CARY CARLISLE BOSHAMER’S story was one of rags to riches in the often hard and fast-moving Carolinas textile industry, which for him began in 1920s and came to full fruition after World War II. He was born in Statesville, North Carolina, December 1, 1895, a son of Wilson Clarence Boshamer and Carrie Barkley Boshamer. At the age of seventeen, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a hard-hitting tackle on the 1913 Carolina Tar Heel football team. After less than two years of college, he took a football coaching and playing job in Georgia. His brief semi-professional career took him to Gary, Indiana, and jobs in Chicago and San Francisco.
Returning to his native North Carolina in the 1920s, he soon found his way to booming Gastonia, the center of the area’s vibrant textile industry. From here, he sought his fortune. He began exploring the Carolinas in search of entrepreneurial situations that matched his energy and daring. After several years of moderately successful activities and survival of the Great Depression of the 1930s, Cary Boshamer began acquiring major ownership positions in emerging textile ventures in the 1940s. In 1950, he started Clover Spinning Mills, Inc., a spinner and knitter of textile goods located in Clover, South Carolina, south of Gastonia. In 1965, he started Caro-Knit, Inc., a knit finisher and dyer located in Jefferson, South Carolina, and in 1968 founded Tex-Knit, Inc., of Marion, South Carolina, a maker of synthetic knit goods. These latter two operations were sold to Gastonia’s Textiles-Incorporated in 1972.
One of Cary Boshamer’s passions was thoroughbred horses, which he bred and trained on his large farm near Clover. For a number of years, he entered his horses in the Kentucky Derby and other prestigious racing events, which he, Mrs. Boshamer and their close friends attended regularly. At one time, he was the owner of the famous Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland.
His other passion was sports and the University of North Carolina. He served on the first board of trustees of the reorganized University system from 1969 until 1972 and was a trustee of the University the following year. He was a major benefactor at UNC, endowing the Boshamer Professorships and Cary C. Boshamer Scholarships. His generous contributions to UNC’s athletic program made the new baseball stadium possible in 1972, which was named in his honor. Through the Cary C. Boshamer Foundation, he endowed UNC, Brevard College and other institutions.
Miss Kathleen Porter (1902-1979) of Springfield, South Carolina, became his bride in the early 1920s. They were prominent in the social and community life of Gastonia, where they made their home. They had no children of their own, but his nephews Wilson and Henry and a cousin, Ulf Boshamer, succeeded him in various textile businesses he started. The Boshamer’s were members of Gastonia’s First United Methodist Church. Cary Boshamer, the self-made industrialist and philanthropist, died June 2, 1973, at the age of 77. He is buried in Gaston Memorial Park, Gastonia.
Contributed by Robert Ragan, May 17, 2015.
Returning to his native North Carolina in the 1920s, he soon found his way to booming Gastonia, the center of the area’s vibrant textile industry. From here, he sought his fortune. He began exploring the Carolinas in search of entrepreneurial situations that matched his energy and daring. After several years of moderately successful activities and survival of the Great Depression of the 1930s, Cary Boshamer began acquiring major ownership positions in emerging textile ventures in the 1940s. In 1950, he started Clover Spinning Mills, Inc., a spinner and knitter of textile goods located in Clover, South Carolina, south of Gastonia. In 1965, he started Caro-Knit, Inc., a knit finisher and dyer located in Jefferson, South Carolina, and in 1968 founded Tex-Knit, Inc., of Marion, South Carolina, a maker of synthetic knit goods. These latter two operations were sold to Gastonia’s Textiles-Incorporated in 1972.
One of Cary Boshamer’s passions was thoroughbred horses, which he bred and trained on his large farm near Clover. For a number of years, he entered his horses in the Kentucky Derby and other prestigious racing events, which he, Mrs. Boshamer and their close friends attended regularly. At one time, he was the owner of the famous Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland.
His other passion was sports and the University of North Carolina. He served on the first board of trustees of the reorganized University system from 1969 until 1972 and was a trustee of the University the following year. He was a major benefactor at UNC, endowing the Boshamer Professorships and Cary C. Boshamer Scholarships. His generous contributions to UNC’s athletic program made the new baseball stadium possible in 1972, which was named in his honor. Through the Cary C. Boshamer Foundation, he endowed UNC, Brevard College and other institutions.
Miss Kathleen Porter (1902-1979) of Springfield, South Carolina, became his bride in the early 1920s. They were prominent in the social and community life of Gastonia, where they made their home. They had no children of their own, but his nephews Wilson and Henry and a cousin, Ulf Boshamer, succeeded him in various textile businesses he started. The Boshamer’s were members of Gastonia’s First United Methodist Church. Cary Boshamer, the self-made industrialist and philanthropist, died June 2, 1973, at the age of 77. He is buried in Gaston Memorial Park, Gastonia.
Contributed by Robert Ragan, May 17, 2015.
