North Carolina State Tournament Champions
- North Carolina Open
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July, 1896 - Asheville Newspaper listed John A. Murdoch of Asheville, North Carolina as the State Checker Champion of NC.February, 1897 - Newspapers reported John A. Murdoch of Asheville, North Carolina, State Checkers Champion, resigns the title, due to the loss of an eye. Mr. H.C. McNair, who was to play a match with Murdoch, refused to accept the title, stating publicly that he would, “Prefer playing you to holding the champion.”
May 15, 1898 was the first issue of “The North American Checker Board” a monthly checker news publication by editor Lyman Stearns.
July, 1898 “The North American Checker Board” monthly issue listed John A. Murdoch of Asheville, North Carolina, as the State Checkers Champion of North Carolina.
Apparently Murdoch never played McNair of Maxton, North Carolina since he later claimed the title and reportedly defended it for many years. Mr. H.C. McNair is credited with organizing the North Carolina Checker Association in late 1917 and established the organization in early 1918. We use the 1918 date because it appeared on North Carolina Checker Association literature as the established date. Maxton is a small town partially in both Robeson and Scotland counties in North Carolina.