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The Bloody History of UNC in the Civil War

by Charly Mann

In 1906, forty years after the Civil War ended, the students of the University of North Carolina paid tribute to the hundreds of former students who gave their lives in what they termed the "Lost Cause" in the following statement:

We, the younger generation of Southern men, pledge those gallant men who fought with Jackson and Lee, alumni of our beloved U.N.C. in the name of the Lord God of Hosts, that we shall never forget those noble teachers in grey, our monitors in every high holy lesson for all ages that are to be.

North Carolina Confederate Money
$50 in North Carolina Confederate Money

Today many of us would like to forget UNC's support and huge contribution to the Confederacy. In the beginning of the war North Carolina was the most reluctant of the Southern states to leave the Union. Most of North Carolina's political leaders at the time of secession were UNC graduates, and they had much more national sentiment than their counterparts in the rest of the South. Most white people in North Carolina did not own slaves and were against slavery. More than a decade before, the majority of UNC students had agreed that slavery should be abolished. In the 1832 UNC commencement address, Judge William Gaston said that slavery was holding back the progress of the state and stated:

Disguise the truth as we may, and throw the blame where we will, it is Slavery which, more than any other cause, keeps us back in the career of improvement. It stifles industry and represses enterprise — it is fatal to economy and providence--it discourages skill — impairs our strength as a community, and poisons morals at the fountain head. How this evil is to be encountered, how subdued, is indeed a difficult and delicate enquiry, which this is not the time to examine, nor the occasion to discuss. I felt, however, that I could not discharge my duty, without referring to this subject, as one which ought to engage the prudence moderation and firmness of those who, sooner or later, must act decisively upon it.

1854 UNC College Student
James Allen Wright (1836-1862) was a captain in the Confederate Army. He was killed at the battle of Mechanicsville in June 1862.

Two former UNC students, William A. Graham, and William P. Mangum were among the most powerful politicians in North Carolina at the start of the Civil War and argued strongly to stay with the Union. Magnum even declared, "If I could coin my heart into gold, and it was lawful in the sight of Heaven, I would pray God give me the firmness to do it, to save the Union from the fearful, the dreadful shock which I verily believe impends."

North Carolina was also a state that was not heavily dependent on slavery for its economic well being. The preservation and extension of slavery into newly formed states was never an important issue in North Carolina politics. In February of 1961 when other Southern states began seceding North Carolina refused to secede.

Unfortunately Mangum's fears were justified, and when Abraham Lincoln issued a call for troops to put an end to the secession in April 1961, Governor John Ellis, also a UNC graduate, declared to the President, "You can get no troops from North Carolina." Zebulon Vance, another UNC graduate, who became a leader in the Confederate Army and for whom Vance Hall on the UNC campus is named, spoke for the majority of North Carolinians when he said: "If war must come, I prefer to be with my own people. If we must shed blood, I prefer to shed Northern rather than Southern blood." So when war did come to the South most former and current UNC students either fought for or served in positions of civil service for the Confederacy.

Confederate Major General
Bryan Grimes graduated from UNC in 1848. He was a major general in the Confederate Army

During the Civil War North Carolina had three Confederate governors, all UNC graduates. In the Congress of the Confederate States fourteen of its members were North Carolina alumni. Of all the living alumni and students of UNC from 1837 to 1865, more than 40% served in the Confederate Army. Among the officers in the Confederate Army with UNC degrees there was one lieutenant general, one major general, thirteen brigadier generals, 50 colonels, 28 lieutenant colonels, forty majors, forty-six adjutants, 71 surgeons, 251 captains, and 38 non-commissioned officers. To put these numbers in perspective this was from a total of 2200 men who had attended UNC between 1837 and 1861. No other non-military university gave such a high percent of its men to the war effort.

