North Carolina is known as the birthplace of the American outdoor drama. One of its longest running outdoor productions, Unto These Hills, celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. To capture the spirit of that diamond anniversary, Connecting the Docs host John Horan, podcast interns Chris Deitner and Amelia Gantt, and producer Danielle Shirilla had an opportunity to travel west to watch the show and interview Communications & Development Director Chelsey Moore and Delegate at the Oconaluftee Indian Village, as well as Props Lead for the show, Devon Cucumber, about the drama, its history, and its longevity.    Special thanks to the Cherokee Historical Association and the cast and crew of Unto These Hills for letting us use original audio from a live production in this episode.    Primary Sources:  Backstage at “Unto These Hills” by John H. Hemmer, North Carolina. Dept. of Conservation and Development Records, ConDev8273A, State Archives of North Carolina, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/backstage-at-unto-these-hills./344166.    Dorothy Eugenia Richardson Collection, PC.2172, State Archives of North Carolina.     Unto These Hills Performance, Governor's Papers -- James Grubb Martin (11 December 1935 --) [First and Second Administrations], Record ID: 373.4.27.23, State Archives of North Carolina.       Secondary Sources:  Faulkner, Ronnie W., et al. “Outdoor Dramas.” NCPedia, 2006, https://www.ncpedia.org/outdoor-dramas.      Gaison, G. "We're still here": Eddie Swimmer on Cherokee History, Life, and Outdoor Drama in the Appalachian Mountains. North Carolina Literary Review, (19), 46-59, 2010.    “Outdoor Dramas to Enjoy Under the Stars in North Carolina.” VisitNC, https://www.visitnc.com/list/outdoor-dramas-enjoy-under-stars-north-carolina.     “Unto These Hills.” Wikipedia, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unto_These_Hills. 

We all remember how difficult it was to grocery shop during the COVID-19 lockdown, but imagine if a government agency had legally allotted a certain amount of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, or bread to each person per month...and kept it up for three years! It might seem impossible to fathom, but this was the nation’s reality only 80 years ago. In this episode, host John Horan hears from Microfilm and Imaging Specialist Erin Templeton as she describes the rationing system on the national level; we learn which items were most protected, why ration stamps were different colors, and what happened if you broke the rules. Then, former Intern Chris Deitner zooms in to investigate life with the rationing system in North Carolina, gauged from material in the State Archives. Reference Archivist Katie Crickmore ends by sharing three 1940s holiday recipes, highlighting the creative methods that citizens on the Homefront used to adapt classic recipes with limited supplies.   SANC Sources:   “Health Bulletin.” 1943, v.58: no.1-12, p. 190. North Carolina Board of Health Bulletins, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/health-bulletin-1943-v.58-no.1-12/1952377?item=2008460   WWII Military Posters Collection: Food Supply, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/documents?filter_17=World%20War%2C%201939-1945--Food%20supply--United%20States&applyState=true   “Maud and Frank Stick War Ration Books, 1940s,” Private Collections, PC.5073.4, pg. 2 and 7 https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/maud-and-frank-stick-war-ration-books-1940s/767056            Robert L. and Mary Lee (Swann) McMillan Papers, December 1943. Private Collections, PC.1677, Box 3       “We came across an interesting lad...” The Barrage [Camp Davis], November 1942. Military Collection: NC Camp Publications, WWII 5, Box 3 Folder 3, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/camp-davis-the-barrage/435965?item=436333  “For War Service.” 1945. Military Collection: WWII Posters, MilColl.WWII.Posters.5.36,  https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/for-war-service/432387   “Rationing Drives Man to Army.” The AA Barrage [Camp Davis], July-Sept 1943. Military Collections: NC Camps Publications, WWII 5, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/camp-davis-the-aa-barrage/459755?item=459823   “Homemaker’s War Guide,” 1942. Military Collections: WWII Posters, MilColl.WWII.Posters.5.40, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/homemakers-war-guide/462546  Student Scrapbook [Scotland County], Military Collection: WWII Papers, County War Records, Box 85.   “Pasquotank County Victory Garden Contest,” 1944. Military Collections: WWII Posters, WWII 11.F4.P4, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/pasquotank-county-victory-garden-contest/448885   “Plenty of exercise in maintaining a garden plot...” Pasquotank Patrol [Elizabeth City], 10 June 1943. Military Collections: NC Camps Publications, WWII 5, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/elizabeth-city-naval-air-station-the-pasquotank-patrol/348286?item=348339   “To Do My Part on the Home Front,” Military Collections: WWII Posters, MilColl.WWII.Posters.5.31, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/to-do-my-part-on-the-home-front/459370   WWII Poster Collection: Rationing Posters, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/collections/world-war-ii?search=ration&searchtypes=Metadata|Full%20text&filter_10=Posters&applyState=true    “How to Keep Your Food Bill Down,” 1943. Military Collections: WWII Posters, MilColl.WWII.Posters.5.32, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/how-to-keep-your-food-bill-down/447116   Kannapolis Daily Independent War-Time Cook Book, 1943. Military Collection, WWII PC Box 90  “OPA Announces Turkey Prices for this Area...” The Monroe Enquirer [Monroe, NC] 8 Nov 1943. Newspaper Collection, https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn93065776/1943-11-08/ed-1/seq-1/     Wartime Holiday Menus:  Private Collections, Jane S. McKimmon Papers, PC.234.23, 1929 Christmas Dinner Menu at the Governor’s Mansion  M

Is it true that distance makes the heart grow fonder? Even with modern-day resources like instant messaging and video calls, long-distance relationships can be daunting, but it was a wholly different experience 80 years ago. Continuing our commemorative series on World War II, Reference Archivist Katherine Crickmore, Podcast Intern Chris Deitner, and Military Archivist Ashley Latta Post discuss several love letters and couples’ correspondences from an era when unreliable snail-mail was the only option. Find love in unexpected places, even in the Military Collections at the State Archives!    Letters read by: Colin Reeve, Annabeth Poe, Erin Fulp, Bill Brown, Ian Dunn, Danielle Shirilla, and Erin Templeton. For full transcriptions of the letters that are read in this episode, contact the Archives Search Room at archives@dncr.nc.gov.        Primary Sources:    Kenneth Zollinger and Mary Brantley Papers, Military Collections, WWII 282: Box 1, Folder 1 and; Box 2, Folder 5    Geraldine M. Beveridge Papers, Military Collections, WWII 188: Box 1, Folder 3 and Folder 7    James C. Bland Papers, Military Collections, WWII 68: Box 1, Folder 1 and Folder 4    John B. O'Donnell Papers, Military Collections, WWII 118: Box 1, Folder 6; Box 2, Folder 1 and; Box 5, Folder 1    Margaret I. Saunders Papers, Military Collections, WWII 16: Box 1, Folder 2      Additional Collections to Explore:  Charles M. Allen Jr. Papers, Military Collections, WWII 141     William P. Ricks Papers, Military Collections, WWII 162     Thomas S. Elder Papers, Military Collections, WWII 110     Holland Family Military Papers, Miscellaneous Military Papers, MMP 32    John F. Mallard Papers, Miscellaneous Military Private Collections, MMP PC    Mark B. Burwager Papers, Military Collections, WWII 232    Thomas B. Lenoir Papers, Military Collections, WWII 123     Harry Lee Ward Papers, Military Collections, WWII 67       To read more World War II letters, visit the World War II digital collection on the N.C. Digital Collections website.    To contact the Archives about donating your records, please email archives@dncr.nc.gov , call (919) 814-6840, or fill out a contact form online at: https://archives.ncdcr.gov/contact/questions-about-services-or-research    

