The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-19
A Splendid Story of the
Development of the
Live Place
L.. {. OLIVE FIRST MAYOR

anex. the Highest Point Between
Hamlet and Raleigh, Was Born
With the Building Of the Raleigh
and Augusta Railroad, But it Had a
New Birth in 1905 Upon the Com
plction of the Road From Durham
10 Dunn-Biggest Tobacco Market
in Wake County-Outiook Bright
FOR Big Development.
Wake county has good reason to be
proud of the vigorous and growing
1oWn Of Apex. ituated on it's Southern
border. Although it is known that it
is one of the best towns in Central
North Carolina one "a understand
how this town has grown upon the
solid and substantial basis without
reading the Industrial issue of the
Apex Journal, which appeared yes
terday. This paper, edited by Mr..
w. \. Keener, is a large, handsome
and profusely illustrated paper or
twenty-four pages, every page alive
and attractive with the spirit Of con-
nQe0ce ana OplllIllSn DIS " Tic
of the town. The edition contains
the picture Of nearly every progress
sive man in the community and a we'll
written story Of their success in life,
and how they have labored for the
development and progress OF their
community. A very interesting story
of the life Of Apex tells US that 1T a
for its original cOgnomen the undlg-
nified appellation Log Pond the
name being derived from the fact that
a portion of the town was under
water and filed with logs. It was
notable as a deer stand, for IN those
days the noble sport of deer hunting
was the chief diversion. That sec
ton was peopled by a thrifty and pa
triotic population, but the history OF
Apex did not begin until the building
of the Chatham Railroad (now the
Raleigh and Augusta) which had been
projected during the war as an en-
terprise to bring the products of the
coal fields of Chatham county to the
use OF the C~onfederacy. 10 the en-
gineers of the Raleigh and August
railroad is to be given credit Tor
naming the town. In their survey
they found Apex to be the hlghest
spot, and therefore gave it the name
of Apex, which it still bears and to
which good name it is living up to.
The first enterprise to be started
was d large lumber business, conduct
ed by the late J. Mace.
father Of Mir. Frank K. Ellington, now
one of Raleigh's leading citizens. Mr..
E~lington's lumber plant was tofloW-
ed by a tobacco factory and soon
other citizens came into the town ana
Apex was Incorporated In 1911 Win
Mr.. H. c.. Olive as it's first mayor
Among the first citizens were the late
IL 1:-@ VIZ vi m L
Hudson, G.. W. Atkinson,
Olive, A. M. Belts, w. f. Utley, MT.
Bell and others. The town did no'
really find itself and begin to grow
until 1905, which the Journal calls the
pivotal year of Apexs history. III
that year the Cape Fear and North
ern railroad was completed from
Dunn to Durham with Apex as the
chief town on the line. Immediately
the Merchants and Farmers Banh
was organized and tobacco
built and Apex became at once the
leading tobacco town in Wake county.
soon there were other
built, prize houses and the town mas
since steadily grown n is now upon
the threshold that will easily give II
$500 Or 1000 population before the
next census, if indeed it does not &c
to 5000.
In addition to the picture of the
business houses and many Of the ous-
mess leaders Of the town, the Journa
has d picture on the front page OF
the handsome town hall and marke'
house to be erected this year, and te
be the center of the public interest,"
Of the town, also has a picture or the
passenger station, Baptist Churcn, the
new Apex Knitting Mill, new hotel te
be completed in a short time, pun
lie school building and scores Of hand
some residences.
Editor keener calls Apex "a Town OF
Opportunity,' and writes a story OF
ness development and growth which
has been so marked within the past
the town that is sure to bring It cit
Eens and attract the investment OF