This marker is along the main street. It is in front of the Orange County Historical Museum and…read moreHillsborough Presbyterian Church with the Olde Town Cemetery. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "William A. Graham. Governor, 1845-1849; Secretary of the Navy; United States Senator; Whig nominee for Vice-President in 1852. His home stands 150 yards west." It is marker number G-40 and it was erected by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History. Graham was born in Lincoln County in 1804 to Revolutionary War veteran Gen. Joseph Graham, pursued a distinguished career in law and public service. Educated at Hillsborough Academy and the University of North Carolina, he studied law under Thomas Ruffin and established a practice in Hillsborough. A supporter of Henry Clay's "American System," Graham served in the North Carolina State House, where he championed public education and internal improvements, including railroad expansion and a school for the deaf and mute. He opposed secession, advocating compromise during the turbulent pre-Civil War years, and later served in the Confederate Congress. Though elected to the US Senate in 1865, he was denied his seat during Reconstruction. In retirement, he worked to challenge Republican dominance in North Carolina and served as an arbitrator on the Virginia-Maryland Boundary Commission. He died in 1875 while attending a meeting in Saratoga Springs, New York, and was buried in Hillsborough. [Review 1417 of 2025 - 4490 in North Carolina - 24968 overall]

Easy to spot this marker as I was heading towards the interstate. It is on a small triangle where…read morethree roads meet up, two of which are State Road 86 and State Road 57. It recalls one of North Carolina's heroes and earliest Governors. It reads, "Thomas Burke. Governor, 1781-82. Member of Revolutionary, Provincial, & Continental Congresses. Grave is 1 1/2 miles northeast." Online, there is more information. "Thomas Burke, skilled in the literary as well as the political arts, was taken prisoner by Loyalists shortly after taking office as governor. He was born ca. 1744 in County Galway, Ireland, the son of Ulick Burke and the former Letitia Ould. Burke emigrated to Virginia and took up residence in Norfolk. There he established himself initially as a physician, but later turned to the practice of law." "In 1772 Burke removed to Hillsborough where he acquired a small plantation and resumed the practice of law. Rising quickly to prominence, he represented Orange County in all but the first of the Provincial Congresses where he was an outspoken advocate for independence. In 1777 and briefly in 1778, Burke represented Orange County in the House of Commons. On three occasions he won election to the Continental Congress, where the form of government for the new nation was slowly taking shape. As a delegate to the Continental Congress, Burke emerged as a strong advocate of states' rights and limited central government. He also earned a reputation for his brashness and irascibility, several times becoming the center of controversy." "When the embittered Burke convened the General Assembly in April of 1782, his rather ambiguous offer to retire from public office was accepted almost without remark. Having served only ten months as governor, two of those as a prisoner, he returned to Hillsborough a ruined and deeply disillusioned man. He died less than two years later, on December 2, 1783, and was interred on the grounds of his plantation, "Tyaquin."" [Review 14022 overall, 1344 of 2020, number 2662 in North Carolina.]

This marker along Oxford Road points out a local who lived nearby. There is room at the corner to…read morestop and read the marker. It has the same text on both sides, reading "William R. Webb (Sawney). Founder, 1870, of Webb School, since 1886 in Bell Buckle, Tenn. Confederate soldier, U.S. Senator, 1913. Born 1842, one mile south." Online, there is more information. "William Robert Webb (1842-1926) in 1870 founded the Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. Widely respected in the Volunteer State, Webb was selected to fill out an unexpired term in the U.S. Senate in 1913. He remained the principal at Webb until his death in 1926. "Webb, born near Mount Tirzah in Person County, North Carolina, was reared by his mother after the death of his father when he was six. The nickname "Sawney" originated at an early age, being a Scottish diminutive of Alexander, his father's name. His formal education was gained at the Bingham School and at the University of North Carolina. After Confederate service he completed studies at UNC, he took a teaching post at Horner Military School in Oxford but soon moved to Tennessee, married Emma Clary, and took over a moribund preparatory school in Culleoka. At the school he was joined by his brother John, also a UNC graduate. Early graduates of the Webb School, all young men in its early years, excelled at Vanderbilt University, opened in 1875. "Webb's objection to the sale of liquor in Culleoka led him in 1886 to move the school thirty-five miles west to Bell Buckle. Of his classroom style it is said that he "made of teaching a drama in miniature" and cut a striking figure in his frock coat. By force of personality he engendered loyalty from Webb graduates. The Senate appointment came in 1913 when Tennessee Sen. Robert Taylor died. Webb then filled out the term, serving from January 24 until March 3. "Upon his death in 1926 Webb was eulogized widely and praised as the "South's greatest teacher of boys." During Webb's tenure, the school produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other secondary school in the nation." This is marker number G-79 and it was erected in 1962 by the North Carolina Archives and Highway Departments. [Review 2141 of 2024 - 3808 in North Carolina - 23160 overall]