Confederate Captain killed in action
James Barr Andrews, UNC class of 1854, was a captain in the Confederate Army and died at the battle in Richmond on July 23, 1863

Among the distinguished causalities were Lieutenant I.M. Royster, class of 1860, who died leading his men at a charge at Gettysburg while singing "Dixie" with his men. Two days later, Colonel Issac E. Avery was mortally wounded on the third day of fighting at Gettysburg. He lived just long enough to write this note on an envelope on the battlefield, "Tell my father I died with my face to the foe."

Memorial Hall UNC Civil War Dead
Two of the four tablets on the wall of Memorial Hall listing UNC students who were killed in the Civil War

In the fighting UNC class of 1839, C.M. Avery, commanded a regiment at the battle of Chancellorsville in which 41% of his men were killed. 1848 graduate George B. Anderson was also a regiment commander and lost 54% of his men at Seven Pines, and 1844 alumnus R.H. Cowan lost 56% of the troops he commanded during the Seven Day's battle. Finally it was former UNC students Z.B. Vance and Harry K. Burgwyn who led Pettigrew's Brigade in Pickett's charge at Gettysburg. When the charge began they had 820 men. A few minutes later only 102 were still alive. To put this in perspective the 708 men killed in this one part of this great battle exceeded the total student enrollment at UNC in any year before the Civil War and well into the early 20th century. All the men these men commanded were from North Carolina.

Memorial Hall UNC Confederate War Dead Tablet
Final two of the four tablets listing students who attended UNC and were killed in the Civil War 

In terms of UNC deaths the records show that at the first battle of Manassas there were four UNC deaths, at the Battle of Shiloh five, at Malvern Hill fourteen, at Sharpsburg nine, at Fredericksburg eight, at Chickamauga seven, the battle of the Wilderness six, Spotsylvania five, and in Atlanta nine. All told 312 men who attended UNC died in the Civil War.

The following two songs are an addendum to this article. The first is a version of Dixie performed much like it would have been during the Civil War. Next is a rare recording of James Taylor singing Hard Times, a song Stephen Foster wrote in 1854, and popular in the South in the 1860s and 70s because of the misery brought on from the Civil War.


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The History of Springfield, Buffalo, & Schoolkids Records

by Pauline Williams 

February 25,1973, married just two days I arrived in Chapel Hill from Athens, Georgia, ready to promote peace and the end of the Vietnam War with music. Athens was the home of Underground Records, and I met Richard Carter when I purchased Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 1. Owner Eric Brown envisioned a hippie record empire with stores in all college towns warehoused by him in Athens. To allow low pricing one practice was the absence of advertising though I often drew flyers which I posted in the UNC dorm elevators. In Eric's employ was a hard working teenager named Pepper.

Richard Carter & Paul Williams

Richard Carter and Pauline Williams in May of 1973 shortly after opening Springfield Records

Richard and I left Athens with a rental truck full of records, carpet and shelves. I drove my green Chevy Nova by which we procured a loan from FUNB for more record stock. Springfield Records named for Buffalo Springfield opened for business February 26, 1973, upstairs over Soundhaus Stereo in a large room painted black and lined with a wall of south facing windows. In a small front room just off the stairs Stu Martel had a great business making custom leather sandals, so Springfield Records enjoyed immediate hippie and student clientele. We lived for the first several weeks in the back room of the store which had a large hinged board in the rear wall opening onto the roof overlooking The Village Green of He's Not Here. This became important when we let the space to the original Trail Shop. The owner, a former Vietnam helicopter pilot, used the window to move canoes in and out of The Trail Shop. Later when Springfield moved to Franklin Street the record boxes slid easily down a ramp to the alleyway. We woke very early each day to the sound of the garbage truck lifting and redepositing the dumpster outside.

