Blog Home – DigitalNC https://www.digitalnc.org Explore original materials from libraries, museums, and archives across North Carolina. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:54:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://www.digitalnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cropped-nc_ico-32x32.jpg Blog Home – DigitalNC https://www.digitalnc.org 32 32 New Photographs Show the Days of Drought In Lee County https://www.digitalnc.org/blog/new-photographs-show-the-days-of-drought-in-lee-county/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:55:00 +0000 https://www.digitalnc.org/?p=52106 As most of North Carolina remains today in severe drought, a new batch of photographs from our partner Lee County Libraries shows the state’s encounter with drought 73 years earlier. As most of North Carolina remains today in severe drought, a new batch of photographs from our partner Lee County Libraries shows the state’s encounter with drought 73 years earlier. Many Carolinians today are feeling the impact of our current drought, with consequences like increased fire risk, lower water levels, restricted water usage, and drier soil. With the incoming hot summer weather fears of “how bad?” and “how long will it last?” surely are in the minds of many. In 1953, the state was facing similar circumstances of a drought which lasted around 4 to 6 months. In The Sanford Herald‘s images of the 1953 drought, the pictures of farmers, children, and city workers often reflect the community’s uncertainty and desperation, feelings which might become even more relatable to us in the present the longer we go without rain. Along with these images however, are ones that depict not only the resounding conclusion of the drought, but the community resilience and cooperation that held Lee County together as they waited (and worked) for relief.

Agriculture

By June, tobacco farmers like Alton and Joe Smith were finding their freshly planted crops withered and dying. The early June drought blues that plagued the first half of the growing season would continue throughout the summer and into the fall. Even as tobacco plants grew into August, the extreme heat and dry conditions led to dead and withered tobacco leaves. J.B. Lipscomb, an agricultural teacher from Jonesboro, is seen holding sunburnt leaves while looking up at the sky with his student Tommy. By early September, 75 Lee County farmers met with the county farm agent, K. S. Harmon, to discuss the drought and their needs for assistance. Drought-related aid from the state was contigent upon the State Agricultural Mobilization committee declaring a county as a drought disaster area.

Alton Smith and Joe P. Smith Examine Withered Tobacco Plants
J. B. Lipscomb and Tommy Goldston Hope for Rain
Lee County Farmers Request Drought Disaster Aid

Water Conservation

By September, both of Sanford’s water reserviors were significantly depleted. The city’s Water and Sewage Works superintendent, L. P. Gunter, was featured on the front page of The Sanford Herald bringing awareness the increasing severity drought. Sanford municipal officials passed a completed ban on watering lawns and car washing as the drought dragged into the fall, which community members like Esso service station member Gordon O’Briant dutifully complied with in his role as Esso service station manager. Most significantly, the end of September brought about “Operation Replenish,” a massive project that connected the Sanford water resevoir to Oldham Lake via above ground piping and water pumps. Below, an example of the pictures from “Operation Replenish” shows city workers laying pipes through a forested area.

Low Water at Sanford Reserves

Workers Lay Out Pipe for “Operation Replenish”
Two individuals are installing a sign that reads "NO CAR WASHING CITY ORDINANCE" in a vintage setting.
Car Washing Banned Due to Drought in Sanford

Looking Ahead as Relief Arrives

In November, as city officials hoped the drought was nearing its finals days, they started planning for the next time drought would upend Lee County. City officials, having witnessed the impact that years of frequent droughts had on their community, endeavored to build a more resilient water supply. City council members scoped out locations like Carr’s Creek for potential damming sites, while other plans included pulling water from the Cape Fear River to expand supply. By the end of December, the reservoirs at Sanford’s water plant were overflowing, as shown in the picture of Wilfred Johnson below.

Wilfred Johnson at Sanford Water Plant
T. F. Nance Tries Water from Carr’s Creek
Sanford City Water Improvements Proposed

These images, as part of Lee County Libraries’ The Sanford Herald Photographic Print Collection, were found in the daily issues of The Sanford Herald (Sanford, N.C.). In November 2023, The Sanford Herald (1930-present) donated thousands of images, spanning from the 1930s to the 2000s, to our partner Lee County Libraries. This newest batch of 372 photographs joins a growing collection of photographs taken by The Sanford Herald (Sanford, N.C.) that are now accessible online through DigitalNC. This latest group of images were published in The Sanford Herald issues during 1953. The entire collection of new photographs can be found here!

Visitors can browse even more photographs documenting Lee County’s history, here. More materials, including yearbooks, directories, maps, and a newspaper title, can be found on Lee County Libraries’ contributor page, which is linked here.

More information about our partner, Lee County Libraries, can be found on their website here. Information about Lee County Libraries Local History and Genealogy Room can be found here.

]]> As most of North Carolina remains today in severe drought, a new batch of photographs from our partner Lee County Libraries shows the state’s encounter with drought 73 years earlier. As most of North Carolina remains today in severe drought, a new batch of photographs from our partner Lee County Libraries shows the state’s encounter with drought 73 years earlier. Many Carolinians today are feeling the impact of our current drought, with consequences like increased fire risk, lower water levels, restricted water usage, and drier soil. With the incoming hot summer weather fears of “how bad?” and “how long will it last?” surely are in the minds of many. In 1953, the state was facing similar circumstances of a drought which lasted around 4 to 6 months. In The Sanford Herald‘s images of the 1953 drought, the pictures of farmers, children, and city workers often reflect the community’s uncertainty and desperation, feelings which might become even more relatable to us in the present the longer we go without rain. Along with these images however, are ones that depict not only the resounding conclusion of the drought, but the community resilience and cooperation that held Lee County together as they waited (and worked) for relief.

