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Battle of Alamance
This was the final battle of the War of the Regulation, a rebellion over corrupt and unfair practices of the colonial government. Royal governor William Tryon sent in the militia to respond to the violence and enforce the law. The Regulators who were unprepared and not trained lost the battle and Tryon offered to pardon those who would swear allegiance to the Crown. Within six weeks, more than 6,000 settlers had taken the oath and were pardoned by the new royal governor, Josiah Martin. -
Company Shops Founded
As the transportation industry grew, along came the development of the railroad with the need to transport goods. In 1851, construction of the Atlantic and North Carolina railroad began in Greensboro and in 1859, the maintenance roundhouse for the railroad opened at Company Shops, a few miles northwest of Graham. There were 57 buildings in the village with seven shop structures providing more job opportunities. Company Shops grew into today's Burlington- the largest municipality in the county. -
The Beginnings of Springdale Church
Springdale A.M.E Church is a church with long-standing and rich connections in the community. On the prayers and faith of a young slave by the name of Sam Holt, Springdale started in 1863. Then, it was no more than a tiny log cabin – “Uncle Sam’s Meeting House” – where other slaves in the community could gather and praise God. -
First Black Sheriff Deputy in Alamance County
Caswell Holt (b. 1834) was born on the Oak Grove Plantation before the Civil War and was enslaved for over 30 years, along with his brother, Sam Holt. After the Civil War, Holt turned his focus to social and political issues, becoming the first Black deputy in Reconstruction Alamance County. -
The Intimidation of Alonzo Corliss and Caswell Holt
Caswell Holt, a Black man, was severely whipped for insulting a young white girl. Several suspects were arrested but cleared. A year later, the KKK visited Holt, firing into his house and wounding him. Alonzo Corliss settled after the war at Company Shops and began teaching a Negro school. As the president of the local Union League, he incurred the wrath of white citizens by insisting church integration. In 1869, the KKK whipped Corliss, shaved his head, and painted half of his face black. -
Lynching of Wyatt Outlaw
Wyatt Outlaw was a former slave and the first African American Town Commissioner and Constable to be elected in the town of Graham. He was lynched by the KKK on February 26, 1870 in the courthouse square in Graham, in what is now known as Sesquicentennial Park. The men responsible for his death were not sent to prison or held accountable. -
Kirk-Holden War
Following Wyatt Outlaw’s murder, Governor William W. Holden condemned the actions of the KKK, accusing them of murdering North Carolinians and using terror tactics to suppress the vote of newly enfranchised African Americans. Holden declared a state of insurrection in Alamance and Caswell counties in July 1870, resulting in a series of conflicts with North Carolinians who were members or sympathetic to the Klan. Union officer George W. Kirk played a crucial role in managing the state militia. -
Aftermath of The Kirk-Holden War
Ending in December 1870, The Kirk-Holden War cost the Republican Party at the polls and brought the conservative Democrats to power once again in the Legislature. Governor Holden was impeached, tried, and removed from office. While he was the second governor of a state of the United States to be impeached, he was the first to be convicted and removed from office. Governor Holden was convicted largely on the basis of his illegal activities in Caswell and Alamance counties. -
Creation of Steam Powered Mills and Textiles 1880-Early 1900s
The first steam powered mill in Alamance County opened in 1882 and brought new opportunities for textile and economic development and jobs. The Alamance Plaids that were developed in the late 1850s were now being made in larger amounts and remained popular until WWII. Many of the local businessmen built housing developments around their mills so their employees would have a place to live, work, and build their families. When these mills closed, the communities built around them suffered. -
Elon College Founded
In 1889, Elon College was founded by the Christian Connection with a student body of 76 students. It offered a four-year program in the liberal arts. In 1893, the area around the college was established as the town of Elon and land around the college was developed for residents and businesses. Today, Elon University has grown into a prestigious university, earning recognition in the US News and World Report's top 100 Universities list. -