Buffalo Records

The group whose name gave Chapel Hill two of its best record stores

The Record Bar on Henderson Street was not to be deterred. Charly Mann was already selling below The Record Bar prices at Record and Tape Center in the NCNB Plaza, but Springfield Records was able to undercut Record and Tape by $1. i think there was a second Record and Tape store on West Franklin a short distance from the main block. Kemp Battle Nye sold records on the north end of Henderson Street in the basement of his store. University Mall was not yet built, and cars still parked at angles downtown. People jaywalked everywhere as traffic was relatively slow. Downtown Chapel Hill was rockin' with nightly bands at The Town Hall promoted by owner Michael Strong. South Wing led by Ed Ibarguen and Scott Verner with soundboard by Jeff Harrison played The Grateful Dead. Springfield Records was selling many discounted albums at that time including New Riders of the Purple Sage, Dylan, Crosby Stills and Nash, The Grateful Dead, James Taylor, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. We had an expanding niche, and business was good.

Charly Mann and Richard Carter

Friendly competitors: Charly Mann of the Record and Tape Center and Richard Carter of Springfield Records

To increase stock Richard took on as partner David Bourke, a friend from Charlotte who had recently returned from his tour of duty in Vietnam where he drove a jeep, a dangerous job in 1972. The draft was still in effect. To make ends meet I took a second job in the building across the alley on the west side of North Columbia Street turning out immaculate theses copies on an original Xerox copy machine to which loose granular toner was carefully added from a supply box. The business was Adam and Eve, Planned Parenthood, and I sold condoms and made Xerox copies. too. Bo Porter, our accountant, became the third partner, and I wondered what had become of my store. Bo bought out Richard and David soon after Springfield Record Company moved to its location on East Franklin Street upstairs over Lacock's Shoes and Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Store near The Shrunken Head. Bo later became the owner of The Cave after Springfield closed in 1975.

Madonna Bentz and Richard Carter

Richard Cater co-founder of Springfield, Buffalo, and Schoolkids Records, with Poindexter, and Madonna Bentz 1975

Knowing we should have had a better plan Richard and I reorganized calling up Peter Brown, Cathy Jones, Barbara Harris, and Pam Ramsey from Athens to open Buffalo Records in the old bank building next to The Carolina Theater in the spring of 1975. We ordered custom shelving from John Lindsey so that the overstock could be quickly accessed as we were moving boxes of 50 of certain new releases. We stocked all the pricey classical imports in the bank vault, and the jazz section was located behind the tellers' counter. Peter was responsible for the extensive jazz collection having worked for The Record Bar in Athens and having a deep appreciation of jazz. Richard would special order any lp the customer wanted. Buffalo Records was playing music, burning incense and displaying the colorful art of album covers from 10 AM to 9 PM and Sundays. We allowed customers to use headphones to listen to albums in the back room before purchasing. We had very little markup.

Richard and I would drive 5 hours to Athens and back overnight in our Chevy van to compete with The Record Bar which was readily stocked by the reps of the music industry. The Record Bar moved from its location on Henderson Street to the north side of East Franklin just across the street from Buffalo Records. Richard would buy all their stock of a new release when they priced lower than we could buy wholesale. Eric couldn't supply us fast enough, so we had to go outside the Schoolkids warehouse system buying from a one-stop in Charlotte to provide new releases before The Record Bar. First day sales were extremely important. We were losing ground to The Record Bar chain. Eric sent Pepper to Chapel Hill to open Schoolkids Records in Kemp's old location on Henderson Street.

Pauline Williams and Barbie Harris

Two of the great women of the Chapel Hill music business, Pauline Williams who co-founded Springfield and Buffalo Records with her friend Barbie Harris who worked at Buffalo Records and then went to work in advertising for the Record Bar

By May of 1976 I had to make the decision to close Buffalo Records putting my friends on unemployment and liquidating the remaining stock which we were unable to return for credit in a huge sale. Richard had taken up golf. Our daughter was born in late May at 5 PM, her weight being proudly displayed on the leader board at the new Chapel Hill Country Club members golf tournament. Shortly thereafter Richard Carter bought Schoolkids Records Chapel Hill store from Eric and reopened in the space next to Jeff's Confectionery, proprietors Jimmy and Paulina Mousmoules; their fountain cokes were made to order. Richard kept Schoolkids going until after our divorce when it was sold back to Eric in 1978. Pepper opened Pepper's Pizza in that location, and Schoolkids reopened next to Julian's and The Little Shop.