Few images are burned into popular culture as deeply as that of Rosie the Riveter, the classic and ever-reproduced representation of female empowerment during WWII. Rosie endures as a metaphor for a time of incredible change for women, a time when the U.S. called women out of the home and into the workforce to support the war effort. Historic records and images, like Rosie, teach us about the experience of women who showed up and bolstered the fight in mass numbers, many as nurses.  This week, former podcast intern Chris Deitner details the stories of nurses who were central to the war effort. She is joined by our host John Horan, Assistant Oral Historian Annabeth Poe, and Government Records Archivist Joshua Hager. Drawing heavily from the organizational records of the North Carolina Nursing Association, especially correspondence from Executive Secretary Marie Noell, as well as WWII posters and publications, the team discusses the personal and professional implications of the “total war” for women in North Carolina.     State Archives of North Carolina Sources:  65th Pulse Beat [Fort Bragg], Oct-Nov 1942. Military Collection: North Carolina Military Camps Publications, WWII 5, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/fort-bragg-65th-pulse-beat/464375?item=464376  “Hospital No. 3 Sounding Off,” 65th Pulse Beat [Fort Bragg], 16 October 1942, p. 27. Military Collection: North Carolina Military Camps Publications, WWII 5, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/fort-bragg-65th-pulse-beat/464375?item=464403   “Become a Nurse— Your Country Needs You,” 1942. Military Collection: World War II Posters, MilColl.WWII.Posters.2.16,  https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/become-a-nurse-your-country-needs-you/463037   “Our Wounded Need Help!” 1945. Military Collection: World War II Posters, MilColl.WWII.Posters.2.18, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/our-wounded-need-help/459350   Correspondence 1920-1949, North Carolina Nursing Association Records, ORG.120    Secondary Sources:   Tar Heel Nurse [Chapel Hill]. UNC Archives: North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection, NCHH-39: Tar Heel Nurse [1939-Present] :: North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection  “Our History,” American Red Cross,  https://www.redcross.org/about-us/who-we-are/history.html  “About NCNA,” North Carolina Nursing Association,  https://www.ncnurses.org/about-ncna/  “Marie Brock Noell, RN,” North Carolina Nursing History. Appalachian State University, https://nursinghistory.appstate.edu/biographies/marie-brock-noel-rn  “WWII and the American Red Cross,” American Red Cross,  http:/redcross.org/history   “Charles William ‘Billy’ Noell Jr.,” Honor States,  https://www.honorstates.org/profiles/77406/ 

This episode contains content that may be harmful or difficult to listen to, including discussion of language that reflects outdated, biased or offensive views as well as descriptions of conflict, racism, and violence.    Welcome back to Connecting the Docs! To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II this year, our sixth season will examine those tumultuous years of war through the lens of the State Archives of North Carolina.   In May 1945, peace in Europe prompted mixed emotions for Americans as the war continued in the Pacific. Men and women in military service anxiously awaited Japan’s surrender, realizing that even with the end in sight, lives were still being lost overseas. Finally, on August 15, Japan announced its surrender, and on September 2, 1945, the declaration was officially signed. What were those months like, leading up to the final end of war? And how did military personnel react to peace? Host John Horan is joined by Government Records Analyst Josh Hager, Microfilm and Imaging Specialist Erin Templeton, and podcast intern Amelia Gantt to investigate how those closest to the war effort— men and women in the service— reacted to peace through three newspapers published by North Carolina's military installations.     Primary Sources:  World War II Military Posters Collection, “Get in the Scrap”. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/get-in-the-scrap/434330   State Archives of North Carolina, Military Collections,  https://archives.ncdcr.gov/researchers/collections/military-collections#CollectionScopeandOrganization-476    Asheville Naval Convalescent Hospital  At Ease, May 24, 1945. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 1. MilColl_WWII_5_NC_Camp_Pubs_B1F1_Naval_Hosp_At_Ease_1944_1946.  