Excerpting from any
dictionary, ‘live’ is usually a verb meaning to "be alive" and can
also mean "to reside." Today the people living (residing) in
the Catawba River District live their lives in many different places and ways
with more choices than ever available before in history. Connecting through cell
phones and Internet social media allows us to connect globally. You may spend
the majority of your life connecting with others at a job or in your home on
the Internet. This makes knowing our surrounding neighbors and
neighborhoods more difficult than ever before.
From backwoods to metropolis in 2 centuries
Think about the changes that
have occurred in a few generations.
Population of Charlotte
- In the year 1800, it was a whopping 276. I bet everyone knew everyone.
- In the year 1850, a modest increase to 1,065
- In the year 1900, Charlotte had grown to 18,091 and Gastonia shows up at 4,610
- In the year 2010, Charlotte is home to 731,424, according to the census.
By comparison: New Bern had
the largest population in North Carolina in 1800; Wilmington was biggest in
1900. (Source of historical data: North
Carolina Business History)
The USA was young and
growing, and still is in new ways. People became known for the creation
of stores and industry.
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| Visit Latta Plantation to learn about "Bambi" |
Nearby we have Historic Latta
Plantation as a place you can visit today. It is located
on Mountain Island Lake just off Mount Holly-Huntersville Road. Then as now, many of our
residents had strong connections to the North. James Latta, who founded the
plantation, started out as a traveling merchant in the late 1700s.
"Latta would purchase
goods in Pennsylvania and travel down the Great (Wagon)
Road and sell his merchandise in North and South Carolina." He
settled down about 1800 when he bought the land along the Catawba River for his
plantation.
Early community
People in James Latta's time
would meet at church, at the market and at community events. While some of
those gatherings still take place today, we are also becoming more fragmented.
The growth in population, age related activities, availability of cars, and
technology continue to alter our interactions.
Our 5-mile radius, starting
on the west side of the Catawba River and about 1 mile north of Belmont, is
home, as of 2010, to 68,266 individuals, in a report from the Nielsen Company.
Our age groups, and lifestyles make a difference in how we interact.
- Next week: We will explore these differences further next week. Change creates challenges and opportunities for our future.
About Barbara Lawrence -
Barbara has a background in economic development and real-estate research. Her
work has included revitalization of downtown Boone, downtown Gastonia and now
Mount Holly.
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