GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

In order to begin our evaluation of Durham County, it is crucial to consider the geographic and historical characteristics that have shaped the county in the past and presently define its dynamics today. Such perspectives promise to offer significant insight into the economic, political, sociodemographic, and health landscape of the county and provide us with a framework with which to understand the perspectives of county residents.

Durham County is located in the north central portion of North Carolina's Piedmont region, an area of rolling foothills approximately four hours east of the Smokey Mountains and three hours west of the Atlantic Ocean. Compact in size, Durham County encompasses 299 square miles, stretching 16 miles across, 25 miles in length, and 28 miles from corner to corner (Hodges-Cooper, 1999; Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau [DCVB], 1999b). The city of Durham, as well as 90% of North Carolina's Research Triangle Park, the largest and one of the most successful planned research areas in the United States, are located within the southern half of the county (Durham County Government [DCG], 1999a). The city of Durham encompasses much of Durham County, stretching a total of 215.9 square miles (United States Bureau of the Census [USBC], May 1999).

The landscape of Durham County is diverse, characterized both by large tracts of wilderness as well as heavy development resulting from the increasing sprawl of Durham City. Approximately 98,000 acres of hardwood and evergreen forests including the only remaining old growth Piedmont bottomland forests can be found, as well as 26 rare plant species and several rare species of birds and animals (DCVB, 1999b). Indicators of rapid development can be observed from the percentage of land in farms. In 1992, over 20,000 acres of land were utilized for agricultural purposes, an 18.4% decrease since 1987 (Gaquin and Liltman, 1998). It is expected that increased growth over the last seven years will result in still further decreased acreage available for agricultural purposes.

The land of Durham County was at one time home to five Native American tribes: the Tuscarora, a nomadic tribe, and the Eno, Shocco, Adshusheer, and Occaneechi, all of the Sioux nation. The Eno, Flat and Little Rivers were attractive to traders, and the Indian Trading Path, a centuries-old trading route created by indigenous tribes, was adopted as the leading East-West route for settlers in the 1600's (Kostyu and Kostyu, 1992). Many English, Scottish and Irish settlers moved to the area during the colonial era, settling on a region given to the Earl of Granville in the present northeast corner of Durham County (DCG, 1999).

The city of Durham began as a railroad settlement built on land owned by Dr. Bartlett Snipes Durham, and was officially recognized in 1853 when an U.S. Post Office was established. The county of Durham was created in 1881 despite much opposition from citizens of Orange County (of which Durham was originally a part) who did not want to lose their most prosperous town. In 1911, the Cedar Fork Township of Wake County was added to Durham County as Carr Township (Kostyu and Kostyu, 1992).

Durham's greatest economic growth came from tobacco manufacturing. In 1858, Robert Morris began manufacturing smoking tobacco on the site of the present-day American Tobacco Company, and in 1862, sold his business to John Green. Green developed the "Bull Durham" brand of smoking tobacco. During a meeting of the Generals Johnston and Sherman during the Civil War, soldiers ransacked Green's factory. Afterwards, orders from all over the U.S. began to arrive for his smoking tobacco. In 1865, Washington Duke and sons began manufacturing their brand of tobacco, "Pro Bono Publico" ("for the public good") (Kostyu and Kostyu, 1992).

In its early years, the city of Durham was relatively simple. A city water system began operation in 1887, and brick structures began to appear more often around 1900. Industries other than tobacco included a snuff factory, woolen mill, and the manufacture of items such as textiles, boots, and cigars. Durham's reputation for higher education began when Trinity College of the Methodist church opened its doors in the late 1800's, later renamed Duke University. When National Religious Training School (North Carolina Central University today) was opened by Dr. James Shepard in 1910, it began a new era in African American education (Kostyu and Kostyu, 1992).

Durham has also developed a reputation as a major medical center. The first hospital was begun in the late 1800's, and the first African American hospital in the early 1900's. In 1977, Durham County General Hospital was opened, and in the same year, Duke University Medical Center began a large addition (Kostyu and Kostyu, 1992).

