In 1960, local historian J. Weston Clinard made an insightful observation about his hometown. He said, “The people of Hickory did not have to seek help from neighboring towns when there was a large or small job to be done. The first settlers had among them skilled laborers, artisans, craftsmen and mechanics. The aggressiveness of this settlement, from the time of its inception, attracted others, who were experts in their lines, to come here and make their homes.”
In his weekly Hickory Daily Record column, Clinard pointed out the strength of his home came from being a place where everyone was appreciated for their contribution. Though they arrived as outsiders, if newcomers demonstrated drive and skill, the local establishment welcomed them. Together, they created a unique culture, building an economic hub for the region.
The prime movers of what we would consider ‘Old Hickory’ infused their work with a proactive spirit. Whether the businesses they started are still around or not, or the structures they built still stand (some do, some don’t), they set the stage for future success with an unrelenting energy.
A town so bent upon forging a path to the future didn’t worry much with where it had been. They were more concerned with where they were going. These were, as Clinard noted, aggressive people. Among them were two family names of longstanding in Catawba County, Killian and Whitener. Henry Killian and James R. Whitener were builders. For the first project in their partnership, they took on the mammoth construction of one the grandest edifices ever to be seen in Hickory…