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Hickory is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina and is the 4th largest metropolitan area in North Carolina.  Hickory has its share of awards with having been named an "All-America City" three times.  The All-America City Award is given annually to only ten cities in the United States. It is a very prestigious award that represents a community’s ability to work together and achieve critical local issues. Hickory won this award in 2007, 1967 and 1987.  Also, the Hickory Metro area has also been named the 10th best place to live and raise a family in the United States by Readers Digest.  The MSA (Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton) has been named 3rd best MSA in the country for business cost by Forbes Magazine.

History

(The following information is sourced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hickory,_North_Carolina. For this and more information, please follow the link)
In the 1850's, under a huge Hickory Tree, a man by the name of Henry Robinson built a tavern of logs. The city of "Hickory Tavern" was established in 1863 and the name was eventually changed to "Hickory" in 1873.
The first train operated in the city of "Hickory Tavern" in 1859. The first lot was sold to Henry Link for $45.00 in 1858. His house is now known as "The 1859 Cafe." The community of Hickory was the first for many things in North Carolina including the council-manger form of government it adopted in 1913. Hickory was also one of the first towns to install electric lights in 1888 and a complete sewage system in 1904.
In 1868, Dr. Jeremiah Ingold, pastor of the German Reformed Grace Charge, established Hickory's first school, the Free Academy.
In 1891, Lenoir-Rhyne University (then Highland Academy) was founded by four Lutheran pastors with 12 initial students.
Hickory is also home to one of the oldest furniture manufacturers in the United States that is still located and operated on the original site. Hickory White, formerly known as Hickory Manufacturing Company, was built in 1902 and has been in continuous operation ever since. During World War II, the factory made ammunition boxes for the U.S. Military instead of furniture.
Hickory was known in the years after World War II for the "Miracle of Hickory." In 1944 the area around Hickory became the center of one of the worst outbreaks of polio ever recorded. Since local facilities were inadequate to treat the victims, the citizens of Hickory and the March of Dimes decided to build a hospital to care for the children of the region. From the time the decision was made until equipment, doctors, and patients were in a new facility, took less than 54 hours. Several more buildings were added shortly after. A Red Cross official on the scene praised the project "as the most outstanding example of cooperative effort he has ever seen."

Hickory Parks and Recreation

The Hickory Metro offers services for everyone from preschool aged children to senior citizens. Whether you prefer hiking or biking in public parks, or are looking to tee off on some of the best golf courses in the Charlotte region, there are an abundance of things to do in Hickory.  Whether it be wine tasting, Hickory’s prime geographic location allows visitors to explore the most exquisite vineyards in the Southeast, or taking advantage of outstanding outdoor activities. You can mine for precious stones at the “Gem Capital of the World” at Hiddenite Gems, located in nearby Taylorsville, enjoy one of Hickory’s parks, or go on a boating excursion at one of the areas crystal clear lakes.

It is the policy of the City of Hickory to provide quality services through partnerships with our community, best use of available resources, coworkers committed to customer service, continual improvement and the highest standards of ethical conduct.  Hickory Parks and Recreation’s unofficial motto is: “We work so others can play”.  The City of Hickory operates and maintains 18 parks, 6 recreation centers and two senior citizens centers for City residents and visitors. 

For more information about Hickory’s Parks and Recreation, please visit the links below.
Click here for a list of city parks
http://www.hickorygov.com/egov/apps/locations/facilities.egov?path=browse&search_type=1&search_ltype=3

Click here for a list of recreation centers
http://www.hickorygov.com/department/division.php?fDD=14-149

Click here for more information about health and fitness classes
http://www.hickorygov.com/department/division.php?fDD=14-151

Hickory Events and Attractions

Hickory is home to many exciting events and attractions that will keep you and your family busy year round. Come see how Hickory combines education and fun with the Catawba Science Center or relax at the family owned winery, Lake James Cellars. For a full list of events and attractions in the area, please see the below links.

Lake James Cellars
Lake James Cellars is a family owned and run winery located in Glen Alpine, NC in the foothills of North Carolina.  The business is named after the beautiful nearby Lake James.

Bo’s Bodacious Family Entertainment
Bo’s Bodacious Family Entertainment offers a full service restaurant, catering, banquet rooms, lounge, billiards, a large arcade, a 24-lane bowling center, private birthday rooms and a soft-play for younger children.  The facilities also include 18-holes of Putt Putt Golf, a full-service sports bar, and wireless internet throughout.

Catawba Science Center
The Catawba Science Center features three levels of hands-on exhibits and engaging activities for all ages.  Catawba Science Center is also home to a recently constructed aquarium and the new Milholland Planetarium.

Hickory Crawdads
Hickory Crawdads is a Class “A” affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates and excites over 187,555 fans during 70 thrilling home games.  Regular season runs April-August, with a playoff series following.

Vae Hamilton
Vae Hamilton likes working in layers. Like our lives, Vae’s paintings are about layers upon layers of information, events, people, and feelings, filtered through the artists perspective. They are recordings of various moments in time that the artist considered to be memorable. Vae works with acrylic paints, photo transfers, multimedia, and expanding creative imagery. Please visit her site for local showings and more information.

Hickory Motor Speedway
Entertaining motorsports fans since 1950, the track roars into action every Saturday from March-October with short track racing.

Rock Barn Golf & Country Club
Rock Barn features golf and spa services, as well as dining, banquets, catering, and golf course real estate. There are also ranges for equestrian activities. PGA tournaments are frequently held on the course. Please refer to their site for more information.

Hickory Museum of Art
Local artist Paul Austin Wayne Whitener's desire to share his own growing appreciation of art prompted him to announce his intention to start an art museum in Hickory, North Carolina, where he had been raised. Area residents shared his vision and in 1944 Paul Whitener's dream was realized, and the Hickory Museum of Art was established. Today, it is the second oldest art museum in North Carolina. Paul served as the first director until his death in 1959. His wife Mickey became the director after his death and served in that position until 1995. In 1986, the Hickory Museum of Art moved into its current location in the Arts and Science Center of Catawba Valley, initially built as Claremont High School. Our exhibitions feature our Permanent Collection of American Art and works borrowed from private collectors and other institutions.

For a full list of Things to do in Hickory, please click the link below:
http://www.hickorymetro.com/recreation.htm#Entertainment

Click here for the community event calendar
http://www.hickorymetro.com/calendar.asp