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The News of Orange County

The News of Orange County is a weekly newspaper based in Hillsborough. It began in Chapel Hill in October 1893 as The Chapel Hill News, moved to Hillsboro between 1936 and 1941, and took its present name in 1944 after W. B. Thompson sold it to J. Roy Parker; in 2024 it merged with the Mebane Enterprise.

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People in its history

People named in events about this site, ordered by number of mentions. Each example links to an entry with a source citation.

Indexed works

Books, articles, records, and images about The News of Orange County. Each has been reviewed for relevance; materials held at OCPL appear first.

Held at OCPL

The news of Orange County.

1944

A newspaper published at Hillsborough, with the run recorded here beginning in 1944. Topics include Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, Mebane and Alamance County, so its news reached across Orange County and over the county line. Issued in volumes with illustrations, 44 cm, under an imprint that varies over the years.

Included because: Published by or for this institution.

✓ Held at OCPL UNC NCCU Chapel Hill PL Methodist

News of Orange County on Microfilm

1915

Microfilm run of the News of Orange County, the newspaper published at Hillsborough, dated from 1915. The paper covers Hillsborough and Orange County.

Included because: Published by or for this institution.

✓ Held at OCPL OCPL microfilm

News of Orange County

1893

The News of Orange County, the Hillsborough newspaper formerly known as the Hillsborough Recorder, with issues from 1893 to 1964 on optical disc. Part of the Rebecca B. Wall Local History Collection.

Included because: Published by or for this institution.

✓ Held at OCPL · NC 071.56 NEWS DigitalNC

Published by or for this institution

The Chapel Hill news

1893

The town newspaper of Chapel Hill, N.C., beginning in 1893 under the imprint of Thompson and Starrette and running at least to the issue of 7 September 2003, with town, campus and Orange County news across more than a hundred years.

Included because: Published by or for this institution.

NC Cardinal UNC

The News of Orange County Collection (Chapel Hill Historical Society)

1962

Bound volumes of The News of Orange County, a Hillsborough newspaper, covering 1962 to 1966. Collection CHHS.007 of the Chapel Hill Historical Society.

Included because: Published by or for this institution.

CH Historical Society

The News of Orange County (Hillsborough, N.C.)

1893

Newspaper published in Hillsborough as 'The News of Orange County', which also appeared under the titles 'The Chapel Hill News' and 'The News'. Dated 1893, and part of the North Carolina Newspapers collection.

Included because: Published by or for this institution.

DPLA

Found a book OCPL doesn’t own? You can often borrow it through interlibrary loan at OCPL.

Start at OCPL

Books in OCPL’s Rebecca B. Wall Local History Collection at the Main Library in Hillsborough whose titles, catalog subjects or descriptions are about this site. The Friends’ recommended starting points are labelled.

  • Foundational · NC 071.56 NEWS News of Orange County 1915

    The News of Orange County, the Hillsborough newspaper formerly known as the Hillsborough Recorder, with issues from 1893 to 1964 on optical disc. Part of the Rebecca B. Wall Local History Collection.

In the chronology

Storyline about this site, with a page of its own:

