Early Doctors
Two of the earliest known doctors in Cleveland County were Dr. James Wright Tracy and Dr. Ben F. Dixon, both of Kings Mountain. The article below (publication unknown, but possibly The Kings Mountain Herald) paints a picture of healthcare in the mid-19th century.
Dr. Ben F. Dixon, Sr. was a licensed physician, ordained Methodist minister, served in the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. He was also elected NC State Auditor.
Shelby’s first doctor was Thomas Williams. Dr. Williams was born in South Carolina in 1806. He spent his life serving the medical needs of his adopted hometown. He died in 1879 and is buried, along with his wife Permelia and unofficially adopted daughter, Mary C. Elliott, at Sunset Cemetery. Read more from Joe Depriest here.
| 1923 Shelby Hospital Medical Staff. |
| Boiling Springs: James Yates Hamrick and John W. Wood |
| Earl: John Prior Aydelotte |
| Fallston: Franklin Harris Lackey, Sr. |
| Grover: George Oates |
| Kings Mountain: James E. Anthony, J. F. Norman, B. P. Stokes |
| Lattimore: Lawrence V. Lee |
| Lawndale: Thomas B. Gold, Sr. and William Thomas Grigg |
| Shelby: Emmett W. Gibbs, Benjamin Gold, Robert C. Ellis, Timmons G. Hamrick, John Wm. Laxton Harbison, Emanuel A. Houser, William F. Mitchell, Reuben A. McBrayer, Benjamin H. Palmer, and Stephen S. Royster. |
| Toluca: Forrest Decator Edward |
Dentistry
The history of dentistry in Cleveland County, North Carolina, reflects the broader development of the profession in the state, evolving from general health care practices in the 1800s to a structured public health initiative and professional practice in the 20th century.
Before the formal establishment of dental schools, dental procedures in Cleveland County, as elsewhere, were often performed by individuals with varied training, including barber-surgeons. The North Carolina Dental Society, the third oldest in the U.S., was founded in 1856.
During the early 1900s, a “Cleveland Dental Society” existed, which included dentists from Charlotte and the Piedmont area, though it ceased to exist during the First World War.
Dr. Luther P. Baker opened a dental office in Kings Mountain in 1907. The practice has continued in the same family since that time. Read more from the Kings Mountain Herald.
Dr. Hubert S. Plaster opened his practice in Shelby in 1926. His office was on the second floor of the Royster Building on East Warren Street. He served a multitude of patients for 50 years. He also served as Shelby’s mayor from 1963 until his death in 1976.
Hubert’s brother, Dr. Harold Plaster, Sr. had an office in the Webb Building just adjacent to his brother’s office. He practiced from 1939 to 2000. Following in his footsteps were his son, Dr. Harold Plaster, Jr. and his grandson, Dr. Will Plaster. All are pictured below.
Cleveland County History 