This marker is located just before the intersection with a couple of others. It is easily legible…read moreand there is room on the side of the road to stop to read it. The marker reads, "Stephen B. Weeks. Historian, bibliographer, collector of North Carolina books and manuscripts, professor at Trinity College, 1891-93. Grave 6 miles northeast" Online, there is more information. "Stephen Beauregard Weeks, considered the first professional North Carolina historian, was born on February 2, 1865, near Nixonton to James E. and Mary L. Weeks. His parents died at an early age and Weeks was raised by his father's sister and her family. A prolific writer, Weeks produced nearly two hundred books and articles. In addition, he avidly collected material related to North Carolina, amassing a library of over 9,000 items. At his death, the University of North Carolina purchased his collection forming the special collections now housed in Wilson Library. The Raleigh News & Observer editorialized his death: "There is little reward of a financial kind in ransacking old libraries and musty correspondence files to establish the facts of history. But few men have wrought more capably and helpfully for the State than he did and the heritage of duty faithfully and efficiently rendered is more to be prized than great riches."" This is marker number G-50 and it was erected in 1949 by the Archives, Conservation, and Highway Departments. [Review 2164 of 2024 - 3821 in North Carolina - 23183 overall]

Ona corner in front of a gas station and Pizza Hut, this marker points out the success of a former…read moreslave who definitely went on to do great things. And let's keep in mind - this is the South! The marker reads, "Henry P. Cheatham. 1857-1935. Born into slavery. U.S. Congressman, 1889-1893. Superintendent of Colored Orphanage of N.C., 1907-1935. Grave 8/10 mi. northeast" Online, there is more information. "Born into slavery, Henry Plummer Cheatham represented North Carolina in Congress during the late nineteenth century and helped establish and lead the Colored Orphan Asylum in Oxford. A mulatto, Cheatham--the son of a house slave and her master--was born on December 27, 1857. His father appears to have shielded the young man from slavery and saw to his education. After the death of his father, Cheatham was encouraged by another white man, Robert A. Jenkins, to attend Shaw University in Raleigh. He graduated in 1882 with honors. Although he read law in the office of Robert E. Hancock Jr., Cheatham never practiced. Upon graduation he was appointed principal of the Plymouth Normal School, but his career in education was diverted by the call to politics. "In 1884 Henry Cheatham was elected Vance County Register of Deeds. Rising to prominence in the Republican Party, he became the party's nominee for Congress from the Second District in 1888. In that capacity Cheatham defeated the white incumbent Furnifold M. Simmons. He was reelected to the seat in 1890, but subsequent attempts were not successful. In 1896, in a bitter internal Republican Party race, he was defeated by his brother-in-law, George White. "President William McKinley appointed Henry Cheatham recorder of deeds for the District of Columbia, an office which he held from 1897 until 1901. Cheatham returned to his native North Carolina and, in 1907, became superintendent of the orphanage that he had helped to establish years earlier. Under his leadership the institution dramatically expanded and improved its facilities and programs. He served the orphanage until his death in 1935. Cheatham was married twice, to Louise Cherry who died in 1889, and to Laura Joyner. He had five children. Henry Cheatham is buried in Harrisburg Cemetery in Oxford." You can stop at the gas station to view the marker. [Review 2412 of 2024 - 3868 in North Carolina - 23425 overall]

A great spot for this marker, it's at the intersection and you have something to read and ponder as…read moreyou wait for the traffic light to turn on to US-501. The marker reads, "Trading Path. Colonial trading route, dating from 17th century, from Petersburg, Virginia, to Catawba and Waxhaw Indians in Carolina passed nearby." Online, there is more information. "In North Carolina, the early history of the colony is replete with stories of the reliance by colonists upon Indian trade and trading routes, and the consequent establishment of villages where they engaged in bartering. Such routes were well known, well marked, and well trodden. The Occaneechi Path, stretching from Petersburg, Virginia, to the Waxhaws region, was one of a hundred such trails running throughout the state and the southeast. But the Trading Path was the central highway, the most fabled route, the interstate of its day. (Its course approximates that of Interstate 85.) "The course of the Trading Path entered North Carolina near present-day Norlina, then passed through Bullock, northern Durham County, Hillsborough, Mebane, Alamance, Julian, central Randolph County, Denton, western Davidson County, Salisbury, and Concord. In Mecklenburg County the path forked, with a spur to Indian Trail and Waxhaw, and another to Charlotte and Pineville." This is marker number G-32 and it was erected in 1941 by the Division of Archives and History. [Review 2163 of 2024 - 3820 in North Carolina - 23182 overall]

