't municipality of 7,206 citizens -eight miles west of town is a namesake of the famous Revolutionary battle which was fought on the long low ridge to its south on the afternoon of Oct. 7, 1780. That battle, which took place 'That Dauie, wmcu 3 o'clock and 3:30 in be called a cltj, since, the afternoon of that fateful ear- recent years, its population American day, has been described by historians as "The There are more than resi- turning point in the American located within 1U con.

Revolution," an action which fines. The dwellings and bust, swung the balance in favor of ness houses together boast 2,. in their telephone connections and Z.OSO water connections. Kings Mountain is a town of ihe American colonies in their struggle lor independent igainst Great Britain. muuuvam The battleground, itself, lies attractive residential communi The battleground, iiseu, uca attractive vuuuiiuiu across the state line in South ties, modern churches and pub a o.

r.n* the Tnum ftf Kincs Kr. huilriines. and uD-to-dat Jarollna; but the Town, of King Carolina; out me iuwu, nc buildings, Mountain is located on the North stores and business firms. It is Carolina side. It is a mecca for a trading center for a rich agri- thousands of tourists and sightseers annually who come to visit the historic battle scene.

Kings Mountain hiUjht more honor of naming it, through the council. When no name is suggested, the council picks out one. A street's name may be altered by a similar procedure. Many street monikers are ob- because of their geographi- al location or physical condi- lon. There are no "Wash-board" avenues, but Broad street is of exceptional width, being split jy the C.

N. W. Hallway racks. Airline avenue took its ue from the Southern Railway when it was called the Airline Uilway. Winget, a a 1 Ozark, and Trenton are the names of textile plants, the Ozark not now being in exist- nce.

How are thoroughfares designated as streets or avenues? Officially, those running east ind west are called avenues, und those going north and south bear the designation of "Mreet." Town Suffers It-owing Pains DETROIT Suburban loseville and St. Clair Shores have banned new home con- banned new nome con- truction while they work out a School for a smaller Negro pop- Ian to curb "growing pains." Both are considering adding ig permits, saying rapid expan- has passed the mark. up-to-date cultural section. INDUSTRIAL CITY Kings Mountain likewise Is a city of industrial importance, especially In textiles Hundreds of prosperous citizens there are employed by Margrace Mills, Craft Spun Mill, the Neisler factories, and the Phenix plant of Burlington Mills. The First National Bank there is a well-founded'financial institution which adequately takes care of the personal needs of the citizens and provides the monetary life blood necessary to the section's industrial and agricultural economy.

Kings Mountain, as a Municipality, is administered by a city council form of local government. The mayor A. Bridges, the town clerk is Joe Hendrick, and the five members of the present city council are W. S. Fulton, J.

H. Patterson, T. J. Ellison, Harold Phillips, and W. G.

Grantham. Hugh A. Logan is the efficient chief of- police in KiiiRS Mountain, and the chief of the fire department is Pat Tigner. The city also boasts four modern public school buildings: West and East Elementary Schools and -Central High School, for white students; and Davidson ulation. Kings Mountain is in Cleve- 150 to $300 to the cost of build- land county, but Its history and its fortunes are closely allied with permiio, saying rapid CAPHII- IUILUUCS me on has outdistanced ability to those of Gastonia and Gaston rovide sufficient schools or ade- county.

In fact, It was once a water and sewer facilities part of Gaston. Kings Mountain ithout additional revenue. Rose- and Gastonia are linked by a ille's ban includes new com- modern divided highway, which icrclal as wen as home con- brings each town within few truction. minutes time of the other. YOU CAN ALWAYS WALK, BUT Isn't it a lot easier to catch the bus? Actually, it probably is cheaper to catch the bus than walk anyway.

When one considers the amount of time saved, it would probably cost him more to walk to mention the sore feet and aching muscles. You can always depend on City Coach service, too. It's there right on time every time. ROBERT F. RHYNE President So you own a car? That's very nice to take an long trips at irregular hauri, or to drive on country reads where there's no bus service.

But for regular trips, it actually costs you less to ride the gas to buy, no battery to go dead, no wear and tear on your car. It's more convenient don't have to hunt for hours for a parking place. We would like to extend our best wishes to The Gaiette an this occasion Their 75th Birthday, We have served Gastonia and the eastern section of Gaston County for twenty years. Our equipment is modern, our service prompt and efficient. Our safety record is outstanding.

In addition to our regular services we maintain buses for charter service to any place in the state. CITY COACH COMPANY, Inc "Always on Time".