Hill's Burlington and Graham (Alamance County, N.C.) City Directory [1963], Part 2

Author: Hill Directory Company.
Publication date: 1963
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 926

USA > North Carolina > Alamance County > Burlington > Hill's Burlington and Graham (Alamance County, N.C.) City Directory [1963] > Part 2
USA > North Carolina > Alamance County > Graham > Hill's Burlington and Graham (Alamance County, N.C.) City Directory [1963] > Part 2

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

ONDAAS

INTRODUCTION

Aerial View of City

INTRODUCTION

From any part of the Piedmont it is only a few hours by automobile over modern paved roads to the wonderful recreational facilities of the mountains in the western Carolinas, to the world-known resorts in the Sandhills-inter- nationally famous for their golf courses-and to the great seaside resorts along the Atlantic Coast.

Labor

Greater than any other resource of Piedmont Carolinas is the character of its men and women. This has made the industrial development possible and at- tracted a host of manufacturers.

Long before the Revolution these pioneers ranged down the valleys of the Appalachians from Pennsylvania, Maryland and other states. Largely of Eng- lish stock, with admixtures of German and Scotch-Irish, they settled in the hilly Piedmont section. Their descendants are true to those early traditions. They are energetic and ambitious. It is these qualities that years ago over- came the handicap of debt and stagnation left by the Civil War. They are keen to take their place in the forefront of the nation's development.

Manufacturers coming from older, over-industrialized sections, have been struck by the ready intelligence of these people, their eagerness to be taught, and their loyalty.

National Market

Piedmont Carolinas is 300 miles closer to the country's center of popula- tion than, for example, New York City. Based on the Life Insurance Sales Re- search Bureau studies, careful percentages have been worked out for every county in the U. S. in terms of ability to buy.

A 600-mile circle (the economical marketing radius) center on New York reaches 44.5 per cent of the national purchasing power. Centered on areas farther north and east, a smaller proportion of the national market will be in- cluded.

A similar circle drawn from Piedmont Carolinas embraces 66.8 per cent of the country's purchasing power-a 50 percent greater availability to the national market.

Cost of Living

It has been estimated by one authority that the cost of living averages each Piedmont workman several dollars per week less than an equal standard of living costs in more highly industrialized parts of the country. Houses cost less; food costs less. The mild climate requires lower fuel and clothing costs. Naturally labor costs less.

CIVIC FEATURES Location and Area

Alamance County is located in the famous rapidly-developing industrial area known as the Piedmont Section. It lies between north latitude 35 degrees 52 minutes and 36 degrees 17 minutes and west longitude 79 degrees 16 min- utes and 79 degrees 34 minutes, in the north central section of the state: (Bur- lington's altitude is 656 feet). The county has 492 square miles land area, or 314,880 acres.

History and Peoples

The following is quoted from a study by John W. Harden, entitled "Alamance County: Economic and Social," and published by the University of North Caro- lina: "It is not known exactly when the early settlers came to the region which is now Alamance County, but in 1700, when Lawson, an English explorer and adventurer, journeyed through this locality, he found it heavily forested and in the hands of the Saxaphaw Indians, with only a few scattered whites present."

"It seems that this section of the state was first settled by immigrants from the Rhine River section of Germany, known as the Palatine."

"These early settlers were augmented in 1720 by immigration of settlers from the North, and it was this movement that gave the region its first white inhabitants in any number. These came from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and even the more distant New England. The newcomers were mostly Scotch-Irish, German and English families, the last being mainly Quak- er in religion."

XII

INTRODUCTION

ALAMANCE BATTLEGROUND

STATE HISTORIC SITE

Alamance Battleground

Population

In 1930 the population within Burlington's city limits was 9,737, with sev- eral thousand in the immediate suburbs. According to the 1960 U. S. Census, the city's population was 33,199. The population of Alamance County is 85,376, official 1960 Census.

Within a two-mile radius of the City Hall there are now 42,000 while a four-mile radius will take in over 53,000 or over 50% of the population of the entire county.

The following are 1960 population percentages for Burlington:

Native White.

88.0 per cent

Foreign-born white

0.6 per cent

Negro . 11.4 per cent

Total native-born 99.4 per cent

The population of Alamance County during the 1950-60 decade increased 20 per cent, while the population of Burlington increased 40.5 per cent.

Churches

The essential religious atmosphere of the community and its influence on Burlington's citizenship are indicated by the presence of 50 churches (42 white and 8 colored), including all leading denominations, this being a ratio of one church to every 650 of the population. Total membership in local churches is around 22,000.

