Something is pulling my attention to Raleigh/Wake County around the turn of the century (1900's). It was a time of accelerated growth and prosperity. Perhaps it is that parallel that with today's frantic growth pace that has me looking backwards.   I started looking at the historic neighborhoods that built up in the early 1900's: Glenwood   - c.1905. It's development a direct result of the streetcar line providing access north and west. Boylan Heights  -  c.1907. Built on 180 acres of the William Montfort Boylan Mansion on the western outskirts of Raleigh. Cameron Park  - c.1910. Built on land that half a century earlier was Cameron Plantation. Bloomsbury - c. 1914. It's construction signaled the transition from streetcar access to automobile access as Raleigh expanded ever outward. Trolley time in Raleigh ( source ) As I did more research, I  became amazed and a little unsettled at the historical, cultural and sociological details that are u...

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

As I prepared to write about this historic "pocket-sized" neighborhood, I looked up Maiden Lane on Google Maps and found something else entirely. What had been a quiet neighborhood comprising less than three acres that had earned status on the National Register of Historic Places, was no more. Turn away from the NC State belltower on to Maiden Lane today, and you will find the quaintness and quiet is gone. It is replaced with the typical boxy, gray apartment buildings and surrounding parking lots that pass for progress in Raleigh today.  What a shame. What was recorded as a historic treasure in 2006 was mostly destroyed by 2024.  View on Google Map One cool feature of the street view on Google is that you can see older versions of the scene in front of you. Compare the identical spot on Maiden Lane. The top photo was captured by Google in 2007 and the bottom photo in 2022.  2007 - click to view full size 2022 - click to view full size The homes that were razed were mostly...