Wake County Genealogical Society Blog

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Wake Wednesday - NC Baptist Records

Browse North Carolina Baptist Church Records by Collection | ZSR Library
Links to early Baptist churches that served NC.

source

There are several Wake County churches listed in this digital online special collection. You may find churches of interest in other NC locations too.

Saturday, March 29, 2025

Yet More Beginning Genealogy Classes Offered This Spring - Raleigh Senior TechEd

Raleigh Senior TechEd will present a comprehensive three-part series on Beginning Genealogy, perfect for those just starting their family history journey. Let instructor Jennie Gunther guide you through the fundamental aspects of beginning genealogical research.

Course Details

Dates and Times:

Genealogy 101-A: Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 3-5 PM
Genealogy 101-B: Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 3-5 PM
Genealogy 101-C: Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 3-5 PM

Location: Overture Centennial, 600 Bilyeu Street, Raleigh, NC 27606 (Theater Room)

Cost: $10 per session

Genealogy 101-A: Basic Genealogy Research - Relatives

This initial session of a 3-part Beginner Genealogy series introduces the 3R’s of genealogy research – RELATIVES, RECORDS & RESOURCES. Class will cover: how and where to start; beginning the family tree with known information; interviewing Relatives; basic recording forms to document ancestral family history. Topics include: preparation of a Family Group Sheet, a Pedigree Chart, and basic organizational methods & resources. Attendees may bring any family information to start their tree.

Genealogy 101-B: Basic Genealogy Research - Records

Part 2 of the Beginner Genealogy series continues the study of basic concepts of genealogy research. This class will focus on Records that provide clues and facts to genealogists tracing their family history. Topics covered include: Census records; Military records; Land records; Church records; immigration records and others. Some hands-on exercises will be included to search online databases. Prerequisite - 101-A

Genealogy 101-C: Basic Genealogy Research - Resources

This is part 3 of the Beginner Genealogy series and supports the topics covered in parts A & B. This class will explore various Resources available to researchers – both “on-the-ground” physical sites, and online databases and training websites. Handout: a spreadsheet of useful website links. Prerequisite - 101-A and 101-B

Registration

To register, visit www.raleighseniorteched.org. Payment can be made online via PayPal or by check at the class. All are welcome, including those from outside the Overture Centennial community.

Friday, March 28, 2025

Save the Date - Next WCGS meetup Saturday, May31

Spring Meetup

Laurel Hills Community Center, 3808 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh 27612

Saturday, May 31, 10am - noon.

Family Oriented Genealogy Activities.

Thursday, March 27, 2025

2025 Wake County Genealogical Society Virtual Meetings - next - April 22

Join us!

Tuesday, April 22, 2025 @ 6:30pm – Virtual

Topic: Going Postal: Using Postal Records for Your Research

Speaker: Cynthia Gage, WCGS member and former webmaster

By 1831, 76% of US civilian employees worked for the Postal Service. There were more postal employees than soldiers. Maybe your ancestor was a postmaster, postal clerk, mail carrier, route agent or star contractor. What about a merchant or tavern keeper? This presentation will introduce you to online records for finding information about postal employees and will give ideas how to use postal-related “hints” to further your ancestor’s story, whether a postal employee or not.

Join us! Free and virtual!

*Please register by 4pm day of meeting.

*Please save your passcode and link for ease of entry at start time.

*Presentation starts promptly at 6:30 pm.

Link to register at the Wakecogen website events page.

Registration is now open!

Upcoming Events

View events page for details

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 @ 6:30pm - Virtual

US Census: Non-Population Schedules presented by Barbara McGeachy, WCGS President, Olli Instructor

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025 @ 6:30pm - Virtual

Squeezing All the Facts Out of Your DNA Matches presented by Kate Penny Howard, Director of Human Resources and Genetic Genealogist, DNA Angels

Tuesday, July 22, 2025 @ 6:30pm - Virtual

Creating an Ancestor Sketch presented by Thomas MacEntee, author, educator, founder of Genealogy Bargains

Tuesday, Aug 26, 2025 @ 6:30pm - Virtual

Revolutionary War: Moore's Creek Battleground and the Scots-Irish in NC presented by John Miles

Beginning Genealogy Classes in Raleigh Starting April 14, 2025

Barbara McGeachy, President of Wake County Genealogical Society, is teaching a series of in-person classes in Raleigh. These classes are in partnership with the City of Raleigh Parks and Recreation. Classes will be held Mondays from 10:30 am to noon in the large meeting room in the Laurel Hills Community Center, 3808 Edwards Mill Road.

Each class is $16 whether you are a Raleigh resident or not. Sign up for each class independently, although the first class “Getting Started!” is a pre-requisite for most of the other classes.

Barbara will teach 7 classes in the spring and early summer. Class limit is 40 students. Please share this opportunity with friends and neighbors!

Class list :

Note that the first class on April 14 is a prerequisite to most of the others. If you are interested in the others, you should be sure to attend the April 14 class.

