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

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

Topic: Creating an Ancestor Sketch 

Speaker: Thomas MacEntee

Face it: most genealogists never get around to publishing that family history book based on their genealogy research. How about a different approach: producing short 3-5 page “sketches” about an ancestor? You’ll learn how to include a cover, photos, facts, family stories, source citations and more! And guess what, once you get a few of these ancestor sketches done, you can compile them together for one big book!

 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, Aug 26, 2025 @ 6:30pm - Virtual
Military Collection at the NC Archives  
presented by Ashley Latta, Military Records Archivist

Tuesday, Sep 23 , 2025 @ 6:30pm - Virtual
Revolutionary War:  Moore's Creek Battleground and the Scots-Irish in NC 
presented by John Miles

Tuesday, Oct 28, 2025 @ 6:30pm - Virtual
Reconstruct your Ancestor's World with Google
presented by Lisa Louise Cooke, GenealogyGems.com

Tuesday, Dec 2, 2025 @ 6:30pm - Virtual
Become a Power User of DigitalNC.org 
presented by Taneya Koonce

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

Wake Wednesday - FamilySearch Wiki - Wake County

Have you used the FamilySearch.org wiki for Wake county in your research. It is a great place to check for resource locations and contact points.  You will find info on church, land, military and probate records, as well as maps and county history and border changes. Check it out. There is a wealth of information there. It is a good place to start if you are just beginning your Wake County research.

source

Visit the wiki and be sure to scroll all the way down the page or you might miss something!

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

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

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

Upchurch and Allied Families Association Newsletter - June 2025

For those following along, here is the latest Upchurch and Allied Families Association Newsletter.

June 2025

This issue includes a nice biography of Phil Upchurch and a useful guide to the Enrolled Families and Descendant Reports in their Biofile collection.

View past UAFA newsletters here

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

Wake Wednesday: Don't Forget, Wake Treasures Journal Access now open access for all

We just can't help reminding folks. This is such a great boon to researchers. Be sure to check the highlighted collections below.

All past issues of the WCGS Wake Treasures Journal are now available to all Wake researchers any time they need to browse! 24/7. All the time.

There are 31 years of valuable Wake-centric content stored at this link. If you have not checked the offerings yet, you better take a peek to see just what you are missing. 

 WCGS Publications > Wake Treasures. From the journal landing page, you can browse issues by year  or check the subject index that is available for years 1-25 (1995 - 2015).  There is an impromptu index that was created for another project. It was covers the years 2007—2022. I started with the year 2022 and works backwards.   While not complete, you may still find it helpful for discovery of content and location. It is available in searchable spreadsheet form here. I hope to get this list completed with the earlier content and that from 2023 soon.

Just to show the power of the files available in the Journal, here are some Freedmen’s Records* found in these volumes found by searching freedmen in the newer index:  vol. 17.1 (2007),  24.1 (2014), and 24.2 (2014).

Insolvent Debtors* can be found in these issues:  vol. 18.2 (2008) all townships, 22.1 (2012), 22.2 (2012), and 28.3 (2018).

Divorce records* are found here - vol. 18.2 (2008), 19.1 (2009), 20.2 (2010), 21.1 (2010/2011), 26.3 (2016), and 27.2 (2017).

* This is a sampling of some of the record sets and topics covered in the journal and is not complete. You will want to browse further in the earlier issues. Check out both indexes described above. Hopefully all issues will be in an index soon.

Once you start browsing within the individual issues, they are searchable by any name, location or topic within. Have fun looking for your ancestors!

 

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

Wake Wednesday - 1914 Raleigh Street Car Map

This wonderful street car map from 1914 recently passed thru my Facebook Feed. Mike Legeros of Legeros Fire Blog shared his map with the "You know you grew up in Raleigh when..." group there. 
His map is an annotated version showing the street car lines of the time. It is viewable at his website. Click map to see larger.

Source

The original is available via North Carolina Maps site from UNC-CH.

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

New Member Special - Join in June for Special Access

Sign up in June and Get 15 Months instead of 12!

Join WCGS in June 2025 and your membership will be valid until August 2026!

If you follow the blog and newsletter or have joined us for a virtual meeting in the past year, we hope you have appreciated the insights, tools, and inspiration we’ve shared through our various outreach channels. We invite you to take the next step and become a full member of the Wake County Genealogical Society.

Your membership grants you access to a wealth of resources available at our website, such as:

• 24/7 access to both our award-winning publications:
  • Wake Treasures, our journal - 31 years of issues from 1991 to 2022.
  • Wake Genealogy Watch, our quarterly newsletter.
• Eleven virtual monthly meetings on the fourth Tuesday (Nov/Dec combined meeting).
• Access to recordings from prior monthly virtual programs. 
• Members-only presentation materials.
• Reduced pricing for special events.
• Member directory and surname database - connect to those who are researching similar interests and family lines so you can collaborate.
• Personalized notification of WCGS meetings and events.
• 50% off Legacy Family Tree Webinars (only for new LFT members).
• Our WCGS Welcome kit.

We are offering extra value exclusively to new members who register in June. With our special offer of 15 months for the price of 12, there’s no better time to join. When you become a member, you’re not just signing up for benefits—your membership is an investment in a shared journey of discovery. Your support advances our mission to further genealogical research, provide education through virtual meetings and in-person events, promote collaboration, and preserve records important to your history and ours. Genealogy isn't just about looking back. It's about moving forward together. 