This marker is located in downtown Hillsborough and points out a local citizen who earned the ire…read moreof other locals thanks to his abuse of ower. The marker is legible and in good condition. There is parking nearby. The marker reads, "Edmund Fanning, 1737-1818. Judge and local official. Target of Regulators who ransacked and destroyed his nearby home, 1770." There is more information online. "One of the most despised figures in North Carolina history, Edmund Fanning was born in Suffolk County, New York in 1737. Fanning, a Loyalist and colonial official between 1760 and 1771, held a variety of positions while living in Hillsborough. Because of his abuse of his office, Fanning became a prominent target of the Regulators. After leaving North Carolina in 1771, Fanning served as a Loyalist commander, a General in the British army, and a Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. "Fanning attended Yale University, graduating in 1757 before attending Harvard College and King's College (present-day Columbia University). In 1760, he moved to Childsburgh, renamed Hillsborough in 1766, and soon thereafter was elected town commissioner, a position he held until 1771. Fanning developed mercantile partnerships and gained additional power in Orange County, beginning as a representative to the General Assembly. Slowly, Fanning supplemented his position as assembly representative with other positions, so that between 1766 and 1768 he served simultaneously as assemblyman, register of deeds, a Superior Court Judge and a Colonel in the militia. "The public was outraged at Fanning's abuse of power, but probably more angered by his close personal friendship with Governor William Tryon. Fanning's authority was challenged in 1768, when he was sued for taking excessive fees as the register of deeds. Although he was found not guilty on all charges, the acquittal did not assuage the rapidly growing ranks of Orange County Regulators. They fired warning shots through the roof of Fanning's house, but did no further damage, dispersing after Governor Tryon called out the militia. "By 1770, the Regulator Movement again gained strength in Orange County, leading to riots in September of that year. The Regulators destroyed Fanning's house, but his law offices were left unharmed and overran the courthouse, physically abusing members of the "Courthouse Ring," which included Edmund Fanning. With Fanning's urging, Governor Tryon again called out the state militia, who defeated the Regulators at the Battle of Alamance on May 16, 1771. Fanning led the left wing of Tryon's army during the engagement. "Soon after the Battle of Alamance, Edmund Fanning left the state, following Governor Tryon to New York as his private secretary. He then served as a colonel in the Loyalist militia throughout the Revolutionary War, during which time he was wounded twice. After the conflict, Fanning was made a Colonel in the British army and appointed Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. In 1786 he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, a position he held until his retirement in 1805. Promoted to major general in the British army in 1793 and full general on April 25, 1808, Edmund Fanning died at his home in London in 1818." I am unable to find where Fanning is laid to rest. With the above history, it's not here in Hillsborough. [Review 104 of 2025 - 4073 in North Carolina - 23671 overall]

This marker is along US501 and denotes a local politician who went on to serve in Washington during…read morethe years before the Civil War. It reads, "Willie P. Mangum. Member of United States Senate for 18 years and president pro tempore, 1842-45. Congressman, Whig party leader. Home site, grave, 10 miles northeast." Online, there is more information. "Willie (pronounced "Wylie") Person Mangum, long a powerful United States Senator, was born at Red Mountain in Orange (now Durham) County in 1792. In 1823, Mangum was elected as a member of the Whig Party to the first of two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives." "In 1831 Mangum was elected to the United States Senate, where he strongly contested the protective tariff and was a supporter of states rights. In 1833 he voted against the Force Bill which established his complete break with President Andrew Jackson. In 1836 Mangum resigned from the Senate, in part over the issue of whether state legislatures could instruct Senators on how to vote. In 1837 Mangum received the eleven electoral votes of South Carolina for President, likely as a reward for his perceived stance on nullification. That same year, he again elected as a Whig to the United States Senate." "With the death of President William Henry Harrison and the rise of Vice-President John Tyler to the Presidency in 1842, Mangum, as President pro tempore of the Senate, for several months was second in line to the White House." [Review 14020 overall, 1342 of 2020, number 2660 in North Carolina.]

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]

This marker is along the Eno River where it is crossed by US-70. There is enough space at the side…read moreof the road to pull over. The actual site it references is no longer. The marker reads, "Grist mill. Site of key Regulator meeting, 1766, and skirmish in 1781 that boosted the Patriot cause. Stood 1/5 mile north." Online, there is more information. "By August 4, 1755, a Quaker by the name of Joseph Maddock was operating a grist mill on the Eno River just outside what is now Hillsborough. For years Maddock's mill had steady business as it was the closest mill to the Orange County seat. In 1766, it was the site of large and well-publicized gathering of Regulators. Edmund Fanning deemed the meeting "an insurrection" when he believed the men were attempting to usurp power from the local court." "Cornwallis reached Hillsborough in Feb. 1781, and dispatched a detachment to the mill. The facility was used by the troops for grinding corn and about thirty soldiers were posted to protect the site. Maj. Joseph Graham learned of the troops at Hart's Mill and ordered his militia to attack. The cavalry and mounted riflemen divided to effectively surround the British. Americans killed or wounded nine men and took nineteen prisoners; all but two were British regulars. Graham and his militia, with prisoners in tow, fled to General Andrew Pickens's camp nearby. Graham's exploits inspired confidence in the weary American soldiers. Thomas Jefferson referred to the skirmish in a letter to George Washington, dated March 8, 1781. He wrote that the skirmish at Hart's Mill, combined with the defeat of Loyalist Col. John Pyle's forces on February 23, "had a very happy effect on the disaffected in that country."" This is marker number G-122 and it was originally cast in 2006. [Review 2123 of 2024 - 3791 in North Carolina - 23142 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]