1890- 115th anniversary of Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence

The following are articles from the Charlotte News describing the preparations leading up to the 115th anniversary of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence:

The Charlotte News: “Vance is here” 5/19/1890 pg.1 and “Gay Charlotte” 5/17/1890 pg. 1

VANCE IS HEREAll Is Good Shape For TomorrowCharlotte On the Eve of her Great Celebration-Firemen, Military and Visitors Rolling In.The celebration of the 115th anniversary of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence will begin tomorrow.It will last three days and it bids fair to eclipse in brilliancy the centennial celebration of 1875.The visitors are already coming in and Charlotte is ready for them. Not only are her gates wipe open, but the portals of her homes stand ajar, and the word “Welcome” is written above each door way.Today’s noon train brought the first distinguished guest in the person of Senator Z. B. Vance, and he is comfortably ensooned in the Belmont parlors. Troops of firemen and military will come in tonight and tomorrow. Charlotte will be in her glory.The procession will be formed in the morning at 11 o’clock, in front of the First Presbyterian Church. The route will be down Trade to College, up College to Ninth, up Ninth to Tryon, down Tryon to the Charlotte, Columbia & Augusta crossing, and then counter march to the tabernacle, where the speaking will be held. This is the latest arrangement decided upon, but it is subject to changes.The Drills.The prize military drill will commence at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning at the baseball park. The judges are Lieut. J. B. Hughes, U. S. Army, Lieut. Stewart Cramer, United States Army, and B. H. Bronson, U. S. Signal Service. The companies that have entered for the prize drill are: The Wilmington Light Infantry, Governor’s Guards of Raleigh, Reidsville Light Infantry, Monroe Light Infantry and Hornet’s Nest Riflemen.THE FIREMENS PROGRAMME The Position and Line of March will be as Follows: Newbern, Raleigh, Durham, Columbia, Goldsboro, Pioneers of Charlotte, Greensboro, Monroe, Salem, Salisbury, Charlotte Department. The 150 yards reel contest will commence at 9:00 o’clock, on the morning of the 21st. The “grab” contest will follow immediately afterward.The championship race will take place at 3:30 o’clock on the afternoon of the 21st.May 22ndSteamer contest at 9 a.m. Horse reel contest at 10:30 a.m. Hook and Ladder contest at 3 p.m. Judges for contest, (except Championship race): W. W. Ward, Nozzle judge, Frank Wilkes, Plug judge. Walter Brem and J. N. McCausland, starting judges. Dr. H. M. Wilder, of Charlotte, Mr. J. D. McNeal, of Fayetteville, and Chris Habernich, of Columbia, time judges.Each company running will be allowed a man on the judges’ stand, or at any point they may desire. The captains of each team are requested to meet at 7:30 o’clock on the afternoon of the 20th to decide the position of each company in the race.The meeting of the North Carolina Firemen’s Association will be held at the Y. M. C. A. hall at 8:00 o’clock, on the night of the 20th.

Gay CharlotteBanners Waving and Bunting Abounding-All Ready for the Great Celebration- Today’s Scenes in the City.Charlotte is ready for the great celebration of the 115th anniversary of the signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. At least from the looks of things about town today we should judge so. Flags float in every direction; stores and houses are gay with bunting, and streamers, wreaths and all kinds of gay decorations abound. Charlotte, decked in her holiday attire, is a sight worth seeing.The 126 United States flags were distributed this morning in three quarters of an hour, and in less than a half hour thereafter, the immense floaters were being spread across the streets from one tall building to another, while the smaller flags were being arranged around windows. Flags 80 feet long and 10 feet wide span the streets in all directions, and innumerable smaller flags flutter from windows in every direction. Charlotte is certainly gay. Standing in Independence Square the view along each of the four principal streets is inspiring. It would be a big job to undertake to enumerate all the individual decorations, but the whole thing can be covered in one sentence: Charlotte is decorated.Everything in town is loyal. Even the peanut roasters whistle melodiously or discordantly as you chose, under a canopy of national colors. Jordan’s drug store is festooned from the third floor to the ground. Wittkowsky’s 3P’s set off the front of his fine new building in elegant style. Seigle’s front is an art study. Baruch’s store is a picture to please the eye. The Rocket is covered with flags from an inch square to 40 feet long. T. I. Alexander & Co. are splendidly decorated. Nichols, Andrews and the court house, Garibaldi, the Temple of Justice, Query’s, Harty’s, Bill Taylor’s, Rankins’s, Wearn’s, Joe, the Italian, Stevenson & Newcombe, Mrs. Newcombe McAden, Farrior, Butler, Sims, Hales, Burwell & Dunn, police headquarters, Nisbet & Alexander, Boyne & Badger, Eddins, Rosee & Adams, Bigler, Cochrane, The Habardasher, Barringer & Yates, Smith & Flournoy, Pharr & Long, Southern Express Co., Baker Music House, McCausland, Bradshaw, L. J. Waker & Co., Buford House, Ed Martin, Holobaugh, Roediger, Kendrick, Central Hotel, Kaufman, Wheeler Paper Co., Wilson Drug Co., Hammond & Justice, Schiff Brothers, Dick Moore, Moyer, Shaw & Co., Heath & Co., Long Brothers, NEWS offices, N. Duls, Prather, Fire Department, Pepotash, Howell, White & Co., Hirshinger, Brown, Weddington & Co., Tut Withers, Gray & Co., Rogers & Company, Capt. Roessler, Landecker, Geo. S. Hall, and numbers of other put out decorations today. In front of THE NEWS building floats a 30 foot flag, while the front is decorated with 15 smaller flags. One of the most handsomely decorated private residences in Charlotte, is that of Dr. Geo. W. Graham, corner of Seventh and Church streets.