Charlotte's 'MeckDec' turns 250 next year

Plus: Lifeguards return to the pool; Palisades lawsuit seeks documents from HOA; Republican officials take sides on Charlotte Latin lawsuit; Sports gambling sites win big; Med 'choo' sign goes up

May 20, 2024

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Large yearly celebrations of Mecklenburg’s (purported) forerunner to the Declaration of Independence have receded; But a big party is in the works for its 250th

The statue by sculptor Chas Fagan, The Spirit of Mecklenburg, was installed on May 20, 2010, on the Little Sugar Creek Greenway to commemorate Capt. James Jack’s ride to Philadelphia. [edited 5/20/24 2:20pm to correct name of sculptor]

by John Short

For hundreds of years, May 20 marked Charlotte’s biggest party of the year.

Celebrations galore marked the May 20, 1775, signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence — a document that meant Queen City residents were actually the first people in America to declare independence from British rule.

Keep in mind that the veracity of the document and the dramatic story of its delivery to Philadelphia have been hotly debated by historians since as early as the early 1800s. But, for much of its history, Mecklenburg County set aside doubts in favor of epic events and stunts.

Relative to the parties of yore, today’s MeckDec celebration will be a subdued affair.

Members of The May 20 Society will gather at noon at the corner of Trade and Tryon Streets — the site of the document’s purported signing — in traditional colonial garb to read the declaration and fire a cannon.

It’s a delightful celebration to commemorate a fun historical quirk of the county, but the commemorations of recent years are a far cry from peak MeckDec days.

Hundreds of years ago, in 1875, when Charlotte’s population was just 6,000, the centennial celebration drew a crowd of 40,000 celebrants. That came at a time when turnout for MeckDec events topped crowds for Independence Day on July 4.

In 1975, for the bicentennial celebration of the MeckDec, the city of Charlotte wanted to commemorate the bicentennial with an appropriately grand celebration. To commemorate Capt. James Jack’s journey to Philadelphia to deliver the document to the Continental Congress, a horseman was commissioned to ride a stallion named Sharek to Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. After a month-long journey, the rider and his party were welcomed by the mayors of both Philadelphia and Charlotte.

Next year will mark the 250th anniversary of the MeckDec, and planning is already underway for the milestone. Mecklenburg 250, a non-profit organization, is working with a number of organizations to commemorate the event with in-person and online programming.

The group is currently planning a large, county-wide festival for 2025 and already has started to lay the groundwork for the celebration, holding the “This Is Meck: Mecklenburg 250” festival this past April at Independence Park in partnership with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation.

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MeckDec 101: Fact or fiction? You be the judge

New to the story of Capt. Jack and the storied MeckDec?

Here’s what you need to know:

Q. So what is the MeckDec exactly? And why did Charlotteans used to celebrate it more?

“The MeckDec” is the colloquial name of The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, a document little-known outside of the Charlotte region. The MeckDec has a controversial history, in that its existence implies that the citizens of what would become Charlotte were actually the first people in America to declare independence from British rule.

The popular history of the MeckDec is that the leadership of Charlotte purportedly signed the document in uptown at Trade and Tryon streets on May 20, 1775. As you are (hopefully) aware, that date is well over a year before the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Q. So is this story about a document true or not?

Well, that’s the rub. There’s actually no known evidence that the MeckDec ever existed. The original document was allegedly lost in a fire, and there are no other records of the document, only references.

It is documented that Capt. James Jack, who owned a tavern around where King’s Kitchen is today, rode to Philadelphia shortly after May 20, 1775, supposedly to present the document to the Second Continental Congress. But evidence of the trip isn’t evidence of the document.

It is also verified that local leaders signed the Mecklenburg Resolves a few days later, on May 31, 1775. Unlike the MeckDec, however, the Resolves stopped short of declaring independence from Britain and were more of an organizing document for the burgeoning town.

So we are left with a mystery.

Q. So why is it even still a thing?

Charlotte was fairly isolated and remained a very small town for the decades after 1775, so locals accepted the legend as fact passed down as oral tradition for many years.

Founding Fathers John Adams and Thomas Jefferson exchanged correspondence on the topic in 1819. In 1831, an investigation of the document was published that questioned the veracity of the MeckDec.