Agriculture

By June, tobacco farmers like Alton and Joe Smith were finding their freshly planted crops withered and dying. The early June drought blues that plagued the first half of the growing season would continue throughout the summer and into the fall. Even as tobacco plants grew into August, the extreme heat and dry conditions led to dead and withered tobacco leaves. J.B. Lipscomb, an agricultural teacher from Jonesboro, is seen holding sunburnt leaves while looking up at the sky with his student Tommy. By early September, 75 Lee County farmers met with the county farm agent, K. S. Harmon, to discuss the drought and their needs for assistance. Drought-related aid from the state was contigent upon the State Agricultural Mobilization committee declaring a county as a drought disaster area.

Alton Smith and Joe P. Smith Examine Withered Tobacco Plants
J. B. Lipscomb and Tommy Goldston Hope for Rain
Lee County Farmers Request Drought Disaster Aid

Water Conservation

By September, both of Sanford’s water reserviors were significantly depleted. The city’s Water and Sewage Works superintendent, L. P. Gunter, was featured on the front page of The Sanford Herald bringing awareness the increasing severity drought. Sanford municipal officials passed a completed ban on watering lawns and car washing as the drought dragged into the fall, which community members like Esso service station member Gordon O’Briant dutifully complied with in his role as Esso service station manager. Most significantly, the end of September brought about “Operation Replenish,” a massive project that connected the Sanford water resevoir to Oldham Lake via above ground piping and water pumps. Below, an example of the pictures from “Operation Replenish” shows city workers laying pipes through a forested area.

Low Water at Sanford Reserves

Workers Lay Out Pipe for “Operation Replenish”
Two individuals are installing a sign that reads "NO CAR WASHING CITY ORDINANCE" in a vintage setting.
Car Washing Banned Due to Drought in Sanford

Looking Ahead as Relief Arrives

In November, as city officials hoped the drought was nearing its finals days, they started planning for the next time drought would upend Lee County. City officials, having witnessed the impact that years of frequent droughts had on their community, endeavored to build a more resilient water supply. City council members scoped out locations like Carr’s Creek for potential damming sites, while other plans included pulling water from the Cape Fear River to expand supply. By the end of December, the reservoirs at Sanford’s water plant were overflowing, as shown in the picture of Wilfred Johnson below.

Wilfred Johnson at Sanford Water Plant
T. F. Nance Tries Water from Carr’s Creek
Sanford City Water Improvements Proposed

These images, as part of Lee County Libraries’ The Sanford Herald Photographic Print Collection, were found in the daily issues of The Sanford Herald (Sanford, N.C.). In November 2023, The Sanford Herald (1930-present) donated thousands of images, spanning from the 1930s to the 2000s, to our partner Lee County Libraries. This newest batch of 372 photographs joins a growing collection of photographs taken by The Sanford Herald (Sanford, N.C.) that are now accessible online through DigitalNC. This latest group of images were published in The Sanford Herald issues during 1953. The entire collection of new photographs can be found here!

Visitors can browse even more photographs documenting Lee County’s history, here. More materials, including yearbooks, directories, maps, and a newspaper title, can be found on Lee County Libraries’ contributor page, which is linked here.

More information about our partner, Lee County Libraries, can be found on their website here. Information about Lee County Libraries Local History and Genealogy Room can be found here.

]]> Get a Glimpse of Island Life in New Issues of the Ocracoke Observer https://www.digitalnc.org/blog/get-a-glimpse-of-island-life-in-new-issues-of-the-ocracoke-observer/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:55:00 +0000 https://www.digitalnc.org/?p=51896 This is an image of the title and header of the Ocracoke Observer. On picture are the words, "Ocracoke Observer: Ocracoke, NC's, community newspaper since 1999." Part of the "k" in Ocracoke is designed to look like a lighthouse. The word "Ocracoke" is in white text on a black background, and the word "observer" is in black text on a white background, and the rest of the words are light blue.

Thanks to our partners at the Ocracoke Preservation Society, new issues of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.) are now available! Seven monthly issues published from June 2025 to December 2025 are now available on DigitalNC. These issues give a glance into life on Ocracoke Island, and three specific stories from the July, August, and September issues stood out.

This is a black and white image from the 2025 issue of the Ocracoke Observer of a cat named Bob. He was a fluffy cat and possibly a tabby. The caption of the image reads, "Bob the Ocracat on Jeanne Brook's porch.
Image of Bob the Ocracat from the July 2025 issue of the Ocracoke Observer

First, in the July issue of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.), the island paid tribute to Bob the Ocracat, a member of the feral cat population on Ocracoke. Originally around 1000 cats, the population is now down to approximately 375 Ocracats, who are cared for by members of the community. Bob was well-known and well-loved by residents of Ocracoke and was a celebrity at the local school. In the mornings, he would start with greeting students, then would travel between classrooms to receive lots of pets and treats, and then would make his way to the playground for recess. Bob’s adventure on Ocracoke came to an end in June, and the community mourned the loss of their feline friend.

This is an image from the August 2025 issue of the Ocracoke Observer. This is an image of the Seagull Screeching Contest. A large group of people, with the age range from child to late adulthood, stand on the porch of a building. The porch is covered and painted a teal-green color, with a white fence. All of the people are in summer clothing and are excitedly talking, possibly in the middle of making a seagull screech.
Image of the Seagull Screeching Contest from the August 2025 issue of the Ocracoke Observer

Then, in August, the Ocracoke Observer reported on the first Seagull Screeching Contest of Ocracoke that was held in July. The organizer of this seagull-imitation contest was originally inspired by YouTube videos of these competitions occurring across Europe. For Ocracoke’s first contest, 25 people participated, along with some seagulls passing by.

