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...

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...

I don't know what state this location will be in when you read this. Since first writing this, the area around Logans/the old Seaboard Station has been a beehive of development and like as not the building will be gone. So sad. So many memories for so many Wake County residents. I have save this here so we can remember. Original post: We all know it today as Logan's Nursery, but in its heyday, Seaboard Air Line Railroad Depot was a bustling place. It was our gateway to points north and the sunny south. Folks waiting to board train at Seaboard Airline Depot! ( source ) Logan's now ( source ) The Orange Blossom Special regularly came thru Raleigh. ( source ) Whether you passed through its walls to board a train, or had an ancestor who worked there at its height of popularity, you will enjoy these links that feed our "nostalgic for rail travel" moment. Seaboard Air Line wiki - with lots of great images Raleigh's Rail History Hidden off Capital Bo...