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Local figure

Isaac R. Strayhorn

Isaac Richardson Strayhorn, son of Orange County legislator William Fletcher Strayhorn, served in the Junior Reserves in 1864-65, graduated from the University in 1868, and became a lawyer, solicitor of the Fifth District, a member of the General Assembly in 1883, and a University trustee from 1883 until his death in 1893.

Source: Internet Archive: Henry McGilbert Wagstaff (ed.), "Letters of Thomas Jackson Strayhorn", North Carolina Historical Review 13 (1936), p. 311

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Life and Orange County connections

Storylines this person is part of, in date order. Each opens in the chronology.

Orange County party politics and Sheriff Hughes, 1880–18881880–1888 · In the 1880s Orange County voters kept returning Sheriff John K. Hughes, even in years they voted Democratic for president. Hughes was first elected in 1880, when independents ran against the Democratic ticket. In 1882 the Republican county convention endorsed the Liberal coalition ticket and Hughes's re-election; Zebulon B. Vance spoke nearly three hours against the coalition, but the Republican Isaac R. Strayhorn led the Senate race and the Liberal James A. Cheek won a House seat by seven votes. In 1884 Orange went for Cleveland and still returned Hughes, and in 1886 the Republican-backed Hughes won by more than 1,100 votes. In 1888 the Democrats left the sheriff's race to Hughes, who won as an independent.

Dated events connected with this person, in date order. See these 22 dated events in the chronology →

