100th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
THE OBSERVER-NEWS-ENTERPRISE (1979 )

Boom Town in 1920's
Maiden Textile, Football City

By STEPHEN HARRIS
Textiles and Football. Never have the two been as important as in Catawba County's southernmost town - Maiden.

The emerging community of the 1880's came ever so close to naming itself Carpenterville, after the man who initiated the building of a cotton mill on some spacious farm land and who brought the old Carolina and Northwestern Railroad line up from Lincolnton to serve it.

But the first residents of Maiden named their new town after the nearby Maiden Creek, where tradition says three unmarried women once lived.

The town lives by its textile industry and seemingly by the fortunes of its high school football team, which hit the jackpot just last December by winning its first state football championship.

Maiden is perhaps Catawba County's most totally industry-oriented community, with varied manufacturing firms operating round the clock.

The role of textiles in Maiden is symbolized by the silhouetted Maiden in the center of the Carolina Mill's emblem.

In the year 1881, forests of pines and oaks stood where most of Maiden has grown. These same pines and oaks were sawed at the sawmill of Jacob Propst, to furnish lumber for the first building erected as the beginning of the town. That building was a cotton mill.

The founding of Maiden was not an accident, but was the result of a definite purpose, the outgrowth of the business experience of several men. The late Henry Carpenter, whose large farm lay near St. James Lutheran Church, southeast of Newton, for many years a successful operator of a flour mill and general custom grinding business, a wool carding plant, a cotton gin and an immense tanyard. His three sons, L.A., D.M., and Perry A. Carpenter, had been associated with him, working for and with him in these enterprises from early boyhood.

A partnership was formed, H.F. Carpenter, Sons and Company, the firm also consisting of George W. Rabb, well-known Confederate veteran. The purpose of his partnership was the building of a small cotton mill.

The new plant began its operation with 1,000 spindles, producing coarse single yarns and production began in 1882.

From that beginning, a town grew. Today, Maiden is a town of 2,700. A new sewage plant and expanded water plant is in the works to handle expected future growth, and the town which calls itself "The Biggest Little Football Town in the World", expects expanded town boundaries, a growing industrial base, and improvements in the town's main thoroughfare, U.S.321, to facilitate the growth.

Maiden's act of incorporation on March 7, 1883 names J.P. Rabb as mayor, and Alexander Keener, Alexander Cline and Amzi Stine as commissioners.

But long before the beginnings of the town, Maiden post office was located on Maiden creek at the home of the postmaster, Robert Bolick. Later the post office was moved into the new town and Edward L. Schrum, later of Newton, was appointed postmaster, and distributed the mail from his store which was the first mercantile establishment.

Meanwhile, H.F. Carpenter continued to live on his farm, carried on his other business, but put in as stock more than 500 acres of land originally a part of the old John Fulenwider and Alex Brevard lands, and the partnership then purchased enough land from Solomon Schrum, to make it possible to build the first building on the surveyed and graded line of the Carolina and Northwestern railroad, which up to this time had not advanced its track farther than Lincolnton, nine miles away.

Among the first families to move in were the Wycoffs, Drums and Keeners. After considerable controversy, involving proponents of Carpenterville, Schrumtown and several others, the present town name was selected. Among the early builders were the following: E.L. Propst built the first brick store house. Jim Lohr of Lincolnton was another early merchant. Dan Boyd and John Boyd were residents for many years. Their father, Marcus Boyd, was a farmer near the southern boundary, and later moved into town. Frank, Pinkney and Logan Rabb conducted various enterprises and were among the first home builders.

In 1882, the railroad was finished into Maiden and for some months was the end of the line. A tragic accident of this period was the explosion of a railway locomotive and the consequent dismemberment of the Negro fireman, who negligently fired the empty boiler and filled it with water while it was red hot. With the coming of the railroad, the volume of business increased, the mill was profitable from the start, and after a year was more than doubled, bringing the active spindles to 2,200.

The cotton mill venture was so prosperous that after several years it was decided to build a new mill and for this purpose they selected the site of the old William Williams or Jenny Lind iron works, on Maiden creek, where for nearly a century iron was manufactured. It was believed that the water-power which could be developed at this point would overbalance the lack of convenience to the railroad. The new mill was put into production in 1889, with about 2,000 spindles. In this year the capacity of the Providence plant was trebled and the auxiliary steam plant added.

Union Cotton Mills was organized in 1892 by an entirely new company, only one of the original partnership taking stock at first. D.M. Carpenter was elected president and general manager, holding this position until 1917. J.W. Williams, one of the operators of the iron works, was secretary-treasurer, Dr. J.A. Foil was connected with this mill for a number of years. The late Silas Smyre of Newton, the Rev. Paul Barringer of Mt. Pleasant and P.C. Costner all served as officers and directors, as well as many others.

After 1892, a number of wood-carving plants with many varieties of products from coffins to chairs and millwork being operated, notable ones being those of Clay Manufacturing company.

