Hickory Metro AreaWe have a lot of History Here! 
Welcome to Hickory and the Catawba Valley ... located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The gently sloping terrain, river, numerous streams, and the four distinct seasons of the year make this area an ideal setting! Hickory's development began in the late nineteenth century as a trading center on Western North Carolina Railroad, turning it into a thriving twentieth century furniture and textiles area. In the last twenty years Hickory's growth has spilled over into surrounding counties known as Catawba Valley. The area now takes pride in being a very diversified manufacturing area, which accounts for the strong economic climate now enjoyed by residents. No longer just furniture and hosiery, the area has expanded to include such industries as: fiber optics, telecommunication, electrical transformers, grocery carts, publishing, security systems, and plastic packaging. The small town of Hickory has become a metropolis of over 30,000 people. The four county area around Hickory, known as the Unifour Area, includes over 300,000 residents. Yet, we still have a small town community. Hickory's past began in 1784 and was known as Hickory Tavern, a lodging location on a country stagecoach road. Hickory Tavern was a busy place because of the trade manufacturing here in 1869 They shortened the name to Hickory in 1873. In 1889, Hickory became the first city in NC and the fourth in the nation to implement the council-manager form of government, now common across the United States. Hickory has been awarded the All-American City award from the national Civic League twice, the most recent being in 1987. Catawba County was formed in 1842. It took its name from the Catawba River which had been named for the Catawba Indians. The tribe offered friendship and help to Adam Sherrill of Virginia when, in 1747, he became the first permanent resident in the Hickory area. Catawba County is bordered by the Catawba River on the north and northeast, Burke County on the west and Lincoln County on the south. It has an average elevation of about 1,000 feet, rising to 1,812 feet at the summit of Baker's Mountain. The dams on the Catawba River provide Duke Power with hydroelectric energy and make Lake Hickory, Lookout Shoals, Lake Wylie and Lake Norman. There is a lot of recreation at these areas! Hickory is the largest municipality in the area with approximately 35,000 people. Newton has over 9,000 and Conover about 5,000. The Hickory Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) consists of Catawba, Burke, and Alexander counties. In 1985, the MSA generated 7,500 new jobs, second only to the Raleigh-Durham area in new employment in NC. In 1988, the tenth Congressional District had more manufacturing workers, as a percentage of the work force, than any other district in the US.
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