Most employees living in the Loray Mill Village in the early 1920s moved there from the mountains west of Gastonia.  Others came from rural communities elsewhere in North Carolina, as well as Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina.  While some made a career of hopping from mill to mill in search of better pay and living conditions, others only came to town for a short while to make money and return home to farming.  Many of them arrived as families; others built families during their time in the village.  Here are some of their stories.

Abernethy Household: 1112 West Franklin Avenue

Carnes-Fulbright Household: 211 South Liberty Street

Minnie and Mattie Carpenter: 215 South Highland Street

Gibson Household: 205 Trenton Street

Florence Greenwood: 214 South Ransom Street

Lane Household: 317 South King Street

Mills Household: 1104 West Fifth Avenue

Mitchell Boarding House: 109 South Weldon Street

Navy Household: 321 South King Street

Norment Household: 315 Hill Street

Painter-Deaver Household: 210 South Liberty Street

Roach Household: 209 South Trenton Street

Sandifer Household: 1115 West Fourth Street

Strange Household: 306 South King Street

Thanks to the students of AMST 850: Graduate Practicum in Digital Humanities (Fall 2014, UNC-Chapel Hill) for researching and writing drafts for many of these narratives:
Charlotte Fryar, Jessica Martell, Adam McCune, Ashley Peles, & Alicia Rivero.