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Book by R.L. Stowe-December 1951
NCR-975-61-G2


	   EARLY HISTORY OF BELMONT AND GASTON COUNTY
			NORTH CAROLINA

The Atlanta, Charlotte Airline Railway now a part of the Southern
Railway was built in 1871-1872  The station was named Garibaldi.
The first mercantile establishment was situated where Mrs W.A. Leeper
now lives, and there was a grocery store and a saloon combined.
Mellon and Gullick firm was opened in the 1880's.  Mr. Neal Mellon
died in 1887 and the interest was bought by John F. Leeper and W.A.
Leeper. The firm was run under the name of Leeper and Gullick Company
Later on the store was sold and the building rented out to different
firms until it burned down in 1902.
Newspapers were distributed from Gallants store located at John F.
Leeper's place on the South Point Rd. where the Gaston family now
live.

Gold mining was the largest operation in all the area around Charlotte
until the Califormia Gold Rush. There was considerable mining here
before the Civil War, and some years later. The LEEPER GOLD MINE was
considered a rich mine and was worked more than a hundred years.

A Robert Leeper was one of the first known settlers in the point on
the Catawba River. His earliest grant of land 330 acres was issued
March 31, 1750.

James Leeper a nephew of Robert Leeper secured a grant of 300 acres
of land on the west bank of the Catawba River. He was the father of
Matthew Leeper , a Revolutionary soldier, who donated land for the
Smith Graveyard.

Nicholas Leeper, another nephew of Robert Leeper and the oldest
brother of James Leeper, is ancestor of many Leepers now living in
Belmont. He obtained a grant of 190 acres of land on the river April
23, 1762.

John F. Leeper, W. A. Leeper and sister Mollie Leeper lived at the
old Loneghaust Ferry Place but later moved to Belmont
John F. Leeper was the father of Mrs. Johnsie Leeper Gaston and Ned
Leeper.
W.A. Leeper was the father of W. Thomas Leeper and Augustus Leeper
both of Belmont.
Mollie Leeper married Robert Ford and lived in the country about three
miles from Belmont.

Capt. John Smith lived a mile down the road on a place now owned by
Leeper estate.

During a Typhoid epidemic, John F. and W.A. Leeper were the only two
in the area to have typhoid and survive during the 1880's.