Education

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES -- Within a two-hour automobile ride of Burlington, within North Carolina, are at least seventeen white colleges and universities of the first rank, and several within this radius in the neighbor- ing state of Virginia, making a total of more than twenty. Of these, four are State institutions and ten are denominational. There also are a number of Negro educational institutions, State, denominational and private, within the same area.

Elon College, supported by the Congregational-Christian Church, is located four miles from Burlington, and is one of the best equipped educational institu- tions in the state, as to buildings, strength of faculty, and equipment.

INTRODUCTION

XIII

First Baptist Church

Walter Williams High School

CITY SCHOOLS -- The Burlington city public schools rank among the best in the state. The local school district has 21 buildings, of which 16 are white and 5 Negro, the district embracing Burlington and its suburbs. In 1962 the faculty consisted of 363 teachers, the enrollment of students being a total of 9,598. Classroom and laboratory equipment, library, auditorium, gymnasium and playground facilities are adequate.

The public school system is governed by a local Board of Education and a superintendent under the supervision of the State School Commission, and is financed principally from State funds, the State having assumed the support of all public schools through a state-wide system set up in 1933 by legislative act.

Burlington has a business college giving commercial classes, bookkeeping and stenographic instruction.

There are also several private kindergartens, a parochial school and one private day school with grades 1-6.

The Industrial Education Center for Burlington and Alamance County is adequate for the present. The various courses of study offered are planned by

ONIWAYANSJUOW

XIV

INTRODUCTION

Walter Williams High School Stadium

Pictured above is the new Industrial Education Center for Burlington and Alamance County.

the State Department of Trade and Industrial Education with the assistance of consultant committees representing industry.

The Industrial Education Center offers trade and technical courses design- ed to provide the practical and theoretical training needed to secure employ- ment and advancement in selected fields of work. The student's time is spent in the laboratory developing the necessary manipulative skills, and in class- room study of applied (related) subjects such as mathematics, science, draft- ing, technical report writing, and other selected areas of study. In 1962 the Industrial Education Center had 1,729 students and 28 full time and 60 part time teachers.

LIBRARY -- A public library, supported by the city and county has 45,000 volumes, while the circulation for home use in one year totaled 150,000. This does not include use within branch school libraries.

Recreation

Burlington is within a few hours' ride of the noted beach resorts along the coast, the nationally-known sandhill resorts around Southern Pines and Pine-

INTRODUCTION

Scene at Burlington Municipal Swimming Pool

Community Y M CA

hurst, and the far-famed summer mountain resorts surrounding Asheville, in the western part of the state.

There are many game preserves in the area. Bear and deer are found in coastal and mountain counties. Raccoons, foxes, oppossums, quail, and rabbits are available throughout the state. Brant, ducks, geese and other migratory birds winter in large numbers on the coast and there is also excellent fishing along the coastal sounds and in the lakes and streams of the interior.

Within an easily-accessible distance of Burlington are excellent hunting and many streams and lakes for fishing.

XVI

INTRODUCTION

Within the city are playgrounds at each of the schools, baseball and football fields, several parks, a number of tennis courts, the Alamance Country Club with an excellent 18-hole golf course, an 18-hole public golf course, "Sham- rock," three theatres, and a year-round recreation commission program. A large park with stadium, swimming pool and complete recreational facilities are available for the public.

Alamance County Hospital

Burlington has a modern community center operating as a YMCA offering a year-round organized recreational program for men, women, and children. Aquatic sports of all kinds and fishing are enjoyed at Burlington Lake and Marina located about ten miles from Burlington.

COMMERCIAL FEATURES

Trade Area

Burlington's retail and wholesale trade area covers a radius of 15 to 20 miles, including all of Alamance County and parts of the five adjoining coun- ties, this area having a population of over 125,000.

The volume of retail business in Alamance County was$97,263,000in 1962 and of this amount, Burlington stores did a retail volume of $65,527,000. Burl- ington ranks 12th in population in the state but rated 10th in retail sales. Per capita annual income for Burlington in 1962 was $2,230, and per family $7,482. The city is rated' 9th among North Carolina cities in effective buying income, 8th per capita and 7th per family.

Local Stores

A recent survey of the nearby trade area indicated the decided perference of customers within Burlington's area for patronizing local stores, because of the excellent quality and service, the variety and the prices of commodities, which compared favorably with those of cities much larger. There is a very small percentage of mail-order and out-of-town shopping. Approximately 88.4 per cent of those in the Burlington area buy in Burlington.

