Undated (02) - Cleveland County Early Days

Authors

Mamie Jones

Files

Description

This article recounts notable events in Cleveland County from the 1860s through the Spanish-American War era. It describes stagecoach travel through Shelby, including a robbery and murder of a driver, and the sensational 1891 trial of the Motz brothers for the accidental killing of their cousin while attempting revenge on Robert Michael. The narrative also covers community reactions to the verdict and local participation in the Spanish-American War, including the Cleveland Guards’ service and the death of soldier Robert Justice from illness.

Publication Date

2026

City

Shelby, NC

Keywords

James Hughes, Jim Black, Sam Motz, Pink Motz, Robert Micheal, Ed Micheal, Will Micheal, George Wilson, Robert Justice, Cleveland Guards, Spanish-American War, Shelby, stagecoach

Contributors

Fay Webb Gardner Collection in the Gardner-Webb University Archives

Recommended Citation

Jones, Mamie, "Undated (02) - Cleveland County Early Days" (2026). Cleveland County Early Days Newspaper Column. 68.
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/fay-webb-gardner-cleveland-county-early-days-newspaper-column/68