Durham

From Durham, North Carolina's start in the tobacco and textile industries, the stories of the history and evolution of the Bull City are fascinating and sometimes unexpected.
From the Cigarette City to the City of Medicine, Durham has progressed from a country crossroad, famed for rum and rowdiness, to a prosperous metropolis, renowned for medical research and advanced technology. Recognized as a thriving point in North Carolina's Research Triangle, the city began along industrial and commercial networks as early as the seventeenth century, paving the way for famous beginnings in the distinctive tobacco and textile industries. From its roots in the agrarian Carolina backcountry to its foundation as a railroad stop, growth into a tobacco-based industrial area, and transformation into a coming-of-age city, the Bull City story is wrought with tales of coincidence, good fortune, and unexpected outcomes. Durham exists through quirk and happenstance, derived from a slave's drowsiness, a textile tycoon's authority, and the union of a widower and the county's loveliest girl. The developing city embodies the spirit of these unique beginnings.
Starting long before North Carolina was established and extending to the present, Durham: A Bull City Story recounts the engaging, comprehensive history of an environmentally and culturally rich area of the state. A myriad of first-hand accounts allow the reader to mingle with Durham's residents throughout significant historical times.

With over 100 illustrations, this vivid narrative offers a wealth of fascinating stories and intriguing facts. Historical writer and columnist Jim Wise describes his book as an exercise in storytelling, and he certainly has a knack for it. He appeals to the reader's sense of humor in a riveting and light-hearted way, while portraying his adopted hometown of Durham as a place of distinctive personality, vital historic relevance, and unending charm.