Thus ended my part in the Chapel Hill Record Wars. Peace and love, Pauline Williams

Photos are from Charly Mann's collection. 

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Roland Giduz - The Oracle Of Chapel Hill

by Stanley Peele

Roland Giduz was a writer, scholar, reporter, Chapel Hill historian, photographer, cable TV host, and civil leader – among many other accomplishments. He was a beloved and well-known citizen of Chapel Hill who passed away in January of 2009.

Roland Giduz
Roland Giduz (July 24th, 1925 - January 23rd, 2009)

Roland Giduz called himself a "notorious hometown ne'er-do-well." He was notorious, for sure, and definitely hometown. But he has never been and will never be a "ne'er-do well"!

He was born in 1925 and was a veteran of WWII. He earned an AB degree in journalism at UNC and an MS in journalism at Columbia. For more than 50 years, he was a writer, photographer and editor. He was editor of the Chapel Hill News Leader (1954-59) and then alumni editor for the University; and wrote the "Newsman's Notepad" column over a period of 35 years. He also was a columnist for the Chapel Hill Herald.

He was the original publisher and editor of a weekly visitors guide magazine, The Triangle Pointer.

He published "Who's Gonna Cover Em Up?" in 1985, and "Conversations On The Wall," in 2000. In the latter book he documents his conversations with his friend and idol, Cameron Henderson. He also collaborated with Jim Shumaker to publish "Shu" in 1995.

He was a member of the Board of Aldermen of Chapel Hill for 12 years. He was quite active in local civic life, and was a gifted public speaker. He was the host/producer for "The People's Channel" on cable TV.

This is only a short list of some of his accomplishments: it is not possible to list them all in this article. Yet, he was self-deprecating. He explained himself this way: "I haven't got any more sense than any other d___ fool!"

Here are some quotes from Roland:

"I have suddenly realized, "By God, I'm 80 years old." . . . .But, I don't feel old – I feel FREE. . . . . I am free to plan each day, I have no obligation to an employer or to society. I have willingly passed on the torch of service to society to the younger generation. Best of all, I don't look back. I look ahead. I find true satisfaction in public service – a thing I used to accept as an obligation. Through all of this I find peace – contented peace. I know there are a limited number of years ahead for me. If it all ended tomorrow I'd have no regrets."

Roland was a member of what has been called, "The Greatest Generation." His service in World War II left an indelible impression on him. Here are his words:

"Let me take you back to the fierce days of WWII and how we felt about it. We were preparing to enter the military. We certainly did not feel "great." But – we did not feel any doubt. We were a bit fearful, and not anxious to lead a charge. But we had absolutely no doubt about the cause and outcome of the war that was thrust upon us.

"There was nothing heroic nor great, to us, about serving. It was simply our time. That generated a quality of patriotism that has never left us through these 60 years since.

"It was a fearsome time for most of us. Appreciation of freedom is born of patriotism – of a belief in the dignity and integrity of every human being.

"Earlier [last] year I revisited a combat scene of our 100th Infantry Division in France. On that 60th anniversary of the liberation of the town of Bitche, we were welcomed by those citizens. Their heartfelt gratitude to us, three score years later, gave us the ultimate appreciation of patriotism.

"I hope you also feel patriotic about our country."

Roland Giduz stood for the enduring spirit of Chapel Hill. His words beautifully express a feeling about our country that is hard for young people to understand. The quality of our movies and TV sinks lower every year. The condition of corporate America is gloomy at best. Our neighbors regard our government as corrupt and greedy. Yet Roland Giduz stood tall in the midst of all of it. He reminded us of the highest and best that is within us. When he wrote about his "belief in the dignity and integrity of every human being," these were not just words on a piece of paper. He believed it – and his life was guided by this principle.

