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1943

Population of Hillsborough Approximately 1,325

Historical Context

Number of States in the US – 48

President – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

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1939 -- Germany invades Poland and WW II begins

1940 – FDR re-elected as first president to hold more than 2 terms

1941 – Japan attacks Pearl Harbor; US enters WWII

1942 – Mahatma Gandhi launches the Quit India Movement for independence

1942 -- US begins rationing food, starting with sugar

1942 -- US Navt Pre-Flight School established at UNC

1943 – Pentagon is completed as the world's largest military complex

1943 -- Raleigh-Durham International Airport opens

1943 -- Band leader and UNC gradudate Kay Kyser appears with many other

             musical and Hollywood stars in Stage Door Canteen

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Based on a Map by the Sanborn Fire Company

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In the mid-19th century, American insurance companies began creating detailed maps to give underwriters the information they needed to assess fire risk.  Among the many mapmakers was Daniel Alfred Sanborn, a civil engineer and surveyor.  Sanborn began working in the field in 1866 and soon established the D. A. Sanborn National Insurance Diagram Bureau in New York City.  Within several decades, his map company had become the largest and most successful in the US. 

 

The Sanborn Company sent out legions of surveyors to map building footprints in all major urbanized areas, along with building details related to fire risk.  At its peak in the 1920s, the company employed about 700 people, including around 300 field surveyors.  Over time, Sanborn diversified into other mapping activities.  As of 2020, it is primarily a geospatial specialist and holder of electronic GIS assets and systems; however, the fire insurance business continues as a niche department.  Corporate headquarters are now in Colorado.

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Mapping the Businesses of Hillsborough

 

In June 2023, the Orange County Historical Museum began an ambitious project to chart the businesses that have existed in the downtown, historic district of Hillsborough.  Phase 1 depicts the commercial activities along Churton Street from just below Margaret Lane to just above Tryon Street, focusing on the businesses that fronted Churton Street.  Other phases will expand the coverage.

This website was created and is maintained by the Orange County Historical Museum

 

If you have additional information to share or if you notice information that is incorrect, please

email: programs@orangehistorync.org or phone: 919-732-2201

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Special thanks to al those who contributed information to this project including:

Mark Chilton, H. Gee Coleman, Kaye Williams Crawford, Judy Frank, Brooks Graebner, Sue Smith Liner, Tom Magnuson, Kate Millard, Kim Morris, Steven Rankin, Alice Seelye, Remus Smith, Jr., and Wesley Woods,

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The information about the businesses along Churton Street in 2024 was collected by the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce.  Our sincere appreciation to Scott Czechlewski and Erika Isley.

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Much of the information for this site was found at www.openorangenc.org

Another essential source was Stewart E. Dunaway's Hillsborough NC:  History of Town Lots, The Complete Reference Guide.

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The mission of the Historical Foundation of Hillsborough and Orange County is
to enlighten and engage our community and visitors from around the world 
by preserving and interpreting the history of Hillsborough and Orange County.
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