from web site
The first tobacco factory had opened in Durham in 1854 by R. F. Morris. 10 years later, In 1865 the armies of Union and Confederate forces gathered around Durham Station as General Joseph E. Johnston negotiated his surrender to General William T. Sherman at Bennett Place at the end of the Civil War.
This began the growth of Durham's tobacco market and led the city to prosperity. By 1880 Durham's population had grown to over 2000. Fabric mills started to grow along the railroad lines and banks and insurance companies quickly appeared as cash streamed into the community. Tobacco companies owned by males like Washington Duke began to grow.
In April 1874, Duke bought two acres near the railway where he developed a new factory marking the beginning of a large scale tobacco business which climbed up quickly to the top of the industry. Full Article making had actually been by hand, a tiresome job done by eastern European immigrants who might roll about 4 a minute.
After some adjustments it was a success and Duke and his sons became significant gamers on the planet of tobacco. In 1890 they combined with their 4 biggest rivals to form the American Tobacco Business and had a monopoly on tobacco products in the U.S.A.. When this trust was separated by the United States Supreme Court in 1911 four major companies emerged.
Lorillard, R. J. Reynolds and the American Tobacco Company. In 1892 Trinity College relocated to Durham from Randolf County to land donated by Washington Duke and Julian Carr. Following a 40 million dollar donation by James Buchanan Duke, son of Washington Duke, the college was renamed Duke in 1924. In 1898 John Merrick founded the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, the earliest and largest African-American owned life insurance business in America.
Both were located in the neighborhood of Parrish Street which soon drew in more African-American owned companies and was understood throughout the country as "Black Wall Street." In 1910 North Carolina Central University was founded by Dr. James E Shephard as the countries' first publicly supported liberal arts college for African-Americans.