This black and white image is from the September 2025 issue of the Ocracoke Observer. In this image are three people, two white women and one white man. The man is in the center holding a copy of an issue of the Ocracoke Observer. All three people are smiling.
Image of NCDHC’s Head, Kristen Merryman, and Observer publishers from the September 2025 issue of the Ocracoke Observer

Finally, the issue from September featured NCDHC’s very own Kristen Merryman! In 2025, issues of the Ocracoke Observer were digitized by the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center and made available on DigitalNC. To celebrate, the Ocracoke Observer published this article about the NCDHC and brought attention to local researchers about this new resource.

You can view more issues of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.) here.

You can learn more about our partner, the Ocracoke Preservation Society, here.

To view more newspapers and other materials provided by the Ocracoke Preservation Society, you can visit their contributor page here.

To view other newspapers published in North Carolina, you can visit our Newspaper Collection here.

]]> This is an image of the title and header of the Ocracoke Observer. On picture are the words, "Ocracoke Observer: Ocracoke, NC's, community newspaper since 1999." Part of the "k" in Ocracoke is designed to look like a lighthouse. The word "Ocracoke" is in white text on a black background, and the word "observer" is in black text on a white background, and the rest of the words are light blue.

Thanks to our partners at the Ocracoke Preservation Society, new issues of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.) are now available! Seven monthly issues published from June 2025 to December 2025 are now available on DigitalNC. These issues give a glance into life on Ocracoke Island, and three specific stories from the July, August, and September issues stood out.

This is a black and white image from the 2025 issue of the Ocracoke Observer of a cat named Bob. He was a fluffy cat and possibly a tabby. The caption of the image reads, "Bob the Ocracat on Jeanne Brook's porch.
Image of Bob the Ocracat from the July 2025 issue of the Ocracoke Observer

First, in the July issue of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.), the island paid tribute to Bob the Ocracat, a member of the feral cat population on Ocracoke. Originally around 1000 cats, the population is now down to approximately 375 Ocracats, who are cared for by members of the community. Bob was well-known and well-loved by residents of Ocracoke and was a celebrity at the local school. In the mornings, he would start with greeting students, then would travel between classrooms to receive lots of pets and treats, and then would make his way to the playground for recess. Bob’s adventure on Ocracoke came to an end in June, and the community mourned the loss of their feline friend.

This is an image from the August 2025 issue of the Ocracoke Observer. This is an image of the Seagull Screeching Contest. A large group of people, with the age range from child to late adulthood, stand on the porch of a building. The porch is covered and painted a teal-green color, with a white fence. All of the people are in summer clothing and are excitedly talking, possibly in the middle of making a seagull screech.
Image of the Seagull Screeching Contest from the August 2025 issue of the Ocracoke Observer

Then, in August, the Ocracoke Observer reported on the first Seagull Screeching Contest of Ocracoke that was held in July. The organizer of this seagull-imitation contest was originally inspired by YouTube videos of these competitions occurring across Europe. For Ocracoke’s first contest, 25 people participated, along with some seagulls passing by.

This black and white image is from the September 2025 issue of the Ocracoke Observer. In this image are three people, two white women and one white man. The man is in the center holding a copy of an issue of the Ocracoke Observer. All three people are smiling.
Image of NCDHC’s Head, Kristen Merryman, and Observer publishers from the September 2025 issue of the Ocracoke Observer

Finally, the issue from September featured NCDHC’s very own Kristen Merryman! In 2025, issues of the Ocracoke Observer were digitized by the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center and made available on DigitalNC. To celebrate, the Ocracoke Observer published this article about the NCDHC and brought attention to local researchers about this new resource.

You can view more issues of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.) here.

You can learn more about our partner, the Ocracoke Preservation Society, here.

To view more newspapers and other materials provided by the Ocracoke Preservation Society, you can visit their contributor page here.

To view other newspapers published in North Carolina, you can visit our Newspaper Collection here.

]]> Learn About the Legacy of Person County High School in New Issues of The Courier-Times https://www.digitalnc.org/blog/learn-about-the-legacy-of-person-county-high-school-in-new-issues-of-the-courier-times/ Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:55:00 +0000 https://www.digitalnc.org/?p=51797 With help from our partner, the Person County Museum of History, as well as funding from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), we are excited to share new issues of The Courier-Times (Roxboro, N.C.) now available on DigitalNC!

These new issues date from 1946 to 1952 and number among the over 3,600 issues of The Courier-Times available on DigitalNC. Several issues in this batch report developments in the history of Person County High School including construction, enrollment, and student achievements in academics, sports, performance groups, and preprofessional societies.

A black-and-white newspaper clipping.
An article announcing open bidding for the construction of Person County High School in the October 17th, 1949, edition of the Courier-Times.
A sepia-toned newspaper clipping.
An article announcing the beginning of the desegregation process in Person County in the December 1st, 1982, edition of the Courier-Times.

Person County High School was the public high school for African American students in Roxboro, N.C., prior to integration. First opened as Person County Training School in 1930, the name was changed to reflect the construction of the new campus around 1950. The school was a critical site of self-determination and community building for African American students in Roxboro and greater Person County.

