City of Durham history

The leading role in the industry’s development, however, was played by the Duke family after their factory opened there in 1874.

The first Board of Commissioners convened its initial meeting May 2, 1881.

In 1924, after James Duke’s $40 million donation, Trinity College was renamed Duke University. It moved to Durham in 1887 at the request of Washington Duke, a key benefactor.

The invention, along with a new immigrant labor workforce, boosted company profits, and in 1890, the W. Duke Sons and Company joined with several other tobacco businesses to form the American Tobacco Company.

Established in 1891 by Edian Markham, a former slave, St Joseph’s Historic Foundation (SJHF) is a non-profit organization that manages the Hayti Heritage Center.

In 1898, John Merrick founded North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, which today is the largest and oldest African American owned life insurance company in the nation.

In 1899, North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company opened in Durham; it was the first African-American insurance company, and it has since become a nationally renowned corporation.

With its founding in 1907, M&F Bank became one of the nation’s strongest African American owned and managed bank.

Duke University, which was established by James Buchanan Duke in 1924, was constructed around Trinity College.

Durham County operated under the Commission form of government, with the chairman serving as chief administrator until 1930.

The Manager form of government was then adopted and D. W. Newsome became the first manager of Durham County serving until his death in 1949.

In the 1950’s-60’s, what is now the world’s largest university-related research park and namesake for the vast Triangle region was carved from Durham pinelands as a special Durham County tax district.