﻿130 
  History 
  op 
  Durham. 
  

  

  is 
  loved 
  and 
  venerated 
  by 
  all, 
  as 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  good 
  old 
  fathers 
  

   of 
  Durham. 
  

  

  THE 
  FATHER 
  OF 
  DUE 
  HAM. 
  

  

  To 
  undertake 
  a 
  faithful 
  history 
  of 
  Durham, 
  dissevered 
  

   from 
  the 
  world-famed 
  name 
  of 
  Blackwell, 
  would 
  be 
  as 
  

   unjust 
  and 
  incomplete 
  as 
  to 
  attempt 
  to 
  write 
  a 
  history 
  of 
  

   the 
  American 
  Union, 
  the 
  heroic 
  struggles, 
  sacrifices, 
  and 
  

   glorious 
  trophies 
  of 
  our 
  forefathers, 
  and 
  exclude 
  that 
  name 
  

   of 
  all 
  other 
  names, 
  crowned 
  and 
  embalmed 
  with 
  imperish- 
  

   able 
  glor}^ 
  — 
  Washington; 
  a 
  name 
  that 
  fills 
  every 
  true 
  

   patriot's 
  heart 
  with 
  sacred 
  pride, 
  love 
  and 
  veneration. 
  

  

  This 
  deservedly 
  popular 
  gentleman 
  was 
  born 
  January 
  

   12th, 
  1S39, 
  near 
  Woodsdale, 
  Person 
  county, 
  N. 
  C, 
  and 
  is 
  

   the 
  son 
  of 
  Mr. 
  James 
  L. 
  Blackwell, 
  now 
  a 
  resident 
  of 
  this 
  

   city. 
  In 
  his 
  youth 
  he 
  received 
  a 
  common 
  school 
  education. 
  

   In 
  the 
  years 
  1862 
  and 
  1863 
  he 
  taught 
  school 
  in 
  his 
  native 
  

   village, 
  He 
  began 
  life 
  as 
  a 
  broker 
  and 
  trader 
  in 
  every 
  de- 
  

   scription 
  of 
  merchandise. 
  He 
  early 
  began 
  to 
  devote 
  espe- 
  

   cial 
  attention 
  to 
  speculating 
  in 
  plug 
  tobacco, 
  and, 
  purchas- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  wagon 
  and 
  team, 
  traveled 
  through 
  the 
  country, 
  in 
  

   conjunction 
  with 
  James 
  R. 
  Day, 
  peddling 
  tobacco 
  until 
  the 
  

   close 
  of 
  the 
  war. 
  He 
  then, 
  in 
  copartnership 
  with 
  Mr. 
  Day, 
  

   opened 
  a 
  jobbing 
  tobacco 
  house 
  in 
  Kinston, 
  continuing 
  his 
  

   itinerant 
  trafHc. 
  The 
  principal 
  part 
  of 
  their 
  traffic 
  was 
  in 
  

   the 
  tobacco 
  manufactured 
  by 
  J. 
  R. 
  Green, 
  at 
  Durham, 
  then 
  

   an 
  obscure 
  water 
  station, 
  whose 
  brand 
  had 
  gained 
  consid- 
  

   erable 
  local 
  reputation. 
  It 
  soon 
  became 
  apparent 
  that 
  there 
  

   was 
  a 
  greater 
  demand 
  for 
  this 
  tobacco 
  than 
  Mr. 
  Green 
  could 
  

   supply, 
  and 
  arrangements 
  were 
  consummated 
  in 
  1868, 
  

   whereby 
  the 
  capacity 
  of 
  the 
  factory 
  was 
  enlarged 
  and 
  

   Messrs. 
  Blackwell 
  & 
  Day 
  became 
  partners 
  with 
  Mr. 
  Green. 
  

   The 
  business 
  thus 
  received 
  a 
  new 
  impetus 
  and 
  began 
  to 
  

   thrive; 
  but 
  Mr. 
  Green, 
  who 
  for 
  some 
  time 
  had 
  been 
  in 
  fail- 
  

  

  