James B. Duke was one of North Carolina’s towering figures in the early 20th century. Many of his lasting legacies, including Duke Power Company, Duke University and The Duke Endowment, began when Duke and his family lived at The Duke Mansion, now a historic bed-and-breakfast inn and meeting place in Myers Park.
What did Charlotte look like when Duke walked and drove these roads? How did Duke, one of the world’s richest men at that time, affect the landscape and the city with his purchases of land along the Catawba River?
Join us on Sunday, March 20 at 3 pm for “Mr. Duke’s Charlotte,” a free presentation at The Duke Mansion, 400 Hermitage Road in Charlotte, featuring popular Charlotte history speaker David Erdman. Erdman will show dozens of photos of Charlotte as it appeared when James “Buck” Duke lived here around the turn of the last century.
Enjoy an afternoon set in the streets of old Charlotte, plus photos of Duke’s innovative dams and his “Interurban” transit system that served the city. Though born poor in Durham, Duke dramatically grew the tobacco company his father started. He diversified his tobacco investments into manufacturing textiles, which led him to invest in electric generation to power the textile mills. More than 100 years later, Duke Energy is still headquartered in Charlotte and is among the largest power-generating companies in the U.S.
Questions about the presentation? Call The Duke Mansion at 704/714-4400. “Mr. Duke’s Charlotte” is part of the Explore History! Series, presented by Levine Museum of the New South (www.museumofthenewsouth.org) and The Duke Mansion (www.dukemansion.org) .
