Brad Miller: “tonight I rise to pay tribute to ``The Town of Friendly People,'' Zebulon, North Carolina, which celebrates its 100th…”

“tonight I rise to pay tribute to ``The Town of Friendly People,'' Zebulon, North Carolina, which celebrates its 100th birthday this year. Zebulon was founded on February 16, 1907, and was named to honor Zebulon Baird Vance, North Carolina's Governor during the Civil War. Governor Vance insisted, even in the midst of confusion and destruction of the Civil War, on maintaining the rule of law. North Carolina courts continued to function throughout the war, and North Carolina was the only State that never suspended the writ of habeas corpus. Some of the early businesses in the town of Zebulon belonged to African American residents, like Surratt Dillard, who owned the town's first restaurant. The Wakelon School Building was built in 1909, telephones came to the town in 1911, and the first electric light system was installed in 1916. Today, some of the Nation's leading companies have chosen Zebulon as the place to do business. In the past 100 years, the town size has grown by nearly 10 times, and nearly 5,000 folks now call Zebulon home. I join the residents of Zebulon in their centennial celebration and I continue to work on the town's behalf.”