The History of Hickory

Hickory, NC is located in the foothills of Western North Carolina one hour from the mountains cities of Blowing Rock and Boone, one hour from Charlotte's International Airport and one hour from Winston-Salem. You can be at the Outer Banks is
6 hours, Myrtle Beach, SC in 5 hours and Charleston, SC in 4.

Whichever direction in Hickory you look, a mountain can be seen. On a clear day you can see.... Brushy Mtn, South Mountain, Baker Mtn, Barrett Mtn, Hibriten, Grandfather Mtn, Table Rock and even the Smokies can be seen while driving around town. These far-off vistas remind us why Hickory is our favorite spot to live.



The original inhabitants of Scotch-Irish and German descent came in the late 1700s. Burke County was the mother of the 3 other counties where Hickory is located: Catawba, Alexander and Caldwell. Catawba County was established in December 1842. In 1961 Hickory, NC boasted 46 furniture plants, 89 hosiery mills, 27 other factories and a population of 37,000. In the 1990s, 60% of the furniture in your living room originated from this valley.  Newcomers descended from all over the US and Canada to settle in the foothills for careers in manufacturing and medical services.

Though Newton is the county seat, Hickory is considered the hub of the Catawba Valley with a metropolitan population of 350,000. Lenoir is the county seat in Caldwell, Morganton in Burke, and Taylorsville in Alexander. Hickory has been named the 10th Best Place to Live and Raise a Family in the US by Reader's Digest while Business North Carolina magazine voted Hickory as the 8th best city in the state for its quality of life.

This hilly landscape changed dramatically in just a couple decades. With the onslaught of new residents, the commercial districts blossomed. Franchise restaurants and department stores flourished on Hwy 70 between Hickory and Newton/Conover. Hwy  127 which splits East and West Hickory bustles with a variety of medical services, as well as shopping and restaurants.

The Catawba Valley attracts visitors with its comfortable atmosphere; downtown spaces cherish the hometown feel with local merchants. Red-bricked Union Square offers a variety of shopping, dining and galleries; my favorite hangout. Morganton's Square surrounds the County courthouse with diverse local offerings of services. Newton and Conover boast an assortment of antiques stores with amazing selections of furniture. We are constantly changing our household decors which affords plenty of used furnishings especially at garage sales in the area.

Come out for a visit to Western North Carolina and you might come back the next time to live. For additional information on things to do and see in the Foothills, check out the Area Information page at Lake Hickory Realty. Happy New Year!