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Hundreds of New Photographs Available in Latest Materials from Lee County Libraries’ Sanford Herald Photographic Print Collection

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A group of unidentified children fishing from a pier
Children Fishing

We are excited to announce that a new batch of photographs from Lee County Libraries’ The Sanford Herald Photographic Print Collection, along with four pre-1925 issues of newspapers, 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 our partner Lee County Libraries. This latest batch of 346 images joins a growing collection of photographs taken by The Sanford Herald (Sanford, N.C.) that are now accessible online through DigitalNC. The new photographs span from January 1950 to December 1952 and provide a visual history of Lee County during the early 1950s. The entire collection of new photographs can be found here, while select images can be previewed below!

A lake house is shown with the lake in the foreground.
Lake House
Unidentified painter with his dog and several artworks.
Unidentified Painter with His Dog
Two unidentified adults installing a sign for the Upper Cape Fear Soil Conservation District.
Upper Cape Fear Soil Conservation
A group of unidentified costumed children in a classroom.
Lots of Cakes
A group of unidentified costumed children in a classroom.
Costumed Children

The four newspaper issues from this batch are: The Advertiser (Raleigh, N.C.) – July 15, 1893; The Democrat (Rutherfordton, N.C.) – March 6, 1896; The Sanford Express (Sanford, N.C.) – June 23, 1898; The Carolina Banner (Sanford, N.C.) – August 22, 1922.

A group of unidentified costumed children in a classroom.
Billie Colebrook and Peggie Mann

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.

Sanford Women Give Back Through Autoshow

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memorabilia scrapbooks

Thanks to our partner, the Sanford Woman’s Club, five new scrapbooks from the Sanford Junior Woman’s Club, ranging from 1950 to 1960, are now available to view on our website!

A man and a woman stand in front of two vintage cars in a warehouse with giant stars hung from the roof.
Cars on display at the second annual Sanford Automobile Show.

These editions highlight the club’s involvement within Lee County and greater North Carolina. By joining the club, each woman dedicated herself to bettering her community through acts of service. The Junior Woman’s Club hosted numerous fundraising and volunteer events throughout the year.

Newspaper clipping with pictures of club members displaying a Volkswagon car on one side and a 1911 Empire on the other.
Members of the Sanford Junior Woman’s Club show cars.

One event the club hosted was an auto show. The first event took place in 1957, and the women collaborated with local dealerships to display several 1958 model cars, as well as sports and vintage cars. The event also included local girls from Central High School who sat in and displayed the vehicles. The girls wore outfits sponsored by local Sanford stores, an extra level of community collaboration. The event also featured raffles and exhibits from auto parts stores and tire companies, along with a surprise visit from Santa.

A newspaper clipping with an image of a Sanford Junior Woman's Club member smiling at Santa at the annual Sanford Automobile Show.
Santa chats with a member of the Sanford Junior Woman’s Club before the show.

The event was a roaring success, raising $553.90 with a profit of $385.49. The club decided to hold the event again the following year, this time featuring a parade of 1958 cars and a showcase for the new 1959 models. All the proceeds went to the North Carolina Children’s Home Society in Greensboro and the Caswell Training School in Kinston. The auto show became a staple event for the club, and they successfully held the event again the following year.

To view more materials from the Sanford Woman’s Club, visit their contributor page here.

To view more scrapbooks from across North Carolina on DigitalNC, please click here.

New Issues of Elizabeth City Newspapers Now Available on DigitalNC

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newspapers

Thanks to our partner, Museum of the Albemarle, and digitization of materials by Elizabeth City State University, nine issues of The Daily Advance (Elizabeth City, N.C.) from 1944 and 1945 along with a more complete copy of the May 30, 1877 issue of The Economist (Elizabeth City, N.C.) are now available on DigitalNC.

A microfilmed page of a newspaper. On the right side there are several large chunks missing.
The Economist, May 30, 1877, page 3. Old microfilm copy.

Prior to this batch, we did have a microfilmed copy of the May 30, 1877 issue of The Economist (Elizabeth City, N.C.) available online; however, this copy was a bit blurry, and was missing both large chunks primarily from the sides along with the whole fourth page. Though the Museum of the Albemarle’s physical copy of the nearly 150 year old paper was in much better condition than the microfilm, it also wasn’t complete.

