The Triangle
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 WHAT'S IN A NAME?
There are some interesting stories behind the names of the Triangle's cities and towns:
APEX: At 504 feet above sea level, the little railroad station in the pines west of Raleigh marked the highest spot on the Richmond to Florida line.
CARY: Begun in 1852 when A. Frank Page established a sawmill. First called Page's Turnout; later renamed for Senator Samuel F. Carey of Ohio, a prohibitionist who passed through the state. The "e" was lost through a clerk's error.
CHAPEL HILL: Chosen by a legislative committee in 1793 as the site for the newly authorized university. The town which surrounded campus was chartered in 1851. Named after a Church of England chapel on the site.
DURHAM: Spot where Indian tribes once farmed and where a trading path crossed the Eno River. Established in 1854 as a railroad station. Named for Dr. Barlett Durham, who owned the land on which the station was built.
FUQUAY VARINA: Named for the Fuquay family which built a tourist attraction on mineral springs discovered in 1852. Originally two separate towns, now incorporated as one.
RALEIGH: In 1701, English explorer John Lawson crossed the Neuse River but it wasn't until 100 years later that Raleigh was established as the state's capital. Named for Sir Walter Raleigh, who financed the failed British attempts to settle Roanoke Island, but never set foot in Wake County.
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