Good people of Cary,

After several weeks when Cary seemed determined to generate more news than I could possibly cover, this one was mercifully quieter.

I joined an evening walking tour through Downtown Cary (more on that in the featured story section about halfway down) and learned about train accidents, mysterious deaths and some of the stranger characters from the town’s past.

I also visited one of Cary’s newer parks, which has a free dog park, a misting station and far more tucked inside it than you might expect.

We will also check in on the seemingly endless construction in Downtown Apex. There is finally a finished section to show for it (which looks great!), although the businesses on the other side of the street are now facing the hardest part.

Thank you for continuing to support local,

James

After months of construction, our neighbors in Downtown Apex are finally offering a decent preview of what Salem Street will look like when its major streetscape project is complete.

Most of the new sidewalk along the east side of Salem Street is now finished, aside from a few final details.

It looks great!

The new sidewalk is noticeably wider than what was there before, with brick pavers and considerably more room outside the businesses lining the street. New trees, decorative lighting and other finishing touches will be added soon.

The full project covers Salem Street between Saunders and Chatham streets. Once finished, it will also include new seating, planter boxes, wayfinding signs and changes to parking.

Construction has now shifted to the other side.

That means the walkway in front of several businesses has become extremely narrow. Everything remains accessible, but the barriers make that side of the street feel much more difficult to navigate.

The businesses are still open and ready for your business.

This project should make Downtown Apex better in the long run. Wider sidewalks will give restaurants more outdoor seating and make Salem Street a much more comfortable place to walk.

In the meantime, however, the businesses dealing with the construction still have bills to pay.

If you visit, take a walk along the finished side and then cross the street to show the businesses behind the barriers some love. They are the ones who need it most right now.

Additional reading: Town of Apex’s Salem Streetscape project page | The News & Observer’s report on the construction’s impact on downtown businesses

The Red Robin near Crossroads Plaza has served its final basket of bottomless steak fries.

The restaurant at 2260 Walnut Street recently closed after operating in Cary for more than two decades.

The closure follows the $3.3 million sale of the property to Capital Growth Buchalter, a Birmingham-based developer that reportedly has redevelopment plans for the site, though no one has said exactly what will replace it.

Red Robin has been selling company-owned properties and closing underperforming restaurants as part of a broader effort to reduce debt and restructure the chain.

The Cary location sat directly across Walnut Street from Crossroads Plaza.

Additional reading: Triangle Business Journal’s report on the sale and closure

When most people think about Cary’s history, they probably picture Frank Page, the railroad and Ashworth Drugs.

They probably do not picture electrocutions, scandals and a man who lost both legs beneath a train and somehow survived.

That is where Cary After Dark comes in.

The walking-tour series is led by local historian and author Dr. Katherine Loflin. I recently joined her Murder, Mayhem & Mysteries of Old Cary tour, which takes guests through some of the town’s darker, stranger and occasionally unbelievable history.

The stories came from a collection Loflin began building about five years ago.

While researching Cary’s history, she kept finding newspaper clippings that were too small or unusual to fit into her traditional tours.

“Rather than discard them, I started setting them aside, thinking I’d eventually find the right way to share them,” Loflin told The Cary Report.

That opportunity came while she was finishing Haunted Cary, her upcoming book about the town’s ghost stories, mysteries and tragedies.

She also wanted to test a fairly reasonable theory: people do not have to wait until October to enjoy the darker side of local history.

The stories she selected are surprising largely because it is difficult to imagine anything so sensational happening in old Cary.

One involves a man who attempted to jump onto a moving train near what is now the Page-Walker Arts & History Center.

He fell beneath the train, lost both legs and lived.

Loflin also uncovered a surprising number of suicides and crimes.

“I was genuinely surprised by the number of suicides and what I can only describe as ‘Dateline-worthy’ stories I uncovered,” she said.

Cary was historically a conservative and deeply religious community. These tragedies did not happen anonymously. Families often had to carry the stigma surrounding them while continuing to live in a very small, close-knit town.

The story that has stayed with Loflin the most involves the bodies of local soldiers being returned home by train during the Civil War.

The train would alert the town of its arrival with its horn. Over time, the sound became associated with the arrival of another body and the news that a local family had lost someone.

“I’ve had so many guests tell me they’ll never hear a train horn the same way again, or that every time they sit at a railroad crossing, they think about that story,” Loflin said.

Another involves the electrocution of Dorothy Neville near what is now the Cary Arts Center.

Neville was killed after coming into contact with an electrified wire. The incident ultimately changed how power lines were arranged in Downtown Cary.

Loflin said the stories of Neville and the Civil War trains are especially powerful because reminders of both are still right in front of us.

“Every day people pass those places without realizing the history connected to them,” she said. “Once you know the story, it’s hard to look at those locations the same way again.”

That is probably the best part of the tour.