Roland Giduz bronze statue model
Chapel Hill Memories would like a life-sized bronze statue of Mr Giduz in this pose we call "The Oracle of Chapel Hill" created and placed on the stone wall on the south side of Franklin Street

 

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The Red-tailed Hawks of University Lake

by Charly Mann

Since I was very young I have loved to observe the birds that inhabit Chapel Hill. I may have inherited this tendency from my mother who had several generations of blue jays that would come into our house and eat peanuts out of her hand from our dining room table. I have learned that with patience and a tranquil disposition most birds will eventually allow you to get very close to them.

Red Tail Hawk in North Carolina
A Red-tailed Hawk soars near the shoreline of University Lake in Chapel Hill

Over the years I have found one of the best places to enjoy birds is around University Lake. Besides being the source of drinking water for Chapel Hill since 1932, many wild birds enjoy living in the trees of the heavily forested shoreline.

Red Tail Hawk Close Up
A Red-tailed Hawk at University Lake 

I have observed many Red-tailed hawks at University Lake from late spring to early fall. These are magnificent and highly intelligent creatures that can live as long as twenty years. They are often mistakenly identified as eagles. Their diet consists primarily of snakes and rodents. They have wingspans of about five feet and are members of the falcon family. These hawks weigh as much as four pounds and their eyesight is so keen that they can clearly see a mouse a hundred feet away.

Red Tail Hawk descending on prey

This Red Tail Hawk has just lept off a limb as she begins to descend on a prey

A great thing about red-tails is that if you know where they like to live they are relatively easy to find. Just walk or kayak around the shoreline of University Lake in late morning or early afternoon when they like to hunt and you will likely see one. If you are quiet and observant you can often get very close to these birds.

Red Tail Hawk camouflaged

Red Tail Hawks are often camouflaged in the trees around University Lake in Chapel Hill

Walking through some of the unpsoiled forests outside of town is a great getaway from the stress, congestion and noise I find in the ever more urban Chapel Hill environment. Getting close an animal like this reminds me of the following lines from Ekhart Tolle:

"Negativity is totally unnatural. It is a psychic pollutant, and there is a deep link between the poisoning and destruction of nature and the vast negativity that has accumulated in the collective human psyche. No other life form on the planet knows negativity, only humans, just as no other life form violates and poisons the Earth that sustains it. Have you ever seen an unhappy flower or a stressed oak tree? Have you come across a depressed dolphin, a frog that has a problem with self-esteem, a cat that cannot relax, or a bird that carries hatred and resentment? The only animals that may occasionally experience something akin to negativity or show signs of neurotic behavior are those who live in close contact with humans and so link into the human mind and its insanity."

photos by Kathryn Mann

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Tripodi's Delicatessen

Tripodi's Delicatessen and Restaurant opened at University Mall on December 8, 1982. It offered Italian, Jewish and German food. Tripodi's was styled after the old corner New York City delicatessen. Among the items they made fresh daily were bagels, danishes, coffee cakes, turnovers, cream puffs, Italian flat breads, rolls, sausage, sauces, pasta and meatballs, cheesecakes, chocolate cakes, lemon cakes, carrot cakes, coconut cakes, Boston cream pies, sour cream choc squares, lemon squares, éclairs, cream horns, and a wide variety of cookies.

Tripodi's Delicatessen
Tripodi's Delicatessen at University Mall in Chapel Hill

One of the most popular items on the menu was their Saucey Heel, a half loaf of Italian bread hollowed out and stuffed with two homemade meatballs and cheese, smothered in Tripodi's homemade Italian sauce. Other favorites included their Reuben sandwich, potato pancakes, and omelets.

Tripodi's Deli
Tripodi's Deli second location on Franklin Street

Dean Smith was a regular at Tripodi's as were most of his coaching staff including Bill Guthridge and Roy Williams. UNC football coach Dick Crum had a good luck table he would sit at on Fridays before a home game. He would have a slice of carrot cake with his meal.

