Orange County History Guide: General History
General History of Orange County
These books provide an introduction to the history of Orange County. This list includes histories of the whole county, as well as histories of each of the two largest towns in the county. They are listed in reverse chronological order. Researchers who are interested in more specific historical studies are encouraged to consult H. G. Jones' North Carolina History: An Annotated Bibliography.
- Orange County, N.C.: A Collection of Newspaper Clippings, Brochures, and Uncataloged Pamphlets and Broadsides through 1975Call Number: CR971.68 O63Unpublished collection of Orange County related newspaper clippings gathered by the staff of the North Carolina Collection. The clippings volumes are found in the reading room. An index to this volume can be accessed online from the catalog record.
- Orange County Trio: Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro, North Carolina, Histories and Tour Guides byCall Number: C971.68 R989oPublication Date: 2004Contains fairly detailed narrative histories of each of the three major towns in Orange County. Heavily reliant on older histories like Lefler and Wager's but more current.
- Chapel Hill, 200 Years: Close to Magic byCall Number: C971.68 C46c4Publication Date: 1994A short history of Chapel Hill, useful primarily for its strict chronological organization and short vignettes about everyday life in specific twenty-year periods of time.
- Kinship and Neighborhood in a Southern Community: Orange County, North Carolina, 1849-1881 byCall Number: C971.68 K37kPublication Date: 1987Although more for an academic audience than a general one, this book provides a detailed look at the social and economic history of Orange County in the mid-nineteenth century.
- History of the Town of Hillsborough, 1754-1982 byCall Number: C971.68 H65L3.2Publication Date: 1982A good history of Hillsborough, including sections on churches and schools and a dictionary of Hillsborough and Orange County biography. The book also includes over 200 pictures of important people and places. This new edition is updated through 1982.
- The Regulators in North Carolina: A Documentary History, 1759-1776 byCall Number: C970.25 P88rPublication Date: 1971The War of the Regulation was an important event in eighteenth-century North Carolina and much of it took place in Orange County. This is a compilation of documents about the War of the Regulation, but also includes a history of the Regulator movement at the beginning of the book. Also available in the Reading Room.
- Hillsborough and the Regulators byCall Number: Cp971.68 H65c1Publication Date: 1964Article focused specifically on the role of Hillsborough in the War of the Regulation.
- The Age of Orange: Political and Intellectual Leadership in North Carolina, 1752-1861 byCall Number: C971.68 B63aPublication Date: 1961An excellent history of the first hundred years of Orange County's existence, focused on the role it played in the political and intellectual life of the state. Also available in the Reading Room.
- Orange County, 1752-1952 byCall Number: C971.68 L49oPublication Date: 1953Still the standard resource for an overall history of Orange County. Includes chapters on early history, agriculture, industry, schools, and more. Contains a dictionary of Orange County biography and lists of county officials. Also available in the Reading Room.
- Hillsboro, Colonial and Revolutionary byCall Number: C971.68 H65n1Publication Date: 1953This 1953 edition of Nash's 1903 history includes Nash's standard history of early Hillsborough with a few appendices and an index added. Also available in the Reading Room.
Useful Links
- Durham-Orange Genealogical Society of North CarolinaProvides links to an index of Orange County cemeteries and the 1920 census.
- USGenWeb Project Orange County SiteA free website that provides access to a variety of records, including census and military records. Maintained by a genealogist.
- Old Chapel Hill CemeteryTown of Chapel Hill site.
- Photos, History and Genealogy: Orange County, North CarolinaCollections of photos, names, and stories of Orange County.
- North Carolina's Digital Heritage - Orange CountyA vast collection of digitized publications and artifacts related to Orange County.
- Cemetery CensusOrange County listing.
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