- Title
- Our State
-
-
- Date
- February 2004
-
-
- Place
- ["North Carolina, United States"]
-
Our State
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18 Our State Mrmtiy XtM
Morganton
Aside from alluring scenery — a backyard edged with rolling foothills
and a vibrant arts community in the foreground — it's a dual
commitment to progress and tradition that elevates this Burke County
town to an ideal state of enchantment.
by lit.
'П
i Teague
When she
икс»
a vacation,
Morganton resident Martha
Riddle'» favorite part of the
trip
1»
uvually the drive home.
"I can’t wan to be back." the says.
"I drive alone 1-40 and as toon as I tee
the mountains in the distance, I think.
Thank goodness Pm home.’"
Kiddle it only an hour’s drive from
several large cities; a few more hours
in the car will brine her to the North
Carolina coast, While she enjoys
vi siting other part» of the
state, her heart lies in
Morganton, located 70
miles west of Charlotte and
4.4 miles east of Asheville
in Burke County. “It’s one
of those rare places that’s
close enough to everything
you need, but far enough
from the hustle and bustle
of everyday life." she says.
This sentiment might be
echoed by small-town
residents statewide. But
Morganton'» small-town
charm is peppered with a
big-city mentality that
makes it a place revered by
locals and visitors alike.
Although relatively small in
terms of population (a little
more than 17.000 folks
call Morganton home) and
geography ( 1S.S5 square
miles), Morganton strives
to preserve its historic
traditions while promoting progressive
concepts in government, economic
development, and the arts.
The 'unofficial capital’
The area that eventually became the
town of Morganton was settled in the
early 1 700s by Presbyterians of
Scottish- 1 nsh descent. The area soon
attracted others, particularly families
hoping to escape overcrowded
Northern states.
In 1784. an act of the North
Carolina General Assembly established
the town of Morganton — originally
known as Morgansborough and
named in honor of Revolutionary War
(iener.il Daniel Morgan — as a district
court town serving the western part of
the state. This bolstered Morganton' s
position as a powerful entity in the
west, according to Mickic Vacca.
executive director of the Historic
Burke Foundation.
“Morganton was not a big city, hut
it was a center of western power and
the unofficial capital of western North
Carolina." Vacca explains. “People
who lived here had lotv of connections
to other parts of the state. Even
though they lived in the ’hack
country.’ they weren’t isolated."
The court’s jurisdiction included all
of western North Carolina until 1 806.
when superior courts were established
in each county. The North Carolina
Supreme Court later held its August
sessions in Morganton.
coming to town every year
from 1847 to 1861 and
operating in a courthouse that
still stands downtown.
Coupled with us
prominence as a "court
town." Morganton's
connections to North
Carolina government led to
the placement of two state-
funded institutions —
Broughton Hospital and the
North Carolina School for the
Deaf — within city limits in
the late 1800s. Vacca says this
had an enormous impact on
the community. “If you tour
historic homes in this area,
you will sec many were built in
the Lite 1800s. There was a
resurgence of affluence after the
arrival of the hospital and the
school." she explains. “Vihen
they came here, they renewed
Morganton’s prosperity and
