While a few people called the area we know as Cary home in the 1700s, it
was not until 1854 that signs of a village began to appear. The
enterprising businessman Allison Francis Frank Page bought 300 acres on
which he operated a sawmill and did some farming. The railroad soon
reached Cary, and in 1868, Frank saw the opportunity to start a new
venture and built a hotel, which served meals and provided
accommodations to train passengers. Cary was incorporated in 1871. By
1880, there were nearly 300 residents, and by 1930, that number had
tripled. The timber industry kept Cary alive, as well as cotton gins and
other manufacturing businesses. Cary had a private boarding school by
1870, and in 1907, it became the first publicly funded school and
attracted students from around the state. Doctors, lawyers, merchants,
churches, and many other businesses sprang up. However, it was the
creation of Research Triangle Park that caused Cary's explosive growth.