Confederate Statue Preserved at Courthouse
In efforts to honor the generations who fought in the Civil War, the Alamance County chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy dedicated the monument in 1914; the culmination of five years of fundraising. -
Rainey Hospital Built
The opening of Rainey Hospital helped to the establishment of the foundation of healthcare within the Alamance County. The hospital was the first major medical facility opened within the county and it led to the creation of the current hospital system within the county. -
Lynching of John Jeffress
John Jeffress was a Black man who was accused of rape in 1920. Jeffress admitted to the attempt but said that he did not follow through with it. 25 citizens led by President W. A. Harper of Elon College 'arrested' him. When being led to court, a mob met him and shot him to death. Sheriff Story denied knowing anyone in the mob and stated that it was someone from outside of the county. He said "Graham is quiet. There appears to be no race feeling. The negro was not a resident of Alamance County." -
First African-American Church in Elon, NC
Founded in 1922, Elon First Baptist Church was the first African-American church built in the town of Elon, North Carolina. John McMullen, a former slave, began the first African American Church in the town of Elon College at the turn of the 20th century. He built Elon First Baptist Church on his land on Ball Park Avenue. The original church as since been torn down. -
First Black School (Graham Negro High School) Opens
In the 1870s, public education was formed but you could not go past 8th grade if you were an African American student. In the 1930's, "colored" schools were built across the county. This school was built in conjunction with the Rosenwald schools which created matching grants to build rural schools for black children in 15 states between 1913 and the 1930s. There were 8 Rosenwald schools in Alamance County, including Graham Negro High School, which was the site that now hosts Ray Street Academy. -
Elon Negro Elementary School
On April 22,1940 the Alamance County Board of Education purchased to use as an elementary school for the Black residents of the Elon College community. The Alamance County Board of Education purchased the Elon Negro Elementary School property from the Board of Trustees of Elon College. -
Western Electric Opens
In 1946, the Fairchild plant was leased to Western Electric for the manufacturing of telephones. Western Electric built several new buildings on the site and was eventually used for the assembly and testing of Army's Nike Ajax guided missile system. -
Death of Charles Drew in Alamance County
Dr. Charles Richard Drew, a pioneer in blood transfusion and the first director of the American Red Cross Blood Bank died at Rainey Hospital after a tragic automobile accident in rural Alamance County. It was significant for Alamance County because it was erroneously reported that Dr. Drew Died because he did not receive treatment due to his race. -
Panty Hose - Textiles
Glen Raven Mills invented pantyhose in 1953. At the time Gant ran the Glen Raven Knitting Mill of North Carolina, which was founded by his father John Gant in 1902. Gant was inspired to invent the garment by his pregnant wife, Ethel. Glen Raven is still located in Alamance County and is still a family owned, worldwide producer of fabrics and textiles. However, they no longer manufacture panty hose. They do produce internationally known brands such as sunbrella. -
Alamance Community College Founded
Originally known as the Burlington-Alamance County Industrial Education Center (IEC), Alamance Community College was one of the first organized community colleges in North Carolina and offered courses such as yarn and fabric analysis, loom fixing, and machine shop to accommodate the heavily textile focused industry of Alamance County. It changed its name to Technical Institute of Alamance in 1963 before finally becoming Alamance Community College in 1988. -
Expansion of Water Supply
Between 1959-1981, Alamance County saw the expansion of its water supply through the construction of Lake Burlington (later renamed Lake Cammack) and Lake Macintosh. The construction of these lakes helped to supply the county with enough fresh water to support its growing population and to help maintain its thriving textile industry, which served as the main economic driver within the county. -
Local Legends Become Members of The Famous Flames
The Famous Flames topped the Billboard Charts in the 1960's and included two local legends, Bobby Bennett and J.C. Davis.
