early 20th century. Many of his lasting legacies, including Duke
Power Company, Duke University and The Duke Endowment, began when Duke
and his family lived at The Duke Mansion, now a historic bed-and-
breakfast inn and meeting place in Myers Park.
What did Charlotte look like when Duke walked and drove these roads?
How did Duke, one of the world's richest men at that time, affect the
landscape and the city with his purchases of land along the Catawba
River?
Join us on Sunday, March 20 at 3 pm for "Mr. Duke's Charlotte," a free
presentation at The Duke Mansion, 400 Hermitage Road in Charlotte,
featuring popular Charlotte history speaker David Erdman. Erdman will
show dozens of photos of Charlotte as it appeared when James "Buck"
Duke lived here around the turn of the last century.
Enjoy an afternoon set in the streets of old Charlotte, plus photos of
Duke's innovative dams and his "Interurban" transit system that served
the city. Though born poor in Durham, Duke dramatically grew the
tobacco company his father started. He diversified his tobacco
investments into manufacturing textiles, which led him to invest in
electric generation to power the textile mills. More than 100 years
later, Duke Energy is still headquartered in Charlotte and is among
the largest power-generating companies in the U.S.
Questions about the presentation? Call The Duke Mansion at
704/714-4400. "Mr. Duke's Charlotte" is part of the Explore History!
Series, presented by Levine Museum of the New South (www.museumofthenewsouth.org
) and The Duke Mansion (www.dukemansion.org) .
