Town of Cary history

Another railroad came through in 1879 creating another junction directly north of the downtown and this addition spurred on more growth in the town.

Cary also started the first school, the Cary Academy, which in 1907 was purchased by the State of North Carolina and renamed Cary High School.

The town went bankrupt in 1932.

The city created the Planning and Zoning Board in 1949 to control the growth.

The Research Triangle Park, mentioned earlier, was created in 1959.

New schools were constructed and Cary became the first school system in Wake County, in 1963, to integrate their schools.

In 1971, 100 years after establishment, the population stood at 8,000.

They also formed the Community Appearance Commission in 1972 to control and regulate downtown visual activities.

Cary's commitment to greenways goes back more than 40 years, with a greenway master plan adopted in 1979 and the town's first greenway completed in the same year (then named the Tarbert-Gatehouse Greenway, now called the Annie Jones Greenway).

Opened in 2007 by Jim and Anne Goodnight, the hotel—plus the on-site restaurant and spa—sit tucked away in 12 acres of woodlands overlooking a private lake.

A short drive from downtown, WakeMed Soccer Park completed a major renovation in 2012, expanding to 10,000 total seats and adding new locker rooms and luxury suites.

For a more urban retreat, downtown Cary's The Mayton—opened in 2016—is more than happy to make guests feel at home.