  1. Orange Republicans nominate John C. Hogan and Washington Duke for the House The Republican county convention at Hillsborough nominated John C. Hogan and Washington Duke for the state House and named no candidates for sheriff, clerk, treasurer or register. By July both had left the ticket, with I. R. Strayhorn and H. B. Guthrie in their places. People: Colonel John Hogan, Washington Duke, Hugh B. Guthrie, Isaac R. StrayhornSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, May 27, 1874, p. 3
  2. Orange Superior Court convicts three men of the Hendon burglary and sentences them to hang The trial of Alfonso Davis, Henry Andrews and Lewis Carlton for the burglary at Mrs. Hendon's opened before Judge Kerr, with Albert Atwater testifying for the state. The jury returned a guilty verdict in under fifteen minutes and the judge set the hanging for November 22, 1878, but the defense appealed to the Supreme Court. People: Frederick N. Strudwick, Jones Watson, Isaac R. StrayhornSearch the index · The Chapel Hill Ledger, May 17, 1879, p. 2
  3. Hillsborough closes its stores for President Garfield's funeral The town commissioners met on September 24 and called on merchants and other businessmen to honor President Garfield on the day of his funeral. On Monday, September 26, every place of business in Hillsborough closed and the churches held services from 2 to 4 p.m., St. Matthew's among them. Citizens had also met at the courthouse on a Thursday night and adopted resolutions of mourning. People: Isaac R. StrayhornSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), October 1, 1881, p. 3
  4. Hillsborough Republicans recommend Albert Haughawout, a Black man, for the state House At the campaign's first political meeting, held at the court house, Hillsborough precinct Republicans chose Isaac R. Strayhorn chairman, named London A. Whitted, Strayhorn and Samuel Ellerson delegates to the county convention, and on Henry N. Brown's motion recommended Albert Haughawout, a Black man, as their candidate for the lower house of the legislature. People: Isaac R. StrayhornSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), June 3, 1882, p. 2
  5. Orange Republicans endorse the Liberal coalition ticket The Republican county convention at the court house approved the state party's endorsement of the Liberal ticket, recommended Isaac R. Strayhorn for the state Senate, endorsed James A. Cheek, a Liberal, for the House, Sheriff John K. Hughes for re-election and Ed. Rosemond for treasurer, and resolved to back only legislative candidates pledged to abolish the county government system and have magistrates, commissioners and school committeemen elected by the people. People: Isaac R. Strayhorn, James A. Cheek, John Knox HughesSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), October 7, 1882, p. 2
  6. Republican Isaac R. Strayhorn and Democrat C. N. B. Evans win the district's Senate seats In the 20th Senatorial District of Caswell, Person, Orange and Durham, Republican Isaac R. Strayhorn of Hillsborough led with 4,753 votes, and Democrat C. N. B. Evans took the second seat by seven votes over Democrat Duncan Cameron, 4,590 to 4,583. Orange gave Evans 1,112, Cameron 1,099, Strayhorn 1,089 and Republican N. T. Riggs 1,010. People: Isaac R. StrayhornSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), November 18, 1882, p. 2
  7. Isaac R. Strayhorn becomes a trustee of the University Isaac Richardson Strayhorn, a Hillsborough lawyer who graduated from the university in 1868 and had been solicitor of the Fifth District, became a trustee of the University of North Carolina in 1883, the year he sat in the General Assembly, and served until his death in 1893. People: Isaac R. StrayhornSearch the index · Internet Archive: Henry McGilbert Wagstaff (ed.), "Letters of Thomas Jackson Strayhorn", North Carolina Historical Review 13 (1936), p. 311
  8. Hillsborough elects George O. Corbin mayor Hillsborough's town election passed quietly, choosing George O. Corbin as mayor and Wm. N. Anderson, James A. Cheek, James H. Hedgpeth, J. W. Hooker, John Rosemond, J. Y. Whitted and Isaac R. Strayhorn as commissioners. Many voters still wrote in the retiring mayor, Henry K. Nash, who was not a candidate. People: Henry Kollock Nash, Isaac R. Strayhorn, James A. Cheek, J. W. HookerSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), May 12, 1883, p. 3
  9. Orange County Republicans name state convention delegates, Lisbon Berry among them The Republican county convention at Hillsborough named Isaac R. Strayhorn, T. J. Dodson, Lisbon Berry, a Black man, and James A. Cheek delegates to the state convention, asked the President to reappoint Thomas Kirkland postmaster at Chapel Hill, and heard two Black leaders, Alfred Holmes and Lewis Jenkins, speak for a no-fence law. People: Isaac R. Strayhorn, James A. CheekSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), May 3, 1884, p. 2
  10. Orange Republicans name James B. Mason for the Senate and back Cheek and Hughes The Republican county convention at Hillsborough, chaired by James B. Mason, named Mason for the state Senate, endorsed James A. Cheek for the House and John K. Hughes for sheriff, nominated Wilson Brown for clerk and Thomas Roberts for treasurer, and recommended Isaac R. Strayhorn for solicitor. People: James B. Mason, Isaac R. Strayhorn, James A. Cheek, John Knox HughesSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), September 25, 1886, p. 3
  11. Orange voters elect the Democratic county ticket but send Republicans to the legislature In the November 2 election Orange chose the Democratic county ticket except for sheriff, where the Republican-backed John K. Hughes beat William Strain by more than 1,100 votes. James A. Cheek and Oakley won the Orange-Durham House seats, Republicans James B. Mason and Harrison the Senate seats, and Isaac R. Strayhorn the solicitorship, while John W. Graham carried Orange by 238 votes but lost the Fourth District congressional race to John Nichols. People: James B. Mason, John W. Graham, Isaac R. Strayhorn, James A. Cheek, John Knox HughesSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), November 6, 1886, p. 3
