Morrisville Town Center Plan - 2007

Appendix 2

Introduction

Map made in 1850 by surveyors for the North Carolina Railroad

N.C. Division o f Archives and History

The first residents in the area that is now Morrisville likely settled here to be near to Crabtree Creek and the early roads that passed nearby. Tignal Jones is one of the earliest and largest known landholders in the area, which was named for him. The crossroads here is likely what attracted surveyors for the North Carolina Railroad to bargain with Jeremiah Morris in 1852. Morris granted the railroad right of way across his property and donated three acres of land for the construction of a water station, woodshed, and a yard for other buildings. In return, he negotiated a post office and the position of postmaster for himself. Once established, the railroadcarried travelers andgoods fromMorrisville and environs to distant destinations and markets. For a time it also provided daily service to Raleigh, where many residents found profitable work.

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54 │ Town Center Plan

January 2007