Update - see new detail on the Norwood Cemetery at the end of the post. An effort to get out and enjoy a mild December day before the cold set in resulted in a hike in northern Wake county that led to an encounter with this small graveyard sitting just off a trail head at the Shinleaf Campground area of Falls Lake.  Surrounded by it's dilapidated fence, t he tiny graveyard contains three graves naming a Norwood family. I was curious to know if they were logged in the Wake County Cemetery Image Collection . I snapped a few photos so I could compare when I got home and made a mental note of the location for my search. The cemetery dates to the late 1890s - 1920s. The stones and fence around them look newer than that, but they are very disheveled. There are two very large trees growing within the fence, one having taken on the role of sentry post disallowing any entry. The condition of the fence tells the story of a great storm passing through. The panels are mangled and bent. I wonde...

The Wake County Cemetery Survey Image Collection * hosted at the Wake County Genealogical Society represents a decades long endeavor when considering the years of field research by the original participants and adding on the efforts of the latest imaging volunteers who digitized, collated, researched, reviewed and processed all the images to make them available to view online in an orderly and logical fashion. That was no small task or feat of accomplishment due to the size, condition and handwritten nature of the bulk of the large collection.  The full collection has been live at our website for a couple of years now. It is helping Wake researchers regularly reconnect with cemeteries and family history to enrich their stories. I am hearing some wonderful stories as folks report  their successes.  We want you all to be successful in your search. A reprint of " Wake Cemetery Survey Image Collection: Tips for Successful Searches ," from the Summer 2024 issue of the Wak...

Plan a Research Trip to Wake County Reprinted from the  Spring 2018 Issue of  Wake Genealogy Watch  -  the newsletter of WCGS: I was asked by someone living remotely for advice in planning a genealogy research trip to Wake county. I thought my resulting notes might be helpful to others. Please note that all blue text is a working hyperlink, valid as of  2-9-2018. Special thanks to Barb, Ann, and John for their suggestions. - CD When planning a Wake County research trip, your top 3 must-visit destinations are:  •  Olivia Raney Local History Library This is the repository for all things historic pertaining to Wake county. Contact the  research librarians via ORL email , for specific sources that would be useful for your research. Check out their online  Collections page .  And the  Local History Information Guide . **Note: ORL is expected to open sometime mid 2021 post renovation and post covid. Access will be by...