05/17/2026
MT Tabor made a spot on Proud to Be From Bahama. Mentioning Gov. William Umstead growing up in Bahama & being buried at MT Tabor. So take a moment to read some great history of our community.
"You know you're from Durham if...." ·
Today In North Carolina History · depSstnoroa01ag744 i23g 1h59762M:1h5l4966Mfm617l 31P01 1th0y ·
May 13, 1895, William B. Umstead, the 63rd Governor of North Carolina, was born in Bahama, North Carolina (Durham County). Umstead’s time as governor would become one of the most challenging in state history after he suffered a heart attack just two days after taking office in 1953, forcing him to govern much of the state from his bed in the Executive Mansion. (May 13, 1895 – November 7, 1954). 🏛️
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Click Link https://amzn.to/3P3TNG2 to Order or View Stories in Stone: Memories from a Bygone Farming Community in North Carolina, History of William Umstead Park
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Born on a farm in Bahama, Umstead graduated from Durham High School before attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 1916. Like several North Carolina governors before him, he was a member of the Philanthropic Society. His connection to the university remained strong throughout his life, as he later served as president of the University of North Carolina Alumni Association and as a trustee of the Consolidated University.
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After college, Umstead taught school for a year in Kinston, North Carolina (Lenoir County), before entering military service during World War I. As a second lieutenant in the 317th Machine Gun Battalion of the “Wild Cat” Division, he served overseas for nearly a year. Following his discharge in March 1919, he entered law school at Trinity College, now known as Duke University. He received his law license in August 1920 and began practicing law in Durham in July 1921. ⚖️
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Umstead entered politics in 1922 when he was elected prosecuting attorney of the Durham County Recorder’s Court. After four years in that role, he became solicitor for the Tenth Judicial District. His growing popularity eventually earned him a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1932, representing North Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District.
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While serving in Washington, Umstead focused heavily on rural electrification, soil conservation, and the Farm Home Administration. He also helped secure funding to expand the To***co Experiment Station in Oxford, North Carolina, which studied to***co wilt and other crop diseases important to the state’s agricultural economy.
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After returning to Durham in 1948 to resume practicing law, Umstead entered the governor’s race in 1952 and won the Democratic nomination before securing a landslide victory in the general election. He officially took office on January 8, 1953. In his inaugural address, he called for a 10 percent salary increase for public school teachers and administrators, statewide vehicle inspections, driver training programs in every public high school, expanded facilities for the mentally ill, additional school construction, and a statewide referendum on legalizing the sale of intoxicating liquor.
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Just two days later, tragedy struck when Umstead suffered a severe heart attack complicated by chest congestion nearing pneumonia. Frail for much of his administration, he spent months hospitalized. Admitted to Watts Hospital on January 10, he was unable to return to his office until May 21. Despite constant health struggles and against the advice of doctors and friends, Umstead continued handling state business, regularly meeting with legislative leaders and department officials from his bed in the Executive Mansion.
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In October 1954, after another hospitalization, Umstead briefly returned to Raleigh before a severe cold worsened. The illness quickly turned into pneumonia, and he died of congestive heart failure on November 7, 1954. Funeral services were held on November 9 at Trinity Methodist Church, where Umstead had long been an active lay leader. He was buried at Mount Tabor Methodist Church cemetery near his home community of Bahama in Mangum Township.
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In 1966, William B. Umstead State Park in Raleigh was named in his honor, preserving the memory of a governor remembered for perseverance, public service, and determination during one of the most difficult administrations in North Carolina history. 🌲
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Click Link https://amzn.to/4ufCdOG to Order or View Public Addresses, Letters And Papers Of William Bradley Umstead, Governor Of North Carolina, 1953-1954
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-Copied & pasted from Proud to Be From Bahama..
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