Jefferson and Daniel Morrow, victims of lynching in Orange County, were two Black farmers accused of setting fire to three barns in July of 1869, as well as threatening to rape a white woman. A policeman arrested the brothers and took them to the Orange County Courthouse, where they were found guilty with no hard evidence. They were then taken to the courthouse jail, which was located underneath the building.

On July 8th, a mob of KKK (Ku Klux Klan) members abducted the brothers and took them to the top of a hill just outside of Hillsborough. The KKK is an organization that instigates acts of violence towards races they believe to be inferior to white people. The mob came to the conclusion that the Morrow brothers were innocent and let them go. However, one of the brothers was shot in the thigh.

Around a month later, another group of KKK members intercepted the brothers across the bridge from what is now Weaver Street Market in Hillsborough. Jefferson and Daniel Morrow were then lynched by the KKK on August 7th, 1869. A note was left near the lynching site identifying the KKK as the responsible party. This event caused Governor William Woods Holden to threaten to declare insurrection in Orange County, as well as other nearby counties.

The lynching of the Morrow brothers is important to Hillsborough and Orange County’s history as it is one of the few recorded lynchings in the area and information about other lynchings, including many in Orange County, has been lost to history. The lynching of Jefferson and Daniel Morrow, as well as others across the country, impacted Black history by creating an atmosphere of fear during the Jim Crow era. However, it also instilled resilience and motivation to fight against these terrible acts. This case, much like other crimes committed by members of the KKK, or similar groups driven by the desire of white supremacy, had no criminal charges brought against the perpetrators. To this day, white supremacy organizations like the KKK still recruit people in order to have social and political power to instill fear in others.

Photo Credit: Susanna D.

The Orange County Historic Courthouse