A good slogan goes a long way. If you say something in a few words it always helps to get your point across. It seems the folks of Hickory especially enjoy the use of a good turn of phrase to say something without being too specific.
If you like “Life. Well-Crafted” as a way to summarize all that is attractive in highlighting Hickory for visitor and resident alike, you are in the right place. While the expression is new, the idea of a catch phrase to promote town virtues is not. It seems city leaders have used snappy designations to describe themselves for almost a century.
The idea began with the worst economic crises to hit the nation, The Great Depression. During the slowdown of the 1930s, boosters sought to distinguish themselves from other cities experiencing hard times. Instead of just waiting it out, the local Chamber of Commerce pushed back against unemployment and starvation by inviting anyone who would listen to “Hear Hickory Hum.”
The term challenged citizens to subvert the attitude of the times. Instead of allowing the Depression to characterize a reduced level of business activity as the norm and wallow in the despondency, the city insisted that it was a place of energy. Unlike other towns, they believed that a diversity of manufacturing protected Hickory residents from the malaise that had struck the nation. Furniture, wagon-making, textiles, hosiery, even a clothing manufacturer were all located in town, which promoters believed safeguarded citizens against the ravages of want. Add in good schools, ample natural resources, lots of churches and a budding infrastructure and Hickory was billed as a city unwilling to surrender.
While Hickory may have fared only marginally better in terms of economic activity, the ‘can do’ attitude held spirits high during the decade of downturn. In addition to listing 14 reasons why Hickory was a better place to be, the Chamber declared Hickory as “a residence city of commerce and industry in an agricultural county of wonderful opportunity.”
Thirty years later the city was at it again, coming up with a way to distinguish itself. Still impressed with its diversity, Hickory lauded itself as the “Best Balanced City” in America. Other municipalities also claimed the title, but Hickory made its case based on the fact that many of the same industries that weathered the Depression remained as engines of employment. When the town won the acclaim of being an “All-America City” in 1967 (and again in 1987 and 2007) it had proof.
During the three-peat, then Mayor Rudy Wright said, “Hickory is a city where individuals, organizations, and businesses take care of one another and work together to solve problems – no matter how large or small.”
Sometimes, that process begins with a phrase to rally the citizenry. Hickory has always had one at the ready.
Photo: From the Chamber of Commerce’s booklet promoting Hickory, mixing ancient Greek imagery with a cornucopia of activity, Hickory champions its virtues.
