James Jack
James Jack (1731-1822) moved with his parents from Pennsylvania to North Carolina in the 1760s, fleeing the dangers of the French and Indian war. His father, Patrick Jack, ran a tavern on West Trade Street.
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Mecklenburg People
Herman Lay
Herman Lay (1909-1982) was born to Jesse N. and Bertha Lay on 6/3/1909, in Charlotte, NC. The family lived at 814 E. 3rd St. Jesse worked as a bookkeeper for International Harvester Co., which was located at 301 E. Trade St.
David Reese
David Reese (1710 - 1787) was one of the original signers of the Meckenburg Declaration of Independence. Reese's ancestry varies a little from other signers because he was born in Wales. He inherited many books from his father's library and was well educated for his time. When he was young, he moved to Cecil County, Maryland, and witnessed a will in that county as early as 1733.
Frank Littlejohn
Frank N. Littlejohn (1885-November 28,1965) was one of Charlotte's most well known law enforcement figures. He joined the Charlotte Police Department in 1937 and rose through the ranks to become Chief of Police in 1946.
Matthew McClure
Matthew McClure (circa 1725 - 2/28/1805) was one of the original signers of the Meckenburg Declaration of Independence.He moved from Virginia to north Mecklenburg County, where he bought land in 1765.
McClure was an elder in Hopewell Presbyterian Church and a captain in a militia company. Although he was too old to serve as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, he worked as a steward in the hospital in Charleston and as a Civil Officer and Justice of the Peace.
George Selwyn
Although he never visited Charlotte, this English landowner was important to the founding and settling of the Queen City. George Selwyn (1719-1791) attended prestigious Eton College and Oxford. Selwyn entered Parliament, Britain's lawmaking body, in 1747. Although he served until 1780, his career as a legislator was unremarkable.
Mary Jackson
Mary Anna Jackson (1831-1915) was the wife of General Thomas Stonewall Jackson. She was born near Charlotte and was educated at Salem Academy from 1847-49. In Virginia, she met Jackson, and they married in 1857. Only one of their children survived infancy.
When the Civil War began, Mrs. Jackson returned to Charlotte. In 1863, General Jackson was mortally wounded in battle. Mrs. Jackson traveled to his bedside and was with him when he died. Mrs. Jackson lived at her Charlotte home on West Trade Street.
Charles McManaway
Dr. Charles G. McManaway (1855-1918) came to Charlotte in 1888, and practiced medicine in the city for over thirty years. He was a charter member of the Mecklenburg Medical Society. Dr. McManaway was born in Bedford County, Virginia. He received his medical training at Baltimore College and the Medical College of Louisville, Kentucky.
Henry Severs
Henry Severs (August 13, 1915 - January 30, 1992) was one of the original members of the Mecklenburg County Alcohol Beverage Control Board. The board was created in 1946.
Prior to joining the ABC Board, Mr. Severs had a lengthy career in law enforcement. He joined the Mecklenburg County Police Department in 1937. He was with the department for ten years, at one time served as Acting Chief of the Force.
Charlotte Kelly
Charlotte Kelly (August 31, 1897 - January 30, 1988) was a professional astronomer. She graduated from Wellsley College in 1919. Her first position was at the Observatory of the Univerity of Virginia's Leander McCormick Observatory. At the Observatory her work involved researching the distance of stars.