10/17/2026
Mooresville in other years....
One hundred twenty‑three years ago this month, William Jennings Bryan passed through North Carolina, making stops in both Mooresville and Davidson. During the trip he also took part in commemorating the 133rd anniversary of the Battle of King’s Mountain.
Bryan, a towering figure in early 20th‑century American politics, ran unsuccessfully for President three times—1896, 1900, and 1908—and is widely remembered for his electrifying “Cross of Gold” speech. He later served as the prosecuting attorney in the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial in Dayton, Tennessee, a landmark case that placed the theory of evolution on national display. He was pitted against the famous politician and attorney, Clarence Darrow. The trial’s cultural impact endured, eventually inspiring the film Inherit the Wind, starring Spencer Tracy.
Among the Mooresville residents noted as attending Bryan’s visit were several prominent local figures: Albert L. Starr, a practicing attorney in town, John Barger, one of the founders of Barger Construction, and Earnest H. Miller, operator of Miller Drug Co.
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