History of Mount Holly Told Through Photographs

July 18, 2011 - PRLog -- The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Mount Holly from local authors Dr. Lee Beatty, Jim Love and Charles A. Rhyne, Jr. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images and memories of days gone by.

From the mid–18th century, Mount Holly was known as Woodlawn, for Capt. Robert Alexander’s farm. Alexander was a power in military and state affairs. When European settlers arrived, they found Catawba Indian settlements along the river. The historic Tuckaseegee Ford and Trail became a pathway west across the Catawba River for pioneers and for famous French botanist André Michaux in the late 18th century.

Gaston County’s first two textile mills, Mountain Island Mill (1848) and Woodlawn Mill (1852), bordered the Woodlawn community and started a textile revolution. The Mount Holly Cotton Mill (1874), the fourth Gaston County mill built in Woodlawn, became the name of the town in 1879. Capt. Wash Holland formed the acclaimed Euterpean Band in the early 1890s and was selected to play at the inauguration of Pres. William McKinley in 1897. American & Efird, Inc., a global thread company, has been headquartered in Mount Holly since 1891. Now, the river that drew early industry attracts boaters and kayakers from across the nation.

Highlights of Mount Holly:
•   Early history
•   Formative churches
•   Local industry
•   Town landscapes
•   Community life
•   Notable people
•   Mount Holly schools
•   Sports heritage

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or
(888)-313-2665.

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With more than 6,000 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.