A black-and-white illustrated title page from a yearbook. Handwritten script notes the title and the publishing high school. An illustration of a hand holding a torch is centered on the page. There is a blue and white striped border around the text and illustration.
The title page for the first volume of the Person County Training School year “The Beacon.”
A black-and-white program page with an illustration of a school house with four roads radiating out to connect to four smaller school houses.
A program from the Person County High School Class of 1967 reunion in 1991.

Person County High School merged with Roxboro High School in 1969 to create Person County Senior High School, now known as Person High School. DigitalNC also has several yearbooks from Person High School available on our website!

To browse all of our newspapers by location, date, and type, take a look at our North Carolina Newspapers collection.

Learn more about the long history of The Courier-Times in this DigitalNC blog post!

Interested in more stories from the Person County Museum of History? Explore their contributor page with more newspapers, yearbooks, and black-and-white photographs!

]]> With help from our partner, the Person County Museum of History, as well as funding from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), we are excited to share new issues of The Courier-Times (Roxboro, N.C.) now available on DigitalNC!

These new issues date from 1946 to 1952 and number among the over 3,600 issues of The Courier-Times available on DigitalNC. Several issues in this batch report developments in the history of Person County High School including construction, enrollment, and student achievements in academics, sports, performance groups, and preprofessional societies.

A black-and-white newspaper clipping.
An article announcing open bidding for the construction of Person County High School in the October 17th, 1949, edition of the Courier-Times.
A sepia-toned newspaper clipping.
An article announcing the beginning of the desegregation process in Person County in the December 1st, 1982, edition of the Courier-Times.

Person County High School was the public high school for African American students in Roxboro, N.C., prior to integration. First opened as Person County Training School in 1930, the name was changed to reflect the construction of the new campus around 1950. The school was a critical site of self-determination and community building for African American students in Roxboro and greater Person County.

A black-and-white illustrated title page from a yearbook. Handwritten script notes the title and the publishing high school. An illustration of a hand holding a torch is centered on the page. There is a blue and white striped border around the text and illustration.
The title page for the first volume of the Person County Training School year “The Beacon.”
A black-and-white program page with an illustration of a school house with four roads radiating out to connect to four smaller school houses.
A program from the Person County High School Class of 1967 reunion in 1991.

Person County High School merged with Roxboro High School in 1969 to create Person County Senior High School, now known as Person High School. DigitalNC also has several yearbooks from Person High School available on our website!

To browse all of our newspapers by location, date, and type, take a look at our North Carolina Newspapers collection.

Learn more about the long history of The Courier-Times in this DigitalNC blog post!

Interested in more stories from the Person County Museum of History? Explore their contributor page with more newspapers, yearbooks, and black-and-white photographs!

]]> Mountain Xpress Issues from 1997 on DigitalNC https://www.digitalnc.org/blog/mountain-xpress-issues-from-1997-on-digitalnc/ Wed, 27 May 2026 13:55:00 +0000 https://www.digitalnc.org/?p=52199 Thanks to our partner Buncombe County Special Collections, issues of the Mountain Xpress newspaper covering December 11, 1996-November 12, 1997 are now on DigitalNC, bringing the total coverage of the paper online from 1994-1997.

Cover of the Mountain Xpress newspaper with a drawing of a shovel scooping up small pink people drawings and dropping them into boxes that look like houses.
Cover of the May 14, 1997 issue of the Mountain Xpress with the title “Full House! A look at Asheville’s housing shortage”

The issues of the paper highlight a lot of music and art happening in Asheville but touches on other issues as well, including their May 14, 1997 issue which focuses on a very familiar issue to Asheville even today, 29 years later, a shortage of housing in the city. The editors wrote on the inside front page “The gap is unmistakable if you look at the numbers: Asheville doesn’t have enough affordable housing – either rental or owner-occupied – to accomodate its residents. In some ways, Asheville’s tight housing market resembles a game of musical chairs: Renters and buyers vie for a place to live in a game that leaves a few out in the cold, and others living with relatives or paying too much. Most often the biggest losers are the folks in the low-to-moderate income bracket.” Articles in the issue including one that discussed a stressful meeting of the Planning and Zoning commission to update the UDO for Asheville and an extended article on the “Asheville Affordable Housing Study,” that the National Development Council published in November 1996.

To view this issue and all the others from Mountain Xpress, visit it’s newspaper page here. To view other materials we host from Buncombe County Special Collections, visit their partner page.

Visit our newspaper site to view more than 5 million pages of North Carolina Newspapers.

]]> Thanks to our partner Buncombe County Special Collections, issues of the Mountain Xpress newspaper covering December 11, 1996-November 12, 1997 are now on DigitalNC, bringing the total coverage of the paper online from 1994-1997.

Cover of the Mountain Xpress newspaper with a drawing of a shovel scooping up small pink people drawings and dropping them into boxes that look like houses.
Cover of the May 14, 1997 issue of the Mountain Xpress with the title “Full House! A look at Asheville’s housing shortage”

The issues of the paper highlight a lot of music and art happening in Asheville but touches on other issues as well, including their May 14, 1997 issue which focuses on a very familiar issue to Asheville even today, 29 years later, a shortage of housing in the city. The editors wrote on the inside front page “The gap is unmistakable if you look at the numbers: Asheville doesn’t have enough affordable housing – either rental or owner-occupied – to accomodate its residents. In some ways, Asheville’s tight housing market resembles a game of musical chairs: Renters and buyers vie for a place to live in a game that leaves a few out in the cold, and others living with relatives or paying too much. Most often the biggest losers are the folks in the low-to-moderate income bracket.” Articles in the issue including one that discussed a stressful meeting of the Planning and Zoning commission to update the UDO for Asheville and an extended article on the “Asheville Affordable Housing Study,” that the National Development Council published in November 1996.

