lHKU i i r ; iTsij;iui':«; * « *;I^I;:5 iI ->J-- ALAMANCE COUNTY 1849-1949 , RP!Wn SS?^S^5!'" 1 ij i : i T.TT 7 T"'TjT.TT! :6iMMBwM^^Mmmmm^^ rm-ffi&MAJ&iiMKft z — °^ * o 3 U — 8 lODC o a -p o) - c s E -5 g) I uj S <o -s . ^* °* w o.E <-. fttmjo Hdioa Nva THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL THE COLLECTION OF NORTH CAROLINIANA ENDOWED BY JOHN SPRUNT HILL CLASS OF 1889 FOR USE ONLY IN THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION 1975 ALAMANCE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIEIF COLONEL W. CLIFF ELDER, PRES. CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF ALAMANCE COUNTY Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/centennialhistorwhit CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF ALAMANCE COUNTY 1849-1949 WALTER WHITAKER in collaboration with STALEY A. COOK and A. HOWARD WHITE ALAMANCE COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION Burlington, North Carolina In order that material from this book can be used as widely as possible, it does not carry a copyright. Proper credit to the source of information, however, will be appreciated. Second Printing 1974 Printed in the United States by The Seeman Printery, Inc. Division of Fisher-Harrison Corp. Durham, North Carolina TO MY MOTHER AND FATHER "Prince, all enquiry will be vain Of weeks or years where they repose; No answer comes but this refrain: But where, ah where be last year's snows?" Francois Villon Harry S. Truman President The United States of America 1945 — THE WHITE HOUSE WASH I NGTON January 31, 1949 TO THE CITIZENS OF ALAIvIANCE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: An historical anniversary such as you are to celebrate this year is an important occasion to you and a valuabLs contribution to the general life of your com- munity, state and nation. You are to be congratulated on the outstanding progress the county has made during the past hundred years. Freedom is synonymous with our Nation, and at no place can we find greater appreciation for this right than was exercised by the residents of your community, "The Regulators," when they resisted outside domination in the famous "Battle of Alamance" in 1771. Those hardy citizens contributed much to the background of our Nation in its early, struggling years to gain independence. My warmest congratulations go to you on this anniversary celebration, and may the progress and growth you have enjoyed during the past century be maintained as a pattern on which you can continue to build and prosper in the future. l/lAs1sWUU^ W. Kerr Scott Governor State of North Carolina 1949— STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNORS OFFICE RALEIGH January 27, 1949 TO THE CITIZENS OF ALAMANCE COUNTY: I take the occasion of Alamance County's Centennial Celebration to congratulate her citizens on the splendid achievements of our first 100 years. It is fitting that I do this through a volume, "Centennial History of Alamance County," which recounts the growth of our county through the last century. Alamance County's development parallels the development of North Carolina. Often our county has led the way. During the recent campaign I pointed out that our excellent balance between agriculture and industry might serve as a pattern for the entire state. North Carolina needs the same kind of diversified economic pattern that produced new prosperity and well-being for Alamance. Naturally, I take great pride in calling Alamance home. I appreciate the many opportunities it has offered my family, my neighbors and my friends through the years. The record shows that our first 100 years have been good years. May our people in the years to come show the same courage, perseverance and initiative which have characterized their paths of progress during the last century. May our second century be as bountiful and kind to our people as the first. Sincerely, -^rT^^^ WKS/n INTRODUCTION ALAMANCE COUNTY'S Centennial observance celebrated this year would have failed the dignity of its worthy estate en- tirely had not this factual report on progress been undertaken compiling an assembly of historic review for the record and posterity. The Author of this work, Walter Whitaker, is a student of history whose continuing educational background includes the fields of journalism on active assignment in general reporting, the fields of travel and experience in World War II, and currently in the classrooms of the University of North Carolina. In his diligent research for this completed work, the Author explored the archives in their places in the Libraries, among the court and legal documentary evidence in the permanent file; from the attic recesses and crevices cobwebbed and clammy under their musty veneer; from the depth of old trunks splintered and worn —giving up texts tattered, faded and barely discernible; from photographs tintype and modern, from the spring that bubbles rippling historic jewels along memory lane. Alamance County may