  12. Three Black men are convicted of manslaughter in the killing of student Jacob Freeze Pat Brewer, Jesse Harris and Frank Kirby, Black men indicted for the 1886 killing of university student Jacob A. Freeze, were tried at Hillsborough before Judge Fred Phillips from March 30 to April 2. A jury of nine white and three Black men convicted them of manslaughter; Brewer was sentenced to ten years and Harris and Kirby to five years each in the penitentiary, and they appealed. People: John W. Graham, James B. Mason, Frederick N. Strudwick, Isaac R. Strayhorn, Augustus Washington GrahamSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), April 9, 1887, p. 3
Show all 22 dated events
  1. The school board condemns a lot for a school for Black children at Walnut Grove After two committees were named in March and September 1887 to condemn half an acre in the Walnut Grove district, the board had the deed for the site of a schoolhouse for Black children recorded on October 1. People: Isaac R. StrayhornDigitalNC: Irene Oliver Pender, A History of Orange County Schools, 1752-1983 (1983), p. 39
  2. Superior court jury acquits James Allen of murder At the March term under Judge Merrimon, James Allen was tried for murder. When the defense announced its case, Solicitor Strayhorn declined to ask for a murder or manslaughter verdict, and the jury promptly found Allen not guilty; the Recorder reported that the crowd approved. People: Isaac R. StrayhornSearch the index · Hillsboro Recorder, March 29, 1888, p. 3
  3. Orange Republicans name convention delegates and back James B. Mason for state auditor The Orange County Republican convention at Hillsborough, with Wilson Brown in the chair, chose Isaac R. Strayhorn and Henry N. Brown as delegates to the state convention and James B. Mason and Lewis Jenkins to the congressional convention, with London Whitted and Haywood Beverly among the alternates. It endorsed Mason for state auditor and declared against the existing system of county government. People: Isaac R. StrayhornSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), May 12, 1888, p. 3
  4. Orange County Republicans reorganize and elect James A. Cheek county chairman A Republican mass meeting at the court house accepted Wilson Brown's resignation as county chairman, elected James A. Cheek in his place, endorsed Isaac R. Strayhorn for solicitor and called a county convention for September 27. It resolved to back no one who would not support the county ticket and Alexander McIver for Congress. People: Alexander McIver, Isaac R. Strayhorn, James A. CheekSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), September 6, 1890, p. 3
  5. The state drops charges against three of five revenue men accused of killing Henry McMannen At the August term of Orange Superior Court, the solicitor entered a nol pros for L. M. Cates, W. J. Dickson and A. J. Dodson, three of the five men charged with killing Henry McMannen. A later account says the case against the officers was moved to federal court. People: Isaac R. StrayhornSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), August 9, 1890, p. 2
  6. County commissioners license John U. Smith to retail liquor in Hillsborough although the town board did not back him The county commissioners granted Smith a license to retail liquor in the town. They ruled that the revenue act of the last legislature gave them the right even though the town commissioners had not recommended him. Counsel appeared for Smith and C. D. Turner for the town. People: John W. Graham, Calvin E. Parish, Isaac R. Strayhorn, Chester D. TurnerSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), June 6, 1891, p. 3
  7. The county school board loses its courthouse meeting room to lawyer Isaac R. Strayhorn On July 6, 1891 the Board of Education found its meeting place, the southwest corner room of the courthouse, occupied by Isaac R. Strayhorn, whom the county commissioners had let use it without consulting the board. In September the commissioners decided to wait until his year's rent ran out on January 1, 1892.Search the index · DigitalNC: Irene Oliver Pender, A History of Orange County Schools, 1752-1983 (1983), p. 44
  8. A federal hearing at Hillsborough holds William R. Clark for selling liquor without a license U.S. Commissioner James T. Rosemond heard the government's case against Wm. R. Clark for selling liquor without a license. He held Clark under a $200 bond to answer at the next term of the U.S. Court at Greensboro. People: Isaac R. StrayhornSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), July 25, 1891, p. 3
  9. Former solicitor Isaac R. Strayhorn dies near Hillsborough Isaac R. Strayhorn, a Hillsborough lawyer and former solicitor, died of pneumonia at his home a short distance from town. He was buried from New Hope Presbyterian Church on May 23. People: Isaac R. StrayhornSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), May 27, 1893, p. 3
  10. The Orange County bar meets to honor the late Isaac R. Strayhorn Lawyers at the August term of Superior Court met at the court house in Hillsborough and adopted resolutions in memory of Isaac R. Strayhorn, praising his service as a soldier, as state senator for the district and as solicitor, and asked that the tribute be entered in the court's minutes. People: Calvin E. Parish, John W. Graham, James B. Mason, Isaac R. StrayhornSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), August 19, 1893, p. 2

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Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Site locations from the N.C. State Historic Preservation Office survey, Open Orange, Orange County GIS, OpenStreetMap and a few other published sources named on each site’s page; town and community pins show approximate locations.

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