During my forty-two years in Charlotte, I have seen many changes in the city that I now call home, but the changes that I have witnessed are practically nothing compared to changes that Earl G. Gulledge has witnessed during his eighty years as a resident of Charlotte. Gulledge was born in Charlotte in 1945, and he has lived in the city his entire life. For years he worked for one of Charlotte’s leading architectural firms, and his background in construction and project management has contributed to his ongoing interest in the city’s built environment.
Over the course of his career, Gulledge has often been asked about what the city was like back in the day, and these questions prompted him to record his memories in a book. He decided to focus his book on his growing-up years. Titled Charlotte: Haulin’ Around Town Streetside 1950-1963, his book came out in November 2025 with Redhawk Publications. The publisher describes the book as “part memoir, part historical commentary.” When I saw the announcement about the release of the book, I wanted to know more, so I contacted Gulledge and asked him for additional information about his memoir. Here is what he sent to me:
I am a native of Charlotte. I grew up on the westside in the neighborhoods of Barringer (west of Wilmore) and Ashley Park. My mother passed away when I was three and a half and, as you might presume, I spent a lot of time with my grandmothers. My father was a city bus driver. As time passed, I spent a lot of time riding buses, both for transportation as about everyone did and to pass time after Saturday movies. In those days boys my age could go “downtown'” by themselves and spend most of a day. I knew the city well. As it turns out I have a quite good memory – back to three years of age. As I note in my book, I clearly remember the start of the Korean War on June 25, 1950.
As time went by, I found myself in countless conversations about “old” Charlotte. In 2019 while attending a meeting uptown and in a conversation about an old railroad right of way, I decided to write about growing up in the city. There are numerous books about Charlotte. Charlotte: Haulin’ Around Town Streetside 1950 – 1963 is not a then vs now comparative discussion of Charlotte. It is, in fact, a narrative memoir that encompasses, places, people, lifestyles, and vignettes.
The years 1950 and 1963 offer a duality for my narrative. In 1950 I was old enough to process happenings around me, and in 1963 I graduated from high school. The year 1950 was the front bookend of the Cold War years, and 1963 was the closing bookend at the transition point to the last half of the century. I believe I have offered a granularity of detail not found in any other single source including the first generation of theaters, our airport, railroads, and many other topics of interest.
The book is available from Redhawk (https://tinyurl.com/CharlotteEarlGulledge), Park Road Books, Barnes and Noble (Arboretum and Morrocroft), The Buttercup, The Mole Hole, Myers Park Methodist Gracious Gifts, Renfroe Hardware in Matthews, and Amazon.
While reading Gulledge’s memoir, I learned a lot about the history of our city. Gulledge provides keen insights into the history of Charlotte’s neighborhoods and landmark buildings, but he also includes commentary on the nature of life in Charlotte during these post-war years. I especially like his discussion of the impact of racial segregation on his childhood. I also like the many photographs and other visual images that he includes. Gulledge’s memoir should appeal to anyone who is interested in reading about the history of Storied Charlotte as a lived experience.
