Interesting Facts

In the 1740's, Quakers migrated to this region and established the first white settlement, which came to be known as New Garden. Fifty years later, the town became Greensboro.
The Quaker town of New Garden changed to Greensboro after the 1780 Battle of Guilford Courthouse. In the battle, British General Cornwallis defeated Revolutionary General Nathaniel Greene, but not before loosing a quarter of his troops. The loss eventually led to Cornwallis' defeat in Yorktown.
The large Quaker community in Greensboro was sympathetic to the emancipation of slaves. In fact, before and during the Civil War, Greensboro was a major stop on the Underground Railroad, which led many slaves to freedom.
There wasn't much public notice in Greensboro when William Sydney Porter was born in 1862. However, when he grew up and became the great American novelist O. Henry, all of Greensboro proclaimed him a favorite son.
If you've ever had a nasty cold and been thankful for Vicks Vapor Rub, you actually need to thank Greensboro pharmacist Lunsford Richardson who invented and began producing the greasy elixir in 1912.
Another one of Greensboro's favorite sons is Daniel Boone, the frontiersman who spent part of his childhood in the area. It is rumored that Boone once hid from hostile Indians in an area cave, which is now a part of Boone's Cave State Park.
Racing great Richard Petty was born and raised in Greensboro. However, the Petty racing legacy began with Lee Petty, who attended King's Business College in Greensboro. Lee and his sons raced on area dirt tracks until news arrived via the Greensboro News that there was a new racing organization starting in Daytona, Florida. The rest, as they say, is history.
On February 1, 1960, the history making Woolworth's sit-in took place in Greensboro. This tactic was embraced by leaders in the Civil Rights Movement and was used throughout the south to help propel Civil Rights into the national spotlight. Today, a marker on Elm Street near Sycamore Street serves as a memorial to the historical Greensboro event.
Greensboro is proud to name native George Preddy as one of its own. Preddy, a P-51 Mustang fighter plane pilot, bears the honor of being the best Mustang ace ever. His daring flights during WWII resulted in crippling a total of over 32 enemy aircraft.
Dolly Madison, one of America's best-known First Ladies, was born in Greensboro. She was a very accomplished woman, but most people remember her for a certain "save." Just before the British burned the White House during the War of 1812, Dolly saved the original drafts of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.