Timeline of Winston-Salem, North Carolina facts for kids

Winston-Salem is a city in North Carolina, USA. It's known for its rich history, especially how two towns, Winston and Salem, grew up side-by-side and eventually became one big city. This timeline will take you through some of the most important moments in Winston-Salem's past, from its early days to today.

Early Days: Before the 1900s

• 1769 – The Single Brothers' House was built in Salem. This was a home for single men in the Moravian community.
• 1771 – A special cemetery called "God's Acre" began to be used in Salem.
• 1784 – The Salem Tavern was rebuilt. This was a popular place for travelers and locals.
• 1802 – Salem Academy, a school for girls, was founded. It's one of the oldest schools for girls in the country.
• 1840 – Two important factories, the Arista Cotton Mill and Fries Woolen Mills, started operating in Salem.
• 1843 – Salem got its own fire department, the Salem Vigilant Fire Company.
• 1849 – Salem became part of the new Forsyth County.
• 1851 – A new town called Winston was created to be the main town for Forsyth County.
• 1852 – The Western Plank Road was built, connecting Wilmington to Salem. This made travel and trade easier.
• 1856
  • The town of Salem officially became a city.
  • Charles Brietz became the first mayor of Salem.
  • The Western Sentinel newspaper started publishing in Salem.
• 1859
  • Winston also officially became a city.
  • William Barrow became the first mayor of Winston.
• 1861
  • St. Philips Moravian Church was built in Salem.
  • May 20: North Carolina decided to leave the United States and joined the Confederate States.
• 1866 – The First National Bank of Salem was opened.
• 1871 – The first tobacco factory in Winston began operating.
• 1872 – P.H. Hanes & Co. started its tobacco business in Winston.
• 1875 – The famous R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company began its business in Winston.
• 1879 – Wachovia National Bank was established in Winston.
• 1890 – The Twin-City Daily Sentinel newspaper started publishing.
• 1891 – The first Catholic Mass was held at St. Leo's original church site.
• 1896 – The population of Salem was about 5,500 people, and Winston had about 13,500 people.
• 1897 – The Journal newspaper began publishing.
• 1899 – The Winston-Salem post office was set up in Winston.

Growing Up: The 1900s

Downtown Winston-Salem in 1921

• 1905 – Baseball came to Winston-Salem, bringing sports entertainment to the city.
• 1912 – The Winston-Salem Hebrew Congregation was formed.
• 1913 – The towns of Salem and Winston officially merged to form one city: Winston-Salem. This was a big step!
• 1923 – North Carolina Baptist Hospital opened, providing important healthcare services.
• 1927 –
  • The Nissen Building was finished. This building later became the first in the Southeastern U.S. to have air conditioning.
  • Miller Municipal Airport was established, making air travel possible for the city.
• 1929 – The Reynolds Building (a tall building) was constructed.
• 1930 –
  • WSJS radio began broadcasting, bringing news and entertainment to homes.
  • The unique shell-shaped Shell Service Station was built.
• 1935 – The State Theatre was active, offering movies and shows.
• 1937 –
  • WAIR radio began broadcasting.
  • Krispy Kreme donuts started their famous business here.
• 1948 – Piedmont Airlines made Winston-Salem its main office.
• 1951 – The Flamingo Drive-In cinema opened, a popular spot for watching movies from your car.
• 1952 – Temple Emanuel synagogue was built.
• 1953 – WSJS-TV began broadcasting, bringing television to the area.
• 1956 – Wake Forest College moved its campus to Winston-Salem.
• 1960 – Winston-Salem's population grew to over 100,000 people for the first time.
• 1965 –
  • Hanes Corporation made Winston-Salem its main office.
  • The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts was established, showcasing historical art and furniture.
  • The Parkway Theatre opened.
• 1966 – The Wachovia Building (another tall building) was constructed.
• 1971 – The Black Panther Party, Winston-Salem, North Carolina Chapter was established.
• 1975 – Hanes Mall opened, becoming a major shopping center.
• 1979 – WGNN-TV began broadcasting.
• 1981 – Wake Forest University's Layton Field baseball park opened.
• 1982 –
  • Second Harvest Food Bank began operating, helping to feed people in need.
  • The Southern Garden History Society made Winston-Salem its main office.
  • The RJR Plaza Building was constructed.
• 1989 –
  • The Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum opened, a large arena for sports and events.
  • Tornadoes hit the Winston-Salem area on May 5. These storms were part of a larger tornado outbreak across several states.
• 1993 – Mel Watt became the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 12th congressional district.
• 1995 – The Wachovia Center (a tall building) was built.
• 1997 –
  • The city's website went online around this time.
  • Winston Net, a nonprofit for computer training, was established.
  • Jack Cavanagh became mayor.
• 2000 –
  • The population of Winston-Salem grew to over 200,000 people for the first time.
  • The city started a "sister city" relationship with Ungheni, Moldova.

Modern Times: The 2000s and Beyond

• 2001 –
  • Allen Joines became mayor.
  • A sister city relationship was established with Kumasi, Ghana.
• 2005 – The Winston Cup Museum was opened by Will Spencer.
• 2006 – Sister city relationships were established with Nassau, Bahamas and Shanghai, China.
• 2008 – Wachovia Bank was bought by Wells Fargo.
• 2010 – The population of Winston-Salem was 229,617 people.
• 2011 –
  • A sister city relationship was established with Buchanan, Liberia.
  • The Winston-Salem Open tennis tournament moved here from New Haven, Connecticut.
• 2014 – Alma Adams became the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 12th congressional district.
• 2019 –
  • A statue of a Confederate soldier was removed from the former grounds of the Forsyth County Courthouse after protests.
  • BB&T acquired SunTrust Banks, forming Truist Financial, which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
• 2022 – A fire at the Weaver Fertilizer Plant caused an evacuation of the area due to concerns about a large explosion.