To view this issue and all the others from Mountain Xpress, visit it’s newspaper page here. To view other materials we host from Buncombe County Special Collections, visit their partner page.

Visit our newspaper site to view more than 5 million pages of North Carolina Newspapers.

]]> Girls Scouts Go Global! https://www.digitalnc.org/blog/girls-scouts-go-global/ Tue, 26 May 2026 13:55:00 +0000 https://www.digitalnc.org/?p=52080
Scrapbook page with images of girl scouts camping and marching with Danish flags.
Scenes from a typical camp day

Thanks to our newest partner, Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont Council, twelve new scrapbooks and several newsletters are now available on our website!

Scrapbook page with ticket stubs, stickers, and ephemera from Fields' European adventure
Collection of materials Fields collected through her travels

While the majority of this collection focuses on the Girl Scouts’ activities in North Carolina, one scrapbook has a more global approach. Patricia Fields, a member of Senior Troop 27 from the Guilford-Randolph area, was selected to travel to Denmark to participate in the Danish National Camp as one of four representatives for the Girl Scouts of the United States. Over 8,000 Girl Scouts from around the world traveled to Eskildstrup, Zealand (the largest island in Denmark) from July 8th-17th, 1952, for the event. Each day started with breakfast of “uncooked oatmeal, bread, butter, and jelly.” Then, all the girls participated in a parade, marching across the campgrounds to a band while holding their country’s flags. Bible class followed the marching before the scouts broke for lunch. The afternoon involved games and lively competition between the girls. The camp’s theme was “Old Stone Age,” and the girls embraced it wholeheartedly; they practiced with bows and arrows, made clay dishes, and reenacted ceremonies.

Following the camp, Fields and her fellow American campers traveled across Denmark and other parts of Europe, like Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and England. The girls had the chance to see iconic landmarks such as Big Ben, Rembrandt’s House, and King’s Park before returning to America on the S.S. United States. After returning to North Carolina, Fields had the opportunity to speak about her experience in several newspaper columns and at events.

To see all the new materials from the Girl Scouts, click here.

To learn more about the Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont Council, check out their website here.

]]>
Scrapbook page with images of girl scouts camping and marching with Danish flags.
Scenes from a typical camp day

Thanks to our newest partner, Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont Council, twelve new scrapbooks and several newsletters are now available on our website!

Scrapbook page with ticket stubs, stickers, and ephemera from Fields' European adventure
Collection of materials Fields collected through her travels

While the majority of this collection focuses on the Girl Scouts’ activities in North Carolina, one scrapbook has a more global approach. Patricia Fields, a member of Senior Troop 27 from the Guilford-Randolph area, was selected to travel to Denmark to participate in the Danish National Camp as one of four representatives for the Girl Scouts of the United States. Over 8,000 Girl Scouts from around the world traveled to Eskildstrup, Zealand (the largest island in Denmark) from July 8th-17th, 1952, for the event. Each day started with breakfast of “uncooked oatmeal, bread, butter, and jelly.” Then, all the girls participated in a parade, marching across the campgrounds to a band while holding their country’s flags. Bible class followed the marching before the scouts broke for lunch. The afternoon involved games and lively competition between the girls. The camp’s theme was “Old Stone Age,” and the girls embraced it wholeheartedly; they practiced with bows and arrows, made clay dishes, and reenacted ceremonies.

Following the camp, Fields and her fellow American campers traveled across Denmark and other parts of Europe, like Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and England. The girls had the chance to see iconic landmarks such as Big Ben, Rembrandt’s House, and King’s Park before returning to America on the S.S. United States. After returning to North Carolina, Fields had the opportunity to speak about her experience in several newspaper columns and at events.

To see all the new materials from the Girl Scouts, click here.

To learn more about the Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont Council, check out their website here.

]]> Find It All in Railroad House Historical Association and Museum’s Latest Collection! https://www.digitalnc.org/blog/find-it-all-in-railroad-house-historical-association-and-museums-latest-collection/ Thu, 21 May 2026 13:55:00 +0000 https://www.digitalnc.org/?p=52072 With the help of our partners at Railroad House Historical Association and Museum, we are excited to announce the addition of new photographs, yearbooks 3D objects, postcards, and newspaper issues to DigitalNC. Our latest newspaper arrivals features 34 issues from the Lee County Senior High School Student Newspaper, which was printed under the title Panorama. Another student publication, the East Lee Junior High School Student Newspaper, made its grand debut on DigitalNC with the addition of the May 31, 1988 issue of The Jacket Journal. DigitalNC’s collection of The Sanford News Leader (Sanford, N.C.) also grew with the addition of an issue from September 6, 1962.

Image of a felt pennant from Sanford Central High School. The navy flag includes yellow letters spelling "Sanford Central" with a yellow vinyl hornets.
Felt pennant from Sanford Central High School (Sanford, N.C.)

More highlights from this latest collection from Railroad House Historical Association and Museum include two pennant flags from Sanford Central High School (Sanford, N.C.), several vintage postcards, 1776 Yesteryears: A Historical Sketch of Sanford’s Black Community by Margaret B. Murchison, and over forty photographs that are mostly from the early 20th century.

Postcard of a small town center, presumably Jesup, N.C., in the early 1900's. The town square shows people with horse-drawn wagons.
Wagons and Carts in Town Center

More information about our partner, Railroad House Historical Association and Museum, can be found on their website, linked here.

