Wake Wednesday - William Hill General Merchandising Store c. 1806

On Nov. 19. 1806, Hartwell Parrish, John S. Robeteau, Dury Brown, Isham Utley and William Spright, Jr conducted business at the William Hill General Merchandising Store. This account appears in an abstraction of the original ledger in the Wake Treasures Journal. This abstraction of the ledger Contains 250 pages, approximately 2500 names, and activities from November 1806 to March of 1807. The abstraction is divided into three parts appearing in Vol. 1, Issues 2, 3, and 4.

If you had Wake County ancestors living in the area in the early 1800's, this may be a record set you want to check out.

image source  (not original to Wm Hill ledger)

Journal access is a great perk of your Wake County Genealogical Society membership and a handy tool for those researching in Wake County remotely. Members have 24/7 access to the Journal. With 20 plus years of content, you will likely find the surnames and place names you are researching. Access the Journal issues directly in the Member Area after log-in.

Join for full access.

Visit the Journal subject index here.

This content is referenced with permission of Journal editor.

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

https://melstampz.blogspot.com/2011/03/happy-weekend-ledger-freebies.html

Celebrate Memorial Day by Researching your NC Ancestors' Military Records

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, began during the American Civil War when citizens placed flowers on the graves of those who had been killed in battle. After World War I, it came to be observed in honour of those who had died in all U.S. wars, and its name changed to Memorial Day. (source)

While modern tradition has us observing Memorial Day on the last Monday in May, from 1868 to 1970 it was observed on May 30 each year. Most of the free search days at the pay sites will have expired by now, but you can continue to honor your soldier ancestors with research using these free resources. Enjoy.

Discover the military stories of your Wake County and North Carolina ancestors with the help of this list.

Raleigh National Cemetery page at Veteran Affairs.gov -  general information page - includes a  map and search tool, and information brochure on the history of Raleigh National Cemetery.

Raleigh National Cemetery page at Find A Grave - includes 5,910 memorials.

Historic Confederate Cemetery at Oakwood Cemetery - webpage with contact info and hours of operation.

The Confederate Cemetery was included in the Wake Cemetery Survey c. 1978. The file is here and includes 59 pages of grave listings. This may be helpful as a look up tool before going to the Find a Grave site as the Confederate Cemetery is included with all the other listings. Find a Grave states that there are 1500 Confederate soldiers buried there.

WW2 County War Records finding aid, NC Archives, Military Collection - All counties. Wake County begins on image 90.

NC Military Records at FamilySearch Wiki - covers all wars from colonial times to Viet Nam, includes forts and brief descriptions of each war with resources included.

NARA National Personnel Records Center - Order military personnel, health and medical records stored at NPRC. Process details and necessary forms are here.

Military Records at NCGenWeb - various muster rolls, records, images, US Colored Troop Regiments. (note- there are a few broken links, but included for the ones that do work.)

North Carolina Military Records at LDS Genealogy - Included for the vast array of links pertaining to all facets of military history with online records clearly marked.

North Carolina Military Records Research Guide at Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness - extensive list of resources curated by war/time period. 

This NC military Rootsweb page is included for the links to all the National Cemeteries in NC.

I hope someone finds a useful clue in these records. 

"Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them."- Franklin D. Roosevelt

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The Meaning of Memorial Day

I want to point you to this very good article from familytree.com on the meanings of the day and just how the traditions can further your research. 

source

"Memorial Day was originally observed in the United States on the last Monday in the month of May. It was adapted from a holiday called Decoration Day that originated in the years following the Civil War. Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971.

The purpose of Memorial Day is to enable families to have a day off that they can spend honoring deceased relatives who served in the United States military. The traditional way to spend Memorial Day is to visit cemeteries and decorate the graves of relatives and ancestors who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines. A small American flag is placed near their headstones. It is also acceptable to place flowers in addition to the flag."

