1) How many years have you been in Mount Holly? Since 1964! I've known every single mayor that's lived here since I've moved except the most recent.
2) How has it grown since you've lived here? Well there was about 5,000 people when we moved here and now it's like 13,000! Not much more business just mostly overspill from Charlotte but just a few additions like freight liner was built and now the new caromont health center which is gonna bring a bunch of crazies into to town. We lost about 3 or 4 textile plants. The physical size hasn't grown but there are a lot more subdivisions now. Mount holly has annexed a lot of places so they basically got their growth from that.
3) What did you use to do for fun? We used to have a movie every two weeks and a few restaurants that we would go too. Granny and I would have a night out on the town when we could. Couple parks would do the movie in a park like they do now for families but that's about it.
4) Where did you work? Riverbend steam station for 39 years.
5) Is there anything you miss that is no longer in the town? I miss quite a few things. There was a coal plant and a movie theater that's gone. The movie theater was nice because we could walk to it. Your granny and I would go at least twice a month before we had your dad and aunts. There are at least six mills that are gone now which is sad. Rankin's is gone, it was a clothing stores we used to shop at often. There were three drug stores and there is only one now, which you know Charlie's we use to go there often when you were younger for orangeades and ice cream. I also miss Jones grocery store we used to go there often it was right by the church. After service on Sunday if we ever ran out of food at the church lunches we would just run over to Jones' and get stuff. All the stores that are gone now have been replaced with news ones though so at least the town has continued to do well in business.
My Perspective:
Mount Holly is the town I have grown up in my whole life. I lived there up until I left for college so eighteen year of my young life were spent in the town. I used to dance for Main Street Dance works which can be found in one of the old buildings on Main Street. I danced for eleven years and during that time I danced in eleven christmas parades and at eleven spring tests. My favorite thing to do in the town was go to Charlie's Drug Store to get orangeades after school. All of us would walk from Mount Holly Middle School to Charlie's Drug store downtown. When I was little my granddaddy would take me their for orangeades, ice cream, and sometimes homemade vanilla cokes. We only got the coke when it was just us because granny didn't like me drinking caffeine. I have attended the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd my whole life. It is one of the historical sites in Mount Holly and it is the most beautiful church I have ever seen. I have gotten the opportunity to watch my town grow. The town has added a little more business throughout the years. The biggest loss that we had and that I actually remember was Jone's Grocery Store. It was the best grocery store ever. It had everything you could find in it including local produce. The Jone's wanted to retire so a restaurant bought the building from them and now where Jones' once was now lies the restaurant City Cafe. I have went to every single thing listed in culture and I love how much community spirit the town has. Everyone knows everybody and thats how it has been my whole life. You cannot walk down the street without running into someone you know, which isn't always a good thing! Although I am getting the "big city feel" living in Charlotte, I now know that I want to live in a small suburban area when I have kids. I just love the sense of community that the living in a small town has and all the small businesses that come with it. The saying is true Mount Holly is "the little city with the big heart."