https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/asheville-naval-convalescent-hospital-at-ease/421919   At Ease, “First Anniversary of ‘At Ease’ Launching Observed Here Today”, October 1, 1945. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 1.  At Ease, “VJ Day Marked By Jubilation, Prayer”, August 23, 1945. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 1.  At Ease, “Processing At Distribution Centers”, August 23, 1945. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 2.  At Ease, Photo 5, 6, August 23, 1945. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 3.    Camp Butner  Camp Butner News, “Patients Favor Technical Book Over All Others”. August 10, 1945. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 1. MilColl_WWII_5_NC_Camp_Pubs_OzB3F1_Camp_Butner_News_1945_1946. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/camp-butner-camp-butner-news/447077    Camp Butner News, "What’s Your Opinion??”. August 10, 1945. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 2.   Ernest Arms, Camp Butner News, “Just Thinking”. September 7, 1945. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 2.    Camp Butner News, “GI Dead For World War II is 251,424”. September 14, 1945. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 4.  Camp Butner News, “Veterans Get a Break in Legislation”. December 28, 1945. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 1.  Camp Butner News, “Big Three Agree on World Problems in Moscow”. January 25, 1946. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 1.  Camp Butner News, "20 Job Prospects For American Vets”. January 25, 1946. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 1.  Camp Butner News, "What’s Your Opinion??”. January 25, 1946. Military Collections, World War II Collection, WWII 5: Camp Publications. Page 2.  Camp Butner News, "4000 German POWs Shipped Out In Week”. January 25, 1946. Military Collections,

During the 1800s, some free people of color and formerly enslaved people emigrated out of North Carolina. Many went north or to Haiti, and quite a few went to Liberia. Join host John Horan, former intern LaWanda McCullor and podcast regulars, Annabeth Poe and Katie Crickmore on this episode. Listen as the crew focuses on several letters and wills housed at the State Archives of North Carolina recounting the experience of moving out of the country.   The podcast team also speaks to Dr. Claude Clegg, who holds a joint appointment in the Department of History and the Department of African, African American, and Diaspora Studies at UNC Chapel Hill. Learn as Dr. Clegg discusses the American Colonization Society in the 1800s, what motivated the emigration to Liberia, and connects it to Activist Marcus Garvey and the Back-to-Africa movement from the 1900s.     Primary Sources  Private Collections. Pattie Mordecai Collection, 1784-1876. “Malinda Rex Letter,” 1839. State Archives of North Carolina; Raleigh, N.C. Record ID: PC.185. https://appx.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:756464.  County Records. Chowan County. Wills. Mary Bissell, 1836. CR.024.801. https://appx.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:801756.  Southern Historical Collection. John Kimberly Papers, 1821-1938. “Susan Capehart Letter.” University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Wilson Special Collections Library. Collection Number: 00398. https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/00398/.    Secondary Sources  Clegg, Claude Andrew, III. The Price of Liberty: African Americans and the Making of Liberia. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2004.  Mitchell, Memory F. “Off to Africa – with Judicial Blessing.” The North Carolina Historical Review 53, no. 3 (July 1976), 265-287.  Mitchell, Memory F. “Freedom Brings Problems: Letters from the McKays and the Nelsons in Liberia.” The North Carolina Historical Review 70, no. 4 (October 1993), 430-465.  Mitchell, Memory F. and Thornton W. Mitchell. “The Philanthropic Bequests of John Rex of Raleigh: Part I - Bon Voyage and a Lawsuit.” The North Carolina Historical Review 49, no. 3 (July 1972), 254-279.  “Claude A. Clegg III.” University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill College of Arts and Sciences History Department. https://history.unc.edu/faculty-members/claude-clegg/. 