CARY CARLISLE BOSHAMER’S story was one of rags to riches in the often hard and fast-moving Carolinas textile industry, which for him began in 1920s and came to full fruition after World War II. He was born in Statesville, North Carolina, December 1, 1895, a son of Wilson Clarence Boshamer and Carrie Barkley Boshamer. At the age of seventeen, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a hard-hitting tackle on the 1913 Carolina Tar Heel football team. After less than two years of college, he took a football coaching and playing job in Georgia. His brief semi-professional career took him to Gary, Indiana, and jobs in Chicago and San Francisco.
Returning to his native North Carolina in the 1920s, he soon found his way to booming Gastonia, the center of the area’s vibrant textile industry. From here, he sought his fortune. He began exploring the Carolinas in search of entrepreneurial situations that matched his energy and daring. After several years of moderately successful activities and survival of the Great Depression of the 1930s, Cary Boshamer began acquiring major ownership positions in emerging textile ventures in the 1940s. In 1950, he started Clover Spinning Mills, Inc., a spinner and knitter of textile goods located in Clover, South Carolina, south of Gastonia. In 1965, he started Caro-Knit, Inc., a knit finisher and dyer located in Jefferson, South Carolina, and in 1968 founded Tex-Knit, Inc., of Marion, South Carolina, a maker of synthetic knit goods. These latter two operations were sold to Gastonia’s Textiles-Incorporated in 1972.
One of Cary Boshamer’s passions was thoroughbred horses, which he bred and trained on his large farm near Clover. For a number of years, he entered his horses in the Kentucky Derby and other prestigious racing events, which he, Mrs. Boshamer and their close friends attended regularly. At one time, he was the owner of the famous Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland.
His other passion was sports and the University of North Carolina. He served on the first board of trustees of the reorganized University system from 1969 until 1972 and was a trustee of the University the following year. He was a major benefactor at UNC, endowing the Boshamer Professorships and Cary C. Boshamer Scholarships. His generous contributions to UNC’s athletic program made the new baseball stadium possible in 1972, which was named in his honor. Through the Cary C. Boshamer Foundation, he endowed UNC, Brevard College and other institutions.
Miss Kathleen Porter (1902-1979) of Springfield, South Carolina, became his bride in the early 1920s. They were prominent in the social and community life of Gastonia, where they made their home. They had no children of their own, but his nephews Wilson and Henry and a cousin, Ulf Boshamer, succeeded him in various textile businesses he started. The Boshamer’s were members of Gastonia’s First United Methodist Church. Cary Boshamer, the self-made industrialist and philanthropist, died June 2, 1973, at the age of 77. He is buried in Gaston Memorial Park, Gastonia.
Contributed by Robert Ragan, May 17, 2015.
Returning to his native North Carolina in the 1920s, he soon found his way to booming Gastonia, the center of the area’s vibrant textile industry. From here, he sought his fortune. He began exploring the Carolinas in search of entrepreneurial situations that matched his energy and daring. After several years of moderately successful activities and survival of the Great Depression of the 1930s, Cary Boshamer began acquiring major ownership positions in emerging textile ventures in the 1940s. In 1950, he started Clover Spinning Mills, Inc., a spinner and knitter of textile goods located in Clover, South Carolina, south of Gastonia. In 1965, he started Caro-Knit, Inc., a knit finisher and dyer located in Jefferson, South Carolina, and in 1968 founded Tex-Knit, Inc., of Marion, South Carolina, a maker of synthetic knit goods. These latter two operations were sold to Gastonia’s Textiles-Incorporated in 1972.
One of Cary Boshamer’s passions was thoroughbred horses, which he bred and trained on his large farm near Clover. For a number of years, he entered his horses in the Kentucky Derby and other prestigious racing events, which he, Mrs. Boshamer and their close friends attended regularly. At one time, he was the owner of the famous Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland.
His other passion was sports and the University of North Carolina. He served on the first board of trustees of the reorganized University system from 1969 until 1972 and was a trustee of the University the following year. He was a major benefactor at UNC, endowing the Boshamer Professorships and Cary C. Boshamer Scholarships. His generous contributions to UNC’s athletic program made the new baseball stadium possible in 1972, which was named in his honor. Through the Cary C. Boshamer Foundation, he endowed UNC, Brevard College and other institutions.
Miss Kathleen Porter (1902-1979) of Springfield, South Carolina, became his bride in the early 1920s. They were prominent in the social and community life of Gastonia, where they made their home. They had no children of their own, but his nephews Wilson and Henry and a cousin, Ulf Boshamer, succeeded him in various textile businesses he started. The Boshamer’s were members of Gastonia’s First United Methodist Church. Cary Boshamer, the self-made industrialist and philanthropist, died June 2, 1973, at the age of 77. He is buried in Gaston Memorial Park, Gastonia.
Contributed by Robert Ragan, May 17, 2015.
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