>>Read more here 

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Wake Cemetery Project Update

We have some very exciting news regarding the Wake Cemetery Survey Project video and our participation in the National Genealogical Society SLAM! Idea Showcase competition. Head on over to the Wakecogen home page and read the details. 

If you are at the NGS conference next week, be sure to checkout the SLAM! open house on Wednesday evening. Our own Cynthia Gage will be in attendance representing WCGS and the video.

View the NCS 2023 SLAM! Idea Showcase entries here.

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Wake Wednesday - NC State Capitol c. 1880s

This is what the State Capitol building and grounds must have looked like to your Great-great Grandparents on a hot August afternoon in the 1880's.

I bet it has been a really long time since an oxcart was seen there!

source

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Wake Wednesday - Seaboard Airline Depot

I don't know what state this location will be in when you read this. Since first writing this, the area around Logans/the old Seaboard Station has been a beehive of development and like as not the building will be gone. So sad. So many memories for so many Wake County residents. I have save this here so we can remember.

Original post:
We all know it today as Logan's Nursery, but in its heyday, Seaboard Air Line Railroad Depot was a bustling place. It was our gateway to points north and the sunny south.

Folks waiting to board train at Seaboard Airline Depot! (source)

Logan's now (source)

The Orange Blossom Special regularly came thru Raleigh.
(source)

Whether you passed through its walls to board a train, or had an ancestor who worked there at its height of popularity, you will enjoy these links that feed our "nostalgic for rail travel" moment.

Seaboard Air Line wiki - with lots of great images

Raleigh's Rail History Hidden off Capital Boulevard - Don't miss the arial photos and insurance map.

Original Seaboard Coast Line Station in Downtown Raleigh c. 1862


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Wake Wednesday - The Wake Weekly: local newspaper now digital

The Wake Forest Historical Museum has shared its collection of The Wake Weekly in order to make them available digitally online. The collection is now live and ready for viewing. At NC Digital, you will find issues for 1952 and 1960 - 1962. 

source

Will you browse for ancestors or for nostalgia? It is all good. 

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Surname Searching Wakecogen-style!

Members take advantage of the Surname file in your WCGS profile. Visitors follow the link at the end of this post to find others researching your surnames. (Not limited to Wake County ancestors or residents)

Add your Surname list to your WCGS Website account

By Cynthia Gage, WCGS Webmaster

Reprinted from the Winter 2018 Issue of Wake Genealogy Watch - the newsletter of WCGS:

Have you entered your surnames onto the Wake County Genealogical Society website?  This is a member benefit, and it’s a great way for others to find your names and get in contact with you while preserving your privacy.  And it’s easy to do! 

Here’s how!

Click on image to view larger!

After logging in, select the “Profile” submenu under the “Members Area”.  Then select the surname tab.  To enter a surname, click on the “+” button on the top right.  Fill in the requested information and save.  Besides the information shown above, the surname input screen has a field for alternate spellings and one for any other comments both of which will be available for visitors to see. 

As shown, it is recommended that there is only one surname, one county, and one state per line entry to optimize the success of visitors in finding your names.  However, the only required information on the surname input screen is the surname itself.  The rest can be left blank if you choose.  Once you have entered your surnames, you can always come back later and add more information by clicking on the pencil icon beside the surname.

Now that you have your names entered, here is what visitors will be able to see and do.   From the Surname page on the main website, visitors can search for the surname of their interest. 

Click on image to view larger!

In this example, two lines have been found.  For the first listing (Ingham), the surname which was searched (Ingram) had been included in the alternate spelling area when the member entered the data.  By clicking on the “eye”, the visitor will see all the details for the selection, including the alternate spellings and any other comments which the member entered onto the surname listing.  If the visitor wishes to contact the member associated with the surname, they can click the “envelope” to send an email.  Their message will go to the member’s email address on record.  Note that for the privacy of our members the email pop-up does NOT show the email address of the member.  However, the visitor is required to enter their email address in order to send a message.  Thus the member can review and then choose whether to respond to the message from their email server.

