Being transported back in time to experience what those from another century encountered is a rare and enlightening treat. The pace of life with its landmarks and personalities, long forgotten as progress marched forward, lives only in memory of those who witnessed their times and are willing to put pen to paper and tell us what they saw.

Fortunately, two sisters from the early days of Hickory keenly observed the town around them. They watched the city grow, living through a formative era and took the time to preserve those memories. From the perch of one of Hickory’s most influential families, Elizabeth and Margaret chronicled the days when horse-drawn carts surrendered the street to automobiles, modernity was all the rage, and they, like their hometown, were growing up.