In 1892, the Dukes opened their first textile firm in Durham, North Carolina, which was run by Buck's brother Benjamin.

At the turn of the century, Buck organized the American Development Company to acquire land and water rights on the Catawba River.

Duke Power established an electrical grid that supplied cities and towns in the Piedmont Region of North and South Carolina.

Lake James, a power-generating reservoir in Western North Carolina, was created by the company in 1928 and also named in Duke's honor.

Doris was raised at Duke Farms located in Hillsborough, New Jersey, where her father had worked with landscapers such as James Leal Greenleaf (a member of the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted), and Horatio Buckenham to transform more than 2,000 acres (8 km2) of farmland and woodlots into a landscape containing two conservatories, nine lakes, 35 fountains, 45 buildings, many pieces of sculpture, over 2 miles (3 km) of stone walls and more than 18 miles (29 km) of roadway.

[7] On his death, he left approximately half of his estate to the Duke Endowment, adding another $67 million (equivalent to $1.16 billion in 2023[6]) to the trust fund.

[10] These gardens showcased her father's extensive sculpture collection and were open to the public from 1964 until closed by her foundation trustees in May 2008.