Things newcomers might not know about Charlotte

[brokensky]

Haven't read this whole thread in a while . . . have any of us noted that the name "Nations Ford" for one of our streets originated b/c this was the place where the Native Americans forded the Catawba river and was part of a major trading SE trading route.

More info:

Nation Ford was one of a series of natural fords on the Catawba River which provided safe crossing
points for Native Americans. The presence of the ford led to development of trading paths which
converged at this crossing point. The major trading path to the northern tribes led to Virginia and
beyond. This path was being used by white traders by 1650.1 It was known by several names,
including the “Occaneechi Path,” the “Catawba Path,” and on Mouzon’s map of 1775 as the “Indian
Road.”2 One of the oldest documented travel routes in the southeast, it began at the James River
at the site of present Petersburg Virginia, crossed the Piedmont of North Carolina, passed into
South Carolina, and forked just south of the crossing of the Catawba River at Nation Ford. In the
section of the route near its southern terminus at Nation Ford, it came eventually to be known as
Nation Ford Road. South of the ford, it split, with one fork leading west to the Cherokee lands, and
the other leading south to the Native American tribes around present-day Augusta.3 The trail
provided the Catawba Indians and other southern tribes with an access route for trade and
communication with northern tribes.

The date of the first contact between the Catawbas and Europeans is unknown. The route of
Hernando de Soto’s travels through South Carolina in 1540 is a subject of debate, but he may have
passed through Catawba territory. Juan Pardo’s expedition of 1567 likely passed through the
Catawba valley, and his “Ysa” tribe is likely a reference to the Catawbas.

http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/MPS/MPS047.pdf

[taz31553]

Hey, Ron, I'm a West Meck grad. '71!! Do I know you? Would love to know!

[nascarnancy]

Originally Posted by InSouthPark

Charlotte is the only large city I have been to that was NOT planned around a grid system of roads. :-( We have no roads outside of uptown that actually run in a grid pattern. GPS or a city map is required for all new residents for at least 6 months.

Yes, could not have said it better, a GPS is a must. If I had to do it all over I would have bought a GPS the minute I arrived. It would have saved me from being in tears the 2nd day I was here. I had no idea that the roads changed names, and not just once I might add.

So Cal, Orange and LA counties, grid system. That is one thing DH will admit he misses about So Cal.

[nascarnancy]

Originally Posted by SunnyKayak

Filming location for 1994 movie, "Nell"
Filming location for 2001's "Shallow Hal"

[/url]

My niece had 2 parts in Shallow Hal, hoochie mama in a bar scene and a scene in the gym, although the gym scene was cut in the movie, a few months back they were showing it on tv with all the deleted scene's. I just happened to turn the channel and there she was!

[ilovethemountains2]

Back in the day (late 70s, early 80s) Eastland Mall was the best mall in Charlotte.

Southpark Mall actually had stores where you could afford to buy clothes.

Southpark Mall also had a television viewing area. Does anyone else remember this?

[ilovethemountains2]

I remember growing up in Olde Providence on Brynwood Drive and all that was behind the houses was Mr. Rea's Farm (Rea Road was named after him). I remember trying to keep the cows and bulls out of our yards when they would escape Mr. Rea's fence lol. It was all wooded.

Now Colony Road runs behind Brynwood Drive. No more woods. I remember thinking it was only a dream to have Colony Road cut through my neighborhood.

[rdjack2011]

...speaking of shoes, I remember mom taking me to Buster Brown Shoes just off Independence Blvd. toward the downtown area...on Hawthorne?

[swampfoxer]

Here are a few interesting Charlotte tidbits:

• Lakewood Park had Charlotte's first roller coaster (1910)

• Carowinds was designed by the same architects that designed Disneyland, Randall Duell & Associates of Santa Monica, CA

• Melodia, the steam locomotive that encircled Carowinds between 1973-76, was later used at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch amusement park.

• Carrot Top use to have a house in Charlotte and hung out frequently at Fat City in NODA. His house was featured in the "homes" section one Saturday.

• Charlotte has the largest Crop Hunger Walk (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/10/31/1802723/crop-hunger-walk.html - broken link) in the country.

• Park Rd Shopping Center (http://www.parkroadshoppingcenter.com/history.htm - broken link) was the first open air shopping center in town and the largest between Atlanta & D.C.

• The largest man-made river rapids in the world is the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte.

• Charlotte's original Pineville Dinner Theater was right about where the KFC on Hwy 51 is now. see photo below

[AmandaEve011]

Cool thread....I don't have much to contribute about the past since I'm a transplant but here's something newcomers might not know:

Many believe that a creature like the Loch Ness Monster is in Lake Norman....supposedly a lot of people have claimed to see something "strange" and there are a lot of websites talking about "Nessie":
Lake Norman, NC - Lake Norman Monster - What lurks in the depths of Lake Norman, North Carolina?
Lake Norman Monster

And should I even mention the stories about Big Foot in the area?! :-)

[barbecue_is_a_noun]

Does anyone remember a little place called "Rogers Barbecue". My Dad used to take me there to get a barbecue sandwich, brunswick stew, flat cornbread and "decorations" which were pork rinds.

I can find no reference of it on the internet anywhere