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January, 1960
Page 7
CHURCHES in Shelby number 25, represent
ing all leading Protestant groups and the Roman
Catholic faith. The city is well known for the
high percentage of population who are active
members of religious groups. Firestone people
who live here belong to such churches as Shelby
Presbyterian (above), and many other congre
gations of the area.
EMPLOYEES’ HOMETOWN
COURTHOUSE is in the heart of this thriving
community at the western edge of the "Prosper
ous Piedmont". Near main entrance is a monu
ment to the 2,033 who served from Cleveland
County in the War Between the States. Bronze
marker on west side of building honors Cleve
land patriots of World War I; another, those
who served in WW II.
Shelby: Mark of the New South
HERE industry
prospers and pleas
ant living pre
vails.” This is the description
by which Shelby is known
throughout North Carolina.
Firestone Textiles employees
who live there think of her
as the county seat of Cleve
land—a good, well-balanced
hometown of friendly peo
ple.
Located some 20 miles north
west of Gastonia, Shelby is the
largest community in the North
State between Gastonia and
Asheville. The 1960 estimated
population of more than 20,000
places Shelby 20th in size among
cities of the state. Its location
on a network of Federal and
State highways puts this “em
ployees’ hometown” near the
crossroads of the New South.
Shelby’s citizens cherish their
town’s illustrious past, but even
more so they appreciate her
present and future as a dynamic
center of industry and trade for
a several-county area.
County and Town Named
For Patriot Heroes
The county was formed in
1841 from portions of Ruther
ford and Lincoln, and named to
honor the memory of Col. Ben
jamin Cleveland, hero of the
crucial Battle of Kings Moun
tain of the Revolutionary War.
Shelby, begun on 147 acres
from which lots were auctioned,
became the county seat in 1842.
It was named for Col. Isaac
Shelby, another hero of Kings
Mountain, who later served two
terms as governor of Kentucky.
The Cleveland county area
was settled by peoples from
Germany, England, Holland
and other European countries.
Several hundred Firestone
Textile employees travel to their
work in Gastonia from outside
communities in both Carolinas.
Of these outlying hometowns,
several have been chosen as
subjects of feature stories in the
plant newspaper. This article on
Shelby is fifth in a series.
Today, the county is primari
ly agricultural. Cotton was es
tablished as the leading cash
crop as early as 1815, but in
later years, agriculture became
diversified—with poultry, dairy
ing, livestock and small grain
becoming major sources of in
come.
Textile manufacturing pre
dominates in Shelby and Cleve
land county, with some 57 plants
employing almost 8,000 on an
annual payroll of close to $23
million. This industry has play
ed a leading part in area prog
ress. A textile mill above Slice’s
Shoal on the Broad River fur
nished the town with its first
electricity from water power.
Many Factors Promote
Industrial Growth
Suitable climate, access to raw
materials and convenience to
markets, abundance of power,
water, and native American
labor have all contributed to the
industrial development of this
section.
Besides textiles, industry in
cludes a variety of manufactur
ing operations turning out such
products as fiberglass, plate
glass, wire and cables.
The city’s aldermanic form of
government, with a mayor and
four elected councilmen, admin
isters an outstanding program of
education, recreation and pub
lic welfare.
Shelby’s educational system
includes five elementary schools,
one junior high school, and one
senior high school for white
pupils; and two elementary and
one high school for Negro pupils
—a total of ten units in the sys
tem. Total school enrollment ap
proaches 4,250. In addition to
the public schools, commercial
courses are offered in a modern
business college, with some 250
students enrolled.
The Public Library offers a
county-wide service. A bookmo
bile circulates upwards of 90,000
volumes a month. The George
Washington Carver Library for
Negroes contains more than 5,-
000 volumes, and also operates
a bookmobile service.
There are other factors which
go to make Shelby a good home
town. The more than 25 church
es have, a membership of some
12,000. There are around 20
civic, professional and fraternal
organizations. Shelby is known
for its lovely homes, and their
residents’ pride in property up
keep. New homes and housing
developments add about 100
new homes per year.
Shelby Has Outstanding
Recreation Advantages
In listing advantages of their
hometown, residents would have
you remember Shelby’s recrea
tional facilities. The Communi
ty Center is a memorial to
soldiers from the county in
World Wars I and II. It was
financed entirely by gifts from
citizens and corporations, with
exception of the swimming pool
and bath house which were fi
nanced from bond monies. The
—more on page 8
TOWN HOUSE is an unusual combination building of Colonial
design. Center portion (above) is city hall. The fire department
and city library of almost 25.000 volumes are each in separate
wings, portions of which are in this picture.
3
HANDICRAFTS—Mr. and Mrs. David McGinnis at home on
Washington street. Mr. McGinnis, who works in Spinning, holds a
hand-type lacing loom on which his wife fashions interesting de
signs of such handwork as the coverlet she is exhibiting. This is
one of many pieces she creates primarily "for the joy of doing it".
LAFAYETTE STREET is Shelby's main business thoroughfare. Other principal North-
South streets are Morgan, Washington, and DeCalb—all honoring the memory of Revolution
ary War heroes.