Dedicated to preserving the aviation history of North and South Carolina, the Carolinas Aviation Museum showcases over two dozen airplanes, helicopters, and “other flying objects.”  When the Museum first started up, its collection was displayed in and around a hanger that was itself an item of interest and a rare holdover from Charlotte’s past. The 10,000 square foot hanger built in 1936-37 by the North Carolina Works Progress Administration to serve as the original terminal for Douglas Municipal Airport was the Museum’s first home. When completed in 1937, at a cost of just under $400,000, Douglas Airport consisted of the hanger, an administration building, two 3,000 foot runways, and one 2,500 foot runway. Two daily flights took passengers to Columbia and Charleston. By 1939, the number of daily flights had increased to six, and round-trip airfare to Charleston cost $9.39! One of the planes used for these interstate flights is on display at the Museum.

A centerpiece of the Mu-seum's collection is a DC-3, built in 1942 as a cargo plane but restored in 1987 by Piedmont Airlines and re-fitted for passenger service. Acquired by the Museum for $250,000, the plane is fully operational and is flown to different air shows across the southeast. Another not-able craft is the Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak, built in 1947 for the U. S. Navy and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, NASA’s predecessor. This high-speed research aircraft was designed to gather air/load measurements in free flight at speeds of Mach .75 to .85 from heights ranging from sea-level to 40,000 feet. One of only three such planes built, it flew 82 data-gathering flights between 1948 and 1953. Bob Champine, one of Skystreak’s test pilots, was on hand for the unveiling of the restored aircraft.

The “Miracle on the Hud-son” is now the “Attraction of the Airfield.” On January 15, 2009, USAir’s Flight 1549 took off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, headed for Charlotte, until an encounter with a flock of geese forced the well-documented emergency landing on the Hudson River. It took three years, but the plane finally landed in the Queen City and is now one of the major attractions at the Carolinas Aviation Museum. The Airbus has been fully reassembled and appears exactly as it did when lifted from the Hudson.

The Carolina Raptor Center is located within the 1,090-acre Latta Plantation Nature Preserve.  Dedica-ted to the rehabilitation of injured or orphaned raptors and to the conservation of birds of prey through public education, the Center treats and releases back into the wild hundreds of birds each year.  Non-releasable birds take up permanent residence at the Center or travel throughout North and South Carolina as part of the Wild Wings program.  At any given time, visitors are likely to see a variety of hawks, owls, vultures, eagles, and falcons.  The Center regularly schedules live bird presentations, keeper talks, and behind-the-scenes tours.  Year-round hours are 10-5 Monday through Saturday and 12-5 on Sunday.  Admission charged.  704-875-6521

CAROLINA RAPTOR CENTER

Duke's EnergyExplorium is located on the southern end of Lake Norman, in sight of the McGuire Nuclear Station. Interactive exhibits focus on electricity, how nuclear power plants operate, nuclear safety, and more. The facility also includes a mile-long nature trail along the shores of the lake, a butterfly garden, and a large picnic shelter. The EnergyExplorium is open 9-5 Monday through Friday and 12-5 Saturday. Admission is free. 980-875-5600

Lake Norman was created when Duke Energy built Cowans Ford Dam in 1963. Construction on the McGuire Nuclear Station began in 1971, and Unit 1 began its first commercial operation in December, 1981. Unit 2 began commercial operation in March, 1984. McGuire produces approximately 20% of the power Duke Energy generates each year.

Hendrick Motorsports had its humble beginnings in 1984, with only five full-time employees working out of a rented, 5,000-square-foot garage.  Nearly thirty years later, HMS has positioned itself among the sport’s elites, with three of its drivers – Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, and Jimmie Johnson – claiming no less than ten championships in NASCAR’s top series.  The Hendrick facilities are still located only a mile from Charlotte Motor Speedway, but the campus now covers 100 acres, has twelve buildings, and employs 500 people.  It’s so big that visitors are encouraged to tune their car radios to 92.1 to help them find their way around the site.  Guests are encouraged to begin their visit at the combination museum and team store.  The latter offers the most recent team-related merchandise, while the museum showcases some of the most storied cars in NASCAR’s history.

