Wake County Genealogical Society Blog

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Reminder- Happening Soon - Feb. 11 - Q1 WCGS Meetup - Tour Johnston County Heritage Center

Mark your calendars and make your plans to attend two weeks from today:

Where: Johnston County Heritage Center, 241 East Market Street, Smithfield, NC 27577

When: Saturday, February 11, at 10am

Let's gather in person and check out the repository of records for Wake County settlers and ancestors before there was even a Wake County! Prior to its formation in 1770, the land we think of as Wake lay partially in Johnston county (also Cumberland and Orange, stories for another day).

The Johnston County Heritage Center holds approximately 2,500 books, 800 reels of microfilm, 300 maps/atlases, 100,000 photographic images, 600 private collections of books and papers, and vertical files on genealogy, biography, and local history. The focus for genealogical records primarily includes the eastern half of North Carolina and the Virginia Tidewater region. Todd Johnson, Executive Director of the Center has offered to give us a tour and help us get our bearings on searching Wake County Records.

Here is a sneak peek of all JCHC has to offer.

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Wake Wednesday - Latta University

"Nestled in Oberlin Village sits a small patch of unassuming greenery currently used as a neighborhood park. Residents use it for morning yoga, community cookouts, and quiet evening walks. You'd never guess it used to be part of a university attended by men and women freed from slavery on Raleigh-area plantations.

Reverend M.L. Latta House, the heart of Latta University

The last remnant of Latta University burned down in 2007, when the Latta House went up in flames. Rev. M.L. Latta was a slave on the Cameron Plantation, which comprised much of the land in and around the Cameron Village and Cameron Park areas of downtown Raleigh. When he was freed, he earned an education at Shaw University and established Latta University in Oberlin Village." - Heather Leah

Follow this link to read the rest of Heather Leah's account of Latta University and its place in Oberlin Village.

Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website - Homepage | WCGS Events | Join WCGS | Publications | Wake Cemetery Survey Images |Digital Resources | History Resources | More Links and Resources | Contact

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Wake Wednesday - Samuel Nathaniel Vass

I like to find interesting posts of Wake County origin to share with you on Wednesday, but when someone else does it better, my time and yours is best served by referring you to an original post.

Today I want to send you in the direction of the Wake Forest Museum blog where assistant director, Jennifer Smart, has shared the life story of early civil rights activist, Samuel Nathaniel Vass. She tells his story in all its shades of pain and inspiration. Please read here.

Favorite quotes:
“There is one thing certain and that is: We’ve got to live side by side, so why can’t we be friends, respecting the rights of each other at all times.”
- Dr Rufus Vass, Federal Writers Project interview.

"Here at the museum, we constantly search for our local African American history. Too often, we hit a dead end.It’s like sitting in a theater, waiting for the show to start. We hear the murmur of voices coming from backstage–men, women, old, young, all different ages and accents and dialects. Then the curtain rises and there’s this group of really dignified white men in suits. They are phenomenal talkers. Super smart. Sometimes they make speeches. But all the time, the only story they tell is their story. They never stop to listen to anyone else. They never even look around. And yet we can still hear those voices whispering.It makes us want to shout from the audience, “For history’s sake… look into the wings! If you can’t move aside for the next act, at least tell us what’s going on back there!” "

- Jennifer Smart

Read now. You will be glad you did.

Sunday, January 29, 2023

Wake County Genealogical Society Monthy Meetings for 2023

Join us for the next Virtual Meeting from WCGS!

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023 @ 6:30pm - Virtual
Topic: The Story of Rachel (Manumission)

Speaker: Diane Richard

One would think that if someone “freed” a slave via their will, their dying declaration would always be honored, but, unfortunately, you would be quite mistaken. Manumissions were rare in the pre-Civil War south due to very restrictive laws.

In this presentation we’ll explore:

(1) What Manumission is;

(2) Manumission Laws of NC through time;

(3) Challenges of Manumitting a Slave;

(4) Quakers and the Freeing of Slaves;

(5) the Odyssey of Rachel.

In 1782, Rachel was seemingly freed by her owner’s will, but it wasn’t until about 1800 that she and her children were actually freed and assumed a new surname. In this talk we’ll learn about the jurisdictions, entities, and parties involved in freeing Rachel and how the overall process played out.

This virtual meeting and presentation is open to all, but registration is required.

Link to register at the Wakecogen website events page.

