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Thanks to our newest partner, the Sanford Lions Club, almost 70 new programs for the Lee County Fair are now available on DigitalNC’s website!
The Sanford Lions Club began sponsoring the Lee County Agricultural Fair in 1938. Organized and chartered three years previously, the Lions were founded to serve the community and promote fellowship. The club contributes to numerous philanthropic efforts, with a particular focus on eye health and supporting individuals with vision problems. The Lions dedicated their time and monetary funds to causes like a glaucoma screening clinic, the N.C. Eye Bank and Eye Wills, the Leader Dog Program for the Blind, and Camp Dogwood, a summer retreat for hard-of-sight individuals. The club used funds raised by the Lee County Fair to not only fund these causes, but also to buy land on Colon Road and create a permanent home for the Lee County Fair.
These new programs highlight the various events, competitions, and prizes featured at the fair. The festivities included activities like cook-offs, a diaper derby, and pageants, including the Miss Lee contest. People could also buy and sell livestock, baked goods, flowers and plants, and poultry. More recent fairs also included amusement park rides and live music.
Make sure to mark your calendars for September 10-14, 2025; this year marks the 86th anniversary of the Lee County Fair!
To learn more about the Sanford Lions Club and its mission, check out their website here.
To see more materials from the Lee County Fair and the Sanford Lions Club, click here.
Thanks to our partner Caswell County Public Library, we now have a wealth of family history and genealogy materials accessible online from their collection. The materials which range from large family trees to family history files, to published family histories can be found on DigitalNC here. For anyone doing family genealogy research and have Caswell County relatives or ancestors, the Library’s collection is a fantastic place to start.
One of the more fascinating items we scanned for Caswell County was a set of very very large family trees, one of them over 4 feet long! The family tree is for the Descendants of Captain Robert Blackwell (1742-1813) and wife, Zillah Rice (1746-1818) through their son Carter Blackwell (1775-1835) and wife, Isabella Bracken (1779-1835). Robert Blackwell was a captain in the Revolutionary War and was a member of the NC House of Commons from 1796-1797. He owned 1,394 acres of land which was called “Stony Fork”, on Moon’s Creek in Caswell County.
To learn more about Caswell County Public Library’s local history and genealogy collections, visit their website here. To learn more about what they hold on DigitalNC, visit their partner page here.
The first annual Seagrove Pottery Festival program from 1982 lists the Piedmont region of North Carolina’s pottery tradition as being particularly unique in this country because of its continual tradition of pottery making, which dates back to before the American Revolution. Around 3,000 years ago—long before the influx of Europeans settled in the area—Native Americans used the diverse natural clay deposits to create both functional and ceremonial objects.
In the latter half of the 18th century, English and German immigrant farmers began settling in the Seagrove area and quickly realized the value of the area’s clay and abundance of firewood available to fuel their kilns. Farmers first and foremost, settlers were only producing functional wares such as bowls, jugs, roof tiles, etc. to earn extra income or to trade. These early pieces were redware, made from the area’s bright red clay, before eventually shifting to using grey clay from creek beds to produce salt glazed pottery by the mid-19th century.
In addition to having talented potters, there were key several elements that were crucial to the survival and continuation of Seagrove’s esteemed pottery tradition while it diminished in other areas. They include: the area’s abundance in clay, an ability to adapt and pivot to changing tastes and utilization, along with proximity to major travel ways (Great Wagon Road, old Plank Road, and eventual railroad system) which increased access to a wider market, and, lastly, strong family networks.
In the early 20th century, the pottery industry was seeing a decline thanks in-part to Prohibition eliminating the demand for jugs. But, in 1917, pottery lovers Juliana and Jacques Busbee brought about a new era. Seeking to bring Seagrove pottery to a wider audience, Jacques began shipping wares to a tearoom operated by Juliana in New York City’s Greenwich Village. They were so successful in their efforts that the demand led Jacques to establish Jugtown Pottery and hire their first potter, James Owen (grandson of one of Seagrove’s earliest potters, Joseph Owen), in 1922. Over time, both Jugtown and Seagrove pottery became known as “fine examples of traditional handcrafted American pottery” that wasn’t just utilitarian, but collectable too. Today, the Seagrove area remains a hot spot for pottery, boasting over 100 potters and 50+ family-operated shops, including well-known potter families such as the Aumans, Coles, Kings, Owens/Owens’, and more.