Beginning Genealogy Classes taught by WCGS President, Barbara McGeachy

Date	Title
Monday, April 14	Genealogy: Getting Started!
Learn how to research your family history. Start with yourself and work back in time. Start with records you already have. Find records on-line to fill in the gaps. Learn how to record names, dates, and locations. Learn how to keep track of what facts you find and where you found them. **This class is a pre-requisite for many other genealogy classes Enroll in this class
Monday, April 21	Genealogy: Hatch ‘em, Match ‘em, Dispatch ‘em
Learn how to find vital records (birth, marriage, and death) which are essential to genealogy. Pre-requisite: Getting Started Enroll
Monday, April 28	Genealogy: Making Sense of the Census
The census records all Americans every 10 years, from 1790 to 1950. Learn what information is in the census and how to find your ancestors! Pre-requisite: Getting Started Enroll
Monday, May 5	Genealogy: Where There’s a Will
Learn about estate records, a rich source of genealogical information. Wills list heirs; inventory lists describe all the person’s worldly goods and their value. Learn where to find your ancestors’ wills and other estate records. Pre-requisite: Getting Started Enroll
Monday, May 12	Genealogy: Read all about your ancestors!
Local newspapers were the internet and TV of their day! Find wedding descriptions, obituaries, family reunions, arrest records, and lots more genealogical data. Learn where to find old newspapers online. Pre-requisite: Getting Started Enroll
Monday, June 2	Genealogy: Should I take a DNA test?
Why take a DNA test? Where can you take a test? How much does a DNA test cost? What are the pros & cons of testing? No pre-req Enroll
Monday, June 9	Genealogy: Understanding DNA test results
Learn how to use the results of your DNA test. We’ll explain the ethnicity report and the match list. Any testing company has similar results. No pre-req Enroll

The classes listed above will be repeated starting September 8. Additional classes will also be taught in the fall.

Please share this opportunity with friends and neighbors! Class limit is 40 students.

Any questions? Email Barbara president@wakecogen.org

Enroll online at
https://ncraleighweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/splash.html
Or stop by any staffed parks & rec center.

Online registration guide - click to enlarge. Search "genealogy"

Another way to find the classes online ( if you are on phone, tablet, or half screen on a PC)- From the link above, click the "Activities" tab.

Find the green "funnel" at the top right corner of the search page and click it.

Put "genealogy" in the keyword search and choose Laurel Hills in the location field.

Scroll down and click the green search button in the lower right corner.

Open the "Genealogy: Getting Started" tab. Enroll in each session individually.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Wake Wednesday - Holleman's Crossroads - an Opportunity for Time Travel

At one point in the not-too-distant past, Holleman’s Crossroads was a prime example of rural Wake County past – a tiny crossroads, a few farms, a store and a couple of churches. Progress, behaving the way it does has all but wiped the tiny community off the map. Even the sign marking the tiny community at the junction where four roads – Avent Ferry, Rex, Bartley Holleman and New Hill/Holleman - meet has been lost to an accident at some point. Compare these two images.

source

Google street map c.2021

The first image was quintessential pastoral Wake County. It could have been ten years ago or fifty. The second shows the same location overgrown, the barn barely visible over what looks like massive mounding honeysuckle vines. You can just see one remaining signpost standing silent sentry while the other lies mangled in the ditch.

Who drives by this spot nowadays? Likely folks that live in the new homes in the area advertised on Zillow, and those headed out to Sherron Harris Lake for some weekend fun. I hope they drive slowly and thoughtfully so they can feel the heartbeat and whisper of the old community which stood at this spot since early times and was bifurcated in the 1960's when Sherron Harris Lake was created.

J.W. Collins on Fendol Bevers Map c. 1878

Sherron Harris Lake bifurcated the community as seen on this current Google map

Fortunately for us, enough had been researched and written about this Holleman's Crossroads that much of the old footprint of the community still exists if only as paper and files.

Holleman's Crossroads was previously known as Enno and Collins in the past.

Here are some links you may enjoy browsing if you have ties to this community that has been swallowed by progress and Shearon Harris Lake and nuclear plant.

Enno on 1904 school map

Collins Crossroads on 1914 Soil Map

SB Holleman's Store and home in Buckhorn Township c.2008 Historical Places Registration form.

Site plan for Holleman's Crossroads c. 1967 at time of Shearon Harris development

Bethel Cemetery -

at Find a Grave; in Buckhorn Township in the Wake Cemetery Survey Image File Collection

Collins Grove Cemetery -

at Find a Grave; Cemetery Census; in Buckhorn Township in the Wake Cemetery Survey Image File Collection

Bethel was the earliest church in the area followed by Collins Grove. For detailed history on these churches and more see this article by Barbara Koblich at the Holly Springs Suburban Living Online Magazine.

The Holleman's Crossroads area of southwestern Wake County has been settled since the days of the Revolution. The Rollins, Cotton and Avent families settled and stayed for generations prior to the arrival of the Collins and Hollemans.

I hope you enjoyed this bit of time travel back to a place that represents rural Wake County!

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Wake Wednesday - Women who shaped Wake County and more

In honor of Women's History Month, check out these notable women of Wake that have been featured in the WCGS blog. Let's all ponder and appreciate these women with ties to Wake county that have left their mark, made lasting contributions, and left the world a better place.

Take a moment to acknowledge the women making history in your own family tree.