Though it feels odd to say, we were fortune in this instance that the microfilmed copy predominately lacked outer edges, while the physical copy had several holes along the fold lines of the paper which omitted information from the middle or center areas of the pages. While the two copies separately were incomplete, the fact that when compared they were uniquely incomplete provided us the opportunity to piece together a more complete copy of the May 30, 1877 issue.

Scan of a physical newspaper page with microfilmed pieces inserted into spots that were previously holes in an effort to create a more complete version of the newspaper page.
The Economist, May 30, 1877, page 3. New, more complete copy.

To create this (mostly) complete copy, we first had to determine for each individual page whether the microfilm or print copy would be better as the base layer. This was based primarily on the completeness and legibility of the page. Then, we evaluated this selected base layer for missing pieces. Once these were inventoried, we looked at the “other” version of the page (the one not selected to use as the base layer) to see if it had sections that were missing from the base. Unfortunately, we couldn’t just layer both versions on top of one another to easily fill in these missing pieces. If the “other” version had the pieces missing from the base layer, we had to individually crop, resize, and orient each of those filler pieces into the base layer, making sure the text lined up between the versions.

To learn more about the Museum of the Albemarle, visit their website here.

To view more materials contributed by Museum of the Albemarle visit their contributor page here.

To view more newspapers from Elizabeth City, visit our Newspaper Collection here.

New Editions of Pinehurst High School’s Rebel Yearbook are Available Now!

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memorabilia yearbooks

Thanks to our partners at Moore County Historical Association, five new yearbooks from Pinehurst High School are now available on our website!

Individuals dressed in basketball uniforms both standing and kneeling for a picture. At the center on the floor are two basketballs that have the numbers 61 and 62 written on them. On the far right and bottom left are three individuals not dressed in basketball uniforms. The one standing on the far right is wearing a suit; bottom right is wearing a sweater and skirt; and bottom left is wearing either a top and skirt or a dress, along with a cardigan.
The 1961-1962 Girls’ Basketball Team

The yearbooks span from 1962 to 1966 and highlight sporting events, club activities, and classroom lessons. The Pinehurst Rebels were an involved group, with a multitude of clubs and sports teams for students to participate in. Both the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams were popular, and home games always drew large crowds. The Monogram Club, an organization for students who earned varsity letters in their sports, was also robust.

The 1963-1964 Future Homemakers of America. There are two rows, with the back row standing and the front row sitting at desks.
The 1963-1964 Future Homemakers of America

The Future Homemakers of America was another popular student activity. These meetings, like Home Economics classes, included lessons on cooking and sewing. The Glee Club also found popularity among Pinehurst High students, with a few students also participating in the Pinettes, a select singing group. In 1966, students at Pinehurst established the first chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America and attended the State Convention in Durham that year.

The 1964-1965 annual staff for the Pinehurst High School Yearbook
The 1964-1965 Annual Staff

Of course, no yearbook would be complete without a feature of those who brought the edition together: the yearbook staff! The team compiled photos, advertisements, and wrote blurbs to make each book better than the last.

For more yearbooks from Moore County, click here.

For more information about our partner, Moore County Historical Association, click here. 

New Issues of Seven Newspapers Now Available in Latest Batch from Granville County Public Library

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newspapers

Title design of The Deaf Carolinian (Morganton, N.C.).
Title design of The Deaf Carolinian (Morganton, N.C.)

With the help of our partners at Granville County Public Library, we are pleased to announce that new issues from seven different newspaper titles are now available on DigitalNC. This batch of newspapers includes local newspapers, like The Granville Enterprise (Granville, N.C.), school newspapers like The Deaf Carolinian (Morganton, N.C.), and speciality publications like the North Carolina White Ribbon (Greensboro, N.C.) which was published by the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. Also in this latest batch is a newspaper that is brand new to DigitalNC, the Littleton High School Student Newspaper, which was published under the title The School Visitor (Littleton, N.C.). Be sure to check out these latest additions from Granville County Public Library, which are detailed and linked below!