What would you think about a concert that was pure silence? Or an event that hosted four different performances all at once? These sort of avant-garde performance pieces were commonplace at North Carolina’s Black Mountain College. Founded in 1933 by John A. Rice and Theodore Dreier, Black Mountain College operated as an experiment of “education in a democracy,” wherein the creative arts and practical responsibilities were considered equally important as intellectual development. The college closed in 1957, and the records associated with the school, including compositions and other artistic pieces, are held at SANC’s Western Regional Archives.     This week on Connecting the Docs, host John Horan welcomes Reference archivist Katherine Crickmore, former Digitization Archivist Chauna Carr, and Podcast and Oral History Intern Olivia Coyne. Join us as we discuss art and archives.    Primary Sources   Black Mountain College, “Concerning Art Instruction,” Josef Albers, Bulletin 2 June 1934, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/black-mountain-college-art-instructor-1944/3657480?item=3657727   Black Mountain College, “The Building Project and Work Program,” Bulletin 6, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/black-mountain-college-building-project-work-progress/3657497  Black Mountain College, “Education in a Time of Crisis,” Erwin Strauss, Bulletin 7, April 1940, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/black-mountain-college-education-time-crisis/3657509   Black Mountain College, “Its Aims and Methods,” Bulletin 8, Kenneth Kurtz, 1944, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/black-mountain-college-aim-and-method/3657521?item=3657788   Black Mountain College Concert: Brahms, Dvorak, Kraft, and Bartok, May 1947,  https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/black-mountain-college-concert-brahms-dvorak-kraft-and-bartok/2378456  The arts at Black Mountain College, Mary Emma Harris, 1987, https://archive.org/details/artsatblackmount00harr    Secondary Sources  Black Mountain College Museum and Art Center, https://www.blackmountaincollege.org/   NC Digital Collections, Black Mountain College Spotlight, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/spotlights/bmc  “Black Mountain Review,” Natasha Goldowski, et al., Black Mountain College Review, Vol. 1, No. 1, June 1951. Memorial Library, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Independent Voices. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.28034129   “Archives Test Kitchen,” series, History For All the People, State Archives of North Carolina, https://ncarchives.wpcomstaging.com/category/archives-test-kitchen/  

Before the Revolutionary War began, a movement unfolded in the backcountry of North Carolina, sparking the short-lived but influential War of Regulation. In the first episode of our series “From Regulators to Revolution,” Annabeth Poe and Katherine Crickmore are joined by Nathan Schultz, the Site Director of Alamance Battleground, as they discuss the Regulators, their grievances, and the War of Regulation. Join us for a riveting interview and hear sounds from the battlefield for yourself, as Annabeth, Katie, and reference archivist Dominique Romero visit Alamance Battleground during a May 2024 battle reenactment.    Warning: This episode contains the sound of cannon fire blanks used in an outdoor battle reenactment. These sounds can be loud and jarring, occurring from around 0.20 to 1.40 minutes. Please listen with caution!        Collections Used for Research      Private Collection, George Sims Papers, “Nutbush Address,” PC.923  Colonial Governor’s Papers, Governor William Tryon, June 9th, 1771, “Proclamation for capture of Herman Husband and other Regulators,” CGP.6  Military Collection, War of Regulation Papers, “Provisions for Robert Harris’ Granville Brigade troops during 1768 Hillsborough unrest,” Box 1, Folder 4, Item 1  Military Collection, War of Regulation Papers, “Papers relating to the trial of Edmund Fanning, Mar 22, 1769,” Box 1, Folder 37, Item 1  General Assembly Session Records, Session of Dec. 1770-Jan. 1771, “Bill for preventing tumultuous and riotous assemblies,” Dec 15, 1770, Colonial Box 4  Map Collection, Battle of Alamance Map, Prepared by Claude Joseph Sauthier, MC.175.1771sa  History For All the People Blog, Regulator Movement, by Becky McGee-Lankford, https://ncarchives.wpcomstaging.com/2022/06/17/regulator-movement/  

Have you ever conducted research at the State Archives of North Carolina, or any other archival institution for that matter? It’s a unique thrill when you discover history in your hands and read the words of the past as written by the people who lived it. Even when you know the basics about what you’re going to research, you never know exactly what you’ll find during an archival research trip.    In this episode, our podcast team dives into the unknown with a trip into the “mystery box.” The team gathered in the Search Room at the State Archives to examine a box chosen from a State Agency series. They did not know anything about the box before the recording, so what you’ll hear is their discovery of the amazing history found in this box. Pull up a seat as you join the archival research experience.     What should you expect to learn? Here’s a hint: It involves Walter Cronkite, an English explorer, and learning proper etiquette. We hope you learn what it’s like to go inside the Search Room and conduct archival research, so you’re inspired to take the plunge into your own mystery box.    This episode is hosted by producer Josh Hager, who also selected the Mystery Box. The “research team” features producers Katherine Crickmore and Annabeth Poe and producer emerita Chauna Carr.    Please note that the citation for the “mystery box” as well as digital copies of documents and photos mentioned in the episode appears in this blog on “History for All the People” at https://ncarchives.wpcomstaging.com/2024/12/11/connecting-the-docs-season-5-episode-6-mystery-box/.   

