Thanks to our partner, the Tyrrell County Public Library, several issues of The Tyrrell County Tribune are now available on our website. These issues are from the years 1939-1941 and include local news from Tyrrell County and the surrounding area.

The front page of the December 14, 1939 issue of the Tyrrell Tribune.

One interesting news story from the September 11, 1941 edition of the paper is the discussion of a possible state park being created at Cape Hatteras. Today, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore is run by the National Park Service. The park was established as the first national seashore in 1953. In the same issue, one headline reports the expansion of an airport at Manteo that would be the largest on the Carolina coast.

The front page of the September 11, 1941 issue of the Tyrrell Tribune.

For more information on the Tyrrell County Public Library, visit their website.

Thanks to our new partner, the Tyrrell County Public Library, several issues of The Tyrrell County Herald are now available on our website. These issues are from the years 1928-1929 and 1944-1945. The papers mostly recount local news in the county, with a few reports on major national and international events.

All of the newspaper issues from the years 1944-1945 are dedicated to “Tyrrell County Men in the Military Service,” as a result of the country’s involvement in World War II. Each paper includes a listing of citizens who were wounded, taken prisoner, or killed in action during their military service. Several issues from this period also include a section called “Service Men Write”, in which citizens serving in the military were encouraged to write to the paper and these letters were then published for the paper’s readers to see. Most of the messages include thanks from the servicemen for the issues of the paper that they are able to read and how they remind them of home.

Front page of the May 1945 issue of The Tyrrell Times.

A few of these issues report on national and international events and issues that might be familiar to those familiar with 1940s history. The May 1945 issue reports on the celebration of V-E (Victory in Europe) Day, marking the end of the World War II conflict in Europe. The August 1944 issue reports that schools were deciding when to open based on the polio epidemic, in an interesting parallel to current events.

The front page of the August 1944 issue of the The Tyrrell Times.

For more information about the Tyrrell County Public Library, visit their website.

The Tryon Daily Bulletin, January 17, 1942.

Another new newspaper title, The Tryon Daily Bulletin, is now accessible on DigitalNC thanks to our partners, Polk County Public Libraries. Known as “The World’s Smallest Daily Newspaper”, The Tryon Daily Bulletin delivered the news in Polk County, N.C., Monday through Saturday, as it continues to do to this day. Over 2000 issues spanning the years 1928 to 1942 are available to view, advertising local events such as church gatherings, political meetings, and events around town. Daily reporting made it easier for The Tryon Daily Bulletin to bring the most current news to the community, best represented by the “Curb Reporter” front page articles.

Curb Reporter, January 16, 1942.

“Little Church Around the Corner”, February 4, 1934.

To see all issues of The Tryon Daily Bulletin, check out our digital exhibit here. To learn more about the Polk County Public Libraries, visit their contributor page here or their website here.

The Air-O-Mech is a newspaper published at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (known at the time as Seymour Johnson Field) during World War II. It is now on DigitalNC thanks to our partner Wayne County Public Library. The paper’s first issue was published on January 8, 1943 and asked readers to submit a name for the paper and have a chance to win $5 if their name was selected. The initial paper also quotes Brigadier General Walter J. Reed’s support of the paper, with him stating “This field newspaper widens the scope of our news service. It will let you know about changes in Army regulations which concern you. It will describe the services available to you and your dependents through the Red Cross, the Army Emergency Relief and other agencies. It will tell you about your fellow soldiers, and pass on to you information on what is happening on the field.”

The headlines in the paper display both the humor of those stationed at Seymour Johnson as well as the seriousness of serving during the war, alternating between things such as “Hold Your Hats, Gang, All-Girl Revue is Here!” and “GI Wash Day Blues to End” (on a story about a new laundry facility opening) to “In our time of trial give us strength.” On the whole though, the paper definitely leans towards a light-hearted take on life on the base, and even includes in one issue a handy guide on how to get married in Wayne County where the base is located and the excitement over a new soda fountain being installed in the service cafeteria

The issues now on DigitalNC cover January 1943 to January 1944 and joins a number of other military newspapers on our site.

To learn more about our partner Wayne County Public Library, visit their partner page here and their website here.

Thanks to our partner, the Wayne County Public Library, we have added several issues of The Goldsboro News from the years 1927-1929 to our website. The paper included a mix of local, national, and international news stories from major world events to local festivities and events.

The November 6, 1928 edition of the newspaper (see below) largely reports on Election Day and the presidential race between Republican Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover and Democratic Governor Al Smith of New York. Ironically, the paper reports that specialists predicted that Smith would be the “easy winner” of the election. However, Hoover was elected that day to his only term in office, which would be marred by the stock market crash of 1929, less than one year later.

The cover page of the November 6, 1928 issue of The Goldsboro News.

The February 15, 1929 issue of the paper (see below) features the breaking of the news of several famous historical events. The headline for this issue centered around the infamous “St. Valentine’s Day” Massacre of seven gang members in Chicago that had occurred the day before publication. The issue also reported a happier historical event, the engagement of famed pilot Charles Lindbergh to his future wife, Anne Morrow, who would soon change her name to Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Just over one year later, Morrow would give birth to the couple’s first child, Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr., who was infamously kidnapped and killed by his abductors in 1932.

The cover page of the February 15, 1929 issue of The Goldsboro News.

For more information about the Wayne County Public Library, please visit their website.

The Daily Record, October 27, 1955.

A new newspaper title, The Daily Record, has been added to the DigitalNC collection thanks to our new partner, the Dunn Area History Musuem.  1134 issues spanning the years 1950-56 are available to view online, expanding our coverage of Harnett County, North Carolina.

Headlines, April 22, 1952.

Succeeded by The Dunn Dispatch, The Daily Record supplied the local area with publications on global and local news every Monday through Friday.  Major events reported on in this upload include the end notes of World War II, the beginning of the Cold War, the Korean War, and the 1952 Presidential election of Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon. While headlines often revolved around global politics,  The Daily Record notably made Klan arrests and court rulings front page news, as well as acknowledging moments of national desegregation.

Headlines, April 29, 1954.

Comics, November 11, 1952.

To view all issues of The Daily Record, click here. For more information about the Dunn Area History Museum, visit their website here.

West Craven Highlights, April 21, 1983.

Thanks to our partner New Bern-Craven County Public Library, DigitalNC is proud to host over 600 issues of the new title, West Craven Highlights. Serving Craven County, N.C., these newspaper additions span the years 1978 to 1989. The West Craven Highlights printed weekly on Thursday, documenting local happenings and celebrating Craven county residents.

Tobacco farmers, April 19, 1984.

The articles reported on issues pertinent to the area, such as the state of tobacco crops, local elections, and society news. This newspaper also covered the annual Strawberry Festival, which first started in 1983 in on Main Street, Vanceboro.

Question of the week, July 29, 1982.

Question of the Week, July 8, 1982.

Sporadically, the second page of each issue would save space for opinions and staff writer interest pieces. These stories were often narrative and personal; even a story on a new cat made the second page. Notably, Lela R. Barrow wrote her opinion piece “I Remember” for the West Craven Highlights for three years before her passing in 1986. Gail L. Roberson continued in her place with her opinion articles which were later titled “Eastern Echos” and then “Gail Winds”.

The Art of Doing Nothing, May 5, 1983.

DigitalNC is thankful to our partner New Bern-Craven County Public Library for this new addition to our digital collection. To view all digitized issues of this paper, click here. For more information about New Bern-Craven County Public Library, visit their partner page here or their website here.