Dalton's Lunch
Dalton’s Lunch was listed in the Green Book in 1961. It was listed as “Dalton’s Lunch — 128 N. Lee Street, Best in Home Cooked Food — Opened from 7 A.M.” 1
Dalton’s Lunch (also Dalton’s Cafe and Dalton’s Grill), located at 128 N. Lee Street, was a restaurant owned by Charles R. Dalton. He operated the restaurant as early as 1938, when it was located at 132 N. Lee Street. In 1955 the restaurant was located at 122 N. Lee Street (the site of another Green Book business, Safety Taxi). Charles Dalton owned other businesses over the years, including the Ox Den Beer Garden at 608 E. Monroe Street in Salisbury.2
Charles “Charlie” Robert Dalton was born in Iredell County, NC in 1903. His family moved to Salisbury between 1910 and 1920. In 1920, Dalton, who was 15 at the time, held a job as a laborer at a chair factory. He later worked as a driver for Grimes Milling Company. Dalton married Malinda Gibson in 1929, who later worked as the assistant manager at Dalton’s Grill.3
Dalton continued working for Grimes Milling Company after opening the restaurant and the beer garden. After leaving this position he worked off and on as a cab driver at various taxi cab companies.4
Charles Robert Dalton passed away in 1967. Malinda Gibson Dalton passed away in 1992. Research has not yet indicated whether Malinda G. Dalton continued to operate the restaurant following her husband’s death.5
Essay by Brandie K. Ragghianti, 2022
Notes
1. Victor Green, 1961 Green Book, 70.
2. Nelson’s 1955 Salisbury City Directory, 61 (alphabetical listing), 59 (street guide); Nelson’s 1958 Salisbury City Directory, 64 (alphabetical listing), 79 (street guide); Nelson’s 1960 Salisbury City Directory, 93 (alphabetical listing), 56 (street guide); Baldwin’s and Post’s 1940 Salisbury City Directory, 284 (alphabetical listing); Baldwin’s and Post’s 1938 Salisbury City Directory, 116 (alphabetical listing).
3. Death certificate lists birth on January 22, 1903, however both WWII Draft Card and tombstone list January 21, 1903; Charles Robert Dalton Death Certificate, North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1976, accessed from www.ancestry.com, October 31, 2019; Charlie Robert Dalton, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, accessed from www.ancestry.com; Rob and Debi Felten, “Charles R. Dalton,” Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175397815; Charley Dalton, 1910 United States Federal Census, accessed from www.ancestry.com; Charlie Dalton, 1920 United States Federal Census, accessed from www.ancestry.com; Miller’s Salisbury-Spencer, NC, 1922-1923 City Directory, 142 (alphabetical listing); Miller’s Salisbury & Spencer, NC, 1924-1925 City Directory, 140 (alphabetical listing); Miller’s Salisbury & Spencer, NC, 1928-1929 City Directory,139 (alphabetical listing); “Charlie R. Dalton and Malinda Gibson in Register of Deeds Marriage License Index List,” (January 23, 1989, pgs. 173, 259), North Carolina, Marriage Records, 1741-2011, accessed from www.ancestry.com; Nelson’s 1955 Salisbury City Directory, 60 (alphabetical listing).
4. Baldwin’s and Post’s 1940 Salisbury City Directory, 144 (alphabetical listing); Charlie R. Dalton, 1940 United States Federal Census, accessed from www.ancestry.com; Baldwin’s 1942 Salisbury City Directory, (Charleston, SC: Baldwin Directory Company, Inc., 1942), 118 (alphabetical listing); Charlie Robert Dalton, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, accessed from www.ancestry.com, October 29, 2019; Baldwin’s 1949 Salisbury City Directory, 180 (alphabetical listing); Nelson’s Baldwin’s 1951 Salisbury City Directory, 160 (alphabetical listing); Nelson’s Baldwin’s 1953 Salisbury City Directory, 142 (alphabetical listing, spouse name spelled differently, Melinda vs Malinda); Nelson’s 1955 Salisbury City Directory, 61 (alphabetical listing); Nelson’s 1958 Salisbury City Directory, 64 (alphabetical listing); Nelson’s 1960 Salisbury City Directory, 93 (alphabetical listing).
5. Charles Robert Dalton Death Certificate, North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1976, accessed from www.ancestry.com, October 31, 2019.; Rob and Debi Felten, “Charles R. Dalton,” Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175397815; Malinda Gibson Dalton, North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994, accessed from www.familysearch.org; Nelson’s 1962 Metropolitan Salisbury City Directory, 86 (alphabetical listing).
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- This entry was listed as “Dalton’s Lunch---128 N. Lee Street, Best in Home Cooked Food---Opened from 7 A.M” on two lines, bold, and bigger font.