Thanks to our partners at Transylvania County Library and funding from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), new editions of The Transylvania Times are now available on our website!

These new editions cover the years 1975 to 1996 and explore life in southwestern North Carolina. Residents of Transylvania County received their local, state, and national news from The Transylvania Times, which was faithfully updated semi-weekly.

The early July 1976 issues cover Transylvania County’s plans for the Bicentennial anniversary of America’s independence. The celebrations lasted three days and included free watermelon, a flag-raising ceremony, a softball game, relay races, and fireworks, among other events. The Transylvania community united to celebrate the birth of America through family-friendly events, although summer showers delayed some of the festivities.

The birthday celebration’s main event was burying a time capsule on the courthouse lawn. Inside, community members buried twenty-eight items, including the centennial issue of The Transylvania Times, documents from the Transylvania County Historic Properties Commission, and thirteen postcards printed with scenes and buildings of local interest.

To learn more about the Transylvania County Library, please visit their website.

To view all issues of The Transylvania Times, please click here.

To view more newspapers from around North Carolina, please click here.

Thanks to our partners at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Badin Historic Museum, as well as funding from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), we are excited to announce new issues of The Badin Tribune are available now on our website!

Ratified in 1919, the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution officially banned the production, sale, and transportation of alcohol in what became known as the Prohibition era. However, North Carolina had barred alcohol from the state twelve years earlier with a referendum vote. This did not stop residents of the Tar Heel state from consuming alcohol, though. Bootleggers transported the illegal goods across state lines, and moonshiners made money by cooking up their own liquor.

Located in Stanly County, Badin also felt the effects of Prohibition. These editions of The Badin Tribune from 1920-1921 report on the successes and failures of Prohibition in North Carolina. Residents saw the initial passing of prohibition law in 1905 as the success of state rights. However, Badin residents became antsy over the passing of a federal amendment, unhappy with the lawmakers in Washington, D.C., passing legislation for the entire country. An August 28, 1920, edition of the paper contains a heated response to this issue, arguing that members of Congress spit on states’ rights by codling extremist prohibition activists. The December 11, 1920, paper echoed a similar sentiment, declaring that although they supported prohibition, they feared the Anti-Saloon League was gaining too much power. The Anti-Saloon League was a political organization pushing national acceptance of the temperance movement. Their efforts were not received well in Badin; once the 18th Amendment passed, residents found the organization irrelevant and more of a nuisance than a champion of moral codes.

Although the Badin residents had their issues with prohibition fanatics, they did embrace the idea of a world without alcohol. The November 27, 1920, paper proclaimed that, like women’s suffrage, the law was “here to stay.” The September 25, 1920, edition reported on the new law’s success, reducing alcohol consumption by millions of gallons.

The addition of the 21st Amendment in 1933 repealed the effects of Prohibition. North Carolina remained a dry state until 1937 with the creation of the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) system, though bootlegging and moonshine remained commonplace.

To read more about Prohibition in North Carolina, read our article here.

To learn more about the Badin Historic Museum, click here.

To see all editions of The Badin Tribune, click here.

Thanks to our partners at The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough, we are thrilled to announce new issues of The News (Chapel Hill, N.C.) and The News or Orange County (Hillsboro, N.C.) are now available online!

These papers span from January 1915 to December 1944, covering local and global events, enticing advertisements, thrilling short stories, and uplifting sermons. Throughout all these editions, World War I and II loomed over Chapel Hill residents as a source of stress and anxiety.

World War I erupted across Europe after Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip assassinated Austria-Hungary Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The United States remained neutral until April 1917, when President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany after repeated maritime attacks on American ships. The decision to battle across the ocean in Europe meant that men would have to join the armed forces and fight.

The News followed the increasing American military presence closely. By May 10, 1917, large groups of male students from the University of North Carolina: Chapel Hill had already departed for Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, to report for duty. The front page of the paper’s May 31, 1917 edition has news of the war and messages urging men to register for the Selective Service. World War I began to consume the paper with more frequent updates from the front lines and continued calls for men in the armed forces. Those who could not serve were encouraged to volunteer with the Red Cross. The News was also responsible for sharing the draft numbers with their readers, with the selection taking up a two-page spread in the July 26, 1917 edition. The entire country felt the effects of the war, and Orange County ensured their subscribers had access to the latest news.

