In post Civil War Raleigh, a community grew out of the land that that had once been the Cannon Plantation. Simple homes were built and rented to freedmen and became the Fourth Ward Neighborhood.  The Fourth Ward is long gone.  The community was razed in 1971 to build roads that provided a faster access out of town taking out homes, churches, and local commerce in the process. The plight of the community and efforts to permanently protect and honor its memory is recreated in this recent article by Josh Shaffer in the N&O. The story is told by the reminisences of former residents. The haunting black and white photos speak volumes themselves. I refer you here to the  article .  In addition, this week is a week of celebration in recognition and remembrance of the Fourth Ward.  The week-long schedule of events has been arranged by Octavia Rainey, a Raleigh Historian and leader of the effort for permanent recognition. Full details of the events and instructions to...

Mark your calendars now! NCGS will offer its conference live this year. Come mingle with your fellow genealogists at McKimmon Center in Raleigh. There will also be a livestream option for portions of the lectures. All the lectures will be available to all registrants as view-on-demand content after the conference through Dec. 31, 2024. Visit this link for registration details and fees .  Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website  -  Homepage | WCGS Events | Join WCGS | Journal | Wake Cemetery Survey Images | Society Surnames | Digital Resources | History Resources | More Links and Resources | Research Guides | Newsletter | Blog | Contact   FREE to registered members - MEMBER APPRECIATION DAY And Annual Meeting. November 7, 2020 at 10 am EST. Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL, "The Legal Genealogist", will be presenting 4 virtual lectures. Click the event title link above for more details.

Find the back story on your ancestors' daily lives in NC (c.1830-1900). The Branson's guides exist digitally in several places across the internet as well as physical copies in libraries and archives. This is a great resource for historical context. Branson's North Carolina Business Directory - These guides exist at least from the 1830s to the early 1900's based on my search. The guides include alphabetized lists of North Carolina post offices and their location, railroad stops, voting stats and others. You may find valuable pictures of era in each publication. Search Google for "Branson's NC directory" and you will find links multiple links to Digital NC, Internet Archive, DocSouth at UNC as well as old copies available for sale on Amazon. Plenty to get you started. Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website  -  Homepage   |  WCGS Events  |  Join WCGS  |  Journal  |  Wake Cemetery Survey Images  |  Society Surnames ...

There is a list of early North Carolina Tax Records online at NCDigital . These records cover the Colonial and Revolutionary timeframe and include 34 files from fifteen early counties. The description of the list reads as follows:   “"The Tax Lists and Records digital collection features tax records from the holdings of the State Archives of North Carolina drawn from General Assembly, Treasurer & Comptroller, and Secretary of State records. The bulk of the records are from the Colonial and Revolutionary War eras, but some lists date from as late as 1809. Each set of tax records includes slightly different information. References to “polls” below relate to poll taxes, a tax of a fixed amount levied on adult males, female heads of households, and enslaved people.”   The Tax List for 1815 Wake County is included and makes for a fascinating browse if you are researching the county in the early days. I confess to losing more than a couple afternoons to this list as I trie...

The June 2024 law changes  (HB385, sec11)   that limit the protections of cemeteries - lost, abandoned, culturally and historically significant - have been discussed and updated previously on our blog - here . There has been a hopeful turn of events. Unfortunately, it is not the full restoration of oversight powers to the Office of State Archaelogy. This new proactive measure comes from outside the legislature. The N.C. Department of Transportation will team with N.C. State University Institute for Transportation Research and Education to begin research on mapping unmarked burial sites belonging to historically marginalized groups. This positive step forward is a pilot project beginning in Edgecombe County. The project goal is to  identify and map Indigenous burial sites, graves of formerly enslaved individuals, and historic African American cemeteries within the county. The pilot runs through the summer of 2026 and may expand after that.  This effort gives me hope t...

When Wake County was formed in 1771, there was no Raleigh. The city of Raleigh did not come into being until about twenty years later. The original center of business and county seat when Wake was first established was called Bloomsbury and alternately Wake Courthouse. It was the site of many Wake County firsts - first election, first court, first militia formation. I remember reading (in an old N&O article) that Bloomsbury may have been the sight of the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in Wake County. It is worth visiting that spot and imagining the magic of that moment.  A placque to commemorate the importance of the hamlet of Bloomsbury still stands near the Joel Lane house who gave the land on which the hamlet was located. The inscription   reads - On and around this spot stood the old town of  Bloomsbury or Wake Court-house which was erected and made the county seat when Wake County was established in 1771. This place was the rendezvous point...

I have had a lot of folks asking lately about how to start understanding their autosomal DNA match lists. The very best teacher for a beginner is Diahan Southard aka Your DNA Guide.  This post was shared just after RootsTech 2024 in the spring but it is definitely worth sharing again. Save the post link for future reference!  Diahan Southard has been involved in Genetics and Genetic Genealogy for over 20 years. She started at Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, the pioneer genetic genealogy database. In the ensuing years, she has earned her place as one of the most popular teachers of genetic genealogy in the field today. I took one of her yearlong DNA Study Groups and a peek at some of my favorite concepts and strategies can be found in videos 3, 4, & 5. Of course, if you are brand new to Genetic Genealogy start with the short bonus video - What is a Centimorgan? Enjoy this short video series created to get you started in the easy, no-pressure style that Diahan has ...

Updates on HB383 sec 11: The bill was passed on June 26 with the language that places old abandoned family cemeteries as well as historic archealogical relics at possibly more risk than before. The following language of HB385 Section 11 is taken directly form the Legislative Reporting Service at UNC School of Government.   The wording below is the version that passed. The concerning portions are highlighted in yellow as restrictions to the OSA  that did not exist previously. Part XI Removes all of former Part XI (amending various statutes related to coastal development) and replaces it with the following new content. Section 11 Adds new GS 113A-113.1 (requiring the Office of State Archeology [OSA] to provide information to owners and prospective purchasers in areas of environmental concern). Requires OSA to, upon request of an owner or prospective purchaser of land located in an area of environmental concern, to provide the owner or prospective purchaser with information as to...