Cumberland County
50 places on the trail: 48 highway markers, 2 battlefields and state sites.
People of Cumberland County in Carolina Quotes
Colonial North Carolina, 1585-1774
- I-54CAMPBELTONColonial river port, incorporated in 1762. Later merged with Cross Creek to form the town of Fayetteville.
- I-77CAPE FEAR BAPTIST CHURCHConstituted in 1756 as Particular Baptist. Stephen Hollingsworth, first minister. Present (1859) building 2 mi. E.
- I-59DUNN'S CREEK QUAKER MEETINGStarted about 1746; joined yearly meeting, 1760; discontinued about 1781. Site and cemetery are 2.5 miles S.E.
- I-1OLD BLUFF CHURCHPresbyterian. Organized in 1758 by Rev. James Campbell. Present building erected about 1858. N.W. 1 mi.
- I-52REV. JAMES CAMPBELLOne of early Presbyterian ministers in N.C., 1757-1780. Organized Bluff, Barbecue, and Longstreet churches. Grave is 8 m...
Revolution and founding, 1775-1789
- I-70CHARTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF N.C.William R. Davie's bill to charter the University was adopted by the General Assembly meeting nearby, Dec. 11, 1789.
- I-9CORNWALLISMarching to Wilmington after the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, stopped with his army in this town in April, 1781.
- I-10CROSS CREEKColonial village and trading center, merged in 1778 with town of Campbelton and in 1783 renamed Fayetteville.
- I-12LAFAYETTEOn American tour, 1825, he visited Fayetteville (named for him, 1783) and stayed at home of Duncan McRae, on site of pre...
- I-42MOORE'S CAMPPrior to the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge, forces of Gen. James Moore, Whig commander, camped, Feb. 15-21, 1776, 1 1/2 ...
- I-14OLD TOWN HALLBuilt on site of the "State House," burned 1831, where the North Carolina Convention of 1789 ratified the Federal Consti...
The young state, 1790-1860
- I-80BANK OF THE UNITED STATESSecond national bank opened branch in 1818 in Fayetteville. Bank operated, 1820-35, in house one block east.
- I-28FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOrganized in 1800. The original building, begun in 1816, rebuilt on same walls after fire of 1831, stands one block east...
- I-62HENRY EVANSFree black cobbler & minister. Built first Methodist church in Fayetteville. Died 1810. Buried 2 blocks north.
- I-4JAMES C. DOBBINSecretary of United States Navy, 1853-57. Helped found State Hospital for Insane. Home one block north.
- I-79JOHN ENGLAND 1786-1842Bishop of Charleston. He organized Roman Catholics in N.C. at Fayetteville Convention, & consecrated St. Patrick Church,...
- I-88LEWIS LEARY 1835-1859Free black abolitionist & conspirator in 1859 with John Brown in attack on U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Killed in assa...
- I-89OMAR IBN SAID ca. 1770-1863Muslim slave & scholar. African-born, he penned autobiography in Arabic, 1831. Lived in Bladen County and worshipped wit...
- I-21PLANK ROADSFayetteville was the focal point for five plank roads, chartered 1849-52. The longest was built to Bethania, 129 miles n...
- I-26ROBERT STRANGEU.S. Senator, 1836-40; author of "Eoneguski, or Cherokee Chief," first novel about North Carolina (1839). Home and grave...
- I-92ROCKFISH FACTORYLargest textile mill in antebellum N.C. Opened 1839 by Charles Peter Mallett. Destroyed 1865 by Sherman's army. It stood...
- I-61THE FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVEROldest N.C. newspaper still being published. Begun 1816 as weekly; daily since 1896. E. J. Hale, editor, 1824-1865.
- I-2U.S. ARSENALAuthorized by Congress, 1836. Taken over by Confederacy, 1861. Destroyed March 1865, by Sherman. Ruins stand 2 blocks S....
