Carthage, North Carolina
Carthage was the home of the Tyson Jones Buggy Company, considered the “Cadillac” buggy manufacturer in the heyday of buggies. Royalty from Europe and South America actually came to Carthage to have their deluxe buggies made. When first looking for a place to build his newfangled horseless carriage, Henry Ford was interested in using the plant and converting it into a car assembly line. Luckily, the owners refused to sell and so Ford moved on to build a plant in Detroit.
The town was originally slated to be the home of the University of North Carolina, but city leaders at the time determined they didn’t want the university built here, telling the State that Carthage was on too steep of a hill for locomotives to climb and that access to the University would therefore be limited.
Carthage celebrates its rich history with an annual springtime festival, used to showcase the history of the town as well as local musicians, hot rods, old tractors, old buggies made by the Tyson Jones Buggy Company, crafts and North Carolina pottery. This event takes place in the town square around the Old Court House, considered to be a historic landmark.
