North Carolina

North Carolina

President: George Washington

Start Point: Charlotte- 10km Walk (YR0894) Jan 1-Dec 31

Sponsoring Club: AVA-0831, Metrolina Walkers

History Lesson: George Washington slept here, May 19, 1789, while on his Southern Tour. In 1789 George Washington, as the country's first President, decided to visit each of the new states "to become better acquainted with their principal characters and internal circumstances, as well as to be more accessible to numbers of well-informed persons who might give useful information and advice on political subjects." He also wished "to acquire knowledge of the face of the country, the growth and agriculture thereof-and the temper and disposition of the inhabitants toward the new government." — One side of the downtown "square" has a marker stating the site of a home where Washington had been entertained was in that locale and the other side of the "square" has a marker stating a hotel (or whatever they were called back then) had been on that site and that Washington had indeed slept there.

President: Woodrow Wilson

Start Point: Cornelius- 10km Walk (YR1466) Jan 1-Dec 31

Sponsoring Club: AVA-0831, Metrolina Walkers

History Lesson: Admiring Davidson as an institution devoted to Presbyterianism, moral character, and academic primacy, Joseph Ruggles Wilson deemed Davidson a perfect fit for his son Woodrow, stating, “surely if Davidson be not worthy of public favor, then no college is” (Rives). Woodrow Wilson came to Davidson as a freshman in 1873, but would stay for only one year before he became ill, took a year off from college, and afterwards enrolled at Princeton University. Despite his brief tenure, Wilson spoke affectionately of his alma mater while President, and to this day he remains Davidson’s most famous alum." from the Davidson Encyclopedia, Oct 2003 by David Wheeler.

President: John F. Kennedy

Start Point: Ft Bragg - 11km Walk (YR892) Jan 1-Dec 31

Sponsoring Club: AVA-0284, Winston Wanderers

History Lesson: Route is on sidewalks through the post and residential areas. You will also go by the JFK Museum [John F. Kennedy and Special Forces (1) Inauguration Speech and involvement in Southeast Asia; (2) JFK’s visit to Fort Bragg in October 1962 and presidential order for wearing the green beret, September 1962] and Iron Mike Statue.

President: Andrew Johnson

Start Point: Raleigh - 10km Walk (YR0597) Jan 2 - Dec 31

Sponsoring Club: AVA-0786, Triangle Trailblazers

History Lesson: Along the trail is the house in which Andrew Johnson was born. It is located in historic Mordecai Park which is part of the walk. Andrew Johnson was born in Raleigh in 1808. He succeeded to the presidency after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865, and he served as president until 1869.

President: Andrew Jackson

Start Point: Salisbury - 10km Walk (YR0599) Jan 2 - Dec 31

Sponsoring Club: AVA-0217, Rowan Roamers

History Lesson: Andrew Jackson lived in Salisbury for two years while he studied law. The route goes by the location where he studied law and the location were he lived at the Rowan House.

President: George Washington, William H. Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton

Start Point: Wilmington - 10km Walk (YR0893) Jan 1 - Dec 31

Sponsoring Club: AVA-0217, Rowan Roamers

History Lesson: George Washington. He did sleep here. In April 1791, he embarked on a tour of the Southern states. His first stop in our area was at Sage’s Inn, which stood close to present-day U.S. 17 near Holly Ridge. The next day, April 24, he arrived in Wilmington for a two-night stay. He was entertained at Dorsey’s Tavern, which stood at 10 N. Front St. until 1960. He stayed at the John Quince house, at Front and Dock. Stone markers erected in the early 20th Century mark those sites. Washington’s final stop before entering South Carolina was at the house of William Gause, Jr., near Shallotte Inlet. Woodrow Wilson. Known as “Tommy” during his stay here, the 18-year-old son of the Rev. Joseph R. Wilson arrived on November 1, 1874, when his father became pastor of First Presbyterian Church. He left Wilmington the next year to attend Princeton University. He was president of Princeton and governor of New Jersey before being elected President in 1912.

Updated January 31, 2008