Hickory Goat-Karts

One of Hickory’s first major industries was wagon making. The Piedmont Wagon Company helped propel the city’s growth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, making over 1,000 wagons per month at its peak. Their wagons were easily recognizable by their dark green bodies, red wheels, and yellow trim. While the wagons were typically pulled by horses, they had a model designed for children’s recreation that was pulled by goats known as goat carts.

The Goat-Karts identity also pulls upon Hickory’s roots in the racing industry. The city’s short track is nationally known and is known as the “Birthplace of NASCAR stars”. The ‘Dads have leaned into racing before, hosting the Crawdad Cup Championship in 1995 as part of Motor Head Mondays where drivers took 20 swings to hit softballs out of the Frans. The featured drivers included Jeff Gordon, Ward Burton, Todd Bodine, Sterling Marlin, and Dale Jarrett.