Many of the markers in Hillsborough point to Colonial Era or Civil War people with a very few…read moreexceptions. This is one of them. A positive. The marker reads, "Moses A. Curtis. Botanist, authority on North American flora, author, and Episcopal minister. Home was two blocks east." Online, there is more information. "For Moses Ashley Curtis, an Episcopal priest and botanist, there was no conflict between religion and science. Moses Curtis was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on May 11, 1808. The son of the Reverend Jared Curtis and Thankful Ashley attended Stockbridge Academy and graduated from William College in 1827. While at Williams, Professor Chester Dewey and Professor Amos Eaton significantly influenced Moses's interest in the natural sciences. After graduation, he left New England for Wilmington, where he served as a tutor for the family of Governor Edward B. Dudley and began studying the local plants. Curtis returned to Massachusetts in 1833 to study for the ministry under the Church of the Advent. On December 3, 1834, he married Mary De Rosset of Wilmington. The following year, he received his ordination. "The Reverend Curtis began his ministry immediately as a missionary in western North Carolina, serving congregations in Lincolnton, Salisbury, Morganton, and Charlotte. From 1837 to 1839, he taught at the Episcopal School in Raleigh, the predecessor to St. Mary's. He was called back into the mission field in 1840 to Washington, North Carolina. After serving there for a year, he accepted a call to St. Matthew's Church in Hillsborough where he remained for the rest of his life, except from 1847 to 1856, when he lived in Society Hill, South Carolina. Curtis was a talented musician, playing the piano, organ, flute, violin, and composing anthems and hymns such as "How Beautiful upon the Mountain." "Although a dedicated priest, Curtis is best known by people outside of North Carolina for his accomplishments in the field of botany. He was considered an expert in the field of mycology, the study of fungi. Prior to his contributions, the study of lichen had been very limited. Among his published works was the 1860 Geological and Natural History Survey of North America, Part III, Botany. Curtis reported having collected and eaten forty different species of mushrooms within two miles of his house and believed that if people had a better knowledge of edible fungi, the food shortage for southern armies during the Civil War would not have been as severe. Moses Ashley Curtis died on April 10, 1872, and was buried at St. Matthew's Church in Hillsborough." This is marker number G-64. It was erected in 1955 by the Archives Conservation and Highway Departments. There is parking nearby. [Review 105 of 2025 - 4074 in North Carolina - 23672 overall]

This beautifully preserved textile mill and village is worth a visit to experience the lives of…read moremill hands who lived and worked in the 19th and 20th century mill villages. Workers would live in company-subsidized housing and work in the mill. They'd get their supplies from the general store and their paychecks from the administrative offices. It was all "right there." These workers would build their families here. It was an eye-opening experience. I'm glad I got a chance to visit. I recommend strolling around the historic village or hiking one of the nature trails that begin here.

This marker is located just south of downtown Hillsborough and points out some of the earliest…read moresettlement of the area. The road doesn't widen and there really isn't room to pull over here. The marker reads, "William Churton. Cartographer. Surveyed Granville District. In 1749 extended N.C.-Va. boundary line 90 miles west. Lived nearby." There is more information online. "William Churton was a colonial cartographer and surveyor employed by the offices of the Granville District. Arriving in North Carolina about 1748, he initially was assigned to the Granville Land Office in Edenton. Churton and lawyer Daniel Weldon were appointed commissioners to extend the colonial Virginia-North Carolina boundary line in 1749 in cooperation with Virginia commissioners Joshua Fry and Peter Jefferson (father of Thomas). Together these men established an extension of the colonial boundary ninety miles to the west. The resulting map, created by Fry and Jefferson, was presented to the British government by North Carolina governor Gabriel Johnston. "In 1753 Churton and another Granville agent were appointed trustees for 635 acres of land for the establishment of the town of Salisbury. The following year, Churton was appointed trustee for 663 acres for the establishment of the community that today is known as Hillsborough. Planned under the name of Orange and first established as Corbin Town, the community soon was renamed Childsburgh. By that time, Churton had become public register for Orange County and a town commissioner for Childsburgh. He also represented Orange County in the colonial General Assembly 1755 to 1760 and 1761 to 1762. He was appointed as both a county surveyor and justice of the peace in 1757." [Review 76 of 2025 - 4051 in North Carolina - 23644 overall]

