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Since 1930, The Sanford Herald has been a leading news and information source for central North Carolina counties including Lee, Harnett, Chatham, and Moore. Still publishing today, their website states their mission being to “inform, challenge and celebrate the communities we touch.”
Taken by newspaper staff in some of the paper’s earliest years, this batch of photographs provides a wonderful look into life in and around the Sanford area. Agriculture in particular is heavily featured throughout with images showing tobacco in various stages, farmers, fields, and farm animals. Along with these are photographs showcasing local groups, individual residents, and events. While we unfortunately do not have any of the corresponding issues of The Sanford Herald available to be able to read the articles that accompany these photographs, nearly all photographs had the issue date and page written on the back.
Thanks to our new partner at the Jonesboro Historical Society, DigitalNC is proud to announce that EIGHTY new records are now available online for the very first time! These materials cover almost every possible aspect of life for Jonesboro residents, from wartime letters and community recipes to yearbooks! Located in Lee County, Jonesboro is now a neighborhood of Sanford, but retains a rich history and was once an independent township. The community retains its independent charm, and has a rich history detailed in the archival record. These new materials range from as far back as 1912, and are as recent as 1996. Mediums run the gamut from the conventional (programs, photographs) to the novel (cookbooks, bulletins). This batch has something for any Tar Heel historian, whether they’re interested in Edwardian fashion or the second world war.
Anyone interested in wartime narratives will be pleased to find an amazing collection of bulletins published by Jonesboro residents. These bulletins were circulated around Lee County, as well as sent overseas to soldiers. Each issue featured letters written by Jonesboro men sent overseas, and often updated their friends and family on their status, station, and well-being. For many families, these letters were often the only news they received on their friends and loved ones, and even those deployed expressed gratitude for updates on where their childhood mates were stationed. During the second world war, Jonesboro men were stationed across the world, including England, northern Africa, and in the Pacific. Home front experiences are also recorded in these newsletters, including prayers written by mothers and clergy. Also included in this collection are photographs of Henry Buchanan, who served in the first world war on mounted horseback!
Recipes and more can be found in the Jonesboro Methodist Community Cook Book. A photograph of Jonesboro Methodist Church. It is titled “Jonesboro Methodist Church Community Cook Book!”
For those among us interested in domestic histories, the Community Cook Book published by the Jonesboro Methodist Church will prove particularly appetizing. This book is a wonderful collection of recipes gathered from Jonesboro residents, ranging from soda bread to lobster. Each dish has the name of the community-member who contributed the meal, and they often provide written advice or histories alongside their family recipes. If that’s not enough, the book also provides advice for new couples who may be unaccustomed to hosting guests. The advice features details on setting tables, seating arrangements, silverware, and even proper etiquette once everyone’s seated. Also included are “household hints,” for easy preparation of common ingredients such as tomatoes, pecans, pie crusts, and sandwiches. While some of the etiquette tips may not be as prevalent today (the use of household maids is definitely not as common), this book is a delightful resource for anyone interested in cooking more Southern food, or for those wishing to become “better” hosts.
The collection also includes a wide range of portraits and photographs taken around Jonesboro. If you’re interested in cooking, learning more about the second World War, or just want to look at some gorgeous historic portraits, you can find the batch online now at DigitalNC here. Thanks again to our amazing new partners at the Jonesboro Historical Society for making these records available and for our partner at Lee County Libraries for connecting us.
This requested primary source set gathers reactions to the Holocaust and the oppressive and genocidal actions of Nazi Germany. Collected from newspapers across the state of North Carolina, these primary sources display a variety of reactions, ranging from condemnation to temporarily withholding judgement to thinly veiled support for the Nazi party. Some articles reflect on the United States’ own struggles with fascism and white supremacy, giving a warning to their readers of how easy it would be to escalate many Americans into violent action, especially with this country’s violent history. The discussion questions based on the set go from a basic comprehension of understanding the viewpoints represented to a deeper dive into historical and contextual analysis, directing us to connect these historical events to the present. Below are highlights from some of the newspapers included in the set.
This excerpt from the Bryson City Times highlights the pro-Nazi attitudes of U.S. Senator Robert Reynolds, shown by his rhetorical alignment with and support from Nazis in the U.S. and abroad. Reynolds, from Buncombe County, NC, had his speeches and stances endorsed by the German American Bund, a U.S. based Nazi organization. This article, originally from “The Hour,” was reprinted in The Charlotte News and then in the Bryson City Times. Here, we see both the sentiments of some North Carolinians that not only accepted but supported antisemitism, as well as the perspective of bringing these beliefs and those that hold them to light.
The Front Page (1979-2006) was an openly LGBTQ+ newspaper based out of Raleigh, NC. This article focuses on the denial and invisibilizing of gay and trans victims of the Holocaust and the global push to have the survivors recognized. Through this, we can see the perspective of groups of different identities that were persecuted by the Nazis working to have the scale of violence acknowledged, as well as how people in North Carolina felt connected to and supported these efforts. This article was published in 1980; the section of Germany’s penal code that the Nazis used and expanded remained in tact until 1994, and the LGBTQ+ vistims of the Holocaust were not recognized or given reparations until 2017.
