Broadway, North Carolina

Broadway is a town in Lee County, North Carolina, United States. According to book, "Broadway North Carolina: 1870-1970", Broadway was settled in 1870 and incorporated as a town in 1907. The name Broadway comes from the fact that a broad level opening in the vast pine forest which covered the area at that time existed. Among the early settlers of the area which is now Broadway were: Hugh Matthews, Grissom Thomas, Tilmon Thomas, M.M. Watson, and Captain J.O.A. Kelly. There were also African Americans that settled near Broadway. Some African American family names that settled in the area were the Buchanan's, Cameron's, McLean's, Minter's, and Womack's. A small portion of the town extends into Harnett County. The population was 1,015 at the 2000 census. Broadway celebrated the centennial of its settlement in October 1970. During this event men and women had a street dance and dressed as they did in the 1870s. Broadway celebrated the centennial of its incorporation as well as the centennial of Lee County in 2007. Broadway recently celebrated "Broadway Our Way" in April 2009, which turned out to be a great success, so much so that future "Broadway Our Ways" are being planned. A few years into the 21st century, many citizens of Broadway town proper paid a visit to New York to see a Broadway Show, and in return Broadway, New York came to Broadway, North Carolina. A show was put on at Broadway Elementary School with Sandy Duncan, actress of television and stage leading the way. The government of Broadway is set up as with a mayor and town council. Past mayors of Broadway include: M.A. McLeod, A.P. Thomas, Vernon Stevens, S.H. Rosser, Leonard Rosser, H.A. Thomas, Mrs. Thelma Sloan, Ralph Hunter, Henry Green, Harold Harrington, and the current mayor at this writing is Don Andrews Jr. Broadway is noted for its high quality banking system. The Bank of Broadway was started by D.E. Shaw in 1909. During the Great Depression the Bank of Broadway kept operations running and it was noted in the Sanford Herald on January 23, 1930 the headline read as follows: "Bank of Broadway is an unusual institution, in the midst of financial depression, it is in a flourishing condition". It is widely believed and recorded somewhere in the annals of the SEC and FDIC history that on March 6, 1933 Bank Holiday, the Bank of Broadway did not close its doors, the examiners stated that the books were in proper order and the accounts were solvent, keep operating. D.E. Shaw did an outstanding job. The Bank of Broadway has changed hands over the years becoming: Central Bank and Trust Company, The Carolina Bank and today it is Branch Banking and Trust(BB&T)with Randy Castleberry as current branch manager at this writing. [4]