WILLIAM DOUGLAS MANAGEMENT - Key Persons
Bartlett S. Durham was a medical doctor who grew up in Orange County. In 1847 or 1848, Dr. Durham purchase around 100 acres of land between two small settlements Prattsburg (Prattsburgh) and Pinhook in what was then still Orange County. It is speculated that Dr. Durham purchased the land as a pure investment because of the railroad being built through the area. This land speculation is supported by the fact of Dr. Durham donating four acres of this land to the railway for a depot in 1849. The railroad depot was named Durham's Station.
With the development of homes and businesses around the rail line, a new depot was constructed a mile west of Prattsburg and eventually this became known as "Durhamville." Dr. Durham became the first railroad agent for Durhamville. His business ventures besides land speculation included an interest in a general store near the depot along with a liquor license. In the 1850s, Dr. Durham was elected to the North Carolina General Assembly to represent Orange County. Ten years after Dr. Durham's death the North Carolina General Assembly incorporated Durham on the site of the railroad depot named in his honor. In 1881, the North Carolina General Assembly formed what is now Durham County by taking the eastern part of Orange County and the western part of Wake County. Durham County was incorporated on April 17, 1881.
Durham County's population in the 1890 US Census was 18,041. The City of Durham's population in the 1800 US Census was 2,041. The population in Durham County's 2010 Census was 267,587. Durham County's estimated population in 2019 was 321,488. The 2010 US Census has the City of Durham's population at 228,330. The City of Durham's population was estimated in 2019 at 278,993.
Captain Adam Alexander (1728 - 1798) owned a large plantation in Clear Creek and was highly respected within Mecklenburg County. He served as the justice of the peace and county court magistrate. Most notably, he served as the commander of the Clear Creek Militia. Alexander had led his militiamen against Cherokee Indians during minor pre-American Revolution Indian uprisings. His Clear Creek Militia totaled 86 men on a roster dated June 7, 1766. In 1775 Alexander was promoted to a lieutenant colonel in the Mecklenburg County Regiment under Colonel Thomas Polk. He served as a lieutenant colonel in the 2nd Salisbury District Minutemen from 1775 to 1776. In 1776, Alexander was promoted to full colonel in command of the Mecklenburg County Regiment of Militia. It is believed that Alexander was in command of his regiment at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge on February 27, 1776. While a relatively small engagement, the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge was important in that it was one of only two Patriot victories within the borders of North Carolina during the American Revolution. Alexander left active service in 1778.
Chris Gilleland has been the president of William Douglas Management, Inc. since 2003. He received a BA in Business Management from North Carolina State University and is the author of two books on homeowner associations: In the Arena - The Board of Director's Guide to the Successful Operation of a Homeowners Association and Hot Seat: The Practical Guide to a Homeowner Association Annual Meeting. With over twenty-five years of industry experience and two successful publications, Chris is an industry expert.
Dry Pond had a post office before the American Civil War that closed by 1868. Dry Pond was renamed Denver in 1873, and this name was reportedly derived from Denver, Colorado. Another post office opened in 1875. The North Carolina General Assembly granted a charter to Denver in 1877, and this charter was revoked in 1971.
- Edwin George Carrier, a real estate developer and businessman, built Asheville's first amusement park, Carrier Field, in the 1890s. He also formed the French Broad Racing Association at Carrier Field, which eventually became the Asheville Motor Speedway, transforming into a city park.
Job Titles:
- Businessman and Real Estate Developer
Businessman and real estate developer Edwin Wiley Grove (1850 - 1927) in the early part of the 20 th century made major contributions to the development of Asheville. E.W. Grove has been called the "Father of Modern Asheville." During the 1920s, he started Grovemont, which is reportedly America's first planned community. Grove created Lake Eden, which was to become a country club for Grovemont. He died before his Grovemont came to fruition. He developed the Grove Arcade in Asheville.
George Cameron Mendenhall represented David Beard of Jamestown, who was brought before the court in Greensboro for harboring and assisting runaway slaves. George Mendenhall did such an able job of defending Beard that courtroom attendees were in tears, and the judge let him off with a reprimand and warning.
Job Titles:
- Members of the Religious Society of Friends
James Mendenhall named Jamestown as early as 1770. Besides being a very devote Quaker, he was a very hardworking and industrious person. He constructed a grist mill and a sawmill in Jamestown. James turned these operations over to his son George Mendenhall and then moved with his wife to Georgia, where he died in 1782. His widow Judith moved back to Jamestown and lived with her son George and his wife Judith Gardner Mendenhall (1756-1831). The Mendenhall family was very influential in Jamestown's social, economic, and spiritual development and the surrounding areas.