Despite the controversy, the annual celebration of the MeckDec on May 20 has historically been Charlotte’s biggest civic holiday, and for decades was a more significant source of pride and pageantry than even the Fourth of July celebrations in town. Four sitting presidents visited Charlotte for the MeckDec Day festivities (Taft, Wilson, Eisenhower and Ford).

Q. This is so awesome! I’d love to learn more, where should I look?

A few suggestions:

The absolute must-read work on the topic is Scott Syfert’s 2014 book “The First American Declaration of Independence?”
More recently, David Fleming’s 2023 book, “Who’s Your Founding Father,” hilariously follows the author’s journey of learning about — and becoming convinced of — the legend of the MeckDec. You can read an excerpt of the book from the esteemed publication N.C. Rabbit Hole, called “Wild story of the MecDec’s anniversary ride from Charlotte to Philadelphia”
Other great resources include the Charlotte Museum of History, The May 20 Society, Mecklenburg Historical Association, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library.

John Short is a freelance writer and co-host of The Charlotte Podcast who loves digging up Charlotte’s past and pondering its future. Say hey when you see him on the streetcar.

Today’s supporting sponsor is Landon A. Dunn, attorney-at-law in Matthews:

As pool season starts, lifeguard pipeline is strong as pay is up and certification classes are ‘packed’; new certification rules could pose challenges in years to come

Rewind to two springs ago, and there was a crisis on pool decks across Charlotte — severe lifeguard shortages that forced some neighborhoods to forgo guards and institute swim-at-your-own risk policies.

Last year, the situation improved, and this year the lifeguard stock is strong at pools across Charlotte, largely because of pool staffing companies offering higher wages.

“Everything sort of reset,” said Brian Coffey, owner and founder of Charlotte Safety Training, which is one of the East Coast’s largest companies offering American Red Cross-certified training for lifeguards, lifeguard trainers and others.

Coffey said with college students home for the summer, his company’s certification classes “are packed.” The influx of young people seeking lifeguard jobs means that pools are “getting a better quality candidate.”

Summer Olympic years also tend to see an uptick in lifeguard interest because swimming is top-of-mind, he said.

But Coffey said he foresees a possible lifeguard shortage in the future — not because there won’t be enough people who want the jobs, but because there might not be enough lifeguard instructors to certify them.

He said that’s because the American Red Cross has put new rules in place that make it more difficult to certify lifeguard instructors.

A new program for certifying lifeguard trainers rolled out in February, Coffey said, including what he said is a rule that classes must consist of exactly six students — a requirement that makes it hard for him to field a class, especially when some of his students fly in from faraway cities to be trained in Charlotte.

“The lifeguard instructor [situation] is going to have implications if it doesn’t get changed,” he said. —CB

Sign goes up atop the new ‘Wake Forest University choo o Medicine’

In the last few days, construction crews have been busy installing the sign on the new medical school building in Midtown. But as of Saturday afternoon, they either hadn’t quite finished the job or hadn’t run a spellchecker on the sign. The medical school is expected to be called the Charlotte campus of the “Wake Forest University School of Medicine.”

Palisades HOA dispute: Couple sues their homeowners association to get documents related to school construction near their home

A Charlotte couple who are residents of the Palisades neighborhood in southwest Charlotte are suing their homeowners association over access to records regarding construction at a private school adjacent to their property. They believe the school may not have sought approval from the HOA or the area’s master association as the lawsuit alleges it’s required to do.

The couple, John and Kim Kirk, said the Palisades Residential Property Homeowners Association has failed to answer questions or make documents available about whether Palisades Episcopal School obtained approval for clearing an area of land or doing construction there.

The Kirks are asking for a court order to inspect and copy the association’s records related to the construction project, claiming the association has wrongly denied their request to see the records, which they say is their right as members of the association.

The suit, which was filed earlier this month in Mecklenburg County Superior Court, argues that the school’s deed requires it to get permission from the Palisades Architectural Committee for certain activities.

This isn’t the first time school construction projects have been an issue within neighborhood associations.

In 2022, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools installed four new trailers at Rea Farms STEAM Academy in south Charlotte without first getting approval from the Rea Farms Property Owners Association, as the Ledger then reported. The classrooms sat empty for over a year before being hauled off. — CB

➡️ Read the lawsuit for yourself here.

