Saundra Cropps has assumed the post of Diversity & Inclusion Officer at WCGS. In this important board-level role, she will play a crucial part in making our society's goal of creating a welcoming and inclusive community for everyone looking to explore and embrace their family histories a reality. As the Diversity Officer, Saundra will work to ensure that WCGS programs and projects effectively cater to the varied requirements of the genealogical community. Please see the announcement at the Wakecogen homepage for more details of her new role and an additional article detailing our extensive list of resources for African American Research. Thanks to Saundra for keeping diversity topics on our radar. She is actively searching out and sharing content already.  Please consider these two events happening in early September:  Explore 100 years of History - Raleigh’s Unique African American Neighborhoods Exhibit September 2, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m The City of Raleigh Parks...

Piggybacking on the post about the fiery destruction of Raleigh's first Capital building in 1831 , I want to point you to this great article from NCpedia on the rebuilding and refocus of Raleigh that that followed. Forward thinking and the latest rail technology saved Raleigh's place in the history, politics and economics of our state and spared our state the former nickname of "the Rip Van Winkle of commonwealths." "Despite its position as a state capital, in the early 1830s and with a population of barely 2,200, the city of  Raleigh  was small and underdeveloped and had been struck by a series of fires. One of these took the  Capitol building  in 1831 and along with it citizens’ collective morale. Without efficient transportation and communication to connect it with the outside world, the capital needed reinvigoration. That reinvigoration came, literally and symbolically, with the arrival of the  Tornado , the first steam locomotive to enter Raleigh to inaug...

See all the details of the upcoming programs from The Wake County Historical Society at this link . Topics include- A Book Talk and Signing by Carmen Cauthen on the Black Neighborhoods of Raleigh NC - Sept. 11, free admission A Talk on the Historic Turner House by Cheryl Crooms Williams - Oct 10 Lessons from the Rosenwald Schools with Claudia Stack, Ed.M. & Richard T. Newkirk, Ed.D. - Nov 14 See all event details at this link . Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website  -  Homepage  |  WCGS Events  |  Join WCGS  |  Publications  |  Wake Cemetery Survey Images  |  Society Surnames  |  Digital Resources  |  History Resources  |  More Links and Resources  |  Contact

The Fall 2023 Issue (Vol. 7 Issue 1) 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, Fall2023 .  Features included in this issue include: Several updates including news about our Homepage, Journal, and a new Board Position – Diversity & Inclusion Officer. The Reading Room features a review and link to an amazing family history book written by Brian Griffis. You will want to read The Life and Times of Lucius Griffis (1839 – 1918) to see what Brian accomplished with his strategy of searching way beyond the expected sources for his Wake County ancestor who lived through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Barbara McGeachy shares an important FamilySearch tip for location resources. Instructions to access the Upchurch Enrolled Family files online. These files hold ...

By Carla Stancil, WCGS President   Wake Treasures is our multi-award-winning journal first published in 1991. Over the years, Wake Treasures has brought us a mountain of primary source documents with historical or genealogical significance for Wake County. It has also published primary source documents from related counties when there was no other outlet for those records.   As technology has evolved and record access has improved, the WCGS Board of Directors has made the decision to combine the journal with the WakeCoGen blog and Wake Genealogy Watch , our award-winning newsletter, to better bring our members and researchers the best possible resources.   To our current editor, Donna Shackle , we can only provide humble thanks for curating a wonderful archive of important Wake records and information. Donna has been editor of Wake Treasures for the past several years and has worked diligently to provide well-sourced and documented data and records that cannot b...

Grady Patterson grew up as a small-town boy in Wake Forest in the 1930s and '40s. His family was variously connected to Wake Forest College, as it was known at that time. His grandfather, James L. Lake, was a physics professor. His great-grandfather, Rev. Isaac Lake, was selected to be president of the college but passed on the job when his Virginia church congregation just could not let him go. His father, Grady Patterson, was the registrar and director of admissions. Grady remembered Wake Forest at that time as a "self-help school for the sons of Baptist ministers" who were required to bring two farm implements like shovels or hoes because half of each day was spent in manual labor, raising crops. You will enjoy reading Grady's article from the Wake Forest Gazette as he reminisces about large block ice deliveries, the hand-cranked "Central" phone system, moving pictures, soda shops, and other small-town joys and pastimes. Read Grady's article here -  J...

- Upcoming events, webinars and wikis in the larger genealogy community - something for all interests  Some of the items highlighted are local. Many are virtual.   I promise you will find a new skill to add to your genealogy toolbox!  You might want to add these to your calendar or to do list. Cemetery Cleanup Day at 1461 Purfoy Road in Wake County  Saturday, August 12⋅9:00am – 12:00pm; 1461 Purfoy Rd. Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 Harnett Chapel Cemetery -  The Harnett County Cemetery Preservation Group has scheduled a cemetery clean-up day in Fuquay-Varina. (This cemetery is just over the line in Wake County. Please help if you are able.) This is to work on repairing and cleaning the headstones and maintaining the grass and weeds. No need to commit to the full 3 hours, anytime you can stop by and join us is appreciated! We will again meet at the cemetery at 1461 Purfoy Road, Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. All volunteers welcome and those who helped before are i...

Enjoy this excerpt of a wonderful map that is available in the North Carolina Collection at UNC. Printed in 1867, the full map shows Raleigh as it appeared in 1837. Here you see Raleigh in all its "four square" glory. That would be Caswell, Burke, Nash and Moore Squares. Only Nash and Moore are extant today. source Notice that the four streets perpendicular to the capitol building are wider than the others. This was planned. A note on the map states that "Newbern, Hillsborough, Halifax and Fayetteville Streets are ninety-nine feet wide; the others sixty-six. Each lot contains one acre of land." The full version of this map also shows  businesses, l andowners, property lines, and public buildings. Be sure to view the full version of this map to read the inscriptions in each lot. There are lots of familiar early Raleigh citizens represented. It is also worthwhile to compare the full version to a current Google satellite map to see how things changed. Get the full veri...

Traditional Research  Elizabeth Shown Mills is the one to follow. A legend in the field, she brings a wealth of ideas and know how to break through those brick walls. Catch her yearlong series at Legacy Webinars. If you are a subscription holder, you can access free. If not, this series alone is well worth the fee. You also want to follow her blog at  Evidence Explained.com. Genetic Genealogy Research Diahan Southard is the hottest ticket in this field right now. She is everywhere and with good reason. She has a long history in genetic research and an amazing way of distilling a very complex subject into easy to understand small bites. Her blog is full of clear explanations, examples and short videos. Watch for her free webinars offered throughout the year and invest in your skills with her fee based learning including a skills workshop, YDNA course, Endogamy course and one-on-one coaching. Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website  -  Homepage  |...