Durham, North Carolina

After the Civil War, Durham became a tobacco town.  Veterans returned home after the war, with an interest in acquiring more of the great tobacco they had sampled in North Carolina.  W. T. Blackwell split from the John Ruffin Green's tobacco company with request for more of the Durham tobacco.  He named his company as the "Bull Burham Tobacco Factory.

Around town many of the old tobacco  factories have been turned into shopping centers, restaurants, and even hotel, condos and apartments.

We had lunch at The Federal, across from this mall.

It was kind of a bar and grill like you'd find in any college town, but well rated on Yelp and we give it two thumbs up.

Bob wanted to go to the Old Durham Stadium, which is now the Durham Athletic Park.

You might remember the movie made here, Bull Durham with Kevin Costner.

The stadium was home to the Durham Bulls from 1926 through 1994.

On the evening of June 17, 1939, the wooden Durham Athletic Park was destroyed, by a fire. The fire caused more than $100,000 in damage and nearly killed groundskeeper Walter Williams, who was asleep under the grandstand when the blaze began, shortly after midnight.  Less than two weeks after the disastrous fire that completely destroyed the stadium, a new concrete and steel grandstand, seating 1,000 spectators, opened on July 2, 1939.

Minor League Baseball and the City of Durham, N.C., were recently honored for their roles in renovating historic Durham Athletic Park with a Neighborhood Conservation Award.