Category: 1930 Sesquicentennial Celebration

President of the United States: Herbert Hoover

Vice President of the United States: Charles Curtis

By the year 1930, the National Parks Service had been in place for over a decade, and it expanded to include the battleground of Kings Mountain. For the Sesquicentennial Celebration in 1930, the battle of Kings Mountain had gained traction on a national scale. President Herbert Hoover attended the celebration, which was the very first time that a sitting president traveled to a Southern battlefield. To the crowd of over 30,000 people, President Hoover said that “This is a place of inspiring memories.” President Hoover spoke about the ideals that inspired the patriots at Kings Mountain and the forefathers of the United States. In an original souvenir program from the event, the battleground is called the “Cradle of American Liberty.” This title perfectly sums up the decisive impact of the battle of Kings Mountain as a turning point in the war.

Souvenir Program Booklet from the Sesqui-Centennial Celebration

A souvenir program including the program of events for the 150th anniversary sesqui-centennial celebration on October 7, 1930. Includes the following:

  • Advertisements for a number of area businesses
  • Schedule of events, including President Herbert Hoover’s address
  • Dedication of Ferguson Marker, with Mr. Ronald Campbell representing the British Government
  • Descendants of Heroes, including addresses by the Hon. James B. Nevin (Editor of the Georgian-American in Atlanta, GA) and Mrs. Avis Collier Brown (from Atlanta, GA)
  • A religious service at the battleground, presided over by Dr. I. S. McElroy, pastor of Kings Mountain Presbyterian Church
  • A sketch of the batteglound by D.R.S. Frazier, Civil Engineer in Shelby, NC
  • National Flag Drill
  • Historical Pageant directed by Miss Laura Plonk, sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution
  • A list of the celebration committees and their members
  • A history of the battle, written by William Milton Hood from Charlotte, NC
Booklet is empty or it doesn't exist.
Souvenir Program from 1930
Full PDF available

Souvenir Program from the Sesqui-Centennial Celebration

A souvenir program with some introductory remarks and a list of events:

  • 8:00 AM: Airplane stunt flying at Aviation Field
  • 9:00 AM: Two military band concerts
    • One on Railroad Ave. beside Mountainview Hotel
    • One on Piedmont Ave. at the City Hall lot
  • 10:00 AM: Football game at Speedway Park: Erskine College vs. Lenoir-Rhyne College
  • 12:00 PM: Parade forms on East King St.
  • 1:00 PM: President Herbert Hoover arrives, welcomed by a 21-gun salute
  • 1:10 PM: President Hoover reviews the military parade from the Presidential Stand on West Mountain St.
  • 2:00 PM: President Hoover and his party leave for the battleground
    • Presidential Address
    • Unveiling of Monument to Col. Ferguson
    • Other events
  • 3:30 PM: Football game at Speedway Park: Erskine freshmen vs. Lenoir-Rhyne freshmen
  • 4:00 PM: Two military band concerts
  • 4:30 PM: Historical pageant at Central High School Auditorium
  • 5:00 PM: Return of President Hoover from the battleground and departure of his train
  • 8:00 PM: Historical pageant at Central High School Auditorium
  • 9:00 PM–1:00 AM: Street dance on Piedmont Ave. in front of City Hall; music by “Del Padgett’s Troubles”
  • 10:00 PM: Fireworks at Aviation Field
Souvenir Program from 1930 Celebration
Full PDF available