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Hickory, NC, shares with other cities and towns in this part of the state a history that links it to the Scottish, Irish, and English settlers who established settlements throughout this area in the 18th and 19th centuries. They settled along the banks of what today is known as the Catawba River, which connects Lakes James and Norman. The Catawba, a Native American people who were known by various names, were one of the most important of the eastern Souian native peoples who lived in North and South Carolina. . But the word remains on the land, a testament to the early presence of what was once a proud and powerful people. Catawba County, with its givernment seat at nearby Newton, pays homage to this unique Native American culture famed for its expressive pottery.
Hickory sits at what was known as a "wide place in the road" in 1770, when it was nothing more than a landmark on the stagecoach route between the mountains and Charleston, SC, then a a century old. The name Hickory may have come from the fact that a huge hickory tree, according to lore, marked the spot, lending its name in any event to Hickory Tavern, established and operating in the late 18th century.
Transportation, as often is the case in the South, led to growth, and as bridges were built and the railroad extended, Hickory was incorporated as a town in 1870 as Hickory Tavern Township. Clearly, the tavern was more than just a local social hall.
While important as a conveyance for moving goods and people, transportation had two significant influences on Hickory, shaping its aesthetic. First, a law was passed in 1881 requiring that all buildings near the railroad be built of brick to avoid the devastating threat of fire near the depot. And the railroad encouraged the planting of trees at Union Square in 1890, giving the town a landscaped aesthetic.
And that, in turn, set the stage for the first furniture manufacturing operations in 1900, a turning point in Hickory's history that cast the city's economic future into the 21st century. Look today at a list of major employers in Hickory, and furniture manufacturing continues to show a major presence on the list.
By the end of World War I, textile and hosiery manufacturing are added to the economic picture, and while totals have declined with consolidation in recent years, making hosiery continues to have an important role in Hickory manufacturing. But furniture rules: Now, about half the nation's furniture is produced within a 200-mile radius of Hickory, making it a magnet for furniture shoppers who come to Hickory looking for good values and often stay to spend money in the town's hospitality industry.
Hickory today is a town of about 39,000, and shows a good growth rate as new residents come from California, Florida and Ohio, chiefly, all looking for a better climate and more affordable economic circumstances. The four-county MSA, embracing not only Catawba but also Alexander, Caldwell and Burke counties, totals more than 350,000. Median household income is $40,500, within striking distance of the national median of about $41,000. Yet costs of living are moderate, especially property taxes.
Cultural institutions contribute to the quality of life in Hickory, with a choral society whose 150 members offer a regular concert season, as does the Western Piedmont Symphony. Community theater has its devot�es, from both a participant and audience perspective.
The visual and plastic arts are not neglected either. At the Hickory Museum of Art, founded in 1944, exhibits showcase not only contemporary work but also work from the Carolina folk tradition. And speaking of the latter, that pottery tradition gets a good bit of exposure at the Catawba Valley Pottery and Antiques Festival, held the last weekend in March every year. For residents interested in the subject, the event is a must-do.
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