Lurays first name was Utah. It was located on the Tennessee Middlin Railroad, now the N. C. & St. L. Railroad. But from some criticisms the road changed the name to Luray. At the crossing of Miffin and Juno public roads, the depot was built. The first house was a grocery store built by J. C. Bell. Later Wheeler Edwards and Company built a general dry goods store. Wesley Bain erected a residence which is now owned by J. R. Pope. Next Charlie Bell built a residence now owned by H. W. Harris. About 1892 was a gloomy time for the town; the two business houses failed and were closed down. There was no active business in the town for a year; then Hanna and Patrick opened a general store and everything began to pick up. The timber and stave business was good and P. W. Moore opened a general store. Several residences were erected. School and church houses were built. The Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches were organized. A cotton gin and saw mill were built. More cotton was raised than had been. So, another up-to-date cotton gin was erected. G. W. Priddy built and opened another general store, and G. L. McHaney opened a grocery store. Things became more prosperous.

At the present time the population has grown to about two hundred fifty, with four business houses, a doctors office, a barber shop, two cotton gins, two blacksmith shops, a garage, a grist mil, a saw mill, a stave mill, two Delco Light Plants, six artesian wells, which flow from five to thirty gallons of pure, freestone water a minute, and two hydraulic rams, which convey water from wells into residences. Luray is modern, indeed. Dr. C. B. Chaffey has located in the town, and he and C. E. Priddy have each built themselves neat six-room residences. Good roads, automobiles, and fox chasing are now the fad. There has just been completed a hard surfaced road from Henderson, in Chester County, to Luray, and the people hope to get it extended from Luray to the number 20 at Broadway, a distance of seven miles. By 1911 business had increased to the extent that the citizens decided they needed a bank, and by very little effort a capital stock of $10,000.00 was raised. The bank was organized and chartered at once and the contract let for a brick building twenty by forty feet. This institution is doing a good business. Luray is in a favorable location.