History

The City of Graham has an interesting history surrounding its origins. Graham is located in the direct center of Alamance County. This occurred as a result of the decision to split Orange County. In the early 1800's Orange County was composed of both present day Alamance and Orange Counties. Some people believed that the county was too large and decided to split the county in two, creating Alamance County. Once the County was established a County Seat needed to be created, the City of Graham was the result of this effort. Graham was centered around a courthouse square and in the summer of 1849 the first lots went up for sale that surrounded the courthouse. In 1851, just two years later, the Town of Graham was incorporated. Graham was named for the outgoing governor, Willaim A. Graham of Hillsbourgh. Sixty-eight lots were surveyed off which were sold over the next 20 years. The original 75 acres was purchased for $603.

The first town water works and electrical plant were constructed in 1904 and on December 1, 1905 the streets of Graham witnessed the miracle of electricity. Since 1905 Graham has experienced many changes while still maintaining the feel of a small town. In 1961, the legislature voted to change the name of Graham, to the City of Graham. Graham has experienced substantial growth since 1905, with a current population of 11,955. The City of Graham is also home to numerous well known industries in the fields of hosiery, plastics, electronics and metal works.