More materials, including yearbooks, directories, and more photographs and newspaper titles can be found on Railroad House Historical Association and Museum’s contributor page, linked here.

]]> With the help of our partners at Railroad House Historical Association and Museum, we are excited to announce the addition of new photographs, yearbooks 3D objects, postcards, and newspaper issues to DigitalNC. Our latest newspaper arrivals features 34 issues from the Lee County Senior High School Student Newspaper, which was printed under the title Panorama. Another student publication, the East Lee Junior High School Student Newspaper, made its grand debut on DigitalNC with the addition of the May 31, 1988 issue of The Jacket Journal. DigitalNC’s collection of The Sanford News Leader (Sanford, N.C.) also grew with the addition of an issue from September 6, 1962.

Image of a felt pennant from Sanford Central High School. The navy flag includes yellow letters spelling "Sanford Central" with a yellow vinyl hornets.
Felt pennant from Sanford Central High School (Sanford, N.C.)

More highlights from this latest collection from Railroad House Historical Association and Museum include two pennant flags from Sanford Central High School (Sanford, N.C.), several vintage postcards, 1776 Yesteryears: A Historical Sketch of Sanford’s Black Community by Margaret B. Murchison, and over forty photographs that are mostly from the early 20th century.

Postcard of a small town center, presumably Jesup, N.C., in the early 1900's. The town square shows people with horse-drawn wagons.
Wagons and Carts in Town Center

More information about our partner, Railroad House Historical Association and Museum, can be found on their website, linked here.

More materials, including yearbooks, directories, and more photographs and newspaper titles can be found on Railroad House Historical Association and Museum’s contributor page, linked here.

]]> New Materials From Jonesboro Historical Society Highlight the Garden Club and Book Guild https://www.digitalnc.org/blog/new-materials-from-jonesboro-historical-society-highlight-the-garden-club-and-book-guild/ Thu, 14 May 2026 13:55:00 +0000 https://www.digitalnc.org/?p=51981 Thanks to our partners at Jonesboro Historical Society, new materials from the Jonesboro Garden Club and the Jonesboro Book Guild, including scrapbooks and meeting minutes, are now available!

Cover for the 1979-1980 Jonesboro Book Guild
Jonesboro Book Guild Yearbook

Organized in February 1950, the Jonesboro Book Guild created a space for fellowship and conversation. Members took turns hosting and preparing discussions on the book of the month, and occasionally arranged guest speakers. One book covered in the 1979-1980 season was “The Journal of a Secesh Lady” by Catherine Ann Devereux Edmondston and edited by Beth G. Crabtree. The diary follows Edmonston’s life during the Civil War era, capturing her deep-seated support for the Confederacy and her hatred of the North. Crabtree, a North Carolina native and longtime staff member at the Division of Archives and History in Raleigh, spent over thirty years documenting and editing Edmondston’s journal to identify all the actors in the diary and make sense of the social and political entanglements of the period. The Jonesboro Book Guild kept several records related to this book, including newspaper clippings and an order form.

Page from the 1967 Jonesboro Garden Club scrapbook with images of flowers, cake, pillows, and an apron.
Page from the 1965-1967 Jonesboro Garden Club Scrapbook

The Jonesboro Garden Club also received new additions in this batch. These new materials include photographs, scrapbooks, meeting minutes, and programs. To read more about the Jonesboro Garden Club, check out a past blog post about their activities here.

In addition, this batch also has materials from across Jonesboro, such as diplomas, school awards, concert programs, and calendars. These items provide a glimpse into life in Jonesboro throughout the 20th century.

To see all our materials from Jonesboro Historical Society, browse their partner page here.

To see more materials from our friends at Lee County, click here.

]]> Thanks to our partners at Jonesboro Historical Society, new materials from the Jonesboro Garden Club and the Jonesboro Book Guild, including scrapbooks and meeting minutes, are now available!

Cover for the 1979-1980 Jonesboro Book Guild
Jonesboro Book Guild Yearbook

Organized in February 1950, the Jonesboro Book Guild created a space for fellowship and conversation. Members took turns hosting and preparing discussions on the book of the month, and occasionally arranged guest speakers. One book covered in the 1979-1980 season was “The Journal of a Secesh Lady” by Catherine Ann Devereux Edmondston and edited by Beth G. Crabtree. The diary follows Edmonston’s life during the Civil War era, capturing her deep-seated support for the Confederacy and her hatred of the North. Crabtree, a North Carolina native and longtime staff member at the Division of Archives and History in Raleigh, spent over thirty years documenting and editing Edmondston’s journal to identify all the actors in the diary and make sense of the social and political entanglements of the period. The Jonesboro Book Guild kept several records related to this book, including newspaper clippings and an order form.

Page from the 1967 Jonesboro Garden Club scrapbook with images of flowers, cake, pillows, and an apron.
Page from the 1965-1967 Jonesboro Garden Club Scrapbook

The Jonesboro Garden Club also received new additions in this batch. These new materials include photographs, scrapbooks, meeting minutes, and programs. To read more about the Jonesboro Garden Club, check out a past blog post about their activities here.

In addition, this batch also has materials from across Jonesboro, such as diplomas, school awards, concert programs, and calendars. These items provide a glimpse into life in Jonesboro throughout the 20th century.

To see all our materials from Jonesboro Historical Society, browse their partner page here.

To see more materials from our friends at Lee County, click here.

