Durham, North Carolina

History

Durham orignated in 1853 with the search for a suitable railroad depot for the North Carolina Railroad between Wilson and Hillsborough. An earlier post office known as Herndon's existed in the area from 1827, and another at nearby Prattsburg was established in 1836. The landowners at Prattsburg refused to sell land to the railroad. Somewhat further to the northwest, a country physician named Bartlett Durham lived and practiced along the route. He donated land to the railroad, which named the subsequent depot Durham Station.

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The town grew slowly before the Civil War, but grew rapidly following the war. Much of this growth can be attributed to the establishment of a thriving tobacco industry. Soldiers (both Union and Confederate) encamped at Bennett Place, just outside the town, during surrender proceedings. During their long encampment, they liberally sampled the area's "Brightleaf Tobaccco", which purportedly had a milder flavor than other tobacco varieties. After returning to their homes, numerous orders were mailed to Green's tobacco company requesting more of the Durham tobacco. W.T. Blackwell would partner with Green, and rename the company the "Bull Durham Tobacco Company". The name "Bull Durham" is said to have been taken from the bull on the British Coleman's Mustard, which Mr. Blackwell noted was manufactured in Durham, England.

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The rapid growth and prosperity of the Bull Durham Tobacco Company, and Washington Duke's Duke & Sons Tobacco Company, would result in the rapid growth of the city of Durham. While the tobacco industry dominated the city, it was soon rivalled by the establishment of multiple textile mills throughout the city, particularly in East and West Durham. Much of the early city architecture, both commericial and residential, dates from the period of 1890 - 1930.

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Durham quickly developed a vibrant African-American community. Although the center of the African-American community was an area known as 'Hayti' (pronounced HAY-Tie), members of the African-American community established some of the most prominent and successful African-American-owned businesses in the country during the earliest 20th century. These businesses, the best known of which are North Carolina Mutual Insurance Co., and Mechanics & Farmers' Bank, were centered on Parrish St. in downtown, which would come to be known as "Black Wall Street".

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Trinity College, estalished in Durham in 1892, would be transformed into Duke University in 1924 on the promise of a large endowment of money from James B. Duke should the name of the university be changed to "Duke University" to honor his father, Washington Duke. The original campus of Trinity College would become the Women's College, and a new campus was built in the forest west of town.

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Durham's fortunes declined during the mid-twentieth century. Textile mills began to close during the 1930s, and competition from other tobacco companies (as well as decreased smoking after the 1960s) reduced revenues to Durham's tobacco industry. Although the region benefitted significantly from the establishment of Research Triangle Park in 1958, Durham did not experience the same early increases in housing development as did neighboring Raleigh and Cary. Suburban flight also contributed to the slow, but progressive decline of downtown Durham as a retail and economic center.

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With a strong African-American community, a strong Civil Rights movement developed in Durham. Multiple sit-ins were held, and Martin Luther King visited the city during the struggle for equal rights.

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This strong community was not enough to prevent the demolition of the Hayti district for the construction of the Durham Freeway during the late 1960s. The freeway construction also resulted in the loss of large portions of other historic neighborhoods, including Morehead Hills, West End, and West Durham. Combined with large-scale demolition using Urban Renewal funds, Durham suffered significant losses from its historic architectural base.

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Durham's growth began to rekindle during the 1980s, with the construction of multiple housing developments in the southern part of the city, nearest Research Triangle Park, and the beginnings of downtown revitalization. A new downtown baseball stadium was constructed for the Durham Bulls in 1994, and a large-scale historic renovation of the American Tobacco Company (neé Bull Durham) complex commenced in 2003.

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Jean Bradley Anderson, Durham County (Durham: Duke University Press, 1990).

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