Winston-Salem, North Carolina

My informal poll of adults and high school students found that almost nobody knew the origin of the name "Winston" in the city name of Winston-Salem. The people I asked reside in the city or county of this named city and many are life-long residents.  I know it's not a big deal and few people give it any thought.  It makes no difference to people and has no effect on daily life. It's trivia.

For the inquisitive mind the answer about the name goes back to the Revolutionary War. Joseph Winston grew up in Wilkes and Surry Counties of North Carolina.  He became a leader of militiamen in battles at Moore's Creek Bridge, King's Mountain, and Guilford Courthouse. A monument and statue of Colonel Joseph Winston is located at the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park near Greensboro. The photo below is the monument.

Around 1850 the town that grew next to Salem was named Winston after Colonel Joseph Winston.  In 1913 the towns of Winston and Salem joined and became Winston-Salem.

Have a good week.