The front page of the July 1, 1904 Richmond Headlight

43 issues of the Richmond Headlight have been newly added to DigitalNC and are available now. These are the first issues of the Richmond Headlight to be digitized and uploaded to DigitalNC, covering from March 1901 to September 1906. It is also the first newspaper on DigitalNC from Richmond County. Published as a weekly newspaper in Rockingham, the Richmond Headlight advertised itself as the “only Democratic paper in the county” at the time. As the newspaper folded in late 1906, this batch may represent the entirety of the Richmond Headlight‘s circulation still in known existence, completing the collection.

The Headlight provided local news for Richmond County residents, as well as updates from throughout the state. Rather than specifically focusing on the county seat, the city of Rockingham, it made efforts to include news from all throughout the county, from towns both large and small. Looking through the articles now, it is remarkable to see what news the editors and reporters believed to be important to contemporary readers. The “Local Column” announced what had happened in the previous week; in one issue, it noted the election of Governor Robert B. Glenn in 1904, the creation of a lodge of the Junior Order United American Mechanics, and made mention of one resident spending Sunday with another.

Adding the Richmond Headlight to our collection represents an invaluable resource in helping us learn about the lives of North Carolina in the beginning of the 20th century.  To view more newspapers on DigitalNC, visit our newspaper page.

Front page of the March 8, 1934, issue of The Transylvania Times

Issues from 1933 to 1940 of The Transylvania Times have recently been transferred from microfilm and are now available on DigitalNC. The paper, published in Brevard, North Carolina, recounts news from throughout Transylvania County.

As the “only newspaper published in Transylvania County” at that time, the publication includes information regarding local events, education updates (from both Rosman and Brevard high schools), notices of sales, society and club news, advertisements, as well as news from beyond the county. A regular section called “Scenes and Persons in the Current News” features international news covering topics such as the Spanish Civil War and the shifting hands of the British monarchy. Additionally, many issues include “The Sunny Side of Life,” a series of comics that regularly fill a page of the newspaper.

Front page of the “Special Fair Edition” from October 5, 1933

Significant local events are given special weight in this paper, such as the first county fair, featured in the issue from October 5, 1933. For that special issue, the front page features and the next several pages of the issue provide information regarding fair entries and advertisements for the best clothing to wear to the fair. According to the next issue, from October 12, the fair was a success with between four and five thousand attendees over the course of the two days.

“Great Throngs at First County Fair,” from the October 12, 1933 issue of The Transylvania Times

To browse more of our materials from throughout Transylvania County, visit here. Digitized issues of Brevard News and Sylvan Valley News both predate our holdings of The Transylvania Times, and we also have issues of The Echo, covering the nearby Pisgah Forest, available from 1940 to 1954.  Thanks to our partner Transylvania County Library for nominating this paper for digitization!

Front page of the August 17, 1917 issue of the Albemarle Observer

Eight issues of the Albemarle Observer, from Edenton, North Carolina, are now available online. Issues from the “only newspaper published in Chowan County” date from August to November, 1917, and cover news about individuals and businesses throughout the area.

Front page of the April 15, 1870 issue of Zion’s Landmarks

Fifty-five issues of Zion’s Landmarks, a Baptist newspaper published in Wilson, North Carolina, are now available online thanks to our partner institution, Wake Forest University. The issues, “devoted to the defense of the Primitive Baptists,” dates from 1869 to 1877. The paper primarily consist of letters to community elders and the paper’s editors, but also often include biblical narratives, such as “Ruth married to Boaz,” in the issue from October 15, 1871, or “David and Goliath,” in the issue from November 15, 1870, as well as announcements to the community of subscribers.

Other newspapers on DigitalNC from Wilson near that time period include The Wilson Advance (1874-1899) and The Wilson Blade (1897). To see more from Wake Forest University, you can visit their partner page here or visit their website for more information.

Front page of the February 12, 1926 issue of High Life

Nineteen issues of High Life, the student newspaper from Greensboro High School, are now available on DigitalNC, thanks to our partner, the Greensboro History Museum. Issues include documentation of significant events in the school’s community from 1923 to 1926, 1941 to 1942, and 1954. Articles cover subjects such as athletics and other extracurricular activities, social events, curriculum information, and social commentary. The newspaper also includes advertisements for local stores, opinion pieces, and cartoons such as the one below, included to illustrate the hope of a new semester:

“Dawn of a New Opportunity,” cartoon by Erich Nau

Though this is the first high school student newspaper from Greensboro to be available on DigitalNC, it complements several others from High Point, which is nearby and also in Guilford County. You can browse High Point High School’s student newspaper, The Pointer, here and other student newspapers from across the state here.

To see more from the Greensboro History Museum, you can visit their partner page here, or visit their website for more information.