John Foard (1727 - 1798) was a Scotsman who served as a judge for the Salisbury Court and had considerable land holdings around McAlpine Creek. Foard was known for his strong Presbyterian faith and being a member of the Rocky Springs Presbyterian Church. He served as a sergeant in the Clear Creek Militia.
John Query (1745 - 1827) was a Scotsman, and he had arrived in Clear Creek from Pennsylvania in around 1765. He was a constable, tax lister, and census taker. He was a member of the Rocky Springs Presbyterian Church. Query served as a corporal in the Clear Creek Militia.
John Hinton, a 1700 English emigrant to North Carolina via Nansemond County, Virginia married Mary Hardy who had arrived from Virginia to North Carolina in 1695. John and Mary had five children together, and their fourth child was John Hinton II born in Chowan County (Now within Gates County) in 1725. John Hinton II was six or seven when his father died in 1731.
John Hinton II (1725 - 1784) was to become a pioneer, planter, justice of the peace, American Patriot, soldier, and legislator. In the mid to late 1730s (possibly 1739) when Hinton II was not yet eighteen, he received a land grant of 640 acres in Craven County (now within Wake County) and moved west. In colonial times a land grant was from the King of England and was typically under 50 acres, however with the difficulty of recruiting settlers up to 100 acres became common. Considering the size of Hinton II's land grant, 640 acres, it could be assumed no one else was actively seeking a land grant in future Wake County so this is probably how he garnered such a large land grant. Larger land grants were not unheard of; however, 700 acres was typically considered the maximum.
He was to become an early pioneer in the wilderness of Wake County. In present-day Knightdale, less than five miles east of present-day Raleigh, Hinton II constructed a log cabin on the south side of the Neuse River (Near where Hodge Road and Old Faison Road intersect). The log cabin was primitive without a door, and presumably without windows as entry was gained via a ladder dropped from an upper portion. This elaborate entrance and exit provided protection from unfriendly natives and wild animals. As Hinton II prospered, he constructed another home of bricks facing the Neuse River.
In the coming years Hinton II received several thousand acres of Granville grants (Land grants from the Earl of Granville) and purchased land. His land followed the course of the Neuse River, and in certain areas he owned up to four miles to the east and west of the river.
Hinton II served in the colonial and the state militia. By 1769, he advanced to the rank of colonel in the state militia. When the American Revolution began, Hinton II became a Patriot. He played a key leadership role in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge near Wilmington, NC on February 27, 1776. This was the first battle of the American Revolution fought within North Carolina. The Patriot victory at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge was one of only two Revolutionary victories fought within North Carolina.
Hinton II was later selected as a delegate to the North Carolina Fourth Provincial Congress. The Fourth Provincial Congress passed the Halifax Resolves. The Halifax Resolves, adopted on April 12, 1775, was the first official action by an American Colony calling for independence from England. The Halifax Resolves helped set the tone and the presentation to the Congress of the United States Declaration of Independence less than three months later.
Three of the seven Hinton descendants' plantations, The Oaks, Midway, and Beaver are still intact. They are located in the Knightdale area.
John Lederer, a German explorer, was the next to extensively document the Native Americans in the Cherokee Indian region in 1670. His expeditions are documented in The Discoveries of John Lederer, In three several Marches from Virginia, To the West of Carolina, And other parts of the Continent: Begun in March 1669 and ended in September 1670. Lederer is purportedly the first European to crest the Blue Ridge Mountains and view the Shenandoah Valley.
A consequence of Lederer's expeditions and writings was the development of European trade between the Cherokee and other Native American tribes. This trading commerce eventually transformed all Native American societies forever. The initial European traders reached the Cherokee territory shortly after Lederer's expeditions in 1673. James Needham and Gabriel Arthur were supposedly the first traders to reach the Cherokee territory. This trade was based on animal skins or furs, primarily deerskin. The best reference material on the early European traders is, The Travels of James Needham and Gabriel Arthur through Virginia, North Carolina, and Beyond, 1673-1674, edited by R.P. Stephen Davis, Jr. 1990.
The story goes that in 1673, Needham and Arthur first arrived at a Cherokee village hoping to trade for deerskins and beeswax. These initial trading efforts of Needham and Arthur met with success. However, circumstances changed for the worse, which has now become mountain folklore. Time and the retelling have probably embellished actual events; However, the legendary demise of Needham is worth noting in this blog. Needham, leading a group of Cherokee Indians, met his end on an Indian trail near the Yadkin River by the hands of a Cherokee Indian named Hasecoll. Needham became involved in a heated verbal exchanged with Hasecoll, also known as "Indian John," in June of 1674. To bring the heated verbal exchange to an end, Indian John shot Needham in the head. Then standing over a dying Needham, Indian John produced a knife and cut open Needham's chest. Reportedly, Indian John pulled out Needham's still-beating heart and stood over his body, holding the heart high into the air. Then Indian John supposedly looked defiantly east towards the land of the settled European colonies and proclaimed his contempt for all the settlers to the region and especially Needham.
