Hill's Durham (Durham County, N.C.) City Directory [1963], Part 2

Author: Hill Directory Company.
Publication date: 1963
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 1494

USA > North Carolina > Durham County > Durham > Hill's Durham (Durham 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).

The tobacco industry grew at a very rapid rate, using large quanities of bright-leaf tobacco. While much of this type of tobacco was grown around Durham, it was sold at tobacco markets in Richmond and other Virginia cities, and local manufacturers had to pay the cost of transporting the tobacco from Virginia to Durham. This condition made desirable the opening of warehouses for the sale of leaf tobacco in Durham, and resulted in this city becoming one of the largest bright-leaf tobacco markets in the world, now selling from 40 to 50 million pounds each season.

During all this time there were no banks in the town, practically all the banking being transacted in Raleigh, and on days of big sales at the tobacco warehouses it was necessary to obtain cash from the merchants in order to pay the farmer for his product. Such inconveniences could not long continue, and soon two banks were established.

The next step in the industrial and commercial history of the town was the bringing in of additional railway lines. IBy the cooperation of manufacturers, merchants, and the city and county governments, the Seaboard Air Line Rail- way, the Southern Railway, and the Norfolk & Western Railway were given access to this market. Later the Norfolk Southern Railroad and the Durham & Southern Railway were added to the railway lines serving the city, giving a total of five railway companies with five lines radiating in every direction.

Durham had now grown into a very prosperous and thriving community, but its citizenship was not satisfied with having purely a commercial and indus- trial town. The people felt the need of better schools and, in 1885, after a heated political campaign, bonds were voted for public school buildings and a tax levied for maintaining a public school system. Today, Durham has one of the finest public school plants of any city of its size, with physical property valued at $12,983,487, and with a personnel of teachers and management that gives it first rating among the cities of North Carolina.

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Duke Hospital (for the Public) and Duke Medical School Situated on the West Campus

Airplane View Showing East Campus, Duke University, and Part of City of Durham

View of Hope Valley Country Club

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Graduate Dormitory Tower, Duke University

In 1892, Trinity College, now Duke University, was brought to Durham through the philantrophy of Mr. Washington Duke and General Julian S. Carr. Today Duke University has a physical plant worth $59,686,000; 5,769 students, and a 657-bed hospital, and ranks among the leading educational institutions of the nation.

As the tobacco industry grew and prospered, certain persons used some of their dividends in establishing cotton mills, and this industry soon assumed a position of importance in the industrial life of the city. Later hosiery mills were established, until today Durham ranks as the first city of the South in the manufacture of full-fashioned hosiery. Other industries were added from time to time, including flour mills, fertilizer plants, iron works, woodworking plants, printing establishments, etc., until now there are engaged in industry over 15,000 wage earners, producing $200,000,000 worth of manufactured pro- ducts annually. Durham today produces 19 per cent of all the cigarettes made in the U. S.

Durham has made many capital improvements through the years and has excellent streets, water and sewer facilities, and other public buildings. The city is preparing for future growth with an urban renewal program, master recreation plan, downtown development and other programs.

Any story about Durham would be incomplete without mention of the notable contribution which the Negro race has made to the industrial, commercial and civic development of the community. The progress the race has made here has been truly amazing. Under the leadership of E. R. Merrick, and later, C. C. Spauling, and their associates, Durham's colored people have estab- lished industries, insurance companies, banks and other commercial busi- nesses which would be creditable to any city. The labor which they furnish the city's industrial plants is intelligent and dependable. The high type of leaders among the colored people here has made Durham a conspicuous out- post in the advancement of Negro civilization.

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One of the finest things about the founders of Durham is the material pros- perity which has opened to them avenues of service to mankind. It has been said that more philanthropists have been produced in Durham than in any other city of the South. Watts Hospital, 383 beds, was a gift to the city and county by Mr. George W. Watts. Lincoln Hospital, of 169 beds, is largely the gift of Mr. Benjamin N. Duke. Duke University is a living memorial to Mr. Washington Duke and his two sons, Benjamin N. Duke and James Buchanan Duke. Other philanthropists have remembered the city from time to time in ways that help in making Durham a good place in which to live and work.

