The town of Cornelius, the second youngest of Mecklenburg County's six incorporated towns, was founded in 1893 but not incorporated until March 4, 1905.

www.cornelius.org

The Town's origin has been traced by many historians to a dispute over cotton weighing.  The damming of the Catawba River to create Lake Norman was as influential as the cotton industry to the town's development and growth.  In 1963 Duke Power created Lake Norman and provided the area with recreational opportunities and a source of hydroelectric power.  The formation of Lake Norman also provided the area with choice lakeside property.