Hotels

The city has two commercial hotels -- the Alamance, with a capacity of 200, there being a total of 100 rooms (25 doubles and 75 single), all with bath; and the Piedmont Hotel, with a capacity of 100, having a total of 68 rooms, of which 53 are single and 15 double, some with bath and some without. There are sev- eral good motels in or near Burlington. The Fleetwood Motel-38 units; The Congress Inn-34 units; Kirk's Motor Court -- 81 units; and Holiday Inn-100 units,

There are also a large number of private rooming houses and boarding houses, as well as ten apartment houses.

Financial Institutions

Four commercial and two industrial banks. Three building and loan associ- ations. Twelve personal small-loan companies within the city, which are in position to handle local commercial and financing needs along sound lines.

INTRODUCTION

XVII

Featurevil MOTEL

VACANCY

------

Fleetwood Motel U. S. Highway 70

Transportation

RAIL-Railway passenger and freight service over the Southern Railway lines connects with all other rail routes, there being one passenger train each way daily, with through Pullman and sleeper service to important points. Burl- ington is only one night out of New York by rail.

Freight service time between Burlington and New York, Philadelphia, Bal- timore:

Knoxville

Two days

Savannah and Atlanta Three days

New Orleans

Four days

Memphis

Five days

Chicago

Six package cars operate daily to junction points. Daily through freight service is furnished on three of four trains each way. Local freight service both ways every other day, switching service to and from Greensboro each day except Saturday. Local side-trackage sufficient for some 600 cars.

EXPRESS-Adequate express facilities are furnished by the Railway Ex- press Agency. Express delivery time: Between Burlington and New York City, 16 to 17 hours; Washington, eleven hours; and other major points on schedules equally prompt proportionate to distance.

BUS -- Hourly passenger bus schedules are maintained in every direction, making connections for all points, while several short-line bus services are in operation to nearby towns and a local bus service operates on regular routes within the city and to nearby industrial sections. There is, of course, adequate local taxicab service.

MOTOR TRUCK-Twelve long-distance motor truck freight lines with local terminals operate from or through Burlington on daily schedules north and south to the larger cities, making connections for Western and Eastern cities.

AIRPLANE-A commercial airport, operated by the Burlington Flying Service, located two miles west of the city's business section, is equipped with two hangars, and has repair service and other supply facilities, telephone, taxi and bus connections with the city, with several passenger planes available on the field, making possible connections with the major established air mail and passenger routes. Fairchild Field, east of the city, is operated by the Ala- mance Flying Service.

INDUSTRY

Alamance County's industrial history dates from the year 1837, when Ed- win M. Holt, who was born and reared in the county, established a cotton mill on the Alamance Creek, four miles southwest of Burlington.

About 1854, this mill began the production of colored woven cotton fabrics, the first in the South to produce this material.

In 1887, when Burlington acquired its name, there were 3 cotton mills, 1 coffin factory, and a few smaller plants. Today there are 67 hosiery mills, 19 other textile mills and 59 miscellaneous plants-a total of 145 industrial plants in a community with a population of 35,000. .

Industrial expansion has been steady. The Lafayette Mills were established in 1881; the E. M. Holt Plaid Mills in 1883; the Lakeside Mills in 1893. In oth- er parts of the county the older plants included the White Furniture Company, established in 1881; Durham Hosiery Mills, in 1898, and Virginia Cotton Mills, in 1894.

ONDAWASUOW

Four days

XVIII

INTRODUCTION

Burlington has become known as the hosiery center of the country. The first hosiery mill here, the Daisy, was established in 1896, followed a few years later by Burlington Knitting Co., Whitehead Hosiery Mill, Sellers Ho- siery Mill, May Hosiery Mills, and McEwen Knitting Mills-the last being the first in the section to manufacture full-fashioned hose. These were followed by many others, most of which are still operating.

Beginning in 1923, with the establishment here of Burlington Mills, the rapid expansion of this group of plants, now numbering 11 in and near the city with some 100 in other cities in the area, has brought the weaving industry to the forefront, making the city known for dress goods, art silk, tapestries, and other cotton, rayon and silk fabrics, as well as for hosiery.

Burlington Industries Plaid Mill Plant

Scene at South Main Street City Park

Western Electric Company came to Burlington in 1946 and since that time has grown until they now employ approximately 4,000 people in the Burlington plant.

Other industrial lines represented by local manufacturing plants are lum- ber, building materials, brick and stone, insecticides, disinfectants, caskets, soft drinks, ice, mixed feeds, dairy products, baking, printing, proprietary medicines, cosmetics, gas, paper boxes, foundry and machine shops, foods and textile supplies.

Industrial Payrolls in the Burlington area average well over $93,000,000 annually, with 21,000 persons employed.

INTRODUCTION

XIX

Private Home

....