Bennett was raised in Burlington's Rauhut Street in Alamance County, where it was called "Glencoe Road", and graduated from Jordan Sellars High School in 1957. Davis was also a graduate from Jordan Sellars High School and was the tenor saxophone player with the Flames. -
Rise of Western Electric and Newcomers
At the peak, Western Electric employed over 3,000 people and included more than 26 buildings. In the 1970s, the Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty dealt a blow to the plant, employment began to decline and eventually AT&T took over the buildings until 1992 when it moved to Greensboro, NC. -
Interstate I-85 Built
In 1962, construction was completed in order to turn U.S. Highway 70 into the four-lane Interstate 85 to connect Greensboro to Durham, within Alamance County. This 11-mile stretch of road served to finish what many had come to call "North Carolina's Main Street" and served as Graham's southern boundary for many years. Prior to construction the 1-lane stretching between Guilford County to Efland had inconvenienced motorists with constant delays and detours. -
First African American Attends Elon College
Glenda Phillps Hightower was the first Black person to attend Elon College, Fall of 1963. Glenda Phillips Hightower also received an honorary Ph.D. on April 4, 2019 -
First African American Student in Segregated School
In August 1963, Pomula Lee Shaw, the first Black student to enroll in a segregated school in Alamance County, entered the freshman class at Western. -
First African American Teacher in Alamance County
In 1966, the first Black faculty member, Mrs. Clara Hawkins, was hired, which helped paved the way for the achievement of full integration. -
Burlington Race Riots
In May of 1969, 15 year-old Leon Mebane, a student at Turrentine Junior High School was killed after a violent confrontation between residents, police, National Guard troops, & the NC State Bureau of Investigation. Officers were originally called after several Black students staged a protest at Williams High School. The Race Riots served as the culmination of mounting racial tensions due to forced integration of the local school system as well as other incidents of racial discrimination. -
First African American Graduates from Elon College
In 1969, Eugene Perry became the first Black person to graduate from Elon College. -
First Black Football Head Coach at Williams High School
Jerome Thomas Evans was a Black high school football coach in the state of North Carolina during the 1950s through the 1970s. He became head football coach at Walter M. Williams High School in 1970, later serving as assistant principal. The first black football head coach at a major white high school in the South, Evans led Williams to an 8-2 record in 1970. His period of service at Walter M. Williams High School is documented in the book "Black Coach" by Pat Jordan. -
Alamance County Forced to Comply with Segregation Law
On July 13, 1971, following stagnant efforts to integrate all schools within the Burlington City Schools, such as the predominantly African-African American Sellars-Gunn Elementary School, the presiding court ruled that Burlington City Schools were required to maintain a 'racially balanced enrollment' of between 17% - 29% black students and 83% - 71% white students. The predominantly white, Alamance County Schools were not referred to the Department of Justice for legal proceedings. -
First African American County Commissioner
Jack O' Kelly became the first and only individual of African American descent to be elected to the Alamance County Board of Commissioners. -
Timeline of Black Leadership in Elon Board of Aldermen
Sam Cousin served from December 1983 - May 1991. Lawrence Slade served from May 1991 – November 2011. John Peterson served from December 2011 – November 2019 -
County and Memorial Hospital Merged
A second hospital, Alamance County Hospital, was opened in 1951. Then in 1961, Alamance General was closed when a new facility, Memorial Hospital of Alamance was opened in West Burlington. County and Memorial merged into Alamance Regional Medical Center in 1985. -
Textile Mills Begin to Close
Burlington's economy revolved around textiles. A shift in the economy happened after NAFTA when many of the industries couldn't compete with the globalized industry. This was felt when Burlington Industries, Inc., one of the largest textile producers of the 1960s and 1970s, held its headquarters in Burlington for decades. In the late 1990s, the company closed most of its North Carolina plants due to inability to keep up with global competition, eliminating more than 3,000 jobs in the process. -
Western Electric Closes
After over 30 years, Western Electric closed its facilities in Burlington. Western Electric's presence within East Burlington served as a large economic driver and allowed for the creation of many of the city's first suburbs. Its closure facilitated the economic stagnation of the East Burlington community and forced many families to move to the Western part of the city, aided in the racial and economic segregation of the city. -
ARMC Opened
In 1986, the two hospital boards merged the hospitals by resolution, making them subsidiaries of Alamance Health Services. In 1995, Alamance Regional Medical Center was constructed as a replacement for the two older hospitals. It was the last new full service hospital opened in the State. The opening of ARMC increased access to healthcare for people in West Burlington area, and removed access to care for the Eastern part of Burlington. -
LabCorp Founded
NHL (National Health Laboratories) and RBL (Roche Biomedical Laboratories) merge to become one of the largest clinical lab providers in the world. Led by Dr. James Powell, the new company, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, is headquartered in Burlington, N.C.. LabCorp's legacy remains as one of the county's largest employers. -
Alamance-Burlington School System Created
