​Capturing the essence of Concord, North Carolina might be the biggest challenge I’ve taken on.  Most of the Concords I’ve visited so far have been small places that need to be enlarged or magnified in order to extract a narrative.  When all that is left of a place like Concord South Carolina is a cemetery, I have to scramble to get every bit of information from every possible source.  I’ve spend hours trying to find old records of the lost towns of Concord in places like Louisiana, Idaho, and Texas, but Concord, North Carolina is not only the second largest Concord in the country, it is also a remarkably diverse place that is growing at breakneck speed.  The history of the town goes back to the 18th century.  How do I get my mind around such a varied and vibrant place?
My goal everywhere I travel is to meet people and to hear their stories.  Some of these stories are about their community’s past, and some are about their day-to-day life.  My day and a half in Concord North Carolina was remarkably fruitful.  I had a chance to interview briefly about a dozen people and take two guided tours of the downtown area.  I questioned home-grown historians and turned the tables on a local newspaper reporter. The highlight of the visit was to sit down with Scott Padgett the 16-year mayor of Concord.  Here are three clips of my chat with Mayor Padgett:

There are dozens of stories to be told about Concord, NC, and in my day and a half visit I was welcomed by so many friendly folks. There’s a great story about the conflict between the German and Scots-Irish settlements over the location of the the county courthouse in 1796 and the selection on a sandy hill, a rather useless patch of land later named “Concord” after the accord, or agreement,  struck.  Here's a few links to get a bigger picture of Concord, NC:​

• Some day I may be able to tell fully the heroic tales of “The Carrabus Black Boys,” or the gothic horror of the Stonewall Jackson Reformatory where the state undertook eugenics experiments that included the forced sterilization of six “feeblemind” white men. 
• At some point, I want to read Spectacular Rogue, the story of Gaston B. Means, son of the four-time mayor of Concord.  Means a notorious con artist and bootlegger was loosely portrayed in "Boardwalk Empire."
• The story is begging to be told of the rise and fall of Barber- Scotia College, the first seminar school established for African-American women. 
• There is also the sad history of the destruction of black businesses in Concord during the Wilmington insurrection of 1898  
• Concord is home to the massive Charlotte Motor Speedway and even bigger Concord Mills Mall.  Guess which one is the largest tourist destination in North Carolina? All I can accurately relate is the story of kindness and hospitality shown to me In Concord, North Carolina. 
• Driving through Concord, you can see where massive mills once thrived. The town has repurposed some of these spaces, but many ghosts remain.

​From all accounts, ten years ago the city of Concord was in trouble. The downtown was a ghost town, and Charlotte was encroaching and threatening to gobble up its smaller neighbor.  The local college, Barber-Scotia College had lost its accreditation.  The deal for the Miller bottling plant had collapsed and the largest employer,  Philip Morris, shuttered their $500,000,000 plant and moved out of town taking 2500 well-paid jobs with them.  

​However, despite the onslaught of plant closures from the downturn of the economy the leadership of Concord remained bullish.  New investments were made to renovate the old downtown. Incentives were given to lure investment back into the heart of the city, and new restaurants, bars, galleys, and boutiques opened.  There is a flourishing art scene, and long abandoned department stories and movie theaters are being repurposed.  There are still many boarded up store fronts, but the surge of urban blight that has destroyed so many other historic small cities seems to be in retreat in Concord, North Carolina.   As one business owner said, “Concord is becoming younger. Young people are moving into the old homes of Concord.”  In other neighborhoods, new Latino communities took over corner stores that were in decline and rejuvenated them with Latin flair.

 While malls around the country are struggling, Concord Mills has expanded to the point that it is now the leading tourist destination in North Carolina.  The Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord holds two major NASCAR events every year along with dirt track races and drag races.  I’m hoping to return to Concord for the Coca-Cola 600 over the Memorial Day Weekend.   I think I need this second visit to get more than a superficial picture of this vibrant city.

There are dozens of stories to be told about Concord, NC, and in my day and a half visit I was welcomed by so many friendly folks. 

• There’s a great story about the conflict between the German and Scots-Irish settlements over the location of the the county courthouse in 1796 and the selection on a sandy hill, a rather useless patch of land later named “Concord” after the accord, or agreement,  struck.
• Some day I may be able to tell fully the heroic tales of “The Carrabus Black Boys,” or the gothic horror of the Stonewall Jackson Reformatory where the state undertook eugenics experiments that included the forced sterilization of six “feeblemind” white men. 
• At some point, I want to read Spectacular Rogue, the story of Gaston B. Means, son of the four-time mayor of Concord.  Means a notorious con artist and bootlegger was portrayed in Boardwalk Empire.
• The story is begging to be told of the rise and fall of Barber- Scotia College, the first seminar school established for African-American women. 
• There is also the sad history of the destruction of black businesses in Concord during the Wilmington insurrection of 1898  
• Concord is home to the massive Charlotte Motor Speedway and even bigger Concord Mills Mall.  Guess which one is the largest tourist destination in North Carolina? All I can accurately relate is the story of kindness and hospitality shown to me in Concord, North Carolina. 
• Driving through Concord you can see where massive mills once thrived

 
From all accounts, ten years ago the city of Concord was in trouble. The downtown was a ghost town, and Charlotte was encroaching and threatening to gobble up its smaller neighbor.  The local college, Barber-Scotia College had lost its accreditation.  The deal for the Budweiser bottling plant had collapsed and the largest employer  Philip Morris shuttered their $500,000,000 plant and moved out of town taking 2500 well-paid jobs with them. 

​However, despite the onslaught of plant closures from the downturn of the economy the leadership of Concord remained bullish.  New investments were made to renovate the old downtown. Incentives were given to lure investment back into the heart of the city, and new restaurants, bars, galleys, and boutiques opened.  There is a flourishing art scene, and long abandoned department stories and movie theaters are being repurposed.  There are still many boarded up store fronts, but the surge of urban blight that has destroyed so many other historic small cities seems to be in retreat in Concord North Carolina.   As one business owner said, “Concord is becoming younger. Young people are moving into the old homes of Concord.”  In other neighborhoods, new Latino communities took over corner stores that were in decline and rejuvenated them with Latin flair.
 While malls around the country are struggling, Concord Mills has expanded to the point that it is now the leading tourist destination in North Carolina.  The Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord holds two major NASCAR events every year along with dirt track races and drag races.  I’m hoping to return to Concord for the Coca-Cola 600 over the Memorial Day Weekend.