Among these records are photographs of several automobiles, like this 1916 Stutz Bearcat, owned by O. A. [Otho Alexander, or “Ote”] Corriher. Son of Lotan Alpha Corriher—former textile industrialist, Landis Mayor, and notable patron of Catawba College—Ote became well-known in his own right in for his sense of adventure, service as one of 13 pilots in the Civil Air Patrol in Manteo, North Carolina during World War II, interest and work with planes and automobiles, and a world-class classic car collection.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, leveraged his piloting skills to aid in the American war effort after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Ote applied and was accepted into the Army Air Force’s newly created Civil Air Patrol (CAP) organization. The first CAP base in Manteo patrolled the coast off the Outer Banks known as the “Torpedo Junction.” After the start of World War II, but before America’s entry, the Torpedo Junction became an extremely dangerous area for shipping. German U-Boats, unchallenged, were successfully sinking and damaging vital shipping boats. Often using their personal planes, CAP pilots would fly up and down the coast searching for the German submarines and sailors in destress. In addition, they also apparently conducted sea rescues, towed targets for military training, performed courier service, and help fight forest fires. After serving in CAP from July 1942 to March 1942, he spent three years in the Army until the end of the war.
From left to right: 1904 Oldsmobile, 1910 Mercer, 1917 Pierce Arrow Opera Coupe.
Afterwards, he reluctantly went back to his position as the treasurer for his family’s textile mill. But when Ote wasn’t working at the mill, he would build planes in his basement, convert used military planes he bought into crop dusters, and eventually, he began restoring classic cars. In 1951, Ote and five other car enthusiasts in the state founded the Horseless Carriage Club. The Club, according to an article in the August 4, 1955 issue The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.), was for individuals who appreciated and restored classic cars themselves using original, or parts handmade by the restorer. At the time the article was printed, Ote apparently had a collection of 24 classic cars. The six cars attributed to him in this latest batch are likely part of that group.
From left to right: 1916 Stutz Bearcat, 1918 Mercer Raceabout, 1921 Rolls Royce.
Thanks to our partners at the Jonesboro Historical Society, over 70 new records are now available. These materials mostly pertain to the Jonesboro Garden Club, the oldest active garden club in Lee County. The members of this organization dedicated themselves to philanthropic and educational efforts to beautify the world around them and encourage others to follow their lead. Other notable items include photographs and negatives of scenes and people from Lee County and beyond.
Among the materials for the Garden Club are five scrapbooks, over twenty programs, and three notebooks containing meeting minutes. The scrapbooks are beautiful, filled with photos of colorful flower arrangements and newspaper clippings about their wildly successful events. The Garden Club was a pillar of community for Lee County; they advocated against littering, planted trees and flowers in beautification projects, and promoted conservation efforts. The members also opened their gardens to the public during home and garden tours, spreading joy through local flora.
The programs and meeting minutes highlight the numerous activities the Garden Club held, as well as providing a record of the club’s officers and attendance. Each program also included the club’s constitution and bylaws, along with a list of current members. These new programs range in dates from 1946 to 1998.
The photographs and negatives depict images from various locations throughout Lee County and beyond. There are images from classrooms, downtown Jonesboro, as well as various homes and farms. Also included are photos of local businesses and people.
To learn more about life in Jonesboro, North Carolina, browse materials from the Jonesboro Historical Society here.
With the help of our partners at Harnett County Public Library we are excited to announce that 7 yearbooks and over 75 years of records from the Tea and Topics Book Club are now available on DigitalNC. 3 new years of Footprints, Lillington High School’s annual yearbook, are included in this latest batch. Furthermore, with the addition of 4 years of the Sand Spur, Benhaven High School is now represented in DigitalNC’s vast yearbook collection. The Lillington Tea and Topics Book Club was founded by a group of twelve women in December of 1932, and has become a longstanding organization in the community since. Apart from organizing monthly meetings to discuss books, genres, and literary themes, the Tea and Topics Book Club has also played an important role in supporting local public libraries through regular book donations and fundraising efforts. Across five scrapbooks, the history of the Tea and Topics Book Club unfolds through handmade annual yearbooks, correspondence, photographs, bylaws, and newspaper clippings.
More information about our partner, Harnett County Public Library, can be found on their website here.
Materials from the Harnett County Public Library are featured in the Talbott McNeill Stewart Photograph Collection exhibit, which can be found here.
More materials, including yearbooks, newspapers, scrapbooks, and photographs can be found on Harnett County Public Library’s contributor page, which is linked here.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!”
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.
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.
