Charlotte, North Carolina: A Brief History by Mary Kratt; 2009. Softcover. (CO-NC)

Founded in 1768 at the crossing of two Indian trails, Charlotte has a rich heritage to match its age. In this thoroughly researched volume, accomplished author and historian Mary Kratt chronicles the history of Charlotte from the earliest Catawba inhabitants to the development of finance, culture and transportation, still centered on those ancient crossroads. Hear the personal voices of discovery, hardship, wars, privation, segregation and achievement from village to boomtown. Whether detailing the cotton fields and textile mills of yesterday or the banking center of tomorrow, Kratt's account is a fascinating history of the people who have made the Queen City what it is today.