Private Home

INTRODUCTION

INFORMATION IN CONNECTION WITH OTHER INCORPORATED TOWNS AND COMMUNITIES IN ALAMANCE COUNTY

INCORPORATED TOWNS:

GRAHAM -- The county seat of Alamance County, Graham has a population of approximately 8,000 people. Graham has a good downtown shopping area with modern stores, one commercial and one industrial bank, one building and loan company and one small loan company. Graham has the City manager form of government with a tax rate of $1.60. Graham has some manufacturing but is primarily a residential area.

MEBANE -- Population approximately 4,000 people and has some important manufacturing plants including White Furniture Company, Craftique Furniture Company, Kingsdown Mattress Company, The Mebane Company, and Apparel, Inc., manufacturers of "Peaches and Cream" dresses for children. Tax rate in Mebane is $1.70.

ELON COLLEGE-Entirely residential with a population of approximately 1,300 people. Within the town limits is located Elon College with a student body of about 1,500 and the Congregational-Christian Home for Children with approximately 100 children living there. Elon College has no manufacturing and is an exceptionally fine residential community less than one mile from the Alamance Country Club. Tax rate is $1.15.

OTHER COMMUNITIES

HAW RIVER -- Located two miles from the city limits of Burlington, has a sanitary district and a population of approximately 1,500. Cone Mills, Inc. manufacture, dye and finish corduroy in two plants in Haw River. In addition to Cone Mills there are several small industrial plants in the community.

OSSIPEE -- Population approximately 500 people. Burlington Mills has a plant here and also Frissell Fabrics, Inc. is located in this community.

ALTAMAHAW -- Population approximately 750 people. Glen Raven Mills, Inc. operates a hosiery plant in this community.

SAXAPAHAW -- Population approximately 600 people. The main source of income is the Sellers Manufacturing Company.

ALAMANCE -- Population 500 people. Main source of income is the Kayser- Roth hosiery plant which manufactures men's and ladies' full fashioned ho- siery.

GLEN RAVEN -- Population approximately 1,000 people. Main source of in- come is Glen Raven Mills and Holt Hosiery Mill.

SWEPSONVILLE -- Population approximately 800 people. Main source of income is Virginia Mills.

OFFICIAL CENSUS FIGURES

ALAMANCE COUNTY AND THE CITY OF BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

Alamance County, N. C.

Burlington, N. C.

1880

817

1890

18,271

1,716

1900

25,665

3,692

1910

28,712

4,808

1920

32,718

5,952

1930

42,140

9,737

1940

57,427

12,198

1950

71,220

24,560

1960

85,376

33,199

1963 -estimated.

89,400

35,900

INTRODUCTION

XVII

Heetwoord MOTEL

VACANCY

Fleetwood Motel U. S. Highway 70

Transportation

Freight service time between Burlington and New York, Philadelphia, Bal- timore:

Knoxville

Three days

New Orleans

Four days

Memphis

Five days

Chicago

BUS-Hourly passenger bus schedules are maintained in every direction, making connections for all points, while several short-line bus services are in operation to nearby towns and a local bus service operates on regular routes within the city and to nearby industrial sections. There is, of course, adequate local taxicab service.

INDUSTRY

About 1854, this mill began the production of colored woven cotton fabrics, the first in the South to produce this material.

In 1887, when Burlington acquired its name, there were 3 cotton mills, 1 coffin factory, and a few smaller plants. Today there are 67 hosiery mills, 19 other textile mills and 59 miscellaneous plants -- a total of 145 industrial plants in a community with a population of 35, 000 . ·

ONIMWASUOW

Two days

Savannah and Atlanta

Four days

XVIII

INTRODUCTION

Burlington Industries Plaid Mill Plant

Scene at South Main Street City Park

Western Electric Company came to Burlington in 1946 and since that time has grown until they now employ approximately 4,000 people in the Burlington plant.

Industrial Payrolls in the Burlington area average well over $93,000,000 annually, with 21,000 persons employed.

INTRODUCTION

XIX

Private Home

......

Private Home

INTRODUCTION

INFORMATION IN CONNECTION WITH OTHER INCORPORATED TOWNS AND COMMUNITIES IN ALAMANCE COUNTY

INCORPORATED TOWNS:

OTHER COMMUNITIES

OSSIPEE -- Population approximately 500 people. Burlington Mills has a plant here and also Frissell Fabrics, Inc. is located in this community.

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Hill's Burlington and Graham (Alamance County, N.C.) City Directory [1963], Part 2

Author: Hill Directory Company. Publication date: 1963 Publisher: Hill Directory Co. Number of Pages: 926

Author: Hill Directory Company.
Publication date: 1963
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 926