source "...Olivia Raney Library, once known as Raleigh’s 'Taj Mahal.' The beautifully detailed Italian Renaissance building was erected in 1899, but sadly, this Hillsboro St. landmark is now long gone." It was replaced by the more modern version at 4016 Carya Dr in Raleigh in the mid 60's. The current building under went renovations in 2020 - 2021. Many lovely relics of the original, including the tops of the Italianate columns, exist inside the entryway of current building. I sincerely hope that all these mementos of Raleigh past were preserved in the makeover. Visit Good Night Raleigh for the back story and some wonderful old photos of the original ORL that stood at the corner of Hillsborough and Salisbury Streets. Olivia Raney Library, Raleigh, NC  08/17/12 Olivia Raney Library, Raleigh, NC  04/11/2014 Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website  -  Homepage  |  WCGS Events  |  Join WCGS  |  Publications  |...

Wake County Genealogical Society is grateful for our members, volunteers, followers, virtual meeting/presentation participants, and our leaders. Your interest and support keep us going strong! There is alway more to discover. Contact us via info@wakecogen.org if you want to become more involved at Wakecogen. Your discoveries mean so much more when you are sharing them with friends. Enjoy your family and friends at your gatherings. Safe travels.  Don't forget to record or otherwise preserve your family history and memories. Grab all you can this holiday season. Stay tuned for a special article on a novel way to write and present your family history in the next Wake Genealogy Watch newsletter that publishes in December.  Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website  -  Homepage  |  WCGS Events  |  Join WCGS  |  Publications  |  Wake Cemetery Survey Images  | Digital Resources  |  History Resources  | ...

In late October, UNC Chapel Hill Libraries announced that Wilson Library,   will be closed to the public and staff for a few years. A phased closure is expected to begin in August 2024 and  last  approximately three years.    While this closure affects many records and holdings needed for genealogical research, there will be accommodations made to keep records available. The   DigitalNC blogpost about the project states:   “During this time, critical updates will be made to the building including extending sprinkler coverage, creating emergency egress stairs, and upgrading the fire alarm system. NCDHC staff and the equipment we use will be relocated during much of this time.   We wanted to make sure you know that our services will continue, though we may have to make some adjustments regarding capacity. We’ll be back in touch with updates as plans develop.   If you have questions related to NCDHC operations, feel free to contact...

" Pilgrims held their second Thanksgiving celebration in 1623 to mark the end of a long drought that had threatened the year’s harvest and prompted Governor Bradford to call for a religious fast. Days of fasting and thanksgiving on an annual or occasional basis became common practice in other New England settlements as well. " - History.com If you are feeling overwhelmed with the early appearance of "Commercialmas" like I am, enjoy this Thankgiving Reader and push back on the retail encroachment on this season that we all really need to reflect on and respect. No matter whether you see the survivor settlers or the Native Americans who graciously contributed to their survival as the winners, we need to reflect on the solemn nature of this feast day and the reminder that we are all small parts of the village that saves us and we can't be a village if we all work at cross purposes. Enjoy this look at Thanksgiving through the lens of its history, traditions, and foo...

For years, The Carolina Crossroads post was the only thing I found on Williams Crossroads. My sleuthing must have improved because I have found several other mentions of this all but forgotten speck of rural Wake County. Now I can add a list of cemeteries near there and some great references from some National Register of Historic Places Documentation forms. Williams X roads  - check out the feature at Carolina Crossroads! In the process of hunting for information on Williams Crossroads, I discovered one of my favorite ever overlooked documents types for researching family history - historical and architectural surveys. I had bumped into a few of these in researching for the Wake Cemetery Survey project and found them very useful so my spidey senses were tingling when I found a reference to Williams Crossroads in a multi-location document that has become a constant fascination as I search for content, context and historically relevant material for the blog.   I found a ...

Join Robyn N. Smith, genealogist and blogger at Reclaiming Kin , on Sunday, November 19 at 1pm EST for her webinar and live demo on the topic of , "Researching Your Family in State Court Records." This webinar will illustrate how to navigate state court records effectively. Attendees will learn through extensive examples what information court records hold about our ancestors and the communities where they lived, including the lives of the enslaved.  At over an hour long, this is more of a workshop. There will be a live demo after the webinar using Familysearch.  Attendees will receive a link to re-watch this webinar for one month afterwards. All attendees will also receive a free copy of Robyn's PDF, "Beginner's Guide to Using Court Records," a $12 value. The registration fee is $15. Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/3zv9ehmc Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website  -  Homepage  |  WCGS Events  |  Join WCGS  |  Publications ...

I hope a rainy day turns up soon. I need one for map perusal. I must share with you this wonderful early North Carolina survey map found at Grand Lodge in Raleigh during our October meetup at the Grand Lodge. This beautiful map from 1808 was displayed well in their facility. I was so fascinated with this one that I grabbed the information from the card beside it so I could hopefully find a version  that was viewable online.  Fortunately for us, it is also available to view at the Library of Congress.  Behold:  To David Stone and Peter Brown, Esq. : this first actual survey of the state of North Carolina taken by the subscribers is respectfully dedicated. Published in 1807   printed in 1808 It is such an interesting map because you can see our state starting to evolve from a colony of settlements to the collection of county centers of govenment that we know now. Yet, look very closely at the entirety of this map. You will see counties that do not exist today and ...

Someone was asking about the specific location of the Wake County Home the other day. I knew I had seen it on a map in the past so I went looking. I spent a few minutes looking through t he digital map collection at UNC and found the map I remembered . In the process of finding that map, I ran across this one which is a gold mine for Wake researchers. The Fendol Bevers map from 1871 includes a wealth of information. The abstract that accompanies the map decribes it this way: Map drawn from actual surveys of Fendol Bevers, County Surveyor. Inset of City of Raleigh, Table of Population and other information by townships, description of townships reported in margins. Townships designated in color. Map shows townships, landowners, churches, retail stores, schools, mills. Townships shown include Raleigh, New Light, Oak Grove, Barton's Creek, Wake Forest, Little River, Cedar Fork, House's Creek, St. Matthew's, Mark's Creek, White Oak, Swift Creek, St. Mary's, Buckhor...