Located in North Carolina's rolling piedmont, Cleveland County was formed from portions of Lincoln and Rutherford Counties in 1841. Since the county's days as the leading cotton producer in western North Carolina, residents have gently changed their ways of life. Both agriculture and textiles are retreating into the distant past, but the impact both have had on Cleveland's towns and residents is not to be forgotten. This volume, the second in the Images of America series about the area, includes vintage photographs and postcards from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, beginning with an 1879 snapshot of an early educators' gathering. Prominent families who guided the county on its course make appearances, including Governor O. Max Gardner and his wife, Faye Webb Gardner; the W.J. Arey family, operators of the oldest family business in the county; and the O.Z. Morgan family, pioneers in the development of agriculture extension in North Carolina. Leaders of Cleveland's textile industry are also highlighted, including the families of John R. Dover of Shelby and C.E. Neisler of Kings Mountain.

Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shelby was established in 1841 as the seat of newly formed Cleveland County. Once a textile center surrounded by thousands of acres of cotton fields, Shelby is experiencing an exciting economic revival with a diversified mix of business and industry. The 1907 courthouse will be the center of a Southern music and heritage museum highlighting local musicians Earl Scruggs and Don Gibson. In Images of America: Shelby, U. L. Rusty Patterson and Barry Hambright have taken another look at Shelby, with special attention paid to the people who were responsible for the progress of the city; the many business, civic, religious, and social leaders within the community; the old Shelby public schools; and Shelbys proud sports heritage.