Lake Mackintosh is located just outside of town on Huffman Mill Road. Not only is it great for fishing and paddling, but it also has a variety of amusement elements for your pleasure. However, because it is the city's principal water storage, the park's administration prohibits swimming and speed boats on the lake.
G.W. Vanderbilt II hired renowned architect Richard Morris Hunt to design the home. Construction began in 1889 with principal construction completed in 1895. The scale of the construction was such that it required the laying of three miles of railroad line from Asheville to handle all the construction material. The construction required hundreds of skilled craftsmen and laborers to complete the 255-room mansion. G.W. Vanderbilt II employed prominent landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to design the gardens and grounds. Olmstead also designed New York City's Central Park. While the mansion is beyond magnificent, the grounds are just as impressive and are well worth the visit to Biltmore alone. It is believed that the cost of construction and upkeep of Biltmore drained much of G.W. Vanderbilt II's family inheritance. Around one and a half million people visit Biltmore every year.
Sim Ogburn is the farmer/grower of all the fruits and vegetables. Sim is a fourth-generation farmer, working the same ground as his ancestors did. Sim's grandfather, Simeon Lloyd Ogburn, bought the farm constructed the house in the early 1900s that is next to their produce stand. Through the years, their farm has produced tobacco, soybeans, oats, wheat, rye, grain sorghum, and corn. Sim was awarded the Wake County Agribusiness Council's Outstanding Young Farmer Award in 2014.
Dr. Calvin Jones (April 2, 1775 - September 20, 1846) built a plantation on 615 acres of woodlands in northeastern Wake County, North Carolina in 1820. This area is what eventually became known as Wake Forest. Jones moved from Raleigh to the plantation in Wake Forest after already having a very remarkable life thus far. He was a medical doctor, trustee of the University of North Carolina, served in the North Carolina General Assembly, mayor of Raleigh, Grand Master of Masons, adjutant general of the North Carolina militia during the War of 1812, militia major general, and newspaper owner. Two interesting points about the founder of Wake Forest:
-In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson called out the North Carolina militia to help address the Chesapeake-Leopard affair. Jones, only a militia captain at that point, raised a troop of cavalry who became known as the Wake Troop of Calvary. After the tensions of the Chesapeake-Leopard affair receded, Jones' cavalry were no longer needed, however, he continued to drill and train his cavalry troop. His leadership abilities were soon noted, and in 1808 he was appointed adjutant general of the North Carolina militia.
-Jones resigned his position as adjutant general of the North Carolina militia at the outbreak of the War of 1812. This was necessary for him to accept an appointment to Major General of the Seventh North Carolina District of Militia. A little-known War of 1812 battle was the attempted surprise British attack on New Bern, North Carolina. The Royal Navy on July 11, 1813 landed at Ocracoke and Portsmouth. When word reached New Bern of the imminent British invasion, militia units from around the state gathered at New Bern. Major General Jones moved his Seventh North Carolina to New Bern, and he assumed command of all militia forces in the area. With the militia's show of force and realization that they had lost the element of surprise, the British retreated and sailed back into the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1832, Jones sold his Wake Forest plantation to the North Carolina Baptist Convention for $2,000. On this site, the Baptist founded the Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute, which would later become Wake Forest College. Enrollment began in 1834 with the first class of 16 young men.
Virginia Arey (most likely from Cumberland County, North Carolina) and Confederate Army soldier James D. Ballentine had such a letter writing relationship and had never met. At the beginning of her letter writing campaign Virginia would close her letters to Ballentine and sign as "Varina." This may have been in honor of Varina Anne Banks Howell Davis, the wife of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America, however this is not known for certain.
After the end of the Civil War, James Ballentine returned home to Sippihaw. He and Virginia Arey eventually met, fell in love, and married in December of 1867 in Cumberland County. For the rest of Virginia's life James referred to her as Varina. In 1880, James was appointed the first postmaster for the new post office. In honor of his wife, he named the post office Varina.
Over time, a settlement grew around the post office and James & Virginia's general store called Varina Mercantile general store. Varina Station was established when two timber rail lines crossed nearby. This "Varina" settlement was just south of the Fuquay's mineral spring. Virginia "Varian" Arey Ballentine (August 6, 1842 - May 28, 1888) passed away at the age of 45. James Ballentine (April 17, 1842 - February 5, 1917) never remarried but continued to have financial success and in 1910 built the Ballentine-Spence House. This was reportedly the first home in the area to have electricity and indoor plumbing. This Queen Anne style house still stands today at 109 E. Spring Street, Fuquay Varina. It is a historic landmark and was added to the National Register study list in 1990.