Among them are the Kobalt Tools Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson at Darlington Raceway on May 12, 2012 and which earned Hendrick Motor-sports its 200^th Cup Series victory; the 1987 Monte Carlo driven to victory by Tim Richmond at Riverside International Speedway on Father’s Day, 1987; the No. 17 “Tide Ride” driven by Darrell Waltrip in 1989 to his first Daytona 500 win; and the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet Jeff Gordon wheeled for his first-ever Cup Series win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1994’s Coca-Cola 500.  

Latta Plantation in northern Mecklenburg County is the only remaining Catawba River plantation open to the public.  James Latta was of Scots-Irish ancestry and arrived in the fledgling United States of America in 1785.  Latta started out as a traveling peddler, purchasing goods in Philadelphia and Charleston and selling them to people living in the Carolina “backcountry.”  Latta’s first wife, Elizabeth, died in 1792, leaving him with two sons.  He married Jane Knox of Lincoln County in 1796.  Three years later, he purchased land in Mecklenburg County and shortly thereafter began construction of his home.  A successful cotton planter, Latta’s farm eventually included 742 acres, at one time worked by more than 30 slaves.

The main house is a two-story, Federal-style home featuring a side-hall plan found in Philadelphia town houses of the period.  Two rooms take up the first floor; three rooms occupy the second.  Exterior features include hand-beaded white clapboard siding and dentil molding in the overhanging frieze; interior features include intricate mantels and finely-detailed staircase.  The house is painted in original colors and period pieces, chosen in part upon family records, are as authentic as possible. In addition to the main house, the current 62-acre site includes an original smokehouse, replica kitchen, such dependencies as a stable, corncrib, and well house, and a representative slave cabin.  Tours of the main house and kitchen are given by interpreters in period clothing; the rest of the grounds are self-guided.  Special events focusing on the Revolutionary and Civil War periods are held frequently.  Hours are 10-5 Tuesday-Friday and 12-5 Saturday and Sunday.  Admission charged.  704-875-1724 Latta Plantation is a part of the 2,247-acre Latta Plantation Park, which includes the Carolina Raptor Center, the Latta Equestrian Center, and Mountain Island Lake.

The Hugh Torance Store, dating to 1805, is believed to be the oldest surviving commercial building in the state. The house to which it is attached is even older, going back to 1779. Torrance and his family were a part of the Hopewell Community in northern Mecklenburg County, and his store provided neighbors with wares gathered from such distant places as Camden, Cheraw, and Charleston in South Carolina, and, to the north, such cities as Roanoke and Philadelphia. Items offered for sale tended to be goods that local families could not produce for themselves: salt, sugar, coffee, tea, and spices; farm tools; household utensils; fine cloth and hats; and accessories for sewing, spinning, and weaving. Most commerce relied upon the barter system. The house and store were refurbished and opened to the public in April, 1989 on a limited schedule. The house is partially furnished with typical period furnishings and provides a good sense of rural life in Mecklenburg County at the turn of the 19^th century; the store shelves are stocked with a representative sampling of items Hugh Torrance and his son James likely would have sold. The house and store are located at 8231 Gilead Road. The site is open on a limited schedule seasonally. 704-875-3271

One of many impressive statues on the state capitol grounds in Raleigh is that honoring the three US presidents North Carolina gave the nation: Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson. A question exists as to whether Jackson was actually born in North or South Carolina, and both states claim him as a native son.  The cabin in which Jackson was born no longer stands.  The small frame house in which Johnson was born still exists in Raleigh; moved from its original site years ago, it now stands in the capital city's Mordecai Park. Only the boyhood home of Polk, in Pineville, is preserved as a state historic site.

Our country's eleventh president was born in rural Mecklenburg County November 2, 1795, the first of ten children born to Samuel and Jane Knox Polk. Although the Polks were a successful middle-class farming family, they nevertheless moved to Tennessee when James was about eleven years old in search of more land and greater prosperity. Throughout his youth, Polk was frail and sickly, so much so that his father decided to have him learn to read and write at home rather than at a formal school. When James was sixteen, it was finally diagnosed that his poor health was the result of gallstones. Following a successful operation, James quickly gained strength and stamina, and at age seventeen entered an academy which prepared him for enrollment as a sophomore at the University of North Carolina. In 1818, Polk graduated first in his class.