]]> Throw Pots, Not Hands! We’ve Got Additional North Carolina Pottery Content Available on DigitalNC https://www.digitalnc.org/blog/throw-pots-not-hands-weve-got-additional-north-carolina-pottery-content-available-on-digitalnc/ Wed, 13 May 2026 13:55:00 +0000 https://www.digitalnc.org/?p=52084 Couldn’t get enough of our last pottery batch? We’ve got more! Thanks to our partner, North Carolina Pottery Center, a batch filled with catalogs, exhibit programs, histories, letters, photographs, and more is now available on DigitalNC.

Various types of pottery on a table. To the right of the table stands an individual in a suit. The background is the side of a building made with wood planks and a window.
Herman Cole at Smithfield Art Pottery

These records are primarily vertical files containing various types of documentation related to individual potters and pottery shops. Among these include, but are not limited to:

Two individuals stand on a wooden porch, surrounded by pottery and jugs, with trees visible in the background.
Arthur Ray and Pauline Cox Cole
A person sits among various pottery pieces, holding a circular object, wearing a cap and a button-up shirt, in a workshop setting.
Joe Owen
Two individuals (left) are engaged in basket weaving, while one person is walking around (right) surrounded by various baskets and pottery in a rustic workshop setting.
Splint Basket Weavers of Blue Ridge Weavers, Tryon, N.C.

Learn more about the North Carolina Pottery Center by visiting their website linked here.

View more materials from the North Carolina Pottery Center on their contributor page, linked here.

]]> Couldn’t get enough of our last pottery batch? We’ve got more! Thanks to our partner, North Carolina Pottery Center, a batch filled with catalogs, exhibit programs, histories, letters, photographs, and more is now available on DigitalNC.

Various types of pottery on a table. To the right of the table stands an individual in a suit. The background is the side of a building made with wood planks and a window.
Herman Cole at Smithfield Art Pottery

These records are primarily vertical files containing various types of documentation related to individual potters and pottery shops. Among these include, but are not limited to:

Two individuals stand on a wooden porch, surrounded by pottery and jugs, with trees visible in the background.
Arthur Ray and Pauline Cox Cole
A person sits among various pottery pieces, holding a circular object, wearing a cap and a button-up shirt, in a workshop setting.
Joe Owen
Two individuals (left) are engaged in basket weaving, while one person is walking around (right) surrounded by various baskets and pottery in a rustic workshop setting.
Splint Basket Weavers of Blue Ridge Weavers, Tryon, N.C.

Learn more about the North Carolina Pottery Center by visiting their website linked here.

View more materials from the North Carolina Pottery Center on their contributor page, linked here.

]]> Elon Oral Histories Shine Light on Community https://www.digitalnc.org/blog/elon-oral-histories-shine-light-on-community/ Thu, 07 May 2026 13:55:00 +0000 https://www.digitalnc.org/?p=51930 Thanks to our partners at Elon University and the Power and Place Collaborative, new oral history interviews from 2018 to 2021 are now available on our website!

The Power and Place Collaborative is a community partnership between the African American Cultural Arts & History Museum, Elon University faculty and students, Burlington Recreation and Parks, Alamance County Libraries, and other diverse faith-based community partners and cultural organizations. These oral histories highlight the rich cultural heritage of Alamance County, especially stories surrounding the Civil Rights movement in the area.

Wooden sign from Lawrence Slade Park at Morgan Place, named after Lawrence Slade
Lawrence Slade Park, image courtesy of Visit Alamance

One oral history came from an interview with Lawrence Slade in 2018. This oral history follows Slade’s childhood in Alamance County growing up as a Black man in the 1940s and 1950s, and his relocation from Elon to Burlington in 1980 to open a barbershop. Slade faithfully served the community on the town board for twenty years, which led the city to name a park after him. He also grew up during segregation and the Civil Rights era, and a large portion of the interview centers around his reflections on this period.

To hear more about life in Alamance County, check out all our oral histories here.

To see all the materials from Elon University, click here.

]]> Thanks to our partners at Elon University and the Power and Place Collaborative, new oral history interviews from 2018 to 2021 are now available on our website!

The Power and Place Collaborative is a community partnership between the African American Cultural Arts & History Museum, Elon University faculty and students, Burlington Recreation and Parks, Alamance County Libraries, and other diverse faith-based community partners and cultural organizations. These oral histories highlight the rich cultural heritage of Alamance County, especially stories surrounding the Civil Rights movement in the area.

Wooden sign from Lawrence Slade Park at Morgan Place, named after Lawrence Slade
Lawrence Slade Park, image courtesy of Visit Alamance

One oral history came from an interview with Lawrence Slade in 2018. This oral history follows Slade’s childhood in Alamance County growing up as a Black man in the 1940s and 1950s, and his relocation from Elon to Burlington in 1980 to open a barbershop. Slade faithfully served the community on the town board for twenty years, which led the city to name a park after him. He also grew up during segregation and the Civil Rights era, and a large portion of the interview centers around his reflections on this period.

To hear more about life in Alamance County, check out all our oral histories here.

To see all the materials from Elon University, click here.

]]> It’s All About A-B Tech in Two New History Books https://www.digitalnc.org/blog/its-all-about-a-b-tech-in-two-new-history-books/ Wed, 06 May 2026 13:55:00 +0000 https://www.digitalnc.org/?p=51800 Thanks to our partner, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech), two fascinating history books detailing the early years of the college are newly available on DigitalNC!

In “We Will Move Mountains: The Story of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College,” author Kimberly Fox DeMeza organizes the first fifty years of A-B Tech into eras defined by the tenure of former college presidents Thomas W. Simpson (1960-1975), Harvey L. Haynes (1975-1990), and K. Ray Bailey (1990-2007).

