The year is 1893 in Durham, North Carolina. Julian Shakespeare Carr is the president of the William T. Blackwell Company. This company, with its playful bull painted on the sides of buildings all over the United States, has dominated the industry since the early 1870’s. But there is shift in the winds. Just across theContinue reading “1893 in Durham”
Tag Archives: Durham Writer
History in the Present
Stepping back into history has been a journey unlike anything I have ever experienced. For the last two years I have made the thirty minute car ride to Duke University where the four hundred boxes of the Richard Harvey Wright archives are stored. Before entering the Rubenstein Library, I must walk past Duke Chapel, oneContinue reading “History in the Present”
The Bull
I know that many of us, me included, assumed the bull was the trademark of the American Tobacco Company. But for those who think this way, they are as far from the truth as you can get. James Buchanan Duke, the president of the W. Duke Sons and Company, (later to become the American TobaccoContinue reading “The Bull”
The Events of 1901
Yesterday, I spent time going through box twenty-three of the four hundred boxes in my great uncle’s archives. The box was a treasure trove of documents that clearly defined what Uncle Richard was doing in January and February of 1901. If Uncle Richard wasn’t discussing the purchase of tobacco through his Gorman Wright Leaf TobaccoContinue reading “The Events of 1901”
A Man With No Excuses
What will our future generations have to say about us? Or maybe the question should be, what incredible feats can we say we have accomplished in our lifetime? Richard Harvey Wright lived in a time where good medical care was practically nonexistent and travel was very difficult. But even so, Richard didn’t allow the lossContinue reading “A Man With No Excuses”
A House Long Gone
The year is 1899 and E.J. Parrish, a well known tobacco auctioneer and investor has found himself in financial ruins. This respected man among the Durham citizens has an offer by the Dukes he cannot refuse. He packs his bags and leaves the United States for Japan where, as vice-president of Murai Brothers Company, Ltd.,Continue reading “A House Long Gone”
Discovering the Hidden Treasures of Durham, North Carolina
Okay, I know you are wondering why I have a picture of a mausoleum as my first treasure. Well, to be honest, this was where my treasure hunt began and it makes sense it should be the springboard for the blogs I plan to write about this incredible city. If you look closely, you willContinue reading “Discovering the Hidden Treasures of Durham, North Carolina”