Wake County Genealogical Society Blog: March 2025

Saturday, March 29, 2025

Yet More Beginning Genealogy Classes Offered This Spring - Raleigh Senior TechEd

Raleigh Senior TechEd will present a comprehensive three-part series on Beginning Genealogy, perfect for those just starting their family history journey. Let instructor Jennie Gunther guide you through the fundamental aspects of beginning genealogical research.

Course Details

Dates and Times:

Genealogy 101-A: Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 3-5 PM
Genealogy 101-B: Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 3-5 PM
Genealogy 101-C: Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 3-5 PM

Location: Overture Centennial, 600 Bilyeu Street, Raleigh, NC 27606 (Theater Room)

Cost: $10 per session

Genealogy 101-A: Basic Genealogy Research - Relatives

This initial session of a 3-part Beginner Genealogy series introduces the 3R’s of genealogy research – RELATIVES, RECORDS & RESOURCES. Class will cover: how and where to start; beginning the family tree with known information; interviewing Relatives; basic recording forms to document ancestral family history. Topics include: preparation of a Family Group Sheet, a Pedigree Chart, and basic organizational methods & resources. Attendees may bring any family information to start their tree.

Genealogy 101-B: Basic Genealogy Research - Records

Part 2 of the Beginner Genealogy series continues the study of basic concepts of genealogy research. This class will focus on Records that provide clues and facts to genealogists tracing their family history. Topics covered include: Census records; Military records; Land records; Church records; immigration records and others. Some hands-on exercises will be included to search online databases. Prerequisite - 101-A

Genealogy 101-C: Basic Genealogy Research - Resources

This is part 3 of the Beginner Genealogy series and supports the topics covered in parts A & B. This class will explore various Resources available to researchers – both “on-the-ground” physical sites, and online databases and training websites. Handout: a spreadsheet of useful website links. Prerequisite - 101-A and 101-B

Registration

To register, visit www.raleighseniorteched.org. Payment can be made online via PayPal or by check at the class. All are welcome, including those from outside the Overture Centennial community.

Friday, March 28, 2025

Save the Date - Next WCGS meetup Saturday, May31

Spring Meetup

Laurel Hills Community Center, 3808 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh 27612

Saturday, May 31, 10am - noon.

Family Oriented Genealogy Activities.

Thursday, March 27, 2025

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

Join us!

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

Topic: Going Postal: Using Postal Records for Your Research

Speaker: Cynthia Gage, WCGS member and former webmaster

By 1831, 76% of US civilian employees worked for the Postal Service. There were more postal employees than soldiers. Maybe your ancestor was a postmaster, postal clerk, mail carrier, route agent or star contractor. What about a merchant or tavern keeper? This presentation will introduce you to online records for finding information about postal employees and will give ideas how to use postal-related “hints” to further your ancestor’s story, whether a postal employee or not.

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, May 27, 2025 @ 6:30pm - Virtual

US Census: Non-Population Schedules presented by Barbara McGeachy, WCGS President, Olli Instructor

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025 @ 6:30pm - Virtual

Squeezing All the Facts Out of Your DNA Matches presented by Kate Penny Howard, Director of Human Resources and Genetic Genealogist, DNA Angels

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

Creating an Ancestor Sketch presented by Thomas MacEntee, author, educator, founder of Genealogy Bargains

Tuesday, Aug 26, 2025 @ 6:30pm - Virtual

Revolutionary War: Moore's Creek Battleground and the Scots-Irish in NC presented by John Miles

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Wake Wednesday - Holleman's Crossroads - an Opportunity for Time Travel

At one point in the not-too-distant past, Holleman’s Crossroads was a prime example of rural Wake County past – a tiny crossroads, a few farms, a store and a couple of churches. Progress, behaving the way it does has all but wiped the tiny community off the map. Even the sign marking the tiny community at the junction where four roads – Avent Ferry, Rex, Bartley Holleman and New Hill/Holleman - meet has been lost to an accident at some point. Compare these two images.

source

Google street map c.2021

The first image was quintessential pastoral Wake County. It could have been ten years ago or fifty. The second shows the same location overgrown, the barn barely visible over what looks like massive mounding honeysuckle vines. You can just see one remaining signpost standing silent sentry while the other lies mangled in the ditch.

Who drives by this spot nowadays? Likely folks that live in the new homes in the area advertised on Zillow, and those headed out to Sherron Harris Lake for some weekend fun. I hope they drive slowly and thoughtfully so they can feel the heartbeat and whisper of the old community which stood at this spot since early times and was bifurcated in the 1960's when Sherron Harris Lake was created.

J.W. Collins on Fendol Bevers Map c. 1878

Sherron Harris Lake bifurcated the community as seen on this current Google map

Fortunately for us, enough had been researched and written about this Holleman's Crossroads that much of the old footprint of the community still exists if only as paper and files.