- I-65WARREN WINSLOW 1810-1862Acting Governor, 1854; Congressman, 1855-1861. Negotiated surrender of local U.S. arsenal in 1861. Grave 40 yds. SE.
Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877
- I-73'OAK GROVE'Plantation home of John Smith, used as a Confederate hospital during the Battle of Averasboro, March 16, 1865.
- II-3BATTLE OF AVERASBORO, PHASE ONE, MARCH 15, 16, 1865
- II-1BATTLE OF BENTONVILLE, MARCH 19, 20, AND 21, 1865
- I-29CONFEDERATE BREASTWORKSThrown up early in 1865 to defend Fayetteville from Sherman's army. Remains are here.
- I-72CONFEDERATE FIRST LINEGen. W. B. Taliaferro's division occupied trenches crossing the road at this point, March 15-16, 1865.
- H-98CONFEDERATE SECOND LINEOn the morning of March 16, 1865, Taliaferro's division fell back to earthworks which crossed the road here.
- I-31FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITYEst. 1867 as Howard School. State-supported since 1877. A part of The University of North Carolina since 1972.
- I-74FEDERAL ARTILLERYFrom a point 50 yards west three batteries of artillery under Major J. A. Reynolds shelled the Confederate first line of...
- I-75FEDERAL HOSPITALThe 1865 home of Wm. Smith, 100 yds. E., was used as a hospital for Union troops in the Battle of Averasboro, March 15-1...
- I-86HIRAM R. REVELS 1822-1901First African American to serve in Congress, he represented Mississippi in Senate, 1870-1871. Born in Fayetteville.
- I-13MacPHERSON CHURCHPresbyterian. Founded by early Scottish settlers. Graves of Alexander MacPherson and T. H. Holmes, a Confederate general...
- II-2PRELUDE TO AVERASBORO
- I-71RHETT'S BRIGADEThe brigade of Colonel A. M. Rhett was repulsed 300 yds. W. on March 16, 1865, by Union troops under Col. Henry Case.
- I-18SHERMAN'S ARMYInvading North Carolina, Sherman's army occupied Fayetteville, Mar. 11-14, 1865, destroying the Confederate Arsenal, whi...
The New South, 1878-1929
- I-33BABE RUTHHit his first home run in professional baseball, March, 1914. 135 yds. N.W. In this town George Herman Ruth acquired the...
- I-63C. M. STEDMAN 1841-1930Last Confederate officer in Congress, 1911-1930; lawyer & lt.-governor. Grave is 2 blks. east.
- I-32CHARLES W. CHESNUTT 1858-1932Lawyer and writer whose novels and short stories dealt with race and the “color line.” Teacher & principal, 1880-83 at a...
- I-64CONFEDERATE WOMEN'S HOMEBuilt in 1915 for the widows and daughters of state's Confederate veterans. Closed, 1981. Cemetery 300 yds. W.
- I-17FORT BRAGGEstablished 1918 as U.S. field artillery training center. Named for N.C. native Braxton Bragg, Lt. Col., USA; Gen., CSA.
- I-60FRANK P. GRAHAM 1886-1972First president of Consolidated U.N.C., 1932-1949. U.S. senator; U.N. mediator, India & Pakistan. Birthplace was 50 yds....
- I-82POPE FIELDEst. 1919. Named for Lt. Harley Pope, Army aviator. Became Air Force base in 1948. Since 2011 part of Fort Bragg. 1 ½ mi...
Modern North Carolina, 1930 on
- I-81DAVID M. WILLIAMS 1900-1975"Carbine" Williams, designer of short stroke piston, which made possible M-1 carbine rifle, widely used in WWII. Lived 2...
- I-94FT. BRAGG SCHOOL INTEGRATIONIn 1951 superindendent Mildred Poole integrated Riley School 1 mi. S.W. three years before U.S. Supreme Court mandate.
- I-55METHODIST UNIVERSITYChartered 1956 as four-year liberal arts college. Opened September 1960. University since 2006.