Bull Durham was not only the name of a movie it was at one time the best known brand name in the world. At the very end of the Civil War, Union and Confederate forces camped around the town of Durham North Carolina while the last and largest surrender of Confederate forces was taking place. It was in this encampment that the men came to know the Brightleaf tobacco grown in the area. As requests for the tobacco poured in the name Bull Durham was applied to the product.
While the Bull Durham tobacco brand is no longer important, Duke is still a town that has a great brand recognition factor. The town of Durham is now known among college basketball fans as the home of the Duke Blue Devils and the Cameron Crazies that pack the Cameraon Indoor Colliseum for every Duke University home game. In recent years no team has gained more noterity than Duke has among NCAA basketball fans.
Trinity College, estalished in Durham in 1892, would be transformed into Duke University in 1924 on the promise of a large endowment of money from James B. Duke should the name of the university be changed to "Duke University" to honor his father, Washington Duke. The original campus of Trinity College would become the Women's College, and a new campus was built in the forest west of town.
Durham's growth began to rekindle during the 1980s, with the construction of multiple housing developments in the southern part of the city, nearest Research Triangle Park, and the beginnings of downtown revitalization. A new downtown baseball stadium was constructed for the Durham Bulls in 1994, and a large-scale historic renovation of the American Tobacco Company complex commenced in 2003.
Much of the renovations ot the Durham area has to do with converting the old brick tobacco warehouses into shops, office space and restaurants. Any visit to Durham would not be complete without a visit to the downtown areas. Look for smoke stacks that have the names of cigarette brands painted or built into them with colored brick.
As in the other towns that help to make up the Research Triangle Park the college atmosphere is strong. Scientists in the Research Triangle Park have had their hands into many daily items such as Astroturf. The business environment in the Research Triangle has benefitted from the influence of the great universities in the area.
If your interests run to shopping, then Durham does not fail to measure up. Everything from A to Z can be found in the area. The Streets at Southpoint has been named as one of the 10 best places to spend it all in one place by USA Today. Brightleaf Square provides a mix of local businesses and renovated spaces, while the Ninth Street Shopping District provides a funky atmosphere for the shopper looking for organic produce or eclectic items.
Come to Durham to conduct business catch a great game or do some great shopping. Do all of those things after you make your travel arrangement using the powerful tools of the Goldern Hare Travel Services. You'll save money, time and effort.