Dallas North Carolina

Walking the historic streets of Dallas, North Carolina, reveals a town unchanged by time. The Gaston County seat for over sixty years, the town has roots that were planted in the days of Native American and early immigrant settlement. Union soldiers camped in the Court Square during the Civil War. The famed Dallas Courthouse rose from the ashes of a devastating fire in 1874. Discover notable natives such as the longest-serving UNC president, Dr. William C. Friday, and get a glimpse into Dallas past, present and future. And with mouth-watering regional recipes pulled straight from Dallas residents, this book is a trip back to the halcyon days of the small-town South. Follow along with Dallas native and author Kitty Heller as she chronicles the history of a truly unique small town.

"Discover the history of Dallas, North Carolina"--

Civil War histories typically center on the deeds of generals and sweeping depictions of battle. This unique study of one Southern county's war experience tells of ordinary soldiers and their wives, mothers and children, slaves, farmers, merchants, Unionists and deserters--through an examination of tax records. The recently discovered 1863 Gaston County, North Carolina, tax list provides a detailed economic and social picture of a war-weary community, recording what taxpayers owned, cataloging slaves by name, age and monetary value, and assessing luxury items. Contemporary diaries, letters and other previously unpublished documents complete the picture, describing cotton mill operations, the lives of slaves, political disagreements, rationales for soldiers' enlistments and desertions, and economic struggles on the home front.