A poem entitled "Drag the Roads"
Drag the Roads poem in The Granville Enterprise (Oxford, N.C.), March 27, 1914, page 1

These newspapers, along with 11 other newspaper titles contributed by Granville County Public Library, can be found here.

More information about our partner, Granville County Public Library, can be found on their website, linked here.

More materials, including yearbooks, scrapbooks, maps, and ledgers can be found on Granville County Public Library’s contributor page, linked here.

Scrapbooks Detail Wake Forest University History

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memorabilia scrapbooks

Newspaper clipping covering Wake Forest College's move to Winston-Salem. Below the headline "Wake Forest College Hits Mid-Way Point In Move To Winston-Salem" are two illustrations of future campus buildings. On the left, a drawing of a large brick building shows the future Zachary Smith Reynolds Library. On the right, a drawing of an expansive building represents the planned Science Building.
Newspaper clipping from the Wake Forest University scrapbook, General News [June 1953-February 1954], page 39

With the help of our partner, Wake Forest University, we are excited to announce five new scrapbooks have made their way to DigitalNC! Spanning from July 1951 to August 1959, these scrapbooks chronicle Wake Forest University’s move from Wake Forest to Winston-Salem. Wake Forest College, as it was known at the time, was founded in Wake Forest, a town northeast of Raleigh, in the early 19th century. After operating in the area for over a century, the college moved to Winston-Salem following a donation of land and funding from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. The construction of Wake Forest College’s new home began in 1952 and the school officially moved to its new campus in Winston-Salem in 1956. The college assumed its current name, Wake Forest University, in 1967.

A photograph of the Wait Chapel under construction. The steel frame of Wait Chapel is pictured.
Newspaper clipping from the Wake Forest University scrapbook, General News [June 1953-February 1954], page 42

These five latest scrapbooks from Wake Forest University are filled with newspaper clippings related that cover student life, campus issues, and the move to Winston-Salem. Some highlights include pictures of campus construction and coverage of President Truman’s appearance at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new campus.

More information about our partner, Wake Forest University, can be found on their website here. 

Information about Wake Forest University’s Z. Smith Reynolds Library can be found here. Z. Smith Reynolds Library’s Digital Collection can be viewed here.

More materials including yearbooks, magazines, catalogs, and 20 newspaper titles, can be found on Wake Forest University’s contributor page, which is linked here.

New Editions of New Bern High School’s Bruin Yearbook Are Now Available!

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yearbooks

Thanks to our partner, the New Bern-Craven County Public Library, twelve new yearbooks from New Bern High School are now available! These editions of The Bruin span from 1961 to 1975 and showcase student involvement in the classroom and in athletics. The New Bern Bruins were an active bunch, with almost every student participating in at least one organization.

The new yearbooks include:

To view more yearbooks from across the state, visit our North Carolina Yearbook Collections.

A dark red cover with the words "Bruin '72" in bold letters at the top. There are four photographs on the front: the top left is a conductor directing a choir of bruins; the top right is an image of two students, the one of the left has their jaw open in shock and the one on the right stares into the distance; the bottom left is an image of a football team running across the field; the bottom right image depicts students raising their hands in class.
A dark gray cover with a red and white striped hot air balloon. The word "Bruin" is written on the balloon part with the date "1962" stamped on the bottom right of the cover in red ink. A small black and white bruin is climbing into the basket part of the hot air balloon.
A dark red cover with a cartoon bruin in the center. The bruin stands with its hand on its hips and holding a pennant flag with the numbers "73" on it. The bruin is also wearing a small cap on its head and a long sleeve sweater with the letters "NB" on the front. The word "Bruin" is stamped on the cover in the center in black ink.

Front cover designs for New Bern High School’s yearbooks.

The Ocracoke Observer Makes A Splash Debut On DigitalNC

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newspapers

Ocracoke Observer title design

Thanks to the owners and publishers, we are excited to announce that the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.) is now available on DigitalNC! This latest addition includes 154 issues, spanning from May 1999 to May 2025. The island newspaper is published monthly from March to December, and covers news about Ocracoke Island and its residents. Featured below is an example of the exciting stories that can be found in the Ocracoke Observer, but DigitalNC visitors should be sure to check out more issues, linked here, to discover more stories making waves across the island.