In this issue of the Carolina Times, a historically Black newspaper published in Durham, NC, the paper covered an address by Mrs. S.W. Layten, the president of the women’s auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention, where she advocated for Christian support of Jewish people and relief efforts for those suffering under Nazi occupation. She warns that if those actions of genocide could happen to Jewish people there, they could happen to Black and African American people in the US, calling for solidarity between oppressed people. This paper provides an example of open calls for support of Jewish people and a rejection of fascism from religious communities.
The entirety of the primary source set shows other examples of different perspectives from the beginning of the Nazi party’s rise to power in 1933 through the efforts to have the Holocaust and its victims and survivors recognized. Like with many issues, people in North Carolina show a wide variety of opinions and ideologies that accompany them. By delving into these reactions and opinions on the Holocaust, we can better understand that historical moment and our current political and social climate. To view more primary source sets that pull together resources from DigitalNC, please visit our Teaching and Learning page.
We are excited to announce that new photographs from The Sanford Herald Photographic Print Collection at Lee County Libraries are now available on DigitalNC. In November 2023, The Sanford Herald (1930-present) donated thousands of images, spanning from the 1930s to the 2000s, to Lee County Libraries. This new back of material includes photographs from the 1930s to the 1970s that document Black community members, businesses, churches, and schools across Lee County. A selection of these photographs is featured below!
More photographs from this collection can be found by checking out our Black History in Sanford, Broadway, and Lee County exhibit here.
Visitors can browse even more photographs documenting Lee County’s history 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.
More materials, including yearbooks, directories, maps, and a newspaper title, can be found on Lee County Libraries’ contributor page, which is linked here.
Thanks to our partners at Winston-Salem African American Archive, we are pleased to announce the addition of materials related to African-American military and medical history in and around Winston-Salem, N.C. These latest additions are from two different records groups: the first one related to Kate Bitting Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C., and the other covering military history from primarily the 1940s. The majority of these new additions are photographs that document African American community care and service. 41 photographs from the Kate Bitting Reynolds Memorial Hospital collection and 25 photographs from the military archive combine for a total of 66 new photographs that are a must-see to DigitalNC.
Opened in 1938, the Kate Bitting Reynolds Memorial Hospital was the first public hospital in Winston-Salem to exclusively serve the African American community and ensure that African American patients had access to quality healthcare. The Kate Bitting Reynolds Memorial Hospital was also the first to employ African American physicians, who assumed complete managerial control over the hospital eight years after it opened. Additionally, the hospital played a pivotal role in teaching new generations of African American medical professionals through its nursing education program and its physicians’ unparalleled involvement in African American medical education around the city and region. Just years after it was built, the 100-bed hospital quickly expanded to 190 beds, making it one of the largest African American hospitals in the country at the time. Although the hospital ceased operations in 1970 and was demolished by 1973, its impact on Winston-Salem is far from forgotten and can be seen throughout the new additions to DigitalNC.
The military records and photographs pertain to African American service members from Winston-Salem and the short-lived Morris Field Air Base in Charlotte, N.C. Known as Charlotte Municipal Airport throughout the 1930s, the site of Morris Field Air Base was converted and expanded for military use by the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941. The base was closed in 1946, and the site would later become Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Two African American companies at the Morris Field Air Base included the 459th Signal Battalion and the 11th Aviation Service Squadron. The Morris L. Slaughter (128th) American Legion Post of Winston-Salem is also featured in these latest pictures.
A final treasure found in these newly digitized photographs includes the records of African American women who served during World War II. Featured on the left is a portrait of Winston-Salem native Savannah Johnson who served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps / Women’s Army Corps (WAAC / WAC) during the 1940s. WAAC, which was started in 1941, was renamed the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) in 1943 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved legislation to fully combine this service organization with the Army to allow these troops to serve overseas. Another picture of African American women serving in the Women’s Auxiliary Corps features ten women posed in uniform together. Also represented in the records from the Winston-Salem African American Archive are other essential roles that African American women played in the war effort like working with the United Service Organization (USO) and producing supplies.
More information about our partner, Winston-Salem African American Archive, can be found on their Facebook page here.
More materials, including yearbooks, photographs, maps, and additional newspaper issues can be found on the Winston-Salem African American Archive’s contributor page linked here.
Amongst intense Cold War tensions and political strife, UNC Charlotte students proved they knew how to have fun in this edition of The 49er Times. Events like Jam Up, the annual spring concert series, provided students with unforgettable musical experiences and a space to let loose before finals. Performances by The Average White Band and Aviator rocked the stage and electrified the crowds.
Similarly, the 49er Times reported on the fall activities fair, which started the 1983-1984 school year with several free carnival games, snow cones, and cotton candy. The packed festival introduced new students to the UNCC campus and brought together returning undergraduates for a day of fun and connection.
These fun events also helped foster community across the UNC Charlotte student community. Programs like the International Festival allowed students to connect and learn about different cultures through music, food, and conversations.
Despite threats of war, global poverty, and nuclear bombs, Charlotte 49er students made sure their collegiate experiences were fun and new. They embraced the present, cherishing friendships, academic stimulation, and their vibrant campus life.
