Editing Person County, North Carolina (section)

===Late 19th century===
J.A. Long, W.W. Kitchin, A.R. Foushee, J.S. Bradsher, J.C. Pass, W.F. Reade, and R.E. Long were key leaders who helped make a transition to a more diversified economic base after the Civil War. The arrival of the newly constructed [[Norfolk and Western Railroad]] was a major influence around 1890, as it enabled the addition of tobacco processing plants and warehouses to the rural economy. Although the processing plants disappeared many years ago, a few of the warehouses still stand.

J.A. Long established Peoples Bank in 1891 and the [[Roxboro Cotton Mill]] in 1899, later known as Tultex Yarns. His home at Roxboro, the [[James A. and Laura Thompson Long House]], was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2005.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref> Long died in 1915 but was succeeded by his son, J.A. Long, Jr., who began attracting new business to Roxboro. Baker Company opened here in 1923, making textile manufacturing a major contributor to the local economy for decades. Baker was merged with [[Collins and Aikman Corporation]] (C&A), becoming a major industry in Person County for several decades before closing in August 2006. Textile manufacturers have moved to other locations in the US and overseas.