A story from the March 2021 issue of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.). Under the headline "Message in a bottle found on Ocracoke came from Canada", a picture shows an adult standing on the beach holding a small green bottle that has a letter inside.
A front page story from the March 2021 issue of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.)

To search through all available issues of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.), click here.

Information about the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.) can be found on their website here.

Gem Festival Comes to Macon County in New Editions of The Franklin Press and The Highlands Maconian

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newspapers

Thanks to our partners at Southwestern Community College and Macon County Public Library, as well as funding from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), we are excited to announce that new editions of The Franklin Press and Highlands Maconian are now available on our website!

A crowded room full of tables and wandering people observing gemstones at the 1966 Macon County Gemboree
A huge turnout at the first annual Macon County Gemboree in July 1966

Nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina along the Appalachian Trail, Franklin is a small town known for its gorgeous waterfalls and gem mines. These issues, dating from 1964 to 1974, cover a range of topics, including local elections, FFA competition scores, and local weather.

Two smiling teenagers stand side by side holding a trophy, ring, and flowers. On the left is Miss Ruth Nolen who is presenting the spoils of victory from the "Miss Ruby" contest to Miss Elaine Reece who is standing on the right.
Miss Ruth Nolen (left), winner of last year’s “Miss Ruby” contest, presents the new victor, Miss Elaine Reece (right), with a trophy, ring, and flowers

Taking advantage of the town’s precious stone industry, the Franklin Chamber of Commerce created the Macon County Gemboree as a way to boost tourism. The event first ran from Thursday, July 21 to Sunday, July 24, 1966, complete with a gem and mineral show, guest lecturers, and a “Miss Ruby” contest. The first Gemboree was a roaring success for the “Gem Capital of the World,” with over 2,500 people in attendance. Dealers and visitors traveled from across the country to attend the event, where they indulged in lectures and sparkling exhibitions. According to the July 28, 1966, edition of The Franklin Press and Highlands Maconian, the dealers estimated that the value of all gemstones on display was over four million dollars, or almost forty million dollars in today’s economy.

The event is still held to this day, with the next Macon County Gemboree slated for July 25-27, 2025.

To learn more about Southwestern Community College, visit their website linked here.

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

To browse more newspapers from across the state, view our newspaper collection here.

Student Writing and Dorm Room Decorating Featured in the Latest Materials From William Peace University

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campuspublications memorabilia photos

With the help of our partners at William Peace University, we are excited to announce the addition of new literary magazines from William Peace University and early 20th century photographs taken at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The four latest literary magazines, Prism [2018], Prism [2019], Prism [2022], and Prism [2025], join 97 additional literary magazines that were already on DigitalNC. For over a 100 years of student art and literature, be sure to check out William Peace University’s literary magazine collection available on DigitalNC.

This newest batch also includes some old images of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Taken just 30 miles up the road from William Peace University, these five photographs show the campus environment of William Peace University’s collegiate neighbor. In addition to pictures of still-standing campus buildings like the South Building, this latest batch also includes pictures of bygone structures, like Swain Memorial Hall, which was the predecessor of present-day Memorial Hall. Perhaps most interesting of these pictures are two from around 1903 that show dorm interiors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In one, a close up of a dormitory mantle shows dozens of pictures fastened to the wall and stacked on top of each other above a mantle. In another, the sitting area of a student’s dorm room is decorated with pictures and flags across the walls and door. Above the array of portraits adhered to the door is a small horizontal sign that reads “Pretty Girls Wanted!!”

A dorm room at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1903. The sitting area of the student's dorm room is decorated with pictures and flags across the walls and door. Along the top of the door a white horizontal sign reads "Pretty Girls Wanted!!"
Dorm room at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, taken October 15, 1903
Close up of the door featured in a 1903 picture of a dorm room at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Along the top of the door a white horizontal sign reads "Pretty Girls Wanted!!"
Close up detail of the “Pretty Girls Wanted!!” sign

More information about our partner, William Peace University, can be found on their website here. 

More materials including over 100 years of the campus yearbook The Lotus can be found on William Peace University’s contributor page, which is linked here.

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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.

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