The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-11-08
A NEW STEP IN NORTH CAIto-
LIMA HISTORY.

r,ost Of he American commonwealth
q large volume has been written III
the subject. / do not at all nieaii
that the subject is exhausted ana
that there is no room for turthcr
activity in the field. A omplaih'
better justified might be MADE re-
the quality Of much hat we
have. Too often it has been inspired
solely by a desire to glorify the past
and far too often inspiration see1ns
lacking altogether. In addition 1t has
been badly constructed and oadly
presented. Modern methods OF ms
torical investigation have been need
ed and qualifications beyond the mere
desire to write. Too few Of our DloS-
rorhies have related the lives de
scribed with their time; too few or
our histories have paid proper atten-
ton to the story Of the people. II
glorious events Of the States past have
been overworked; the daily life OF her
people has been almost entirely DIS
regarded. It may safely be aid, L
think, hat the chief glory of North
Carolina, without any exceptions II
in entire disregard Of May 20, 11Io.
April IL, 1875, and the splendid serv-
ice OF the State from 1861 to 1865,
lies in the life, character. and ideal
of its people. All that the State has
done is but a reflection of that. Al
though a most patriotic North Caro-
~linian, I cannot say hat / think it has
the greatest history Of any Of the
States; but I would not exchange its
splendid citizenship for hat Of n
other American State. Therefore, !
am more and more convinced that
the greatest need in our historical
activity is to lay more stress upon
investigation of the people OF the
State in the various groups into
which the State may be divided. A
true history of North Carolina-one
which tells the whole truth-nust
be based to a great extent upon a
larger knowledge of our local history
than we now POSSESS.
1t therefore seems noteworthy that
the North Carolina Booklet should
contain in the current number a VAL
liable and Illuminating story OF the
people Of one of the leading counties
of North Carolina 1t marks a e
departure in treatment and deserves
special mention on that account as
we'll as on account of it's merit as a
piece OF historical work.
hose Interested In North Carolina
history always expect good things
when the author is Mr.. Frank Nash.
mating historical instinct, an untirinr
energy in his search for material, and
an attractive and scholarly stvle, hic
contributions have deservedly at
tracted much attention and ia
vorable criticism. The present
work is no exception to the general
rule of his writings. No one thai
know is SO Wei qualified to tell the
story Of the people of Orange and he
has told It we'll.
Orange was settled in 1910 and
dates as a county from 1862. At one
lime It contained parts Of what are
now Wake, Randolph, Guilford, and
rockingham counties and all OF what
are now Durham. Person, Caswell
Alamance, Chatham and range II
therefore had an area of sometime
over three thousand square miles
ana was a pTincely domain. Mr..
Nash's sketch Of the county, how
ever, deals with it mainly in the peri
Cd when it had lost all east of Dur
nam county, all west of Alamance.
i;tnd also Chatham and Caswell.
1he f1rst act establishing the coun-
ty was diaal!owed IN England. but the
county court, once established, con
tlnued to meet. H%ilIsboro, under an
other name, sprang into existence in
1904 and at once became 2 town If
prominence in the province. For
more than a century it was so well
satisfied with It's heeinr;po~ 49,.