Kay Kyser Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill resident and big-band leader Kay Kyser, a regular customer at Tripodi's Deli

Billy Carmichael was a regular and when the place was full he would come in the kitchen and sit at the baking table and have his favorite meatball and bacon in a dish. Legendary Big Band leader Kay Kyser would come in for a late afternoon lunch and listen to music from the 1940's that the restaurant would play in his honor. The man who designed most of modern Chapel Hill, Joe Hakan, always fantasized about being a short order cook and gave it a try one day at Tripodi's.

Tripodi's University Mall
Entrance of Tripodi's Deli at University Mall in Chapel Hill

Tripodi's also opened a little bistro on Franklin Street. 

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UNC Class of 1969

by Charly Mann

1969 was the final year of a tumultuous decade in Chapel Hill history. While it was the few that got the fame and notoriety, it was the many that were the fabric, heart and soul of this great class.

UNC Students Dating
Typical student attire and socialization between the sexes at UNC in 1969.

There were more than 12,000 students enrolled at UNC that year, but it was the five stars on that year's top ten basketball team and less than 200 anti-war and social activists, like myself, who got the media attention then and are highlighted in today's history of that year. In reality, the majority of the more than 2,000 seniors that year were primarily politically and socially conservative and were focused on getting an education that would lead to a career. A poll conducted by the Daily Tar Heel showed Richard Nixon and George Wallace had been the top choices of UNC students in the 1968 presidential election. And while most students enjoyed the music of 60s bands like Rolling Stones and the Beatles, only a handful of students emulated their bohemian clothing style or long-haired look. Male students' standard attire was khaki pants and button down Oxford shirts with loafers. Most coeds wore dresses or a skirt and blouse. It was not the hippie look that most associate with the 1960s that predominated Chapel Hill then but the frat look, and there were more than half a dozen clothing stores that catered to this style on Franklin Street.

Kappa Alpha on Old South Day
This is the UNC Kappa Alpha fraternity with girlfriends decked out in Confederate army uniforms. They are honoring Old South Day which celebrates the virtues of the South before the Civil War.

Preston Dobbins UNC Class of 1969
The UNC Black Student Movement (BSM) was a new organization on the UNC campus in 1968 and 1969. There were still few black students on campus then, and most black students felt socially isolated and segregated from much of campus life. This is Preston Dobbins, UNC Class of 1969,  who was one of the founders of this organization.

To relax from the hours of classes and study, the main distraction was beer consumption which was enjoyed, often to great excess, by most members of the student body. The bigger difference at UNC between 1959 and 1969 was sex, with birth control pills becoming popular among UNC coeds, easy access to condoms throughout town, and little stigma or embarrassment among the males buying them (often in large quantities). When I spoke to students who attended UNC before 1965 only a handful ever admitted having a sexual relationship and that was primarily with a prostitute. By 1969 the number of UNC students reporting having sexual relationships while at UNC were 60% for men and 55% for coeds. 

Playboy Centerfolds in Dorm Room 1969

Playboy was the most popular magazine among male UNC students in 1969. It was portrayed as sophisticated and intellectual with its well-written articles. In truth it was bought for the nude pictures of their "girl next door" playmates as this 1969 UNC dorm room photo demonstrates.

Yackety Yack 1969 senior class
UNC Seniors Class of 1969
Top Row: Rose Little Grantham, Temple Grassi, Reginald Ogburn Graves, Nancy Louise Grayson
Row Two: Samuel Toler Greathouse, Jesse Franklin Green, Stephen Neil Greenberg, Carolyn Lois Greene
Row Three: Rebecca Evelyn Greene, Richard Harlee Greene, Mary Maxwell Gregg, Don Nelson Gregson,
Row Four: James Rowland Griffin Jr, Frank John Griffith Jr, Dorcas Corneilia Grigg, Sidney Ray Grimes Jr
Row Five: Steven Howard Grossman, Gregory Kent Grove, Richard Arthur Grubar, Patricia Elaine Guarino

Campus Life Before the cell-phone
UNC Student on phone in UNC dorm. There were no phones in the rooms, nor cell phones. As many as forty students shared a single hall phone in 1969.