For most of Durham County's existence racial demographics have been primarily limited to African Americans and Whites. The initial landowners of central Durham were mostly White with alternating White and African American communities around present day South, East, and North Durham (Anderson, 1990). Race relations have an intricate place in Durham history. Legal segregation and institutionalized racial discrimination existed as African American culture, including a prosperous African American middle class, flourished alongside but divided from Whites in Durham. Similar to other Southern communities, early Durham practiced segregation (Anderson, 1990). In the early 1900s in order to provide services not otherwise available, strong, self-sustaining African American community leaders rose from existing social networks and developed thriving businesses, including a bank, library, hospital, an insurance company, and several other establishments. Social networks for these ventures often began in churches. Churches have been a central force for both African American and White residents of Durham, but particularly so for the African American communities (Bi-Annual Report, 1997; Anderson, 1990; Massengill, 1997).

Throughout integration, Durham's race relations were complex. Prior to desegregation, African Americans held city positions; however, the city was also recognized as the home of one of the most active Ku Klux Klan units (Roberts, 1965). Although segregation was deemed illegal in Durham in 1887 (Durham County, 1998), the schools remained segregated until 1959 (Anderson, 1990). Anderson cites African American established committees, including the NCC Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Black Solidarity Committee for Community Improvement (BSCCI), organizing sit-ins at local restaurants, economic boycotts of discriminating establishments, and pursuing several lawsuits against Durham Public Schools to demand equal rights. An effort to revitalize the rundown areas of Durham resulted in the destruction of the once prosperous African American business and residential community of Hayti. In 1965 this process, termed urban renewal, was considered an attempt to destroy unity among many African Americans and did little to improve race relations (Anderson, 1990).

Race relations are being altered as a Hispanic population has developed in Durham County and continues to quickly grow well beyond census estimates. A 1996 estimate from local Hispanic groups suggested the Durham County Hispanic population was between 8,000 and 15,000 (Stern, 1998). New agencies, including El Centro Hispano, Inc.,Casa Multicultural, and Hacia La Paz Familiar have emerged and existing agencies such as the Durham County Health Department and the Lincoln Community Health Center are making efforts to address the health, safety, social needs, language, and acculturation issues facing Durham Hispanics. Since the Hispanic population in Durham is relatively new, little documentation specifying their history and impact on Durham County is available.

Currently, the two major industries in Durham County are health and human service provision (37.5%), and manufacturing (25.2%). The top five health and human services providers are Duke University and Medical Center (20,000 employees), Glaxo Wellcome (4,500), Durham Public Schools (4,000), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (2,500), and Durham County Hospital Corporation (2,050). The top five manufacturing employers are located in the Research Triangle Park. They include IBM (International Business Machines) (14,000 employees), Nortel Networks (Northern Telecom) (8,500), Sumitomo Electric Lightwave (570), Organon Teknika (500), and Rhone-Poulenc Ag Company (450) (Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce [GDCC], 1999). Two African American financial institutions are also based in Durham County. The North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, founded in 1908, is the largest African American owned financial institution in the United States. The first African American owned bank in the United States, the Mechanics and Farmer's Bank, was founded in 1907 (DCVB, 1999a).

Originally, Durham County primarily had an agriculture based economy (tobacco), however many of the cigarette producing employers have now left the area. Currently, service providers and manufacturing industries have taken over as the primary employers. Current jobs are becoming more technologically based and may require higher skill levels than the traditional employment that was formerly available in the county. This shift in the type of jobs available is influenced by the development of Research Triangle Park in the 1960s and its present day growth and success.

Durham County is now experiencing an economic boom as seen in the jump in per capita income (per person residing in Durham County) from $25,540 in 1997 to $29,903 in 1998, a 17.1% increase (GDCC, 1999). The current rate of unemployment is approximately 2 percent, which is well below the state and national averages (NC Employment Security Commission, 1999). However, this economic boom is not affecting all residents of Durham County, especially minorities and those who do not have professional or technical skills. The number of persons living in poverty is especially high for African Americans - 20,126 African Americans live in poverty compared to 14,470 Whites (Durham County, 1996). Children also disproportionately suffer from poverty. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 19.1% of people under the age of 18 live in poverty in Durham County, as compared to 12.7% in Orange County and 11.1% in Wake County (USBC, February 17, 1999). Children also experience greater poverty than adults: 12 percent of adults live in poverty as compared to 19.1 % of children (The State of Durham's Children 2000).

Methodology

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Demographic, Educational and Economic Characteristics