Abstract:
The town named from a Revolutionary War general was a study in contrasts. It was home to attractive houses and unattractive city sprawl, a NC town with deep English colonial roots and Asian, Greek, and Italian communities. It became home to 30,000 plus veterans returning post retirement, often the same soldiers who resented their time at Fort Bragg. It had experienced much recent business growth in the past two decades, evident in businesses such as the convention-motel entertainment complex. Nevertheless, an economic home base could be found in the old part of the city, particularly in places like the Market House.