For the past three years, Husband & I have attended Preservation Chapel Hill's "Voices From The…read moreGrave" at this fascinating cemetery. This is a great way to experience its' history! Deep Dish Theater company puts on this dignified "show". A Tour Guide leads you to several different graves where Actors bring to life in an informative and entertaining way, that person's story. The writing this year was extra good, and the acting as well! So interesting!!! It is conducted at night, so you do have to be a bit careful walking around, but each group has a couple lanterns to help with that. Parking can be a PAIN since it's on campus and last year the night we went had a game going on to complicate that issue. Just allow extra time for dealing with that...we just know we'll have to walk a distance. This year we did notice there is a parking garage next to the cemetery, but can't attest to the availability of it. We walk. TIP: This event has been taking place in October...look for Living Social deals around that time...it is a VERY affordable event, and well-worth the small amount of money it costs.

I have visited this historic cemetery a number of times over the years. It is very old (founded in…read more1798), quite peaceful and attractive, and is located just across South Road from old Woollen Gym. There are many famous folks buried here, including legendary North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith, band leader Kay Kyser, playwright Paul Green, novelists Alice Adams and Max Steele, university president Frank Porter Graham, university president Robert Burton House, university system president William Friday, and CBS newsman Charles Kuralt. I came on this day to pay my respects to Coach Smith, and Coach Guthridge (who's ashes were scattered in the adjacent Memorial Grove portion of the cemetery). It took awhile to find Coach Smith's plot as it still has no headstone or marker of any kind, other than the simple funeral home plaque - a bit surprising since it has been almost 18 months since his passing.

A historical marker about a historian seems a little meta but here we go with your history lesson…read more This marker is located on the main street that joins downtown Hillsborough towards the interstate exit and is near the Orange County Historical Society. The marker reads, "J. G. de Roulhac Hamilton, 1878-1961. Historian, professor, and founder of the Southern Historical Collection at UNC. Born 1/2 block west." Online, there is a lot more information. "Born in Hillsborough, N.C. on August 6, 1878, Joseph Gregoire de Roulhac Hamilton came from a family with deep South roots. His great-grandfather was Nullification governor of South Carolina. His father came to North Carolina to teach at Hillsborough Military Academy and remained to fight in the 13th N.C. Regiment. Hamilton studied first at home and then did college work at the Sewanee: University of the South graduating with the M.A. degree in 1900. He taught at the Horner Military School at Oxford before continuing his education at Columbia University (1902-4) with historian William Archibald Dunning, and was awarded the Ph.D. degree in American history in 1906. Hamilton, as did many Dunning students, wrote his dissertation about reconstruction in his home state (NC) which was then published as a history book, Reconstruction in North Carolina in 1914. "Hamilton returned to teaching, first at the Wilmington (NC) High School (1904-1906) and then, in 1906, he was appointed an associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina. He served UNC until his retirement in 1951. He was among the important historians of his era, however, like many in his time, his writings were slanted to the Lost Cause mythos of Civil War and Reconstruction history, favoring a narrative crafted to support white racial ideology over actual events. His monograph on North Carolina Reconstruction was not refuted for half a century. "While Hamilton's work as an historian supported white supremacist narratives, it was his work as a nascent archivist for special collections at the University of North Carolina that built a collection to memorialize that narrative. In 1927 he announced plans for what he initially called the "National Southern Collection." In 1930, Sarah Graham Kenan gave a gift to establish the Southern Historical Collection. Hamilton was named as the first director. His manuscript-collecting travels across the South, placing almost a million miles on a series of Ford coupes, are legendary. Some states attempted to block his efforts and he came to be known as "Ransack" Hamilton for his gathering practices. While he gathered and built an amazing collection of southern history materials, it was singular in focus on the history of white southerners. Recent writings in 2020 argue his tenure was dedicated to shaping the university (and collections) to the benefit of white supremacy. "Nonetheless, some credit the renaissance in southern history in the mid-twentieth century to Hamilton's foresight (in the collecting of what materials he did gather). In partial recognition of that fact, and his contributions to the field of history, the 1972 new building occupied by the UNC History Department was named for him. After a reevaluation of his career and contributions, the History Department building was recommended in 2020 for a name change. "Hamilton passed away on 10 November 1961. He is buried in the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery on the campus of the university." There is parking at the police department. This is marker number G-103. It was erected in 1989 by the Division of Archives and History. [Review 106 of 2025 - 4075 in North Carolina - 23673 overall]