You might be interested in these Charlotte events

Events submitted by readers to The Ledger’s events board:

TUESDAY: Full Moon Paddle, 8-10 p.m., Mount Holly Boat Landing, Mount Holly. Watch the moon rise on this guided tour as you kayak on this scenic, undisturbed section of the Catawba River. Kayak, paddle, pfd are all provided. We launch at sunset and enjoy a bonfire + s’mores + beverages after. Come join us! $55.

TUESDAY: Indie On Wheels - Democracy for Sale (FREE Movie & Talkback), 5:45-7:30 p.m., University City Regional Library. Join The Independent Picture House and University City Library for a screening of “Democracy for Sale,” followed by a discussion with award-winning journalist Mary C. Curtis. Free.

MAY 28: The Critic's Eye film series: “Shutter Island” screening and discussion, 7 p.m., The Independent Picture House. Join IPH for its Critic’s Eye film series. The series will screen “Shutter Island” on May 28 as part of its exploration of notable films from the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s that transcend their genres and permanently redefined how storytelling formulas are approached. Each presentation will include post-screening talkbacks with Lawrence Toppman, former Charlotte Observer film critic and lifetime member of The Southeastern Film Critics Association; with conversation moderated by Tim Whitmire, Founder of CXN Advisory. $8.45.

THROUGH MAY 31: 53 Ideas Pitch Competition Open Call. Calling all entrepreneurs and business owners in the Charlotte region! The 53 Ideas Pitch Competition is back with an open call for ideas. Submit your business idea as a 53-second pitch online for a chance to win $10,000, sponsored by Fifth Third Bank. The open call for ideas runs from May 5 - May 31, 2024. There is no cost to submit.

◼️ Check out the full Ledger events board.

➡️ List your event on the Ledger events board.

In brief:

Republican officials back parents on Charlotte Latin lawsuit: Fourteen Republican lawmakers and election candidates — including N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate Majority Leader Paul Newton — have filed a brief with the N.C. Supreme Court supporting a lawsuit from former Charlotte Latin School parents who say their children were unfairly expelled from the school after the dad complained about “woke” lessons and policies to school administrators. The friend-of-the-court brief urges the court to take the case brought by Doug and Nicole Turpin, saying that it “is a good vehicle to outline some of the protections that the law provides to DEI critics.” Lower courts have largely ruled against the Turpins. (Carolina Journal; The Ledger has covered the issue extensively since before the lawsuit was filed.)
Delay on I-485 expansion: Completion of the new toll lanes on the 17-mile stretch of I-485 in south Charlotte has been pushed back to the spring or summer of 2025, state transportation officials said in a news release. The lanes had been scheduled to open in 2022, then were pushed back to 2024 and now 2025. (Observer)
Bettors lose $100M: In April, the first full month of legalized sports gambling in North Carolina, bettors lost more than $100M, placing $649M in bets and collecting $538M, the state lottery commission said. (N.C. State Lottery Commission)
Art League reaches lease deal: The Charlotte Art League reached a deal with its landlord, Flywheel Partners, to remain in its building near NoDa after facing eviction for nonpayment of rent. The organization will use less space in the building. (WFAE)
Woman killed, Gastonia officer injured in shootout: A woman died and a Gastonia police officer was injured in a shootout Saturday, as police responded to a domestic disturbance, police said. They said the woman fired on officers after being told to drop her weapon. (Gaston Gazette)
Light rail shooting: One person was taken to the hospital after being shot Friday night aboard a Blue Line light rail train at the Archdale station, according to Medic. The shooting stemmed from an argument among people who knew each other, transit officials said, and the injury was not life-threatening. (WBTV)
Fast-growing Fort Mill: Fort Mill, S.C., had the fastest rate of growth of any city in the Carolinas with a population of more than 20,000, according to an analysis of Census data. Fort Mill’s population rose by 8.8% in the year ending in July 2023, to a total of 33,626. Charlotte had the nation’s third-highest population gain in terms of raw numbers, with an increase of more than 15,000 residents. (Biz Journal)

Taking stock

Unless you are a day trader, checking your stocks daily is unhealthy. So how about weekly? How local stocks of note fared last week (through Friday’s close), and year to date:

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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman, BC Creative

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