More materials, including photographs, catalogs, yearbooks, and directories, can be found on the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s contributor page here.
Visitors can view more issues of The 49er Times here.
More information about the University of North Carolina at Charlotte can be found on their website linked here.
To browse our entire collection of student newspapers, select the “Student Papers” filter on our “Newspaper Titles” search page linked here.
With help from our partners at Forsyth Tech Community College, we are excited to announce that over one hundred new records related to Forsyth Tech and its students are now available on DigitalNC! This latest batch of materials includes student publications, weekly newsletters, news clippings, and college press releases from 1984 to 2020.
Some highlights from the collection include:
93 issues of Technically Speaking, Forsyth Tech’s long-running student publication
Issues ranging from 1984 to 1999 of Forsyth Tech’s weekly newsletter, Information Weekly
Forsyth Tech Community College’s 2000-2004 press releases
More information about our partner, Forsyth Tech Community College, can be found on their website here.
Information about Forsyth Tech Community College’s Library resources and offerings can be found here.
More materials, including yearbooks, scrapbooks, catalogs, and a newspaper, can be found on Forsyth Tech Community College’s contributor page, which is linked here.
Thanks to our partner, Buncombe County Public Libraries, our newspaper collection has gained a new title, the Mountain Xpress published in Asheville, North Carolina. This batch includes 68 issues of the paper from its very first “opener” issue in July 1994 to November 1995.
In their opener issue, they announce that the Mountain Xpress is a paper people will “reach for with pleasure and anticipation, every week, for free; a paper that tells you what’s going on and what’s going down, that knows how to be lively, outspoken, authoritative and fair; a paper that is uniquely Western North Carolinian [July 1, 1994, page 3].” In addition to providing comprehensive calendars of events, the Mountain Xpress includes reports on local news written by professional and nationally recognized, WNC journalists.
Highlighting the beauty of the North Carolina Arboretum in their April 5, 1995 issue, the paper breaks their typical pattern of published predominately in black and white. Along with highlighting the arboretum as a whole, the feature details the construction and history of what becomes the North Carolina Arboretum. The land the arboretum is built on is referred to as Bent Creek and was inhabited by Native Americans around 14,000 years ago. The Cherokee visited a seasonal camp there into the 1830s before “Colonel W. H. Thomas persuaded them to relinquish the area [April 5, 1995, page 14].” Once the land was vacated, white settlers bought and worked the land until it was mostly an eroded watershed. Years later, George Vanderbilt bought the Bent Creek watershed as an addition to his Biltmore Estate. He used it to experiment with the the newly developing German scientific forestry methods at the time.
The land was purchased from Vanderbilt in 1917 to be part of the Pisgah National Forest. With the Bent Creek Research Forest established in 1921, restoration of eroded fields and replanting trees continues into the 1930s. A majority of this restoration work was completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, specifically the individuals who worked at CCC Vance.
In 1984, local civic leaders in Buncombe County, garden groups, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill managers, submitted a proposal for an arboretum in the Asheville area. Recognizing the value it would have in the western part of the state, the North Carolina General Assembly allotted $250,000 for the development and building of an arboretum. The Bent Creek site was chosen from 25 candidates in the region, but won because the area was unrestricted by urban development; accessible to attractions such as the Blue Ridge Parkway and Biltmore Estate; it formed its own watershed; and, of course, the land was “free” (available from the federal government on a long-term lease). Today, the North Carolina Arboretum boasts 65 acres of cultivated gardens along with 10+ miles of hiking and biking trails, rotating exhibits, a variety of family-friendly nature activities.
First and foremost, a big congratulations is in order for our partner Richmond Community College, who celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2024! Richmond Community College was founded as Richmond Technical Institute in 1964 to provide technical, vocational, and higher education for students across Scotland and Richmond Counties. Although Richmond Community College might have had a couple of name changes, campus development projects, and major expansions in curriculum over the past 60 years, its core mission to serve the students of Richmond and Scotland Counties has always rung true. Richmond Community College, along with the 57 other community colleges in the state of North Carolina, play invaluable roles in providing high-quality, accessible education and opportunities for the people in the communities they serve across our state.
At DigitalNC, some of our favorite moments are when we get to celebrate our partners, whose collaboration helps us show DigitalNC visitors all of the communities and collective histories we share across our beautiful state. As we ring in Richmond Community College’s six decades of service to students in North Carolina, we are excited to announce that new records documenting Richmond Community College’s more recent history are now available on DigitalNC. Course catalogs from 2010 to 2023, as well as student handbooks from 2016 to 2024, join our digital collection from Richmond Community College that spans back to 1967.
More information about our partner, Richmond Community College, can be found here.
More materials, including yearbooks, handbooks, and even more course catalogs can be found on Richmond Community College’s contributor page linked here.
Visitors can also find materials from Richmond Community College and other community colleges across the state in DigitalNC’s exhibit, North Carolina Community College Collections.
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This blog is maintained by the staff of the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center and features the latest news and highlights from the collections at DigitalNC, an online library of primary sources from organizations across North Carolina.
