1940 - 1950
1940: Stuart W. Cramer Sr. died July 4, at the age of 71. A native of Thomasville, N.C. and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He was a legend in the textile world in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries and was responsible for the design of 150 mills, nearly one third of the mills in the south during this period. He founded 11 mills and was the inventor and patent holder for the Cramer System of Air Conditioning for mills. He was an engineer and a talented inventor. He achieved over 60 U.S. and international patents involving various aspects of textile manufacturing. Mr. Cramer built the ideal village in Cramerton with all the comforts known at the time, including electricity, indoor plumbing, and kerosene water heater.
1940: New Baseball Park was completed at the Cramerton Recreation Center. This was a WRA project started in 1932.
1941: New Cramerton Recreation Center, including a Gymnasium and swimming pool was completed by Mr. Cramer, and gifted to the town.
1941: The United States entered World War II, after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
1941: July 4th Celebration was held at the new Gym and swimming pool, with games, Swimming, ping pong, etc..
1942: The Great Community Revival took place at the First Baptist Church.
1942: Cramerton Mills was presented The Army Navy “E” for high achievement in production of Army Twill, also known as Cramerton 8.2 ounce Army Cloth. Today the famous name can be seen in clothes manufactured by Dockers as “Cramerton Khaki”.
1942: Mr. Cramer received notice to manufacture 8.2 Khaki Twill, known as Cramerton Weave for the U.S. Army Uniforms. Mr. Cramer voluntarily released the patent to allow other manufactures to produce the fabric for the Armed Forces.
1943: Reece Hardware was opened at 211 Market St. by Leroy and Albert Reece. Leroy retired after 55 years. The Hardware store closed in 1998.
1944: The High School basketball team, the Eagles, won the State Championship. This ushered in the golden era of high school sports in Cramerton. This period lasted through the 40s, 50s and 60s.
1945: The Cramerton High School Eagles basketball team won the State Championship for a second year in a row.
1946: Mr. A. S. Anderson retired as principal of Cramerton School after 26 years.
1946: Cramerton Mills and properties was sold to Burlington Industries. Burlington Industries began selling the Mill houses to Residents.
1946: Cramerton Free Will Baptist Church is dedicated.
1946: Cramerton Free Will Baptist organized in 1945. The newly formed group with 18 charter members with Brother Roy Rickard Pastor, held their first service Aug.1, 1946 in the new Church Sanctuary building.
1947: Bennett Hall was renovated. The Teacherage, was built in the 1920s by Mr. Cramer as a boarding house for single female teachers. The building featured an indoor swimming pool, and was located next to the Cramer Memorial Methodist Church.
1948: The legacy of the “fish Camp“ was born on the South Fork River, where the neighborhood of Lakewood is currently located. A few of the guy’s sein the river to catch fish, take them to Buck Armstrong's, and fry the fish over a wood fire in a large black frying pan fabricated in the machine shop at the Mill. As the group grew in numbers a log building was built with a large stone fireplace. Tables and benches were built which was typical in the early fish camps in the area. To meet the demands Luther Lineberger would order fresh fish from the Chesapeake Fish and Oyster Co. in Norfolk, Va. To be shipped overnight by rail to the Cramerton Depot. They were cooked at Buck Armstrong's cabin until the 1948 and the Lineberger's Fish Fry was founded.
1949: New bridge built over South Fork River to replace the original one lane bridge built by the Southern Railroad.
1949: Cramerton Presbyterian Church, once an Army Chapel relocated from Camp Butner to the current church site donated by Burlington Mills.
1950: The First worship service at Cramerton Presbyterian Church was held on January 1st.
1950: New additions of six classrooms to Cramerton School.
1950: Development of Lakewood subdivision.