Concord’s Nostalgic Charm: 1930s–1940s North Carolina Local Life in Black-and-White!

This rare black-and-white silent film unveils the everyday life and landmarks of Concord, North Carolina, in the 1930s and 1940s—over 70 years ago—captured as part of H. Lee Waters’ "Movies of Local People" project, offering a nostalgic glimpse into small-town America during the Great Depression and WWII eras. Filmed as a documentary, the footage showcases Concord’s key places: Cannon Mills, a major textile employer; R. A. Dry Shoe Shop; Stonewall Jackson Manual Training and Industrial School; Central Graded School; Concord High School; and Porter’s Drugs, reflecting the town’s industrial and educational heart. It also features lively scenes of the Concord Baseball Team, schoolchildren racing and dancing, and local residents going about daily life, set against a population of about 15,000 in the 1930s, growing to 20,000 by the 1940s. A haunting window into mid-20th-century Southern life, this preserved gem grips history buffs, local historians, and North Carolina heritage enthusiasts, offering a timeless peek at Concord frozen in time.