A batch of 41 yearbooks from Burke county has just been added to our site thanks to our partner, the Burke County Public Library. This batch ranges from 1948-1973 and includes yearbooks from 11 schools: George Hildebran High School, Valdese High School, Drexel High School, Glen Alpine High School, Oak Hill High School, Morganton High School, Hildebran High School, the North Carolina School for the Deaf, Grace Hospital School of Nursing, and Salem High School.

One thing that many of the Burke county yearbooks have in common is a shared admiration for animal mascots. In addition to the adorable tiger seen on the 1956 edition of the Impersonator from Valdese High School, you can’t overlook the endearing little guy on the front of the 1965 Calvacade from Drexel High School. (Though you may think he is a funny bear or perhaps a fox, further investigation reveals he is, in fact, a wolverine.) This set also includes a fighting eagle, a turkey, wildcats, bulldogs, and one fancy horse giving a knight a lift.

You can browse all yearbooks in this batch here or look through all of our digital yearbooks by school, location, and date in our North Carolina Yearbooks collection. To see more from the Burke County Public Library, you can visit their partner page and their website.