Click on image to view larger!

Since these messages will come to your inbox, be sure that WCGS has your correct email address, or you may lose out on receiving messages from others who are researching your ancestors!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at webmaster@wakecogen.org.

NOTE: For clearest images see original newsletter version here.

Visit the Surname page at Wakecogen Website!

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Wake Genealogy Watch - Summer Edition 2023, v6.4 - Live Now at our website

The Summer 2023 Issue (Vol.6 Issue 4) of our award-winning newsletter, Wake Genealogy Watch, is now available online for reading or download. You can download the latest newsletter through this link – Wake Genealogy Watch, Summer 2023

Features included in this issue include:

• Christopher H Robertson shares his latest ebook recounting his Carolina Robertson ancestors and a wealth of information on 19th Century military activities, race relation issues, and formation of the Army National Guard.
• An underused resource on NC Schools and Academies, 1790-1840 with focus on Wake County records and John Chavis a black educator, Presbyterian minister and Rev War soldier who ran a school for white and free colored children in Wake County from 1808 to 1828.
• A DNA feature highlights two new tools, a twist on an existing tool, and a host of webinars produced for DNA Day and available to watch for free.
• Details from Mackiev.com on the persistent sync issues between Ancestry and Family Tree Maker.
• Carla Stancil reports on the Order of First Families of North Carolina, a lineage society whose members descend from settlers who arrived in the Province of Carolina prior to 1729.
• Three featured articles from the NC Civil War & Reconstruction History Center collection.
• A packed summer calendar that includes our own great line up along with events from the NC Genealogical Society and the National Genealogical Society.
• A query asking for assistance in finding long lost family in our area. Please help if you can.

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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Wake Wednesday - Journal Treasures - Insolvent Debtor Abstracts

Records for Insolvent debtors in Wake County, individuals unable to pay their debts were abstracted from the box of “Wake County “Insolvent Debtors 1800-1837 (broken series).” The box is located at the N.C. State Archives’ search room, with call number CR 099.914.11. 
This series originally appeared in an older version of the WCGS newletter and was republished in the Journal Volume 18 Number 2 (Summer/Fall 2008) to enable access for researchers. This excerpt and additional information is available online to WCGS subscribers.


From the folder “Insolvent debtors 1800, 1803,” there is a document showing the following abstracted information: 

“… We or either of us promise to pay Thomas Taylor Guardian to James Ridley … Seventy nine Dollars and Twenty Cents with Interest from the date, It being for value of him rec’d …” Dated 18 March 1800. 
Witness                                                       Nicholas Tompson? 
D. Hinton                                                    Benj. Haver? (House?) 
                                                                    Rubin N? (his mark) Jackson 

The back of this document says “Thomas Taylor vs Nicholas Thompson Guard. Note.” and “Nicholas Thompson To James Ridley Note 79.20 cents.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another document in that folder shows that Burwell Evans swears he has no land, money, stock or estate, real or personal, in his possession … “of the value of the debt, with which I am charged in Execution…” 

He also swears that he has not directly or indirectly sold or disposed of land, money, goods, stocks, debts, securities, contracts or estate (as a method of receiving any profit or of defrauding any creditor or creditors to whom he is indebted). 

Burwell (his mark, a “B”) Evans 

Sworn in Wake County before Wm. Armstrong? on April 22, 1803.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many more names appear in this transcription. There are four pages of abstracts for this collection and nine pages of debtors transcribed and listed by township for the year 1877.

Visit the Journal subject index here.

Journal access is a great perk of your Wake County Genealogical Society membership and a handy tool for those researching in Wake County remotely. Members have 24/7 access to the Journal. With 20 plus years of content, you will likely find the surnames and place names you are researching. Access the Journal issues directly in the Member Area after log-in.

Join for full access.

This content is referenced with permission of Journal editor.

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