Mecklenburg People

Nathaniel Alexander

Nathaniel Alexander (1756-1808) was the first Charlottean to be elected North Carolina's governor. Born in Mecklenburg County, he was first educated in a log schoolhouse but graduated from Princeton University at the age of 20. During the Revolutionary War despite a scarcity of medical supplies, he was a surgeon with the NC Regiment of the Continental Army fighting the British. He practiced medicine in South Carolina after the war but returned to Charlotte. He was elected to the NC House of Commons (1797), the state Senate (1801 and 1802) and the U.S. Congress (1803-05).

John Davidson

Born in Pennsylvania, John Davidson (1735-1832) moved with his family to Rowan County around 1750, after his father's death. Davidson became a blacksmith and arrived in Mecklenburg County about 1760. He sold grain and livestock, and along with Thomas Polk, helped establish Charlotte as the Mecklenburg County seat.

William "LeGette" Blythe

Perhaps the most respected journalist and versatile author in Mecklenburg County's history, LeGette Blythe, as he was known, (1900 - 1993) got his professional training at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. There he studied with Thomas Wolfe, another famous North Carolina writer. Journalism was his first career, having worked for The Charlotte News and The Charlotte Observer.

Louis Asbury

Lewis H. Asbury (1877-1975) was one of Charlotte's first architects and, as the first North Carolina member of the American Institute of Architects, had a significant impact on the development of the organization in North Carolina. Lewis Asbury was a native Charlottean. He was a graduate of Trinity College, now Duke University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He opened his office in Charlotte.

Chevalier De Rivafinoli

Count Chevalier De Rivafinoli came to Charlotte in 1829-1830 as a representative of a London mining mining firm that was interested in investing in Charlotte's gold mines. He leased several of the area mines and operated others. When he came to Charlotte he brought with him experienced miners and seventy to eighty workers. Count De Rivafinoli was an Italian nobleman and he was noted for his lavish lifestyle. It is thought that he served under Napoleon. He and his large houskeeping staff lived in an impressive home at the corner of South Tryon and West Morehead Streets.

John Foard

John Foard (? - circa 1795) was one of the original signers of the Meckenburg Declaration of Independence. His ancestry is probably Scottish, and his name was spelled that way, rather than the English version of Ford. Family tradition has it that his mother sent him to America, along with one or two brothers, to avoid military service in the English army.

Hezekiah Balch

Hezekiah James Balch (1745 - 4/1776) was one of the original signers of the Meckenburg Declaration of Independence. Balch, like many other signers, was born in Maryland. He moved to this area with his family and moved north to pursue an education. He became a Presbyterian minister, who graduated from Nassau Hall, now known as Princeton University, and served at Poplar Tent and Rocky River Presbyterian Church. Neither of these churches is now in Mecklenburg County. Two of his brothers also became Presbyterian ministers.

Rush Dickson

Rush S. Dickson (July 13, 1895 - September 8, 1966) was a leader in the business and political life of Charlotte. He was the founder and chairman of the board of R.S. Dickson, a nationally known investment firm. Dickson was instrumental in the development of Charlotte Memorial Hospital (now Carolinas Medical Center). He served as chairman of the hospital's board of directors for 20 years.

Charles Grace

Charles Manuel Grace (?-1960) arrived in the United States in the 1920. Often referred to as Sweet Daddy Grace, he preached and traveled throughout the eastern U.S. His ministry began with tent revivals that drew hundreds of followers.

William Barnhardt

William Barnhardt (February 3, 1903 - April 25, 1985) was a Charlotte manufacturer and owner of a number of internationally known textile product enterprises. In addition to his prominence as a Charlotte business leader, he is remembered as a generous philanthropist. Many of his gifts have continued to benefit Charlotte's Queen's University and a number of other civic and religious organizations. One of William Barnhardt's notable contributions was his gift to Queen's College of the Barnhardt home and a four acre tract in Myers Park.

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