History · Gaston

Gaston’s history is
mostly unwritten

The public archives hold no old photos of Gaston. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.

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The story

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The area was occupied by sawmills, family farms, and turpentine stills until about 1890.

A line of the South Bound Railroad was built through the settlement in 1891, and a station called "Gaston" was erected, named after Gaston Raoul, a railroad engineer's nephew.

Gaston incorporated in 1894, and the town grew slowly in population, with forestry and farming dominant industries in the area.

Three African Americans accused of rape were murdered by vigilantes in 1893, and "their mangled bodies were left hanging beside the railroad as a warning to other African-Americans."

U.S. Route 321 enabled Gaston to prosper in the 20th century.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Before
2000

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National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Gaston is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Gaston has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Peter M. and Alice Oliver House in Swansea, 5.5 miles away.