Wade Hampton Hadley, Jr.
1909 - 2002

The Chatham County Historical Association lost a great friend and a frequent contributor with the passing of Wade Hampton Hadley of Siler City. Born in 1909, Mr. Hadley had returned to his beloved homeplace on Raleigh Street after a career as a geologist specializing in oil exploration.

His interest in local history was evidenced by his many contributions to the written history of Siler City and Chatham County. He was one of the principal authors of Chatham County, 1771-1971, published in conjunction with the county's bicentennial celebration. His Story of the Cape Fear and Deep River Navigation Company, 1849-1873, documented efforts to utilize area waterways for commerce. A 1995 publication, Historical Buildings of the Central Business District, Siler City, North Carolina, was a labor of love that chronicled the varied uses of the buildings of the downtown business district over 100 years. Mr. Hadley's articles in the Chatham Historical Journal are too numerous to list here.

Mr. Hadley will be remembered for his meticulously researched writings as well as for the courtly demeanor that led many to revere him as the epitome of a Southern gentleman.