You are not standing in an empty field while someone vaguely points toward where an event might have happened. You are looking directly at the railroad, building or intersection connected to the story. And Loflin has a natural gift of painting pictures with her words.

At the end of the tour, Loflin also gives guests access to the original newspaper clippings and historical records behind many of the stories.

That part is particularly fun because some of them sound completely made up.

Then you read the newspaper article and realize it really did happen.

The tour is not entirely focused on death. Loflin also includes stories involving race, segregation, Jim Crow and more.

Together, they show a version of Cary that is much more complicated than the polished suburban town we know today.

“I think these stories ultimately reveal Cary’s resilience,” Loflin said. “We had a pretty hard-scrabble beginning in many ways, and if you had told people in those early years what Cary would eventually become, few would have believed it.”

Getting here was not always easy or pretty.

There were major successes, but also scandals, tragedies and plenty of moments that Loflin describes as Cary’s “bless your heart” moments.

“To truly love a place, I think you have to know all of it, not just the polished version,” she said. “You have to understand both its greatest accomplishments and its ‘bless your heart’ moments.”

Not every story Loflin has uncovered made it into the tour.

She has withheld a few at the request of surviving relatives. One involves a young woman whose family trusted her with details that have never been fully shared.

“It’s a remarkable story with significant implications for past town leadership, and I believe it deserves to be told someday in a way that honors her,” Loflin said. “But that time isn’t now.”

The Cary After Dark series will continue changing over the next several months.

Loflin is currently leading Rumors, Ghosts, and Legends of Old Cary. In September, The Haunted Cary Files will allow guests to review evidence collected during paranormal investigations. More seasonal experiences are planned for October.

Her new book, Haunted Cary, is also expected to be released in July 2027.

“There is so much history here that I’ve really only scratched the surface,” Loflin said. “Every time I think I’ve found the last great story, another one appears.”

More information about upcoming tours is available through The City Doctor Productions

Interested in partnering with us? Reach out at [email protected] and let's find something that works for you.

Bands, Bites and Boats

What: Spend Friday evening beside Bond Lake with live music from Adam Pitts, food from Not Just A Fry Guy and Craft Public House, drinks from Fortnight Brewing Company and after-hours boat rentals.

Where: Bond Park Boathouse (197 Bond Park Drive)

When: Fri, August 7 | 6–8 p.m.

More Info

Movie Night: Pirates of the Caribbean

What: Downtown Cary Park will screen Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl on the Great Lawn. Activities and food trucks begin at 6 p.m., with the movie starting at about 8:10 p.m. The event is free, but bring your own chairs or blankets. (PG-13)

Where: Downtown Cary Park (327 S. Academy St.)

When: Fri, August 7 | Activities begin at 6 p.m. | Movie begins around 8:10 p.m.

More Info

Mac and Me

What: The Cary Theater’s Summer Family Series continues with the gloriously strange 1988 science-fiction movie about a young extraterrestrial who becomes separated from his family and befriends a boy on Earth. The film is rated PG.

Where: The Cary Theater (122 E. Chatham St.)

When: Sun, August 9 | 12 p.m.

More Info

Neighborhood Park on Carpenter Fire Station Road might have Cary’s least imaginative park name.

The park itself is much better.

It opened in 2024 at the corner of Carpenter Fire Station Road and Highcroft Drive in West Cary.

The 20.8-acre park has two lighted ballfields, a playground, a basketball and futsal court, fitness equipment, paved trails, restrooms, a picnic shelter and a connection to Panther Creek Greenway.

It also has one of Cary’s newest dog parks.

Unlike Cary’s established membership dog parks at Jack Smith Park, Godbold Park and the Barkyard at Downtown Cary Park, this one is currently free to use. There is no membership, electronic access card or fee.

I called Cary 311 to confirm, and I was told the Town is essentially seeing how it goes before deciding whether to add controlled access in the future.

For now, you can simply open the gate and walk in.

The dog park has separate areas for large and small dogs, along with water, shade and plenty of room to run. There is also a picnic shelter directly outside the fenced sections.

The park’s most unusual feature is its misting station.

It looks a little like a piece of public art until you press the button and water begins spraying from it. On a hot summer day, it is fantastic (and not just for children).

The playground sits nearby and includes several climbing structures and slides.

A paved loop connects the main areas of the park, while Panther Creek Greenway provides an easy option for anyone who wants to add a longer walk or bike ride.

The park was clearly designed to give every age group something to do.

Children get the playground and misting station. Teenagers get the multipurpose court and activity areas. Adults get the fitness equipment, trails and shaded seating.

Daisy gets the dog park.

It is especially useful for anyone trying to entertain a dog and a child at the same time, although it is also worth visiting even if you have neither.

Neighborhood Park on Carpenter Fire Station Road

📍 7119 Carpenter Fire Station Road, Cary

Park Website

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