Upcoming Events - view events page for topic details

Tuesday, Mar. 28, 2023 @ 6:30pm - Virtual

Topic: The Revolution and Finding Wake in Orange and Durham in Wake
Speaker: Mark Chilton, Orange County Register of Deeds and Historian with background in Geography

Tuesday, Apr 25, 2023 @ 6:30pm - Virtual

Topic: Putting It All Together: Making Sense of All the Research You’ve Done
Speaker: Robyn N. Smith

Tuesday, May 23, 2023 @ 6:30pm - Virtual

Topic: TBA

Friday, January 27, 2023

Online Learning Opportunities for Febuary - Black History Month

The International African American Museum is teaming up with the the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor for a series of Zoom webinars this month.

Here are the topics and sign up links provided by International African American Museum:

On February 4th at 1:00 PM (ET), we’ll be hosting a panel about African American Genealogy Challenges, where we dive into information about researching your ancestry.

On February 11th at 1:00 PM (ET), we'll be hosting a seminar titled “Getting Started with Lowcountry Genealogy” with Taneya Koonce, Deputy Director of the Center for Knowledge Management at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vicki McGill, Professional Genealogist and Instructor at the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI), and Toni Carrier, Director of IAAM's Center for Family History.

On February 18th at 1:00 PM (ET), we’ll be hosting a panel discussion with IAAM’s very own genealogist Darius Brown and special guests as they discuss the military history of the United States Colored Troops.

On February 25th at 1:00 PM (ET), we’ll close out our Black History Month Webinar Saturday Series with a panel discussion moderated by yours truly and featuring “accidental historian” Margaret Seidler about the Charleston Slave Trade.

Do check out both organizations' websites. They offer a lot of resources and learning opportunities for those researching Black ancestry.

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Wake Wednesday - The Great Trading Path

If you have Native American ancestors from Virginia and North Carolina, this link is fascinating. The Great Trading Path skirts the western edge of Wake county.

Visit this wonderful blog post at Native America Roots for lots of historic details and great maps that show the route of the Trading Path as well as a few surprises.

Did you know that there were buffalo in this area and that is "what originally brought the Eastern Siouan speaking Saponi from the Ohio River valley into this region."

Source

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Seeking input to save the historically significant Revolutionary War era McCullers cemetery in southern Wake County

Holt Anderson, Joel McCullers Hobby, and Tommy Broadwell (all McCullers descendants) are in the early stages of organizing a cleanup project of the McCullers Family Cemetery in southern Wake County. They seek other descendants and interested parties to assist in planning and executing the effort to clear the site located at Donny Brook Rd and US 401 south of Raleigh. The site is the burial place of documented Revolutionary War soldier, Captain Matthew McCullers and includes a total of 19 graves. An associated slave cemetery is located nearby.

Source

Matthew Jones McCullers (1759-1825) married Sarah Lane (1763-1843). McCullers served in the Revolutionary War and attained the rank of Captain. He fought in the Battle of Moore’s Creek (NC), Battle of Brier Creek (Ga), Siege of Charleston and Battle of Lindley’s Mill (NC).

View Captain McCullers Rev. War Pension file here - http://revwarapps.org/w7415.pdf

View the Cemetery Find a Grave records here - https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2242193/mccullers-cemetery

Known associated surnames include Adkins, Anderson, Banks, Heflin, Perkinson, Johnson, Lane, Nance, McCullough, and Rand.

If you are interested in helping plan and execute this cleanup project, please contact Holt Anderson. Please share this information with anyone you think may be interested and willing to participate.

Holt Anderson
17 Chancery Place
Durham, NC 27707-5001
919-740-8697 (Mobile)
919-489-9310 (Home)
holta@mindspring.com

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Upchurch and Allied Families Association Newsletter - 2023

For those of you following UAFA, here is the latest news.

Click on the link below to open the latest Footprints, the Upchurch and Allied Families newsletter.

January 2023

Topics include:

UAFA News & Information 2

Climbing the Family Tree By Hugh S. Watson—Jay Buck 3

Meet Dr. Tom Upchurch—Rotary District 6910 4

Charles “Charley” Westley Upchurch By Mae D. Cox 7

Military Column : All U.S., Civil War Prisoner of War Records,

1861-1865 results for Upchurch

DNA Connections : New SideView™ Feature By Brenda Carbon 21

Upchurch Foundation 23

Monticello Representative Ken Upchurch receives 'Friend of Kentucky Cities' award —Commonwealth Journal

In Pursuit of Dorothie : The Lost Colony Ship by Donald Paul

Upchurch

Risk of Autism Associated With When and Where Forebears

Lived By Anonymous

2nd Quarter UAFA Upchurch Trees Report—Linda Sparks

Tarheel Boys Woody Upchurch By Frank Tursi 28

Family discovers Raleigh house used to be owned by beloved

mayor by Chrissy Fishbane

Heritage Recipes : Upchurch Reunion Traditional Country

Sausage Gravy —Cindy Hale

View past UAFA newsletters here

Wake Wednesday - Cary Records online at Digital NC

Do you have ancestors and relatives in Cary? If you/they have been there awhile you will enjoy this new record set available online.