Following the merger of the former Burlington City Schools and the Alamance County Schools, the Alamance-Burlington School System was formed. However, following this merger, no further steps were taken to integrate the schools within the new system and the original 1971 court for desegregation was dissolved. The lines remain to this day from the city and county schools as the were originally established prior to the merger. -
City Partners with WERA to Address Racial Discrimination in the West End Community
The West End Revitalization Association (WERA) files complaints with the Civil Rights Office of the Federal Highway Administration & the U.S. Department of Justice citing "adverse and disproportionate impact" and "historical patterns of racial discrimination" by officials during the planning of the NC-119 Bypass.The City partnered with the WERA on 4 Community Development Block Grants totaling $1,677,500 to address road surfacing, failing septic tank, & water connection in the West End community. -
First African American Superintendent
In 2006, Dr. Randy Bridges was hired as the first Black superintendent for ABSS. -
Community Impact of Elon First Baptist Church
In July 2006, Elon First Baptist Church (EFBC) held its 1st Annual Renewal Conference. The purpose of the conference was to create dialogue with the larger community concerning issues of social and economic injustice. In 2008, EFBC and Elon University spearheaded an environmental project entitled, “Heal the Land”. This program focused on connecting spirituality with care for the religious and racial barriers. Over 1,600 Oak trees were planted as a lasting symbol of communal healing. -
Health Director investigated for treating Latinx patients
The State Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation of 2 employees of the health department for writing work notes for non-citizen mothers receiving neonatal care from the county. 1 of those women (Marxavi Angel Martinez) was arrested and deported. Health Director Barry Bass said he was ordered to release records of 5 patients to comply with an inquiry. 1 of the patients, an undocumented immigrant, faces felony charges for allegedly using the Social Security number of a deceased person. -
First Female County Commissioner Chair
Linda Massey was the first female to lead the Alamance County Board of Commissioners. -
Kernodle Clinic East Burlington Closed
The last private physician practice closes in East Burlington, leaving little access to health care in the area. -
Elon Alumna and First Black Woman named President of Mississippi Valley State University
Elon alumna Donna Oliver '72 named president of Mississippi Valley State University; becoming the first Black woman to lead a public university in Mississippi. Oliver made history in 1987 by becoming the first Black person to receive Elon’s Distinguished Young Alumnus of the Year Award. She previously served on the Elon faculty and was vice president for academic affairs and student development at Bennett College, Greensboro, N.C. -
First Female Judge
In 2011, Katie Overby was appointed as the first female judge. -
Sheriff Investigated for Racial Profiling
In 2012, the Justice Department opened an investigation on the Alamance County Sheriff, Terry Johnston, regarding misconduct and patterns of discriminatory policing of the Latinx/Hispanic community. The investigation didn’t uncover any wrongdoing. The same Sheriff recently negotiated a $2.3 million contract with ICE to house its detainees in Alamance County Detention Center (a federalized facility which is now no longer opens to the public). -
First African American Chair of Chamber Board
In 2014, John Peterson served as the first African American chair of the Alamance Chamber Board. -
Youngest African-American Pastor Elected at EFBC
History was made on July 25, 2016 as the congregation of Elon First Baptist Church elected the youngest pastor, Rev. James H. Wilkes, Jr. of Gastonia, North Carolina. Wilkes was officially installed as the church’s eighth pastor on October 16, 2016. Notable events include a Black Lives Matter Panel featuring members of Elon University and the Elon/Burlington Police Department, and Motivational Monday Moments, a weekly prayer conference line. -
First Black Judge
In 2017 Larry Brown Jr. was appointed as the first Black judge in Alamance County. -
Organizations Host Community Solutions Workshop
A two-day Community Solutions Workshop organized by the West End Revitalization Association (WERA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is held at the Mebane Arts & Community Center. Community leaders and local, state, and federal representatives gather to discuss improving the quality of life in historically marginalized and economically disadvantaged communities. -
First African American President hired for Alamance Regional Medical Center
Mark Gordon hired as president of Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington. Gordon also serves as a senior vice president with Cone Health. -
Confederate Monument Controversy
As a result of the continued injustices and killings of Black people, world-wide protests have occurred, resulting in confederate memorials being removed or relocated. In Alamance, community leaders, including Mayor Ian Baltutis, local CEOs, and education board members call on the Alamance County Commissioners and the Graham City Council to relocate the statue, placed by the Graham chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1914, to a location where it is given historical context. -
NC Policy Watch identifies Alamance as one of NC's most divided counties
The series “The Battle For Alamance” is designed to provide an in depth look at the history of one of the State’s most divided counties. The lynching of Wyatt Outlaw, the Confederate monument and the racial inequities that persist in our public school system are covered in the three part series. PW Special Report: Link text