Polk was studying law in Nashville, Tennessee when he was introduced to Andrew Jackson, a man who would greatly influence James' political ideology. It was also while in Nashville that he became reacquainted with Sarah Chil-dress, the sister of a former schoolmate. Sarah stoked his political ambitions and encour-aged James to enter the race for the Tennessee legislature in 1823. His election was but the first step on what proved to be a life-long career in politics. In 1825, Polk was elected to the US House of Representatives, where he served for fourteen years, including a term as speaker of the House. He then won the Tennessee governorship in 1839.

Polk was a Jacksonian Democrat, and he hoped to be his party's nominee for Vice President in 1840. It was not to be. In 1841, Polk failed to win re-election as governor of Tennessee and lost the gubernatorial race again in 1843. He seemed therefore an unlikely candidate to receive the Democratic Party's nomination for President in 1844. Former President Martin Van Buren was the early favorite, but when the Democrats still had not chosen a candidate by their seventh ballot, Polk suddenly became a viable "compromise" candidate for the disparate wings of the party. Winning the nomination on the ninth ballot, Polk challenged the Whig Party's Henry Clay, a well-known senator who had earned the nickname "The Great Compromiser."   It was the Democrats' compromise candidate, however, who won the Presidency by an electoral vote of 170-105; the popular vote was much closer, 1,339,494 to 1,300,004. Polk's victory made him the nation's first "dark horse" president.

"Fifty-four forty or fight" had been one of Polk's campaign slogans, but as President he successfully - and peacefully - negotiated with Great Britain the northern boundary for the Oregon territory, setting it at the 49th parallel. Polk's platform also endorsed the admission of Texas as the 27th state, which took place shortly after Polk took office. Polk sent troops to patrol the disputed border territory between Texas and Mexico, an action which all but insured that hostilities with Mexico would follow. Opponents dubbed the two-year conflict as "Mr. Polk's War," but the treaty which ended the war in 1848 ceded to the United States considerable land, including the New Mexico territory and California. This earned for Polk the distinction of being the most expansionistic of all Presidents. For the first time, the United States and her territories stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific and helped to fulfill what many of Polk's contemporaries considered America's "Manifest Destiny." Iowa and Wisconsin joined the Union during Polk's term, and the territories of Oregon and Minnesota were formed. President Polk also fulfilled two other major campaign promises, to reduce the tariff and to re-establish an independent treasury. The US Naval Academy was also established during Polk's administration.

James Polk had intended from the beginning to be a one-term President, and he and Sarah left Washington in March, 1849 to return to their home in Nashville, Tennessee. Three months later, Polk was stricken with cholera and died. Many felt that Polk had given too much of himself while in office and had worked himself to exhaustion, making him more susceptible to an illness that he otherwise might have been able to overcome. He was buried on the grounds of the Tennessee state capitol in Nashville.

The first efforts to memorialize the birthplace of President James Polk were undertaken by the Mecklenburg Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1904, a rough stone monument was dedicated near the foundation of what was then thought to have been the farmhouse in which Polk was born. Approximately 400 citizens attended the unveiling of the DAR monument to President Polk September 26, 1904.  The land was still privately owned, however, and in the early 1950s the site was overgrown. James A. Stenhouse, a Charlotte architect and historian, is largely credited with spearheading a drive to preserve the site. Because of anticipated suburban development in the Pineville area, land values escalated dramatically, so several years elapsed before the state was finally able to purchase twenty-one acres, making the landmark a state historic site in 1964.