This attention grabbing Centennial beard and Parade schedule from the 1971 Centennial Parade featured in The Western Wake Herald in April, 1971 are just the tip of the iceberg of what you will find. Also included are deeds, land grants and other records, correspondence from Elizabeth Reid Murray, biographies, architectural sketches of some of the memorable historic buildings around Cary, and a whole host of photos and memorabilia that you did not know you needed to see.

Update from North Carolina Digital Heritage Center via Facebook:

"Interested in the history of Cary, NC? Research files documenting the change in the community from small farm town to major suburb of Raleigh over the 20th century are now online thanks to our partner Page-Walker Arts & History Center."

Link to NC Digital blog post describing the collection.

View/browse the record collection here.

Dig into this record set. I can promise you a few hours of fascination.

Thursday, January 12, 2023

WCGS Virtual Meeting - Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Join us as former financial investigator, Kate Townsend describes her process informed by her years doing financial crime forensics.

When: Tuesday, Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 6:30pm (Virtual Meeting)

Topic: Applying Investigative Skills from the Financial Crime World to Genealogy
Speaker: Kate Townsend

Kate started her career as an investigator fighting financial crime and, in this presentation, she will share thoughts on how the same skills and methodology used to investigate fraud, money laundering, and high-net worth individuals can be applied to your genealogical research pursuits.

Kate Townsend is an experienced researcher, investigator, and genealogist who turned her passion for family history into a business: Family History Investigations, LLC. Kate previously worked as an investigator in Corporate America. She brings this investigative know-how to her genealogical record sleuthing and analysis. Kate completed Boston University’s Certificate in Genealogical Research in Spring 2020. She is enrolled in ProGen 58. She currently serves as the Co-Program Chair of the North Hills Genealogists and the Chair of the National Genealogical Society Delegate Council Steering Committee.

This virtual meeting and presentation is open to all, but registration is required.

Link to register at the Wakecogen website events page.

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Wake Wednesday - Fort Family Builders

The Fort Family Builders, renowned for their carpentry and finishing settled in Wake county in the late 1700.

"...Frederick and Mary Ann Fort moved from Sussex County, Virginia, to Wake County in the 1780s, along with their son, William Knight. The younger carpenter sons, John and Elias, were born in Wake County and joined William—who was old enough to be their father—in the carpenter's trade, and they were probably trained by him as well. By the 1790s,William Fort was busy at his trade in Wake County, where he took several apprentices to the carpenter's and wheelwright's trades in 1798, 1804, 1809, and 1814. Another brother, Foster, also took an apprentice to the carpenter's trade in Wake County in 1804, but little is known of his work as a carpenter.

The Fort brothers' chief known work is the plantation complex at Fairntosh (1810-1822) in the section of Orange County that became present Durham County. It was built for Duncan and Rebecca Bennehan Cameron..."

The full family bio is here - Fort Family (1764-1845)

View detailed photos of their most famous work, Fairntosh.

source

Return to the WCGS Website

Thursday, January 5, 2023

WCGS - Wake Genealogy Watch, Winter 2023 - Newsletter now available

The Winter 2023 Issue (Vol.6 Issue 2) of our award-winning newsletter, Wake Genealogy Watch, is now available online for reading or download. You can visit the WCGS website or access through this link - Wake Genealogy Watch, Winter 2023

Features included in this issue include:

Details on a super OLLI class that will be taught by WCGS Member, Barbara McGeachy – Genealogy: Starting with the Basics

Links to a host of online resources that are outside the traditional research sites

A super timeline/map visualization video packed with historical context for the American First Colonies (1565 – 1700)
Family History Guides to each state that provide rich access to a world of records and research strategies from your pc or cell phone
The latest Enslaved Persons research resources
International research groups and blogs for Germany and France
Wake County Civil War Pension File links and useful Wake County map links

Highlights from our December NC Government and History Library tour
A Genetic Genealogy review of the latest tools to hit your match lists – AncestryDNA’s Parent SideView, My Heritage’s new match sorting options, and FTDNA’s new Discover tool and Time Tree. All exciting stuff!

Our handy events calendar will help you save the dates, so you don't miss a single moment of WCGS excitement.

Photo Note: If you choose to read a printed version of this newsletter, some of the photos will be difficult to view due to size constraints. Please refer to the online edition where you can enlarge the photos to accommodate better viewing.

Click this newsletter page link to view this and all past newsletter content.

We welcome your feedback, input, and submissions for inclusions in future editions. Please address all concerns to newsletter@wakecogen.org.

Visit the WCGS Blog for more events, late breaking news, tutorials, updates, and other special posts.

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