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Cumberland County was established as a settlement sometime between 1729 and 1736 by European migrants known as the Highland Scots.
It was named after the Duke of Cumberland (William Augustus) who commanded the English Army. Campbellton was named the County seat during 1778 and was renamed Fayetteville in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette. Founded in 1816, the Fayetteville Observer is the oldest newspaper in the state.
The Fayetteville Observer’s office was one of the many casualties of General Sherman’s destructive march through the South. General Sherman targeted the newspaper due to the editor’s strong support for the Confederate cause.
– Chuck Norman, APR, S&A Communications