Greensboro, North Carolina

In 1781 Greensboro was the site of the Battle of Guilford Court House which ultimately played a key role in the outcome of the American Revolutionary war. The city was established in 1808 in honor of General Nathanael Greene who served as the commander of these American forces. Thus its siting was largely due to historical precedent rather than geographical factors. The later addition of the rail system served as a substitute for a river to link eastern and western portions of the state. With new infrastructure came the establishment of larger textile industries, namely Burlington Industries and Cone Mills - still largely active in todays economy.