The history of Matthews is still being made. From a little village in a farming community half a county away from Charlotte, it and Charlotte have grown until they rub elbows. With a population of some 19,000, Matthews is part of the section known as Metrolina, which has the distinction of being the fifth largest urban area in the country.
Matthews was first known as Stumptown, probably because of the remains of the forests that covered this section before it was settled. It was said that a wagon couldn’t make a U-turn because of the many stumps. The name changed to Fullwood for Mr. John M. Fullwood who operated the Stagecoach Inn and became the first postmaster in 1825. In 1874 a railroad was built through the town connecting it to Charlotte and Monroe. The name was changed to Matthews in honor of Mr. Watson Matthews, a director of the railroad. The town was incorporated in 1872 and the first census in 1880 showed a population of 191.
