The Founding of Charlotte

The Catawba Indians arrived in the late 1740s and were the first settlers in the area. It wasn’t until 1753, when Thomas Spratt and Thomas Polk came through town with their families, that Charlotte [1] had its first permanent residents.

The area was first known as Charlotte Town and was incorporated in 1768. The name Charlotte was chosen to honor Queen Charlotte—a tribute that the founders believed would endear them to the Queen’s husband, King George III. Being named after Queen Charlotte, also led to the city’s current nickname, the “Queen City.” In 1762, when Mecklenburg County was established (with Charlotte as the county seat), that name was also a nod to Queen Charlotte, who was born in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Germany.

Over the coming decades, immigrants from Britain, Ireland, Scotland, and Germany took up residence in Charlotte and the area began to grow. At first, development was concentrated in the area that is now known as Uptown.

The streets were marked off in a grid pattern to plan for new development, with an east–west trading path that has become Trade Street and a wagon road that runs north–south called Tryon Street. The intersection, now called Independence Square [2], continues to be one of the most important in the city and is the site of four statues (one on each corner) that pay tribute to the city’s history.

As Charlotte continued to grow, it was clear that the city limits needed to be expanded. It was Edward Latta, one of the founders of the Charlotte Consolidated Construction Company, also known as the Four Cs, who was instrumental in developing the suburbs. Latta is responsible for creating the neighborhoods of Dilworth, Elizabeth, and Plaza Midwood. He also played a major role in bringing trolley transportation to Charlotte, which allowed the city to grow even more—and grow it did.

In 1850, the population was just 1,065. The number jumped to 11,557 by 1890 and topped 34,010 in 1910. Today, Charlotte [1] is home to more than 669,205 residents.