The year is 1913, and Richard Harvey Wright and Julian Carr have acquired a fifty year franchise to provide the city with electric lights and power to run the streetcars. Durham Traction Company has finally begun to see a surge in ridership and now with the license to provide power to the city, they decide to flaunt their success with a sign that would make every citizen of Durham proud.
Given, the height and position of the sign, I’m sure it was quite a spectacle for all to witness as they entered the downtown area. Richard Wright was probably ecstatic as he gazed upward at the sign, proclaiming to all the world, what a great city Durham had become.
But the sign, with all its glory, was not to last. Not long after the sign had been erected, a storm came through and destroyed it. Leaving only a few photographs to remember it by.
I’m excited to share that my book, A Story of Durham: Told the Wright Way, is now available for PRE-ORDER at an early bird price! The official release day is September 26, 2023. Click the link below to order your copy today!
For the past two years, I have been researching and writing about my grandfather’s uncle, Richard Harvey Wright. When I began my search, I knew very little about this man except that he was one of the founding fathers of Durham, North Carolina. But what I discovered was a story of passion, love, and a determination to succeed with no boundaries. My new book, A Story of Durham: Told the Wright Way, will cause you to reflect on your own history and hopefully create in you a desire to study your past to understand your presence.
Read the first chapter and stay tuned for more update