Durham is today the fifth city in North Carolina in point of population, hav- ing 80,000 inhabitants, and is second in industrial payrolls, and second in im- portance in the value of its manufactured products. It is far in the lead in its educational facilities, having an unexcelled public school system and Duke University within its corporate limits.

The colored people have in Durham, in addition to excellent public schools for their race, the North Carolina College for Negroes, the only college of lib- eral arts for Negroes supported by taxation in the State.

All these things have been accomplished by people not especially favored by nature, but who by their determination, unconquerable will and tireless effort, and by their faith in mankind and in this community, have created a city that proudly takes its position as one of the representative cities of the new South and of America.

BRIEF FACTS ABOUT DURHAM, ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED

Altitude: 406 feet above sea level.

Area: 22 square miles.

Banks: 6 commercial banks,

Savings and Loan Associations: Year No.

Assets

1961

$90,769,226.70

Bonded Debt: $15,587,000.

Building Permits: Year

No.

Value

1953

1,689

$ 7,086,659.00

1954

1,522

5,821,139.00

1955

1,141

9,849,540.00

1956

991

8,958,504.00

1957

1,031

8,924,597.00

1958

1,278

11,483,921.00

1959

1,246

10,173,199.00

1960

1,339

15,671,393.00

1961

1,057

15,604,001.00

Churches: 149, representing 21 denominations. Durham is noted for its many beautiful church edifices.

City Incorporated: The City of Durham was incorporated by act of the General Assembly, ratified April 10, 1869.

Civic Organizations: Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, Lions Club, Sertoma Club, Civitan Club, Exchange Club, Optimist Club, Altrusa Club, Business and Pro- fessional Women's Club, Pilot Club, Junior Chamber of Commerce, National Secretaries Association.

Climate: Equable. Annual mean summer temperature, 71.3; winter 48.3. 63 per cent sunshine days. Annual rainfall, 40.98 inches. Annual mean snow- fall, 2.6 inches. Prevailing westerly winds.

Colleges :

Duke University Enrollment

1950-51. 5,018

1951-52 4,778

1952-53. . 4,776

1953-54.

4,839

1954-55

5,011

1955-56. 5,180

1956-57

5,219

1957-58.

5,310

1958-59. 5,612

1959-60. 5,769

1960-61.

5,972

1961-62.

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INTRODUCTION

View of City Hall

There is also located in Durham the North Carolina College for Negroes, the only college of liberal arts for colored people, supported by the State, in North Carolina, enrollment for 1961-62, 2,172.

Convention Facilities: Four hotels, seven motels. Assembly halls, ca- pacity, 800; ballroom capacity, 500; twelve committee rooms, auditorium, seating capacity, 1,750; Civic Center seating capacity, 2,500.

County: Durham County was created by act of the General Assembly in 1881, from parts of Orange and Wake counties. While Durham is not a large county, it is the center of the famous bright-leaf tobacco belt. Between 40 and 50 million pounds of tobacco are sold each year on the Durham market. To- bacco is the principal money crop, although cotton, corn and truck crops also are important. Dairying has increased rapidly during the past few years. The county has good roads and splendid schools and churches. According to the 1959 U. S. Census there were 1,023 farms in the county.

Education: Durham is recognized as being one of the leading educational centers of the South. Its colleges and university, its public school system, its schools of music and business are rated among the best in the South by leading educators. (See Colleges, also Schools).

Fire Protection: Durham has a well-equipped fire department, with five stations, 124 paid men and 18 pieces of motor equipment. Value of fire de- partment motor equipment $280,000; giving Durham first-class insurance rat- ing.

Government: Durham has had the council-manager form of government since May 4, 1921. It is admitted to be one of the best-governed cities in the state.