Join now and be part of something enduring.
Questions? Reach out to Membership Chair Carol Kimball Stahl at membership(at)wakecogen.org.

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

Did you miss the last NC Archive & Library Tour? Here is your second chance!

Back by popular demand! Join us for a repeat of our February tour of the NC Archives and genealogy library in downtown Raleigh. We will offer a free tour of the NC Archives and the State Library, organized by President Barbara McGeachy.

June Tour Details -

• Event: Tour of NC Archives and Genealogy Library
  
  
• Date: Monday, June 23, 10 AM - Noon (followed by optional lunch)
  
  
• Location: 109 E. Jones St., Raleigh (meet in the lobby)
  
  
• Lunch: Optional at the cafeteria in the basement of the legislature building, featuring hot food, salads, and sandwiches. Security check required; no special ID needed.

This tour is open to everyone, with 30 spots available. Sign up here:                                             https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409044CA9A72CAAFA7-56338096-tour

Each tour lasts 45-60 minutes, concluding by noon. The Archives tour is optional; participants can choose to visit only the library first. Research is not permitted on this day as both facilities are closed to the public on Mondays.

The NC Archives has original documents and some books but it's only about North Carolina. The staff will explain the types of materials in the archives and how to request them. They will have documents ready for us to look at. You can ask questions. The tour includes the vault which is normally closed to the public.

The State Library (Genealogy Room) has books and materials from other states in addition to N.C. The staff will explain the types of materials and how to request them. The library has many resources including vertical files (miscellaneous documents donated to the library), free access to databases including newspaper websites and Fold3, an overhead copy machine, and more. N.C. residents can get a free library card to check out books and to use some databases from home.

For questions, contact Barbara McGeachy at President@WakeCoGen.org

We look forward to seeing you on June 23!

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

First Colonies: 1565-1700 - This video will help with your early colonial research

What happened where and when is important. You will find this short video very important for establishing historical location and context for you Colonial ancestors.

First Colonies: 1565-1700 | American Colonial History | Jamestown, Plymouth, Puritans, Quakers This presentation outlines the development of European colonies in the future United States and Canada, from 1565 to 1700.

source

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

Find your Family with WCGS! Join us Saturday, May 31 at Laurel Hills Community Center.

Join us this Saturday, May 31 at the Laurel Hills Community Center. This will be a fun, family event.

Questions - info@wakecogen.org

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

Wake Wednesday - Wake County Yearbooks for Filling in the Gaps

Shared by WCGS member and former webmaster - Cynthia Gage

Cynthia found this collection when she was searching for something else. I am so glad she shared it with me. Who can resist old yearbooks? 

The collection includes Wake County high school and junior high books from a time span of 1909 to 2009. Cynthia also mentions that she found some reunion booklets, university catalogs and Elizabeth Murray Reid's Wake History Book through this link. The collection is digitized and offered online by Olivia Raney Local History Library.

What fun to be able to find your parent or grandparents in these pages. Maybe you will find your own photo or that of a cherished friend. Bonus gold is lurking in the ads that were included. Looking for a small family business? You may find evidence of it this way. 

Enjoy these delightful images from the 1913 Raleigh High School Rattler! 

Are you from elsewhere in North Carolina, but still curious about your relative's school history? Visit Digital NC's Yearbook collection. You might just strike gold!

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

Wake Wednesday - Turn of the Century view of Fayetteville Street

Raleigh - 1891

I am really enjoying this very quaint view of Fayetteville Street in 1891 that I found at NCPedia. The Mahler building features prominently, exactly center in the photo.

It looks like Henry Mahler, an immigrant from Prussia, made quite the name and place for himself in Raleigh as a jeweler and engraver. The NCPedia article on him is filled with detail. If you are researching Henry Mahler or his descendants, you will want to check it out.

 

I believe the two brick buildings in this photo still stand and the two story wooden J. C. S. Lumsden & Sons building was replaced after 1896 with a 3 story brick building.

 

See the Google street view here. Notice  the arch window features on the middle brick building are a perfect match for the H. Mahler building.  Modern day Mahler building. The building at the extreme right of this photo is now a UNC Health Care facility. The molding trim at the top and window trim make a strong case that it is the same building.

Do you have any old photos of street scenes around Wake County that can be compared to their present day location? I would love to see  how much changed and how much stayed the same!

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

 

 

Wake Genealogy Watch - Summer 2025, 8.4. Latest issue of our newsletter is live now!

The Summer 2025 issue (Vol. 8, Issue 4) of our award-winning newsletter, Wake Genealogy Watch, is now available online for reading or download. Visit the WCGS website or click the link here: Wake Genealogy Watch, Summer 2025.

 This issue features:

• Details and Registration for three WCGS events that are fast approaching.
• Barbara McGeachy shares a special family heirloom written in WWII code.
• Tips to pull more clues from a WWI registration form that just what is included on the form.
• A special announcement about one of our own members.
• Learn about the excellent research guides available at NARA.
• Take a trick or two from this short and simple AI use case to make extracting information from your documents easier and quicker.
• A busy summer events calendar that you won’t want to miss!

Dive in and explore all the resources and stories designed to enrich your genealogy journey!

 

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 inclusion in future editions. Please address all concerns to newsletter@wakecogen.org.

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 - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org