robbins

As a way of contributing to Bluenc, I am going to do a Sunday "insert" and take a look at the towns that make up this wonderful state. The first offering will be about Robbins, NC.

Robbins is probably best known for being the hometown of John Edwards, the senator who ran as VP on the 2004 Kerry/Edwards Democratic ticket. (A smart fellow who knew how to get back into the "hearts & halos" mode with SD.) Edwards kicked off his bid for President in front of a closed mill that his father worked in. The other hometown son was Astronaut, Charles Brady.

This “small town, USA” has a fascinating history, generally forgotten by its inhabitants. It was originally established as Cagels Goldmine Community in the 1700’s. Named after Leonard “Lionheart” Cagle who emigrated from Philadelphia. Then, Alexander Kennedy, a gunsmith also fled Philadelphia and established a gun factory in 1795 on the falls of Bear Creek and supplied Washington’s Continental Forces with firearms. It was then renamed Mechanics Hill, and then changed to Mechanicsville.

When the gun factory closed in 1838, the townspeople cleared the land for agri use and gold was discovered and the town experienced a minor gold rush. In the early 1900’s, John F. Lenning and Associates brought the Durham and Charlotte railroad line through and designed the streets for the town. The new unofficial name of the town became “Elise” after Mr. Lenning’s daughter. When the Post Master, George Horner tried to register this name, the federal authorities rejected it. Instead, he registered the name as Horner’s Hemp; the name was shortened and then begrudgingly accepted in 1915 as Hemp.