Health: Durham has a well-organized board of health, with 60 employees, charged with the supervision of health conditions in the entire county. It has been remarkably successful in its work. The white resident death rate for 1961 was 8.3, colored residents, 10.1 to the 1,000. The death rate for both races was 8.9. The birth rate for white was 21.3, for colored, 26.7, total 23.0. Milk, meats, water, markets, dairies, hotels and eating places are carefully inspected.

Hospitals: Watts Hospital (public, white), is one of the finest hospitals in the South, value, $4,786,817; 383 beds; personnel of 97 physicians and 167 nurses; endowed by Mr. George W. Watts and partly supported by contribu- tions from city and county. Lincoln Hospital (public, colored); value, $1,180,- 115; 169 beds; personnel of 4 resident and 22 practicing physicians, and 22

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Veterans Administration Hospital

graduate and 47 student nurses; partly supported by contributions from city and county. McPherson Hospital (private-eye, ear, nose and throat); value, $120,000; 42 beds and personnel of 12 physicians and 21 nurses. Duke Hospital with 657 beds, representing an investment of more than $3,000,000 is said to be the best-equipped hospital in the world. It was opened on July 21, 1930. Dur- ing 1932, the Duke Hospital Nurses' Home was completed at a cost of over $300,000. Two other nurses' homes have been added. The North Carolina Cerebral Hospital (palsy), has 40 beds. The State has taken over the 2,400- bed Army Hospital at Camp Butner, and this is now a mental institution. Durham also has a 500-bed U. S. Veterans medical and surgical hospital. Durham is the chief medical center south of Baltimore.

Hotels: Durham is unusually well provided with hotel facilities. The Jack Tar Durham is one of the finest hotels in the South. It has 300 bedrooms, all with bath. The Malbourne Hotel-200-room capacity-is a fireproof hotel. Other hotels are the Carr and the Biltmore.

Industries: Durham is the second largest industrial center in North Caro- lina, its output of manufactured products being valued at over $200,000,000 annually (U. S. Census of Manufacturers). It has large tobacco industries, manufacturing such well-known brands as Duke's Mixture smoking tobacco, and a great many brands of cigarettes. It is the home of the Durham Hosiery Mills (manufacturers of hosiery and synthetic yarns), and the Golden Belt Mfg. Co. (manufacturers of cloth bags). There are also manufactured in Durham, Erwin and White-Star sheeting and pillow cases; Virginia-Carolina fertilizers; Occoneechee, Peerless and Climax flours; blank books, corrugated boxes, wooden boxes, castings and iron products, harness and saddles, bread, ice, mattresses, brick, building materials, proprietary medicines, furniture, roof- ing, meat-packing products and machinery. Due to proximity to source of raw materials, natural gas, cheap electric power and its transportation facilities, Durham offers unexcelled opportunities for the location of industries.

Location: Durham is situated in the geographical center of North Carolina, a few miles north of the center of population of the state. Its terrain is slightly rolling and is well drained.

Newspapers: 2 dailies, 1 Sunday and 4 weeklies.

Parks: 24, with total of 1,297.98 acres, valued at $2,137,000. Also 19 summer playgrounds and four 18-hole, and two 9-hole golf courses. Payrolls: The payrolls of Durham exceed $110,000,000 annually.

Police Department: Has 118 men and 33 women, with 1 station and 35 pieces of motor equipment, all cars being equipped with two-way radio facil- ities.

Population (U. S. Census):

City of Durham

County of Durham

1890.

1900. 6,679

5,485

1890 18,041

1900 26,233

1960. 78,302

1960 111,995

CLASSIFIED BUYERS' GUIDE OF THE CITY OF DURHAM

NORTH CAROLINA 1963

THE BUYERS' GUIDE CONTAINS THE ADVERTISEMENTS

OF THE

PROGRESSIVE BUSINESS

MEN AND

FIRMS.

ALSO A COMPLETE CLASSIFIED

BUSINESS

Hill's Durham (Durham County, N.C.) City Directory [1963], Part 2

Author: Hill Directory Company. Publication date: 1963 Publisher: Hill Directory Co. Number of Pages: 1494

Author: Hill Directory Company.
Publication date: 1963
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 1494