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Roaring Twenties 1919-1928

1920 - Decadent Decade

World War I is over and an optimistic nation prospers. With more money to spend, people enjoy music, art, movies and entertainment in this decade, called the Roaring Twenties. But the party won't last long. Banks and businesses are making poor financial decisions that will soon cause the collapse of America's economy.

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1921 - Governor Morrison

Cameron Morrison is the third Charlottean to serve as North Carolina's governor. His tireless campaign for better roads will earn him a nickname: the Good Roads Governor. In 1926, he will build a farm southeast of Charlotte and call it Morrocroft. It will have 750 cattle, 300 pigs, and 50,000 chickens. Within 50 years, the Morrocroft farm will give rise to some of Charlotte's most prestigious suburbs: Southpark, Barclay Downs and Foxcroft.Governor Cameron Morrison

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1922 - Charlotte Airwaves

April 10, 1922 - With 100 watts of power, WBT signs on the air. It is one of the nation's first radio stations. By the 1930s, WBT will be broadcasting the popular adventure series, The Lone Ranger. Country music artists who hope to find success play and sing as devoted listeners tune in. By 1992, WBT will broadcast its signal with 98,000 watts of power, nearly 100 times more than when it began.

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1923 - Good Works

Charlottean I.D. Blumenthal opens Radiator Specialties. He will begin a legacy of charity and goodwill, called philanthropy. The Blumenthal family will help raise money for community education and to care for the elderly. A modern performing arts center will bear the Blumenthal name.

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1923 - Efird's Store

October 19, 1923 - Efird's Department Store opens on North Tryon Street. The Efird family had operated the Charlotte Mercantile Company since the turn of the century, but now boasts it is the only store south of Philadelphia with escalators. In 1956, Efird's will be sold to its competitor, the Belk family stores.

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1924 - Speedway

October 24, 1924 - The old dirt track has been replaced, and the first race is run on Charlotte's Speedway's new wooden track south of town. The 250-mile race draws nearly 50,000 fans. The track will operate until 1927, then close. The new Charlotte Motor Speedway will not open until 1960. 

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1926 - The Babe in Charlotte

April 8, 1926 - Baseball legend Babe Ruth delights sports fans when he hits a home run as the New York Yankees play the Brooklyn Robins in Charlotte. Four thousand fans show up to see the exhibition game played at Wearn Field on South Mint Street.

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1927 - Banking Grows

December 1, 1927 - A branch of the U.S. government's banking system, called the Federal Reserve, opens in Charlotte. Not only will the Reserve Bank bring prestige to the city, the money it supplies helps local banks grow stronger.

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1929 - Greek Community

Since around 1900, the Karnazes brothers have sold fruit at Charlotte's downtown crossroads, called the Square. Families from foreign countries continue to come to America, or immigrate. Now the city's Greek community is large enough to buy its own church building on South Boulevard. By 1954 the building will be too small, and the Greek Orthodox church will move to East Boulevard.

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1928 - The Fifth Mecklenburg County Courthouse

The Fifth Courthouse was located at 700 East Trade Street next to the new City Hall. . . . It was designed by noted architect Louis H. Asbury, a Charlotte native who also built the Myers Park United Methodist Church. . . . The Courthouse is an imposing, three-story, rectangular limestone building, topped with a recessed structure that served as the county's jail until the 1960's. from Courthouses of Mecklenburg County, 1766-2007 (Mecklenburg County, 2007)

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