Before Lake Norman existed, before waterfront homes lined the shoreline, and before Cornelius became one of the fastest-growing towns in North Carolina, this area was a community built on cotton, railroads, and the vision of a few determined entrepreneurs.
As a lifelong resident of Huntersville whose family roots in northern Mecklenburg County stretch back eight generations, I am often asked a simple question:
“What was life like before the lake?”
That question inspired me to begin researching the history of our area. The result is a new series called “Life Before the Lake,” where we’ll explore the people, businesses, and communities that shaped this region long before Duke Energy flooded the Catawba River valley to create Lake Norman.
Our story begins with the birth of Cornelius.
In the late 1800s, the area now known as Cornelius was little more than a farming community located along the railroad line that ran through northern Mecklenburg County.
Cotton was king.
Farmers throughout the region brought their cotton to the community to be weighed, ginned, purchased, and shipped by rail to larger markets. The railroad made commerce possible, and local business leaders quickly recognized an opportunity to create something bigger.
The community became known as Liverpool, a nickname inspired by Liverpool, England, which at the time played a major role in the global cotton trade and helped influence cotton prices worldwide. With so much cotton moving through the area, the name seemed fitting.
Yet Liverpool was still just a small agricultural crossroads. That would soon change.
One of the more fascinating stories behind Cornelius’ growth began in neighboring Davidson.
During the late 1800s, two successful cotton-buying firms in Davidson became embroiled in a dispute over the appointment of an official town cotton weigher. The disagreement led to heated elections and new legislation.
After losing the battle, one of the firms decided to move much of its operation just south of the Davidson town limits to a small building owned by local entrepreneur R.J. Stough.
The move proved to be a turning point.
Heavy rains frequently turned the road between Davidson and Liverpool into an impassable muddy mess. Farmers hauling cotton often found it easier to stop at Stough’s location rather than struggle into Davidson.
As more farmers brought their cotton to Stough’s operation, business flourished.
Among the early leaders of the community, few were as influential as Rufus James (R.J.) Stough.
A great-grandson of Revolutionary War veteran Martin Stough, R.J. was one of the area’s first true entrepreneurs. He understood that successful communities required more than agriculture alone.
Over the years, Stough developed multiple business ventures, including:
But his greatest vision was to build a manufacturing facility that could transform locally grown cotton into finished textiles.
The challenge was finding the money.
That financial backing came from Joseph Benjamin Cornelius.
In 1855, Cornelius purchased large tracts of land along the Catawba River and built a successful cotton plantation. He also operated a ferry service and became one of the region’s most respected businessmen and civic leaders.
His accomplishments included serving as:
When Stough proposed building a cotton mill, Cornelius recognized the opportunity and became the principal investor.
The partnership would forever change the future of the community.
With Stough providing the vision and Cornelius providing much of the capital, the two men established the Stough-Cornelius Cotton Mill during the 1890s.
Located near the present-day site of Cornelius Town Hall and Food Lion, the mill became an economic engine for the region.
The impact was immediate.
The mill created jobs, attracted workers, stimulated commerce, and encouraged additional businesses to locate near the railroad. What had once been a quiet farming community began evolving into a thriving mill town.
By 1923, the mill employed approximately 230 workers.
Life inside the mill was demanding. Adult workers typically labored:
Yet these jobs provided economic opportunities that helped support hundreds of local families.
Ironically, the man whose name would become synonymous with the town never actually lived there.
When residents applied for a post office in 1893, they were informed that another North Carolina community already used the name Liverpool.
A new name was needed.
In recognition of his substantial contributions to the community’s development and his role as the principal stockholder in the cotton mill, local citizens selected the name Cornelius.
The Cornelius Post Office opened in 1893, and the new name quickly took hold.
The success of the Stough-Cornelius Mill encouraged additional industrial growth.
In 1905, a second textile operation, the Gem Yarn Mill, opened in Cornelius.
Originally employing about 45 workers, the mill eventually grew to more than 150 employees during its peak years.
Today, the building remains one of the most recognizable historic structures in town.
Known as Oak Street Mill, it now houses antique shops, restaurants, offices, and event venues, including Brick Row.
It is the only remaining cotton mill building still standing in Cornelius.
One of the most historic commercial buildings in downtown Cornelius is the former Stough-Cornelius Mill office building on Catawba Avenue.
The structure is one of only a handful of surviving early twentieth-century commercial buildings that once lined Cornelius’ bustling business district.
Over the years, the building has served many purposes.
In 1940, it became the headquarters of the Cornelius Electric Membership Corporation, the town’s first electric cooperative established through the federal Rural Electrification Administration.
Later, the east storefront housed a beauty shop operated by Cora Readling, who opened Cornelius’ first beauty shop in 1937.
Today, the building remains active as home to Potts Barber Shop and Edward Jones, continuing a tradition of local commerce more than a century after its construction.
The story of Cornelius is ultimately the story of vision, investment, and hard work.
R.J. Stough saw possibilities where others saw farmland.
J.B. Cornelius provided the financial resources needed to turn those possibilities into reality.
Together, they helped transform a small railroad stop known as Liverpool into the thriving town we know today.
The mills they built provided jobs, attracted businesses, and laid the economic foundation that allowed Cornelius to grow long before Lake Norman reshaped the landscape.
In many ways, modern Cornelius owes its existence not to the lake, but to cotton.
And that’s where the story of “Life Before the Lake” truly begins.
As I continue this journey through the history of our Lake Norman communities, I hope these articles help preserve the stories, people, and places that existed long before the lake was created. Having spent my entire life in Huntersville and knowing my family’s roots go back eight generations in this area, I feel a responsibility to help keep these memories alive. The roads, farms, churches, schools, businesses, and families that shaped this region deserve to be remembered. If you have family stories, photographs, documents, or memories of life before the lake, I would love to hear from you. Together, we can preserve the history of the communities that laid the foundation for the Lake Norman area we know and love today. Follow the Life Before the Lake series on LKNConnect.com as we continue exploring the rich heritage of our hometowns and the people who called them home.
Thanks,
David Beard
Information for this article came from several sources. One was Chuck McShane’s book A History of Lake Norman, published by The History Press, Charleston, SC 29403, Copyright, 2014. Another source was from Cindy Jacobs’ book, Images of America, Around Lake Norman, published by Arcada Publishing, Charleston, SC Copywrite, 2008. Some material also came from Leslie B. Rindoks’s book, A Town By Any Other Name, by Lorimer Press, published in 2005.