  1. The Chapel Hill News, forerunner of The News of Orange County, begins publication The weekly that became The News of Orange County began in Chapel Hill in October 1893 as The Chapel Hill News. Renamed The News, it moved to Hillsboro between 1936 and 1941 and took the title The News of Orange County in 1944. The paper still dates its founding to 1893. DigitalNC: The Chapel Hill News (Chapel Hill, N.C.), 1893-189?, title record · Also: The Chapel Hill News, October 19, 1893, p. 2
  2. Veteran editor W. H. Thompson dies W. H. Thompson, who had edited newspapers in Reidsville and Yanceyville before coming to Chapel Hill in the 1890s to conduct the News, died after an illness of two years or more. His son W. B. Thompson was editor of the Chapel Hill News. The Chapel Hill Weekly, March 4, 1927, p. 1
  3. J. Roy Parker takes over the Chapel Hill News and renames it the News of Orange County W. B. Thompson, who had run the Chapel Hill News for some forty years (49 in the county history), and his wife, Carrie Hogan Thompson, sold the paper to J. Roy Parker, an Ahoskie publisher on the university faculty, on January 10, 1944. Parker's first issue, January 20, carried the name The News of Orange County and said he had applied on January 17 to move the office of publication from Chapel Hill to Hillsboro. In November 1944 the paper said Parker had bought it the January before, with only the name, mailing rights and good will; Thompson's obituary in the paper in 1946 put the sale in January 1943. Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 128 · Also: The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), November 9, 1944, p. 1; The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), August 22, 1946, p. 1; The News (Chapel Hill), January 20, 1944, p. 4; The News (Chapel Hill), February 17, 1944, p. 1
  4. The News of Orange County opens its permanent office on Churton Street in Hillsborough On Monday morning, February 21, 1944, publisher J. Roy Parker moved all business and editorial work of The News of Orange County into the C. C. Cole building on Churton Street, the former Gordon's Grocery store across from the courthouse. Parker, who had bought the paper weeks earlier, was remaking it into a countywide weekly printed for about 1,000 Orange County homes, with university journalism students as his reporters. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), February 24, 1944, p. 1 · Also: The News (Chapel Hill), February 17, 1944, p. 1; The News (Chapel Hill), February 17, 1944, p. 7
  5. The News of Orange County prints its first issue on its own press in Hillsboro After ten months of being printed about 150 miles away, The News came off its own press in a newly equipped plant in Hillsboro and grew from five columns to a seven-column, twenty-inch page. Publisher J. Roy Parker had bought only the paper's name, mailing right and good will the previous January and had since gathered job presses, a linotype and a newspaper press from the Elkin Tribune's printers. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), November 9, 1944, p. 1
  6. The News of Orange County counts more than 1,200 paid subscribers Three months after it began printing in Hillsboro, The News of Orange County reported that more than 1,200 homes took the paper by mail, carrier boy, drugstore or office sale, with another 450 to 500 getting sample copies and a weekly press run of 1,800. It renewed its promise to cover every community in the county. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), February 15, 1945, p. 1
  7. Ann White Ingle becomes editor of The News of Orange County Mrs. Jack (Ann White) Ingle of Ramseur, a University of North Carolina graduate who had helped report for the paper over the summer, joined The News of Orange County full time as editor and reporter, succeeding Harry S. Large, who took over as manager. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), September 13, 1945, p. 1
  8. Harry D. Hollingsworth becomes editor of The News of Orange County The News of Orange County took on Harry D. Hollingsworth, a UNC journalism graduate and Army veteran who had edited the Hertford County Herald, as editor and business manager and a partner in The News, Inc. He was the second World War II veteran to join the staff that spring, after Seth L. Thomas. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), May 16, 1946, p. 1
  9. The News of Orange County wins the state press association's general excellence award At the banquet closing the Press Institute, the North Carolina Press Association gave The News of Orange County first place for general excellence among weeklies of up to ten pages for 1946, the paper's first statewide honor under the owners who took it over in January 1944. Governor R. Gregg Cherry presented the war bond and certificate to managing editor Harry D. Hollingsworth. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), January 30, 1947, p. 1
  10. The News of Orange County opens a Chapel Hill office To serve Chapel Hill, Carrboro and southern Orange, The News opened an office on the second floor of the Tankersley building in Chapel Hill, shared with engineer Thomas D. Rose, and put Dorothy Dashiell Smith, a new university journalism graduate, in charge. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), January 29, 1948, p. 1