Holleman's Crossroads was previously known as Enno and Collins in the past.

Here are some links you may enjoy browsing if you have ties to this community that has been swallowed by progress and Shearon Harris Lake and nuclear plant.

Enno on 1904 school map

Collins Crossroads on 1914 Soil Map

SB Holleman's Store and home in Buckhorn Township c.2008 Historical Places Registration form.

Site plan for Holleman's Crossroads c. 1967 at time of Shearon Harris development

Bethel Cemetery -

at Find a Grave; in Buckhorn Township in the Wake Cemetery Survey Image File Collection

Collins Grove Cemetery -

at Find a Grave; Cemetery Census; in Buckhorn Township in the Wake Cemetery Survey Image File Collection

Bethel was the earliest church in the area followed by Collins Grove. For detailed history on these churches and more see this article by Barbara Koblich at the Holly Springs Suburban Living Online Magazine.

The Holleman's Crossroads area of southwestern Wake County has been settled since the days of the Revolution. The Rollins, Cotton and Avent families settled and stayed for generations prior to the arrival of the Collins and Hollemans.

I hope you enjoyed this bit of time travel back to a place that represents rural Wake County!

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Wake Wednesday - Women who shaped Wake County and more

In honor of Women's History Month, check out these notable women of Wake that have been featured in the WCGS blog. Let's all ponder and appreciate these women with ties to Wake county that have left their mark, made lasting contributions, and left the world a better place.

Take a moment to acknowledge the women making history in your own family tree.

Margaret Wake Tryon - Mother of Wake County

Anna Julia Cooper - Educator, orator, early black feminist

Dorothea Dix - Early champion of mental health

Elizabeth Reid Murray - Author and historian of Wake County

Ella Josephine Baker - Mother of Civil Rights

Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website -

Monday, March 17, 2025

Upchurch and Allied Families Association Newsletter - March 2025

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

March 2025

This issue includes coverage of the final stage of the Wake Cemetery Survey Image Project. In January, Carla Michaels of UAFA and I delivered the massive collection of hardcopies from the project to the NC Archives for preservation and safekeeping. Details and photos inside!

View past UAFA newsletters here

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Wake Wednesday: The Formation of Wake County in 1771

This post is one I originally wrote for the Spring 2021 issue of the Wake Genealogy Watch newsletter. This is a great story in our history and the perfect day for it - March 12. It is also reinforces the importance of being aware of these frequent boundary changes when researching early family history in Wake County. - Cyndi Deal

Celebrating Wake County’s 250th Year

It would be remiss to ignore Wake County and its place in history of both state and nation as well as its importance to the many first settlers of the region. In researching the creation of Wake, I was most intrigued to find its creation firmly entangled with the fiery politics of the day.

Did you know that Wake owes its founding directly to the turmoil caused by the Regulator Movement of the pre-Revolution period from 1765 - 1771?

Life, survival, and politics was rough for the inland North Carolina colonists of this period. A drought and crop losses created a serious economic depression. They were forced to buy food and supplies from eastern merchants who were charging top prices for their wares and were quick to press charges when the colonist were not able to pay. The merchants and the judges, lawyers, and sheriffs charged with collecting these debts had no ties or allegiances to these struggling souls, only to the British sovereign who had no concerns but to collect all that was owed and collect quickly.

By 1765, King George III had promoted General William Tryon as governor. Tryon pressed the tax collectors, sheriffs, judges and increasingly, the military to ruthlessly pursue the collection of all debts. Tryon and the King’s agents were hampered by the fact that these farmers were in backcountry woodlands that were not easy to access, govern or maintain control. In addition to the perceived lawless stubborn nature of the colonist, there also a notable amount of corruption within the ranks of the merchants and the King’s agents.

Stress grew into hostility and protests. Tension in Hillsborough, the closest town for the colonist to press their grievances and seek legal redress, became volatile and reached a crescendo in September 1770 with an uprising that rocked the town and was forever after labeled the War of Regulation.

The ensuing violence prompted the colonial General Assembly to explore ways to dampen the violence and regain control over the rebellious and unruly colonists. One consideration was a plan to carve up the large counties in the middle of the colony which proved the most difficult to govern. This map from 1768 shows the expansive regions with limited access to government and legal services.

Source - Choose 1768 from year list

In December 1770, a bill to create a county carved out of portions of Orange, Johnston and Cumberland was presented to the House of Commons by Joel Lane, then a Johnston County Representative. The bill was enacted on March 12, 1771, and the new county was named to honor Royal Governor Tryon’s wife, Margaret Wake Tryon. The Assembly carved out three more inland counties after the formation of Wake. Those were Chatham, Guilford and Surry. The second map shows the new counties and resulting changes.

Source - Choose 1770 from year list

This effort to quell resentment and rebellion did not succeed. It surely sowed the seeds of the Revolutionary War in the very near future. Wake County owes it very existence to this tumultuous time in American history.

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