(Independence Square image -  Courtesy of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room - Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.)

Growth and Development

A clear indication of the effect the railroad in Charlotte could be seen in the growth and development within the town.  Charlotte's boundaries expanded to accommodate the influx of people arriving in town to take advantage of new jobs and opportunities.  Charlotte's original grid was divided into subsections called wards, two wards in 1851 and four by 1869.  Train tracks criss-crossed through town and a new railroad depot and loading platform were built for passengers and freight.    New shops and storefronts, manufacturing establishments, and office buildings sprang up as the town's commerce and industry increased.  Hotels and boarding houses were constructed to house Charlotte's growing population.  Charlotte's wealthy, many of whom worked diligently to obtain the railroad and directly profited from their investment, built large, elegant homes , symbols of their success.  Charlotte maintained its traditional mixed-use environment despite the growth.  Handsome residences for the wealthy were interspersed among the modest homes of artisans, shop-keepers, laborers, and mechanics, all of the dwellings settled amid the shops, offices, factories, and public buildings within the town limits. 

 

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