Wake Genealogy Watch

The Samuel Patrick and Ella McGuire Family Papers         Surnames: Patrick, McGuire, Buffaloe         Locations: Oberlin Village, Wake county         Railroads: Gaston & Raleigh RR, Seaboard Airline RR A box of family papers bought at a yard sale. Thank heavens they found their way to the NC Archives. Read this NC Archives blog post for the full and fascinating details. "Summary of the Collection These are the papers of Samuel Patrick and Ella McGuire, an African-American family of Raleigh, Wake County, with family in other locales, ca. 1872-1940. Includes personal and business letters; business receipts and Raleigh schools and city tax receipts; promissory notes; bills and statements of dues; summons for Raleigh public road work; wedding invitations; certificate of church membership; insurance policies; World War I naval commendation for son, Wilbert Henrick McGuire, for role in saving the ship, U.S.S. Moun...

" Oberlin was not part of Raleigh. It was a proud freestanding, self-sufficient community of former slaves, free blacks, and their descendants, founded after the Civil War. In 1914, a New York newspaper described Oberlin as 'a unique little village of nearly twelve hundred inhabitants. The neat-looking buildings are artistically painted, and the front yards are planted with rose bushes and other shrubberies.' Oberlin actually surpassed Raleigh on some measures of homeownership and education."   - News and Observer, Nov. 2019 For a glimpse at the history of Oberlin Village, its residents,  and a look inside at some of the homes visit the Saving Places blog post from the National Trust for Historic Preservation here .  . Restored Parlor of the Graves Fields House, Oberlin Village.   A collection of interviews describes the life, residents and restoration of the village and various homes. “Everything that I am, and everything that I became, is because of that house and...

"Nestled in Oberlin Village sits a small patch of unassuming greenery currently used as a neighborhood park. Residents use it for morning yoga, community cookouts, and quiet evening walks. You'd never guess it used to be part of a university attended by men and women freed from slavery on Raleigh-area plantations. Reverend M.L. Latta House,  the heart of Latta University The last remnant of Latta University burned down in 2007, when the Latta House went up in flames. Rev. M.L. Latta was a slave on the Cameron Plantation, which comprised much of the land in and around the Cameron Village and Cameron Park areas of downtown Raleigh. When he was freed, he earned an education at Shaw University and established Latta University in Oberlin Village." - Heather Leah Follow this link to read the rest of Heather Leah's account of Latta University and its place in Oberlin Village. Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website  -  Homepage  |  WCGS Events  |...