Don Bolden Knihy

Burlington began as a railroad town, but it became known across the world as a textile center. In the 1850s, the newly formed North Carolina Railroad Company needed a maintenance facility halfway between Goldsboro and Charlotte. The location was given a generic name, Company Shops, which was simply an expression of the railroad's operation. In 1886, the shops were moved to a new location, so in 1887, people here chose a new name--Burlington--and the little town moved on. Burlington became known as the "Hosiery Center of the South," and in 1923, Burlington Mills was formed. It became the largest maker of textile products in the world and carried the name of this community around the globe. In addition to textiles, industries over the years have included aircraft, telephone components, and military radar equipment, and by the beginning of the 21st century, Burlington was home to Labcorp, the nation's second largest medical testing laboratory.

Glencoe was a former mill town fallen into disrepair but was declared a historic site and restored, sharing the history of southern textiles. The Glencoe Cotton Mill and its village have a story very similar to that of other 19th- and 20th-century mill communities across the South. The mill operated from 1880 until 1954, and its employees lived in mill houses and shopped at the company store. After it closed, the community faded into vacant houses, rutted streets, and weed-covered properties. Unlike other mills, however, Glencoe found a spark of new life. People interested in its history--headed by Graham resident Sarah Rhyne--joined together to see the property declared a national historic site. Work reclaimed the mill and preserved it for the future. Preservation North Carolina helped, as did a number of individuals from the area, and life returned. Many of the mill houses have been purchased and restored and are now home to a new generation of residents. The Textile Heritage Museum occupies the old office-store building and, with its displays, shows the history of Glencoe and southern textiles in general.