The Clay Manufacturing Company, later incorporated as the Maiden Chair Company, produced much high grade dining furniture, and was at one time the largest employer of skilled labor in the county, South of Hickory.

Esquire England and Associates erected and equipped an up-to-date flour mill in the early 1860's and under varying managements including that of C.F. Williams, W.B. Murray and Company, and Goss Drum. Maiden Flour Mills, under the leadership of Drum, today is widely known.

In 1883 the Rabb-Carpenter Company built and stocked what was then the largest and most complete department store operated in the county. A two-story building with three rooms each 30 by 90 feet, upstairs and down, was occupied by a complete drug store, a hardware store, a large stock of farming implements and tools, a "dry goods" store with ready-to-wear department and millinery store, and a butcher shop. The approximately 12,000 feet of floor space was fully stocked and commanded an enormous trade. Under the management of C.F. Williams, A.H. Williams, M.F. Carpenter, and G.E. Mauney, it was operated for more than 15 years.

R.A. Rudisill, for a time postmaster, began his business career in Maiden with this company. Various departments were sold and the business discontinued in 1910.

C.R. Warlick and S.M. Finger purchased the hardware and implement department. Under the ownership of H.T. Campbell, there was a drug store in the same space where it began business until about nine years ago when Campbell moved to a new location two buildings down the block.

The first physician to locate in Maiden was Dr. Alex Ramsaur. Another early physician was Dr. J.L. Lattimore. Dr. Paul J. Klutz began his practice in 1885 and until his death in 1930 was a faithful attendant in every need as well as being identified with business interests. His son, DR. A.F. Klutz, also was a doctor. A number of others located included Dr. W.G. Bandy and Dr. J.C. Whiteside.

In 1916 B.M. Spratt, Jr., W.B. Murray, W.L. Heffner, J.S. Campbell and others were leaders in the organization of the Carolinas Cotton Mills. They seem to have established somewhat of a record in that they bought the machinery, started shipping it, erected the building and within 30 days were producing yarn. Carolina Mills today employs more people than any other manufacturing firm in Maiden.

The late O. Leonard Moretz of Hickory was longtime president of the firm. Edward P. Schrum of Newton is current president. Moretz’s father, the late J.A. Moretz, was instrumental in building the firm.

In 1917 a bank was organized by B.M. Spratt, Jr., T.L. Finger, Ed R. Rhodes and L.A. Carpenter as associates and directors. This bank was later absorbed by Northwestern Bank. The New Home Building and Loan Association followed a few years later and was instrumental in erecting many homes. It went out of existence in the depression years. The Union Cotton Mills is now under the control of the American Efird Yarn and Processing Company of Mt. Holly.

A town hall was built in 1920 to house the office, fire department and utilities plant. Maiden owns and operates its own lighting plant, purchasing the power from Duke Power Company, and reselling it to the citizens on a conservative, but profitable basis. In 1923, sewer and water lines were laid, an adequate supply of pure water secured from deep wells, and a large part of Main Street paved. Later a number of sidewalks were paved.

A boom town in the 1920's, Maiden, like most communities, suffered a setback during the Depression. Today, however, the town is back on the top of the economic ladder, with progress as a keyword in its industry, commerce and civic life.

In 1972, Maiden adopted the city manager form of government. The town Council appointed Charles Poovey as its first town manager. He was succeeded by R. Duke Whisenant in 1974, and later Dee Freeman was named to the post in 1975.

After J.P. Rabb became Maiden’s first mayor in 1883, the list of his successors contains: J.F. Rabb, Dr. P.J. Klutz, D. Martin Carpenter, John W. Williams, William Caldwell, Robert A. Rudisill, James Holshouser, George Drum, Garland E, Mauney (1910), D. Martin Carpenter(1911-12), B.A. Correll (1913), D. Martin Carpenter (1914), Benjamin A. Whitener (1915-19); Dr. J.E. Hodges (1920-21), A.C. Black (1922-23), Wade F. Smith (1924-25), D.H. Thorne (1933), Rufus P.P. Wilkinson (1934), D.H. Thorne (1935), George E. Hunsucker (1936-37), Dr. J.E. Hodges (1939-40), D. Arthur Gilleland (1941-45), Leonard Jenkins (1946), C.P. Kyles (1947-48), Richard Williams (1949), George E. Hunsucker (1950-51), Banks Whisenant (1957-59), Paul A. Wilkinson (1959-63), Truitt J. Beard (1963-69), Banks V. Taylor (1969-73), and W. Howard Adams (1973-present).

The current Town Council contains five members. They are Robert Smyre, Ida Kirkman, Charles Carpenter, Fred Poovey and Steve Sims.

Newspaper article from the Observer-News-Enterprise, 100th Anniversary Edition,1979.

Copyright 2003 by Robin Barger or contributors as shown.
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