Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of Red Cross was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1979. Below: maps from 1957 on and old-book passages.
Red Cross dates its founding to 2002 (Wikidata).
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Red Cross’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Red Cross.
With growth resulting from the expansion of suburban communities around Charlotte, Red Cross incorporated on August 1, 2002. The people wanted to keep their area agricultural and rural to the extent that it was possible.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Red Cross, cut from the printed page as they were published.
It is not so much the giving of refreshments, not the handing out of cigarettes and candy that touches the "boys" ; rather, it is that inexpressible spirit upon which the Red Cross is founded, simply but effectively expressed by one kind lady when one of the boys thanked her : "I have a boy over there, too. I understand." It is the spirit of understanding. Truly, he who wrote the words, "The Red Cross, the greatest Mother of them all," penned better than he knew. For who can understand as a mother?
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Red Cross. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Red Cross.
Nobody well known was born in Red Cross itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 2002, according to Wikidata.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
