By the early 1800's, Orange County was the largest county in the State both in area and population. From the county's western border, the settlement on Alamance Creek, it was a full day's wagon journey to the county seat at Hillsboro. As the population west of teh haw River increased, agitation grew for the establishment of a new county. Many citizens, however, opposed any division of Orange, especially the citizens of Hillsboro itself. The following petition appeared in 1842: "To the voters of Orange County "It is known to you that at the ensuing election a vote is to be taken on teh question of a division of Orange County . . . The question originated, we believe, a few years ago with the inhabitants on the west of Haw River, who complained: "1. That their people have to cross that river to get to the Court House . . "2. Secondly, it is urged that persons having business at Court are compelled to travel too far, and at too great a secrifice of time and money "Two new county seats would . . . of course require new bridges to be built . . . new roads to be laid off . . . increased taxes . . . increase the cost of maintaining two court houses . . . jails . . . Poor houses . . . "Again, it is well known that suits can not be impartially tried in small counties . . . because jurors are apt to become acquainted with the parties and their suits. . . "Approved and unaimously adopted, by a meeting of the citizens of Hillsborough, on the 26th of July, 1842." (Ref: From the files of the N.C. Historical Commission, Raleigh) Another seven years passed before the question reached the General Assembly at Raleigh. Giles MEBANE, Orange County's representative in the Assembly, was born west of Haw River, near the present town of Graham. He was educated at the Bingham School and later became a highly sucessful lawyer. First elected to the Assembly in 1844, he was successively reelected in 1846 and 1848. Few citizens realized more than he the inconvenient vastness of Orange, and few more strongly favored the plan to create a new county. On January 1, 1849, Mr. MEBANE introduced before the ligislature a bill entitled, "An Act to Lay Off and Establish a New County by the Name of Alamance." The Act provided: "That a county shall be, and the same is hereby, laid off and established, out of that portion of the county of Orange lying West of a North and South line running from the Caswell line, South to Haw River; thence down the meanders of the said River to the Chatham line, said North and South line running nine miles West of the twon of Hillsborough, as heretofor surbveyed by Edward BENSON; Said County to be called Alamance: and it shall be: and is hereby, invested with all the rights, privileges and immunities of the other Counties of the State; provided a majority of the qualified voters for members of the House of Commons in the county of Orange, shall vote for the division aforesaid." Later during the same month, a second act was introduced by Mr. MEBANE, which provided further: "That John STOCKARD, John FOGLEMAN, Jesse GANT, Peyton P. MOORE, Wm, A. CARRIGAN, John SCOTT, Abslom HARVEY, James A. CRAIG" be appointed a board of commissioners to select a suitable location near the center of the proposed Alamance County for the county seat. This board was given the power to purchase or receive as a donation a tract of land of not less than fwenty-five nor more than a hundred acres, unpon which a town would be laid off and the courthouse and jail erected. Sale of the lots which were not needed for public use was to provide the money for the building of the court house and jail (Ref: Laws of N.C., 1849, Chap. XIV) The name of the new county, Alamance, was suggested to her husband by Mrs. MEBANE, "in memory of the Battle of Alamance" (Ref: ASHE, Samuel A'COURT. Biographical History of N.C., Raleigh, 1908) There was a heated debate in teh Assembly, however, on the selevtion of a name for the town which would be the county seat. In the act which provided for locatioon of this town, the name "gallatin" first appeared, but it was repeatedly changed, to "Vernon," then "Montgomery," then "Berry," and, finally to "Graham,," which Mr. MEABANE himself chose in honor of the contemporary governor, William A. GRAHAM (Ref: Hillsboro Recorder, Hillsboro,N.C. February 14, 1849) Governon GRAHAM, a native of Lincoln County, graduated from the University of North Carolina as one of the four highest students in his class. He studied law, and at twenty-nine years of age, was elected to the State Legislature. he helped establish the first public schools of the State and aided in the building of the North Carolina Railroad. In 1840 he became United States Senator. In 1845 he was elected governor. Following his term in this office he was unsuccessful in 1852 as the Whig Party candidate for Vice President. He was later apointed Secretary of the Navy, in which office he sent the first American expedition to Japan under Admiral PERRY. His home, for some time, was in Hillsboro. Although the Assembly ratified the plans for Alamance County and the new town of Graham, both acts were dependent on the choice of Orange County voters. An election was set for the following April, in which the voters would decide for or against the proposed division. Strong infulence in favor of the division came from the man who had introduced the bill, Giles MEBANE "It is alleged," he wrote in the columns of the Hillsboro Recorder, "that division of teh county will increase taxes, especially in the new county . . . Western Orange is densely inhabited by an industrious and enterprising population, and we may reasonably anticipate a large surplus from the sale of town lots . . . In a few years a flourishing country village, with schools and churches to liberalize and instruct the surrounding country. . "The paupers and public bridges would be divided . . . the number of suits to be tried in Hillsborough would be reduced one half . . . your taxes could be reduced . . . "The ordinary inconveniences of traveling from remote parts of the county . . have been . . . long felt . . . " By a division of the country . . . political power would also be increased in the state legislature. Retaining the four Commoners (representatives) we now have between the two counties, according to their federal population . . . Orange and Alamance would each be entitled to a senator, and thus have six votes in the legislature." (Ref: Hillsboro Recorder, February 14, 1849) Such an appeal from one as respected as mr. MEBANE probably had great influence on the approaching election, and it seems likely that there would be no Alamance County today had this appeal not been made. The election on dividing Orange County took place Thursday, April 19, 1849, and results were: For the division . . . 1,257 Against the division. 1,001 By a narrow margin of 256 votes, Alamance County was born. The Governor officially proclaimed the establishment of the new county on April 24, 1849. On the last day of the same month, the commission named by the legislature met at Providence Meeting House ( near the site of the present Providence Church in north Graham), to discuss a site for the new county seat. ==== NCORANGE Mailing List ==== Larry Noah - lrnoah@bigfoot.com - Listowner - NCORANGE mailing list Orange Co, NC USGenWeb site is at http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncorange USGenWeb Orange Co, NC Archives site is at http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/nc/orangnc.htm