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Thursday, February 20, 1992-THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Page-3D
Outlook Edition: Our History
KM
From Page 2
before the full moon each
month, and set a speaking
limit of 15 minutes per man
on any subject under discus-
sion. Cruel and unusual pun-
ishment to today's politi-
cians.
Kings Mountain became
one of the first towns in the
state to enact prohibition in
an election held on October
15, 1874. The vote was 13-0.
As a town grows, educa-
tion becomes necessary. Two
schools opened in 1874, one
located at the site now occu-
pied by the J.S. Mauney
Memorial Library, and the
other on Gaston Street.
Captain William T. Reilly
Bell founded his military and
high school in Kings
Mountain in 1876, after an
extensive search throughout
the state for a proper site.
Bell's School was located
on the site of what later be-
came Central School.
Students came from several
states and cut quite a figure
around town in their gray
uniforms with dark stripes
down the trouser legs. Bell
operated the school for ten
years before moving on to
establish schools in Shelby
and Rutherfordton.
Mrs. Summers writes that
one of Bell's students discov-
ered tin in the area. Tin min-
ing later became an impor-
tant and widespread industry.
During the late 1800s, the
business district began to
spread its wings.
The first major industry of
that period was started by
W.0. Ware, who opened a
steam operated sawmill in
1882. Then, in 1888, the
Mauney brothers and Capt.
Dilling opened Kings
Mountain Manufacturing
Co., the first cotton mill in
town and the beginning of an
industry that was to become
so important to the entire
area.
Stores, shops and other
businesses soon followed.
There was Ben Huff's Wagon
Factory, Cornwell's Buggy
Factory, a drug store,
Guthries, which manufac-
tured ladies shoes, Cansler’s
Grocery, Williford's Dry
Goods, and others. Kings
Mountain was preparing to
shoulder its way into the
twentieth century, then
tragedy struck.
In 1890, lightning struck
the Williford building and
much of the downtown area
was destroyed by fire.
Most of the businesses re-
built during the next few
years, and in 1900 the Bank
of Kings Mountain received
its first charter. Six months
later the bank received a na-
tional charter, becoming the
First National Bank of Kings
Mountain, the first chartered
national bank in Cleveland
County.’
In 1903, the people of
Kings Mountain, who now
numbered over 2,000, began
to seek a new identity.
The county seat was in
Shelby at that time, but inde-
pendent Kings Mountians
sought to separate and form
their own county to be called
King County, with Kings
Mountain as the county seat.
A large group from
Gaston, Lincoln and
Cleveland counties met in
Cherryville on February 2 to
hear A.R. Rudasill of Kings
Mountain describe the plan.
A vote was set for February 6
to further develop the plan.
Shelby officials were op-
posed to the plan in the state
legislature, where it was in-
troduced as a bill. The bill,
though supported by Dr. J.G.
Mountain View Hotel in early 1900's
Hord, Maj. T.W. Kendrick,
Rudasill and Dr. Falls from
Kings Mountain and S.S.
Mauney of Cherryville, died
in committee.
That wasn't to be the last
border squabble however. As
the city grew, more and more
people were adding to their
property and soon some of
their land was jutting into
Gaston County.
The state General
Assembly, in 1915, set a ref-
erendum for the people of
Kings Mountain to decide
whether their town should be
wholly in Cleveland or
Gaston County.
There were 642 registered
voters and 611 cast a ballot.
The result was 341 for
Cleveland and 270 for
Gaston. :
Today, there are many
Kings Mountain residents
who actually live in Gaston
County.
Kings Mountain, mostly
because of the "Battle" is
thought of as an historical
city. From time to time digni-
taries come to help celebrate
the anniversary of the battle
of Kings Mountain. Guests,
Jenning Bryan, President
Hoover and Vice President
Rockefeller. :
The story goes that
Democratic Governor O.
Max Gardner of Shelby in-
troduced Hoover ‘with a two
sentence statement then went
back to Shelby.
Gerald Ford has been ex-
tended two invitations, ac-
cepted both times then was
forced to cincel twice. Vice
President Rockefeller filled
in for him once.
Kings Mountain has not
lacked for color over the
years. "Centennial," a publi-
cation of the city, tells of T-
model races down Mountain
Street during the early years
after the turn of the century.
Then there was the medicine
show that used to visit each
year. The "Over Mountain"
men trek through each year
to celebrate the Battle of
Kings Mountain.
The first telephone was in-
stalled at Dilling Mill in
1927, the © first Fire
Department established in
May of 1931, and the first
Boy Scout troop in North
Carolina was chartered in
The hospital was opened in
1951, and recently expanded.
Miss Lottie Goforth be-
queathed $34,000 for con-
struction of the facility be-
fore she died.
The 1960s, 1970s and
1980s brought many im-
provements and new facili-
ties through the use of feder-
al. funds ‘and: civic
involvement. Water and sew-
er systems have been ex-
panded and the downtown
business district has under-
gone redevelopment. The
Community Center, a new
high school and a new junior
high school were built. Many
new businesses have been at-
tracted to the area.
The Kings Mountain Water
Filtration Plant began operat-
ing in 1971 with the opening
of the John H. Moss Lake.
Kings Mountain is a suc-
cess story. Residents are
proud of their city and all are
eager to extol its merits.
Community pride is evident
everywhere.
History is but the story of
people and their accomplish-
ments. The dedication of its
people is the real story of
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