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Liberty Loans in Orange County, 1917–1919

How Orange County bought war bonds in the five Liberty Loans: Paul C. Collins’s men’s committees and the county’s four banks, the bonfires at Efland and Hillsborough, the women’s committees under Harriet M. Berry, the honor flags, and the county’s totals in each loan.

In briefOrange County passed its allotments in the later Liberty Loan drives of 1917 to 1919, and women's committees raised much of the money. Hillsborough banker Paul C. Collins chaired the county men's committee for all four loans. For the second, a women's committee under Mrs. James H. Webb raised $79,800. In the third, with Harriet M. Berry as county chairman, women organized in every township made $59,600 of the county's $99,150 in sales. Influenza called off a Liberty Day meeting in 1918, but Orange passed its fourth-loan allotment, and a committee of Black residents in Hillsborough Township raised $1,350 from 27 Black subscribers. In May 1919 the county passed its Victory Liberty Loan allotment too.

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Hillsborough banker Paul C. Collins chaired the county men's committee for the First Liberty Loan in 1917, when the county's four banks sold $51,650 in bonds, $30,150 of them at his Bank of Orange; he went on to chair the second, third and fourth loans. For the Second Liberty Loan Efland held a bonfire on October 22, and the next night young Billy Hayes lit a Liberty Bonfire on the court house square in Hillsborough. The banks sold $132,550 in second-loan bonds, a women's committee under Mrs. James H. Webb raised $79,800, and Chapel Hill took $27,000. In the Third Liberty Loan, with Harriet M. Berry of Chapel Hill as county chairman, women organized in every township made $59,600 of the county's $99,150 in sales, against a $75,000 allotment. Hillsborough raised its Honor Flag, given to communities that met their quotas, on May 2, 1918, and the county raised its own at the court house on May 9. Influenza called off the county's Liberty Day meeting of October 12, 1918, but Orange subscribed $331,700 to the Fourth Liberty Loan against a $300,000 allotment, and the women's committees raised $227,300. In Hillsborough Township a committee of Black residents, among them Annie Renshaw, Fannie Benton and Christianna Ferribow, raised $1,350 from 27 Black subscribers. In May 1919 the county subscribed $137,050 to the Victory Liberty Loan against a $112,500 allotment.

In the chronology

Events in this storyline, in date order. See these 9 dated events in the chronology →

  1. Paul C. Collins leads Orange County's First Liberty Loan, and the county's banks sell $51,650 in bonds Hillsborough banker Paul C. Collins was county chairman of the men's committee for the First Liberty Loan. The four banks in the county sold $51,650 in bonds, $30,150 of them at his Bank of Orange; he went on to chair the second, third and fourth loans. People: Milton E. HoganSearch the index · Documenting the American South: A Record of the War Activities in Orange County, North Carolina, 1917-1919, pp. 61-62
  2. Efland holds a Liberty Loan bonfire Efland held a bonfire for the Second Liberty Loan on October 22, the night before Hillsborough's. The Efland column also reported a well-attended food conservation meeting there the next Saturday, with a house-to-house canvass to follow.The News (Chapel Hill), November 1, 1917, p. 5
  3. A Liberty Bonfire on the court house square rallies Hillsborough for the Second Liberty Loan On the night of Tuesday, October 23, young Billy Hayes lit a Liberty Bonfire at the corner of the court house square, and seven speakers gave three-minute talks. The county's four banks sold $132,550 in second-loan bonds, and a women's committee under Mrs. James H. Webb raised $79,800. People: Frank Nash, John W. Graham, Samuel Mallett Gattis, Paul C. CollinsSearch the index · Documenting the American South: A Record of the War Activities in Orange County, North Carolina, 1917-1919, p. 62
  4. Chapel Hill subscribes $27,000 to the Second Liberty Loan The News reported that Chapel Hill took $27,000 in bonds of the Second Liberty Loan, and that the Chapel Hill High School owned bonds of both the first and second loans.The News (Chapel Hill), November 1, 1917, p. 1
  5. Orange County women's committees sell $59,600 in Third Liberty Loan bonds With Harriet M. Berry of Chapel Hill as county chairman, women organized in every township made $59,600 of the county's $99,150 in Third Liberty Loan sales, more than two-thirds of the allotment. Mrs. T. J. Wilson's Chapel Hill committee took 85 subscriptions for $18,500 and the Hillsborough committee raised $36,000. People: Harriet Morehead BerrySearch the index · Documenting the American South: A Record of the War Activities in Orange County, North Carolina, 1917-1919, p. 63
  6. Orange County raises its Third Liberty Loan honor flag at the court house The county subscribed $99,150 to the Third Liberty Loan against a $75,000 allotment, and on May 9, 1918, raised its Honor Flag at the court house, with Judge Bond of Edenton speaking. Hillsborough had raised its own town Honor Flag at the cross streets on May 2. People: Paul C. CollinsSearch the index · Documenting the American South: A Record of the War Activities in Orange County, North Carolina, 1917-1919, p. 63
  7. A Black committee of the women's Liberty Loan organization raises $1,350 in Hillsborough Township In the Fourth Liberty Loan the Hillsborough Township women's committee included a committee of Black residents, among them Annie Renshaw, Fannie Benton and Christianna Ferribow, who raised $1,350 from 27 Black subscribers.Search the index · Documenting the American South: A Record of the War Activities in Orange County, North Carolina, 1917-1919, p. 65
  8. Orange County subscribes $331,700 to the Fourth Liberty Loan despite the influenza ban The county meeting planned for Liberty Day, October 12, 1918, was called off when the epidemic closed public gatherings, but Orange subscribed $331,700 against a $300,000 allotment. Hillsborough Township gave about $175,000 on a $55,000 allotment, and the women's committees raised $227,300. People: Harriet Morehead Berry, Paul C. CollinsSearch the index · Documenting the American South: A Record of the War Activities in Orange County, North Carolina, 1917-1919, p. 65
  9. Orange County subscribes $137,050 to the Victory Liberty Loan In the fifth, or Victory, Liberty Loan the county subscribed $137,050 against a $112,500 allotment, from 202 men, 70 women and 4 corporations. The women's committee reported $67,300 obtained by direct solicitation. People: Harriet Morehead Berry, W. S. RobersonSearch the index · Documenting the American South: A Record of the War Activities in Orange County, North Carolina, 1917-1919, p. 69

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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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