By Werner Willis
SN Paper Lithograph Edition of 400 size 23 1/4″ X 18 1/2″
Open Edition Paper size 11″ X 9″
North Tryon St. Beat
Summer
At the turn of the century, Charlotte, North Carolina, was a textile boom town on the verge of explosive growth. There were no policemen so citizens served as volunteer patrolmen, and curfew was blown on a horn every night at 10:00. Gambling took place openly on the streets as well as in fancy gambling houses. Bawdy houses became a recurring problem.
Frustrated local preachers pressured City Hall to uphold law and order. The “Brown Bag” law of 1832 made it unlawful to sell liquor by the drink and in 1896, the town fathers voted to impose a | $50 fine on any woman “conducting herself unbecomingly”. North Tryon was home to everything from The Casino and Elk Club to churches, hotels, banks, and libraries. Tyron Street moved to a different beat at the turn of the century.