Stories about World War I did not disappear after Armistice Day. Peace talks soon occupied the world stage as leaders from across the globe arrived in Paris, France, to negotiate. The News reported on progressing peace talks across the Atlantic, sharing stories of fragile alliances and international trials. Allied powers placed the majority of the blame on Germany and used the Paris Peace Talks to assign heavy punishments to their enemy. The May 22, 1919, issue of The News reported on the Kaiser’s troubled trial and the German government’s staunch objections to potential treaty terms. Negotiations dragged on for a year, and by the time President Wilson returned from France in July 1919, the treaty was still not finalized. The News reported Wilson’s homecoming and desire to see the United States enter the League of Nations.

The US re-entered a period of isolation following the Treaty of Paris. Wilson’s dream to join the League of Nations ultimately failed, and America retreated from international politics. The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, thrust the United States back onto the world stage as they officially entered the conflict. The 1944 editions of The News highlight citizens’ war efforts and news from the front. The patriotic slogan “One Week Nearer Victory” is at the top of the front page of each edition in an attempt to inspire Orange County residents. Advertisements for victory gardens, war bonds, and rationing became weekly staples in the paper. Propaganda posters were commonplace in the newly minted The News of Orange County (renamed in February of 1944), reminding Americans to stay strong in their fight against foreign enemies. Once again, the entire country had become involved in the conflict and quest for victory.

These issues of The News and The News of Orange County highlight how world conflicts rocked American soil. Orange County residents sacrificed time, money, and men to support the American efforts overseas, and the staff at the newspaper were there to capture the stories every time.

View other issues of The News of Orange County on our website here. 

To learn more about The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough, visit their website here.

Thanks to our partners at the Appalachian Regional Library and Ashe County Public Library, as well as funding from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), new issues of The Skyland Post (West Jefferson, N.C.) newspaper are now available on our website DigitalNC.

These editions from July 1952 to November 1956 reflect the nation’s anxiety over the polio epidemic. People of all ages and genders faced illness and even death from the disease. Parents sequestered their children indoors, away from playdates and large gatherings, for fear of them catching the illness. Those who became afflicted by polio risked a life confined to the iron lung, a machine designed to help those with paralyzed lung muscles breathe. Although Dr. Jonas Salk developed a polio vaccine by the mid-1950s, the disease was not eliminated in North and South America until the mid-1990s.

The Skyland Post uses its platform to advocate for those who fell victim to the disease, especially children. Advertisements for donations for March of Dimes, an organization created to improve the health of mothers and babies, run throughout these new editions. Local organizations in Ashe County also pledged their monetary support to eradicate the disease. Entire communities came together to raise funds for March of Dimes through activities like benefit games.

News of the polio vaccine also bled into The Skyland Post. The October 20, 1955 edition of the paper declared hopeful news – limited vaccines would be available for children five to nine years old. Hopeful pieces declared that the vaccine may grant “life-time immunity,” and parents were encouraged to have their children vaccinated as soon as possible. After years of living in fear of polio, hope was finally on the horizon.

Information about the polio disease is from the Mayo Clinic website seen here.

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

To see what other materials they have contributed, visit the partner page of Appalachian Regional Library here. and Ashe County Public Library here.

To learn more about what the library has been up to, check out the Appalachian Regional Library website here and the Ashe County Public Library website here.

Thanks to our partners at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, we are excited to announce a new batch of student newspapers available online. This new group of papers spans from March to December 1983 and covers topics ranging from current global events to campus sports news.

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.

Thanks to our partners at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, we are excited to announce that a new batch of student newspapers from April 1982 to March 1983 are now available online!

This group of student newspapers begins by shedding its previous title, The Carolina Journal, and reintroducing itself as The 49er Times. The new name is symbolic; the editors created a space to foster inclusivity, discourse, and news for UNC Charlotte students and faculty. While every rendition of the paper has featured an opinions section, the new 49er Times returned the “Left/Right” column from earlier editions. This piece features arguments between two editorial board members from opposing liberal and conservative political views.

These insightful and occasionally comical columns highlight the realities of college students and the pressing political issues of the early 1980s. The debates in “Left/Right” range from the rights of labor unions to prayer in public schools and the potential reelection of President Ronald Reagan in the 1984 election. These students’ succinct and powerful arguments reflect the polarizing times they lived in, with the Cold War and conservatism still present in everyday life.

“The 49er Times” embraces the free press, publishing op-eds regarding the campus bookstore policies and the fear of a nuclear war. The newspaper became a venue for critical thinking, debate, and prose for students and faculty as they grappled with changes across campus and around the world.

Visitors can view more issues of The 49er Times here.

Visitors to the site can view all of our newspaper issues from UNC Charlotte here. 

To browse our entire collection of student newspapers, select the “Student Papers” filter on our “Newspaper Titles” search page linked here.