Young men wearing red basketball uniforms and young omen wearing red and white cheerleading uniforms balance upon and lean off of a temporary structure against a wall of an auditorium. Three adult and and one woman stand in a row at the base of the structure.
Members of a 1970s A-B Tech Atomics basketball team, cheerleaders, and coaching staff pose in the Ivy Building, then used as an auditorium.

Joyce Justus Parris’s “The History of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, North Carolina” is a in-depth history of the first thirty-seven years of the college. Parris, a retired English professor and beloved community member, traces the evolution of the college through it’s first iteration as Asheville-Buncombe Industrial Education Center (1959-1963), then Asheville-Buncombe Technical Institute (1964-1979), to Asheville-Buncombe Technical College (1979-1987), and finally Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (1987-).

A black-and-white excerpt of text on the page of a book.
The final A-B Tech name change was selected by the Board of Trustees to align with naming conventions of the North Carolina Community College System; Parris captured the community sentiment that led to “Technical” remaining in the name.

A-B Tech’s main campus is home to several historic buildings due in part to it’s proximity to the Biltmore Estate; both books share photographs of these buildings and the interesting stories of how they came to be stewarded by the college.

One such building is the historic home Sunnicrest, the only remaining cottage designed by architect R.S. Smith and commissioned by George Vanderbilt. Smith was the supervising architect for the Biltmore Estate, home of the Vanderbilt family, constructed between 1889 and 1895; Smith established his own architectural firm in 1896, and patriarch George Vanderbilt continued to commission Smith for buildings in Biltmore Village and surrounding areas in Asheville.

Sunnicrest, constructed in 1895, was one of five rental cottages built across the Swannanoa River from the Biltmore Estate to overlook the house and gardens. Sunnicrest was sold to the Radeker family in 1911, and then purchased by the Buncombe County Commissioners for A-B Tech in 1990. In 2016, it was restored by A-B Tech and is home to the college’s Human Resources office.

Map featuring labeled locations of houses, roads, and landmarks, with black-and-white images of buildings marked at various points.
A hand-drawn map of the cottages on Vernon Hill, including Sunnicrest, featured in Parris’s history.
A color photograph of a large brown and white cottage against a blue sky with clouds.
A photograph of Sunnicrest, courtesy of Shirley McLaughlin, featured in “We Will Move Mountains.”

Curious about more stories from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College? Their contributors page features over 90 yearbooks, catalogs, and journals capturing the history of the college!

To explore more materials from community colleges across North Carolina, check out DigitalNC’s Community College Collections!

]]> Thanks to our partner, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech), two fascinating history books detailing the early years of the college are newly available on DigitalNC!

In “We Will Move Mountains: The Story of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College,” author Kimberly Fox DeMeza organizes the first fifty years of A-B Tech into eras defined by the tenure of former college presidents Thomas W. Simpson (1960-1975), Harvey L. Haynes (1975-1990), and K. Ray Bailey (1990-2007).

Young men wearing red basketball uniforms and young omen wearing red and white cheerleading uniforms balance upon and lean off of a temporary structure against a wall of an auditorium. Three adult and and one woman stand in a row at the base of the structure.
Members of a 1970s A-B Tech Atomics basketball team, cheerleaders, and coaching staff pose in the Ivy Building, then used as an auditorium.

Joyce Justus Parris’s “The History of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, North Carolina” is a in-depth history of the first thirty-seven years of the college. Parris, a retired English professor and beloved community member, traces the evolution of the college through it’s first iteration as Asheville-Buncombe Industrial Education Center (1959-1963), then Asheville-Buncombe Technical Institute (1964-1979), to Asheville-Buncombe Technical College (1979-1987), and finally Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (1987-).

A black-and-white excerpt of text on the page of a book.
The final A-B Tech name change was selected by the Board of Trustees to align with naming conventions of the North Carolina Community College System; Parris captured the community sentiment that led to “Technical” remaining in the name.

A-B Tech’s main campus is home to several historic buildings due in part to it’s proximity to the Biltmore Estate; both books share photographs of these buildings and the interesting stories of how they came to be stewarded by the college.

One such building is the historic home Sunnicrest, the only remaining cottage designed by architect R.S. Smith and commissioned by George Vanderbilt. Smith was the supervising architect for the Biltmore Estate, home of the Vanderbilt family, constructed between 1889 and 1895; Smith established his own architectural firm in 1896, and patriarch George Vanderbilt continued to commission Smith for buildings in Biltmore Village and surrounding areas in Asheville.

Sunnicrest, constructed in 1895, was one of five rental cottages built across the Swannanoa River from the Biltmore Estate to overlook the house and gardens. Sunnicrest was sold to the Radeker family in 1911, and then purchased by the Buncombe County Commissioners for A-B Tech in 1990. In 2016, it was restored by A-B Tech and is home to the college’s Human Resources office.

Map featuring labeled locations of houses, roads, and landmarks, with black-and-white images of buildings marked at various points.
A hand-drawn map of the cottages on Vernon Hill, including Sunnicrest, featured in Parris’s history.
A color photograph of a large brown and white cottage against a blue sky with clouds.
A photograph of Sunnicrest, courtesy of Shirley McLaughlin, featured in “We Will Move Mountains.”

Curious about more stories from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College? Their contributors page features over 90 yearbooks, catalogs, and journals capturing the history of the college!

To explore more materials from community colleges across North Carolina, check out DigitalNC’s Community College Collections!

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