In ancient times like 1969, before the cell phone and Internet, students spent a lot more time socializing. In those days almost everything was real, and little was virtual. While the technology of today is great for finding information or connecting with faceless people, in those days you learned to reach out to other human beings. Politeness was commonplace and people were much more energetic. Doing research for a class paper was much more difficult and students spent much of their time in the library. Today with a couple of "Copy" and "Paste" commands on the computer it is easy for students to plagiarize a composition on almost any subject.

UNC coeds socializing
1969 UNC coeds spending free time together before the Internet Age

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Chapel Hill is located on a hill whose only distinguishing feature in the 18th century was a small chapel on top called New Hope Chapel. This church was built in 1752 and is currently the location of The Carolina Inn. The town was founded in 1819, and chartered in 1851.

 

 

What is it that binds us to this place as to no other? It is not the well or the bell or the stone walls. or the crisp October nights. No, our love for this place is based upon the fact that it is as it was meant to be, The University of the People.

-- Charles Kuralt

 

 

Dark Side of the Hill -- Pink Floyd, the creators of the most popular album in history, Dark Side of the Moon, took the second half of their name from Floyd Council, a Chapel Hill native, and great blues singer and guitarist. He once belonged to a group called "The Chapel Hillbillies".

 

 



We need your help. Send your submissions, ideas, photos, and questions to CHMemories@gmail.com.

 

 

 

 

There would probably be no Chapel Hill if the University of North Carolina Board of Trustees in 1793 had not chosen land across from New Hope Chapel for the location of the university. By 1800 there were about 100 people living in thirty houses surrounding the campus.

 

 

The University North Carolina's first student was Hinton James, who enrolled in February, 1795. There is now a dormitory on the campus named in his honor.

 

 

The University of North Carolina was closed from 1870 to 1875 because of lack of state funding.

 

 

 

 

William Ackland left his art collection and $1.25 million to Duke University in 1940 on the condition that he would be buried in the art museum that the University was to build with his bequest. Duke rejected this condition even though members of the Duke Family are buried in Duke Chapel. What followed was a long and acrimonious legal battle between Ackland relatives who now wanted the inheritance, Rollins College, and the University of North Carolina, each attempting to receive the funds. The case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, and in 1949 UNC was awarded the money for the museum. Ackland is buried near the museum's entrance. When the museum first opened, in the early sixties, there were rumors that his remains were leaking out of the mausoleum.

 

 

The official name of the Arboretum on the University of North Carolina campus is the Coker Arboretum. It is named after Dr. William Cocker, the University's first botany professor. It occupies a little more than five acres. It was founded in 1903.

 

 

Chapel Hill's main street has always been called Franklin Street. It was named after Benjamin Franklin in the early 1790s.

 

 



We need your help. Send your submissions, ideas, photos, and questions to CHMemories@gmail.com.

 

 

Chapel Hill High School and Chapel Hill Junior High were on Franklin Street in the same location as University Square until the mid 1960s.

 

 

The Colonial Drug Store at 450 West Franklin Street was owned and operated by John Carswell. It was famous for a fresh-squeezed carbonated orange beverage called a "Big O". In the early 1970s, I managed the Record and Tape Center next door, and must have had over 100 of those drinks. The Colonial Drug Store closed in 1996.

 

 

Sutton's Drugstore, which opened in 1923, has one of the last soda fountains in the South. It is one of the few businesses remaining on Franklin Street that was in operation when I was growing up in the 1950s.

 

 

Future President Gerald Ford lived in Chapel Hill twice. First when he was 24, in 1938, he took a law couse in summer school at UNC. He lived in the Carr Building, which was a law school dormitory. At the same time, Richard Nixon, the man he served under as Vice President, was attending law school at Duke. In 1942, Ford returned to Chapel Hill to attend the U.S. Navy's Pre-Flight School training program. He lived in a rental house on Hidden Hills Drive.