Kannapolis is a city in North Carolina, located adjacent to Interstate 85, approximately 20 miles north of Charlotte, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 36,910. Well known as the birthplace of NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and funk musician George Clinton. It is also the home of the Kannapolis Intimidators, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
Early meaning and usage of the name was a direct reference to Cannon Manufacturing Company, or James William Cannon himself. Early published name variations include Cannon-opolis and Cannapolis. A widely accepted, but erroneous origin of the word Kannapolis comes from the combination of the Greek words "kanna" (reeds or looms) and "polis" (city), which means "City of Looms".
David H. Murdock, owner of Castle & Cooke, Inc. and Dole Food Company, Inc., and Molly Corbett Broad, President of the 16-campus University of North Carolina system, unveiled plans on September 12, 2005 for the North Carolina Research Campus, a massive scientific and economic revitalization project that encompasses the former Cannon Mills plant and entire downtown area of Kannapolis, North Carolina. With the impending closing of the Pillowtex factories, Kannapolis began to plan for the future of their town. The North Carolina Research Campus is an example of the plans begin made to diversify the economy of the region.
Kannapolis has created two ares to memorialize the life of Dale Ernhardt. First is the statue of Dale that is located in Dale Earnhardt Plaza on Main Street. The other area used to memorialized Dale Earnhardt is the Dale Earnhardt Tribute Center one block from the plaza on West Avenue. While there pay close attention to the numerology built into the design of the Tribute Center.
The story goes that Dale Earnhardt learned to drive and make left turns while participating in the Saturday Night Cruises around Idiot Circle in Cannon Village. You can take part in this tradition the first Saturday of each month. The cruise begins at 6 PM and runs until 10 PM. Get there early because the hot rods, cruises and motorcycles begin arriving around noon.
You can also visit the Cannon Textile Museum and Exhibition Center while visiting Kannapolis. This museum brings to life the efforts of the nearly 25,000 workers who filled the nearby mills. There is a theatre to view the manufacturing process followed to bring American consumers some of the finest towels and linens ever made. There are exhibits that trace the development of the textile industry.