In 1856, a railroad was placed on a ridge that crossed the land of local farmer John Franklin Moore. A small-scale planter, Moore set up a depot on his land and encouraged others to help establish a small village on the location in the late 1850s. The little village, known as "Moore's Siding," was born. The Civil War hampered developments, with the railroad tracks being removed to aid the Confederate efforts in Virginia. After the war, the tracks were returned, and Moore's Siding slowly began to prosper.

On March 3, 1873, the North Carolina General Assembly approved the Charter for the Incorporation of the Town of Mooresville. J.R. McNeely was appointed the first Mayor. The Town limits were marked off in a one-mile radius from the Depot. The first two named streets were Public Road (now Main Street) and Main Cross Street (now Center Avenue).  With the railroad, the small town began to grow. Some of the earliest businesses included D.E. Turner Hardware, Templeton and Williams Ginnery, Lorne Cotton Seed Mill, Big Oak Rolling Mill (now Bay State Milling), Mooresville Cotton Mills, and Mooresville Creamery. That small town grew into the bustling town we know today.

Mooresville is best known as the home of many NASCAR racing teams and drivers and has earned the nickname “Race City USA.” Mooresville features the largest man-made lake in the state, Lake Norman. The lake has attracted businesses, new residents and visitors from all over to enjoy all 520 miles of its beautiful shoreline. 150 years in the making, Mooresville has evolved into a town that attracts people from all over to live, work, and play.