History of Cary, NC

Solar Company Cary NC

A century before Allison Frank Page (a regional lumber man) founded the city of Cary, settlers of English descent dwelled in the area that is known as Cary today. In the year 1854, a short while after North Carolina’s Railroad expanded to the region, Page, alongside his wife, Catherine, bought 300 acres of land in the area that surrounded the railroad’s junction. They then build a saw-mill here.

The city of Cary is named for Samuel Fenton Cary, temperance movement leader and Ohio State’s former senator from 1814 to 1900. Page was a Cary follower and a huge supporter of the Temperance movement. Through the years, Cary has been referred to as Page’s Tavern, Page’s Turnout, as well as Page’s Siding. In April 1871, a charter of incorporation was granted to the town of Cary by the North Carolina General Assembly. The original charter included a letter ‘E’ on Cary’s spelling, something that brought a lot of confusion regarding the correct spelling to the city name. Later charter amendments corrected this error.

Over the years the city of Cary has had an array of designations including it being the Gourd Capital of the nation (this dates back to the early 1930s), also and being ranked number five when it comes to “One of the Best Small Cities in America” in 2006 by Money Magazine. Cary is also the place where the 1838 legendary conversation between Edward Dudley (the then North Carolina Governor) and Pierce Mason Butler (the then South Carolina Governor). The two leaders made a stop in Cary (at Mrs. Nancy Jones’ home) on their way to Raleigh from Chapel Hill. As they sat at the parlor sipping their beverages, the maid to Mrs. Jones overheard Governor Dudley state, “It’s been a damned long time between drinks.”  As the maid relayed this information to the house’s mistress, she was in utter shock. Apparently, the servants on duty were taking quite some time in preparation of the drinks.

Given its proximity to the famous Research Triangle Park, it was only natural for Cary’s population to continue taking an upward surge. The Research Triangle Park was home to numerous major companies, enterprises and research development institutions in Durham and Raleigh. In 1949, the original boundaries to Cary, which were 1sq.mile in size, were expanded. Today, Cary is a thriving community and it remains as one of the best cities in the US to live in.

 

 

6 min
1.9 miles

via Walnut St

Fastest route, the usual traffic

7 min
2.6 miles

via E Chatham St and SE Maynard Rd

14 min

10:57 AM—11:11 AM

Bus6  Walk