Captain John Wilkes (1827-1908) was a native of New York City. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy where he graduated first in his class in 1847. His naval travels took him from the Gulf of Mexico to China. After his marriage to the former Jane Smedberg, The Wilkes settled in Charlotte. Captain Wilkes was made manager of the Mecklenburg Iron Works plant in 1859. During the Civil War, the Confederate government took control of the plant to make tools and equipment for its navy.

After the war he resumed ownership of the plant and ran it until his death in 1908. Wilkes became a railroad contractor and developed rail lines to allow transportation of supplies between Greensboro and Danville, Va.

In 1865, he chartered the First National Bank of Charlotte. It was the first national bank to operate south of Richmond. Wilkes served as its president until 1869. Wilkes County, NC is named for the ancestors of Captain Wilkes.