be referred to sentimentally, and truthfully, as the first in the alphabet of Ail-American "States" within the Colonial States. Hers is the tradition of a hardy, devout, pioneer stock; God fearing, humble while yet proud and cour- ageous, pioneers conquering the wilderness; freedom loving con- querors of oppression, men and women going forward pushing the frontier before them by their toil, their determination, their faith in divinity; creators of a new world for themselves and their descendants following them. Alamance County may be referred to, also, as among the leaders from the beginning in the fields of textiles, weaving and knitting; developing a diversified and substantially growing in- dustrial eminence year after year whose products are recognized world-wide because of their quality; the trade mark of selected raw materials processed by skillful hands directed by the character of honest and alert minds, most of them descendants of pioneer community builders. While Mr. Whitaker's work explores the history of a Century, the development of Alamance County from the stage coach trail, the bedrock crossing of the streams, unfolds the pattern of pro- gress on the intensely active scene over a period of a half century. From the clearing in the forest where the families lived, and tilled the soil, came small settlements and about them larger de- velopments; growing from village to hamlet, from hamlet to town, from town to city. Along came too, and remarkably swift in lapsed time comparable to history, the developments by science and invention to add to the enjoyment of life, to eliminate time and toil, to expand educational advantages, to culture a higher degree of religious and social belief and fraternity, to improve standards of business ethics and encourage greater initiative in the pursuit of success and happiness. This work as an interesting review of the past in the history of this section, and as an inspiring challenge to generations whose leadership will shape and command the future of Alamance County, ought to be in every home, in the business offices, the schools, the libraries in the county—studied, protected, preserved because of its intrinsic value. It is a commendable work by this young Author historian. Staley A. Cook, Managing Editor Burlington, N. C, Daily Times-Neivs FOREWORD "History," it has been said, "is an account of something which never happened, written by someone who wasn't there." Since the material included in this book covers a period of more than two hundred and fifty years, I cannot claim that the work contains no errors. A vast number of sources have been consulted in preparing this material, and in many instances it has been difficult to select the most plausible from a group of conflicting facts. Whenever the available sources differed on any important subject, however, I have attempted to denote such differences. The purpose of this book is to provide a chronological picture of the historical advancement and achievements of Alamance County and its people. In some places, I have found it necessary to sacrifice narrative quality for factual reporting, and in other places, I have omitted facts in order to make the narrative more concise and readable. Due to the limitations of time, budget, and purpose, it has also been necessary to exclude entirely some topics, particularly family genealogy and detailed descriptions of indi- vidual achievements. The material has been arranged chronologically, and ar effort has been made to give prominence to communities, events and persons in proportion to their historical contribution to the county. Such an effort has not been entirely successful due to the lack of material on certain subjects. It is my hope that I have discolored no facts, misrepresented no events, nor failed to give as true and as accurate a picture of my county as possible. Miss Sallie W. Stockard, John W. Harden, and the late Dr. W. T. Whitsett have written previous histories of Alamance County, and while their works remain valuable sources as narra- tives of the early days of the county, it is fitting that a more complete and more timely chronology should mark the one hun- dredth anniversary of the founding of Alamance. I hope that future historians, the school children of this county, those who — wish to know the county better—might all benefit from this Centennial History. Especially do I appreciate the invaluable assistance of Howard White, city editor of the Burlington Times-News; Floyd Ellington, Ed Moss and Oliver Paris, who assisted in writing portions of the book; J. W. Watkins, Jr., whose sketches appear herein; Richard Minor, Times-News photographer; Professor J. W. Barney of Elon College, who proofread the manuscript; Mrs. Frances Satter- field, who assisted in typing the manuscript; George D. Colclough, executive secretary of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce; and the large number of county residents who loaned old photographs for use.