Research in that year indicated that US Highway 521 probably passed over the actual location of the Polks' farmhouse, so an area some 200 yards northeast was chosen for the site of the reconstructed farm.   For the main house, two area log houses dating to the early 1800s were dismantled and reassembled.   The final appearance of the house is based in part on speculation and in part upon a small sketch of the house drawn by former Governor David L. Swain in 1851; Swain, a student of history, had visited the home in 1849. The detached kitchen and the barn were also structures moved to the site from neighboring communities. Construction of the visitor center began in November, 1967 and was completed the following spring. Appropriately, First Lady Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson dedicated the site December 6, 1968.

Docents give visitors to the Polk Memorial guided tours of the main house and kitchen. The 1904 stone pyramid monument erected by the DAR was moved from its original location and stands a short walk from the main house. The visitor center offers a 22-minute film which uses the 1844 Presidential campaign's oft- asked question "Who Is Polk?" as its theme. The museum likewise attempts to answer the question "Who Is Polk?" by providing a look at the things that shaped his outlook. Included are exhibits on early 1800 farm life in the North Carolina piedmont; the cultural clash of agrarian society with the industrial revolution during the "Spirited Age;" Polk's political career and the Presidential campaign of 1844; and the Mexican War. Of particular note among the many artifacts on display is the dress chapeau worn by General Santa Anna, a trophy of that war taken by the president’s younger brother, Major William H. Polk. The James K. Polk Memorial is located on US Highway 521, approximately one mile south of Pineville. Hours are 9-5 Tuesday-Saturday. Admission is free.

The Mint Hill Historical Society was formed in 1985 to preserve the history of the small town of Mint Hill. Their first restoration project was the Mint Hill Country Doctor's Museum. Over the next 25 years, the site would evolve into the Carl J. McEwen Historic Village, which is now home to the Ferguson store, Ashcraft school-house, and the Assay office.  Visitors to this charming site can also view the meat curing building, hen house, and blacksmith’s shop.  The site’s most popular annual event is the Christmas tea, which brings in hundreds of attendees from the area and beyond. During the holiday season, the Assay office becomes home to the Village Christmas Shoppe where seasonal decorations and gifts may be purchased.

During the school year, hundreds of area school children step back into the days of the early 20^th century to see what their school day may have been like in rural Mecklenburg County. Various events take place on the grounds during the year, such as Salute to Veterans and historical reenactments. The site is also part of the Discover Mint Hill event held every spring.  The Mint Hill Farmers Market, located on the grounds of the Historic Village, is a place to purchase locally grown produce and plants, as well as a place to meet friends and listen to the live music of local musicians. Museum buildings are open and provide a friendly, down-home feel to the shopping experience.

The Mint Hill Historical Society Office is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am until 2 pm. Tours of the Carl J. McEwen Historic Village are available by appointment. Contact the office at (704) 573-0726 or info@MintHillHistory.com. Admission to the village is $5.00 for adults 19-60, $4.00 for children 6-18 and seniors 60 and over, and free for children age five and under.

MINT HILL COUNTRY DOCTOR'S MUSEUM

Text for the Mint Hill Country Doctor’s Museum courtesy of Lisa Jillani.

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc [NASCAR] dropped the green flag on its Hall of Fame in uptown Charlotte in 2010, and everything about the place is new, exciting, and techno-savvy.  Thus far, twenty of the most famous and influential individuals in the 65-year history of the sport have been inducted, with the five members of the 2014 class already announced.  Bill France, Sr., Bill France, Jr., Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt, Sr. were the five inductees in the inaugural class of 2010, and the likes of David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Lee Petty, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, and Rusty Wallace have since been added to the list.  Along with exhibits and artifacts relating to these honorees, the Hall has many activities and displays to engage and entertain visitors.

The High Octane Theater provides a quick overview of NASCAR’s origins and devel-opment and provides an ap-propriate introduction to the Hall.  Representative cars from the sport’s earliest beginnings up through to-day’s latest models are dramatically displayed on “Glory Road,” the Hall’s banked ramp that features eighteen historic race cars and provides information about forty current and former tracks.  Elsewhere in the Hall, guests can view highlights of some of the sport’s most exciting finishes, test their speed at changing tires, provide the audio for the final laps of a race on radio, and get behind the wheel of a full-sized racing simulator.  The Hall is open 10-6 daily.  Admission charged.