Editing Kannapolis, North Carolina (section)

===Name===
Early meaning and usage of the city's name was a direct reference to [[Cannon Mills Corporation]], or [[James William Cannon]] himself. Early published name variations include "Cannon-opolis" and "Cannapolis". A widely accepted origin of the word "Kannapolis" comes from the combination of the [[Greek language|Greek]] words ''kanna'' (reeds, not looms) and ''polis'' (city), which some believed meant "City of Looms".<ref name="name">{{cite news|last=Dearmon |first=Norris |title=Name Origin File |publisher=History Room at the Kannapolis Branch of the Cannon Memorial Library |date=2006-07-20 |url=http://www.ncecho.org/photos/ncethumbs.asp?searchterm=436&searchtype=sspub |access-date=2007-11-12 }}{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Dr. Gary Freeze, [[Catawba College]] history and politics department chairman, said a Concord newspaper used the name "Cannon City" in 1906. After mill workers or newspapers called the town "Cannapolis", J.W. Cannon asked Cabarrus County commissioners to give the town the name, but starting with a "K". Kannapolis historian Norris Dearmon said the K might have been to distinguish the town from his Concord mill village. Since, Freeze said, "Jim Cannon didn't study Greek," Cannon did not name the town "city of looms".<ref>{{Cite web |author=Staff Report |date=December 11, 2009 |title=Kannapolis might not be city of looms |url=https://www.salisburypost.com/2009/12/11/kannapolis-might-not-be-city-of-looms/ |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=Salisbury Post |language=en}}</ref> In 1906 J.W. Cannon purchased the land that later became Kannapolis, and acquired a total of 1,008 acres in Cabarrus and Rowan Counties. Around 808 of those acres of farmland, purchased along the historic wagon road between [[Salisbury, North Carolina|Salisbury]] and Charlotte, became the location of the new [[textile mill]], Cannon Manufacturing, which began production in 1908. In 1914, Cannon Manufacturing became known as the world's largest producer of sheets and towels. Shortly after, Cannon opened plants in Rowan County, Concord, and South Carolina totaling 20,000 workers. Mill founder J.W. Cannon's youngest son, Charles A. Cannon, consolidated all the separate mills into the giant Cannon Mills Company in 1928.