  11. The News of Orange County is sold to E. J. Hamlin E. J. Hamlin, a Roxboro native and Air Force veteran, bought J. Roy Parker's majority interest in The News, Inc., which published the News of Orange County and ran a printing business from Hillsboro. The transfer took effect September 1, 1948, and Hamlin took over active management later that month. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), September 23, 1948, p. 1 · Also: Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952
  12. The News of Orange County reports its owners and a paid circulation of 2,545 In its sworn statement of ownership as of October 1, 1952, The News of Orange County named Edwin J. Hamlin of Hillsboro as its publisher, editor, managing editor and business manager, and listed The News, Inc., Hamlin, Tom Davis of Selma, and L. M. Hollander and Stuart Sechriest of Chapel Hill as owners. It reported an average of 2,545 paid copies an issue over the past twelve months and no bondholders or mortgages. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), October 16, 1952, p. 7
Show all 19 dated events
  1. The News of Orange County wins honorable mention for its Reverie strike story At the North Carolina Press Institute's midwinter meeting in Chapel Hill, the News of Orange County won honorable mention in the Piedmont Industries award for excellence in business writing for editor Edwin Hamlin's story on the Reverie Lingerie strike, the only weekly recognized among 55 entries. The judge, Vermont Royster of the Wall Street Journal, praised its clear account of the issues for the community. People: Vermont Royster The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), January 30, 1958, p. 1
  2. Bonner D. Sawyer buys the Hillsborough building that houses the News of Orange County Hillsborough attorney Bonner D. Sawyer bought from Gilbert Ray of Fayetteville the building occupied by Citizens Insurance, Ray's Electric and the News of Orange County, and began modernizing its second floor for his law office. He said he needed more room because an associate attorney would join his firm about August 1. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), June 18, 1959, p. 4 (To Move Office)
  3. The News of Orange County turns tabloid and names Roland Giduz editor Publisher Edwin J. Hamlin, 11 years at the head of the weekly, changed it to tabloid size with more pages, made Chapel Hill alderman Roland Giduz editor and Lawrence Brogan advertising manager, and began free Thursday-morning carrier delivery to every household in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, which the paper called the area's first 'controlled' circulation. Rural Orange kept mail delivery, and printing stayed at 311 East Main Street, Carrboro. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), September 17, 1959, p. 1
  4. Hyconeechee Regional Library director David Flick writes a books column for the News of Orange County By January 1962 the News of Orange County was running "Between the Covers," a column of news and comment on books in the public library by the director of the Hyconeechee Regional Library. The North Carolina Library Association's 1962 directory lists David Flick as the region's director, at Yanceyville. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), January 11, 1962, p. 12: Between the Covers
  5. The Chapel Hill Publishing Company buys the News of Orange County The Chapel Hill Publishing Company, publisher of the Chapel Hill Weekly, bought the News of Orange County from Edwin J. Hamlin, who said he sold it to run for clerk of Superior Court. Roland Giduz, editor since 1959, stayed on as editor of the editorial page, and the first issue under the new owners was printed by offset with a tabloid front page. People: Roland Giduz The Daily Tar Heel, April 30, 1966, p. 1
  6. The News of Orange moves from Churton Street to the Daniel Boone complex By June 1979 the News of Orange, the Hillsborough weekly founded in 1893, had moved from Churton Street downtown to the Daniel Boone complex off Interstate 85. Owner-editor Gee Coleman, who bought the paper in 1977, said it had grown in 11 years from a six- to eight-page weekly with 1,000 subscribers to 20 pages and 4,500. The Daily Tar Heel, June 7, 1979, p. 38
  7. The News of Orange merges with the Mebane Enterprise Womack Publishing announced on January 3, 2024, that its weeklies The News of Orange County and the Mebane Enterprise would merge at the end of January. The combined paper, with a section for Mebane, covers Mebane, Hillsborough and Efland from the News of Orange office in Hillsborough, and the Mebane office closed. The Daily Tar Heel: News of Orange County and Mebane Enterprise to merge at end of January (January 15, 2024)

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Research sources

Sources cited in this site’s history, National Register documents, and places to get research help. Research guide: Investigate a school or community institution.

Background

Records of the time 18

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Local help 5

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Illustration by Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell, gifted to the Friends 2026