Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Anna Across America - Charlotte, North Carolina



Anna and her namesake Dr Pepper can make their first appearance in the Carolinas.   Fast growing Charlotte, named after the wife of King George III of England, was incorporated in 1768.  Charlotte is a major financial center dating back to the early 1800s when a 12-year old boy found a 17-pound stone which turned out to be gold, creating the nation's first Gold Rush.  Today the gold is counted in the banking empires of Bank of America and Wachovia-turned-Wells Fargo, both of which maintain a major presence making the city the second largest financial center in the U.S. behind New York City.  Numerous movies have been filmed in the Charlotte area including Speedway, a movie starring Elvis Presley and Nancy Sinatra, The Color Purple, Talladega Nights, Shallow Hal, and The Hunger Games.   Charlotte's most famous native is without question the Rev. Billy Graham who still maintains his evangelism headquarters here as well as a library, which is open to the public.