This week on Connecting the Docs, host John Horan welcomes Reference archivist Katherine Crickmore, former Digitization Archivist Chauna Carr, and Records Description Unit head Joshua Hager to investigate the validity of popular North Carolina legends.   First, Katie tackles the mysterious disappearance of Theodosia Burr, daughter of American Vice President Aaron Burr. Leaving South Carolina by boat to visit her father in New York, Theodosia was never seen or heard from again. She is said to have been abducted by pirates off the coast of the Outer Banks, but is that true? Next, Chauna unpacks the tale of Betsy Dowdy, a sixteen-year-old girl whose ride from Currituck County to inform military officers during the American Revolution rivals that of Paul Revere! However, with little evidence to back this up, did the ride really happen? Finally, Josh tells the story of the infamous Peter Stuart/Stewart Ney, who has long been tied to the Marshal Michel Ney, Napoleon Bonaparte’s right-hand man during the French Revolution. Did Marshal Ney fake his death and move to Davidson, North Carolina?  Join us as we use primary sources from the State Archives of North Carolina to see if these are myths that need to be busted!    Collections Used for Research  Theodosia Burr  David Stick Papers, PC.5001 Box 167. Research Material, 1990s-2006. Theodosia Burr, 1990s.  Pool, Bettie Freshwater. “The Nag’s Head Picture of Theodosia Burr.” The North Carolina Booklet 9, no. 2, October 1909.   Pool Family Papers, PC.5328. Box 1  West, Harry C. “The Mysterious Portrait of Theodosia Burr.” The North Carolina Folklore Journal 22, no. 3, August 1974.    Betsy Dowdy  McBride, Ransom. “Revolutionary War Service Records and Settlements.” North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal 9, no. 4, November 1983.  Moore, Carole. “Betsy’s Wild Ride.” Our State Magazine 74, no. 10, March 2007.  Seay, Majel Ivey. “Betsy Dowdy’s Ride.” The State Magazine 4, no. 47, April 1937.  State Agency Finding Aid: State Treasurer's and Comptroller's, 1731-ca. 1940.    Peter Stuart Ney  Johnson, Mark. “The Plot Thickens: Did DNA Settle a Centuries-Old Conspiracy?” Davidson College, September 18, 2023. https://www.davidson.edu/news/2023/09/18/plot-thickens-did-dna-settle-centuries-old-conspiracy.   Lyman C. Draper Collection, 1743-1906. MF-P.10.1  Peter Stewart Ney Papers, PC.800.  Whisenant, David. “French Researchers Conclude That Napoleon’s Famed Marshal Ney Is Not the Peter Stuart Ney Buried in Rowan Co. Church Cemetery.” WBTV3, September 9, 2023. https://www.wbtv.com/2023/09/09/french-researchers-conclude-that-napoleons-famed-marshal-ney-is-not-peter-stuart-ney-buried-rowan-co-church-cemetery/.   

Our final episode in our school-centric series takes us to Charlotte, home to one of the most famous legal cases involving school integration. By the time it reached the U.S. Supreme Court, Swann v. Mecklenburg addressed whether school systems could legally use busing routes to create more integrated school populations (or if they had an obligation to do just that). In this episode, join host John Horan, podcast Intern Olivia Coyne, and producer Josh Hager for a tour through the history of the Swann case and the larger issue of busing in North Carolina. Learn how school systems used busing to maintain segregation even after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. We’ll go over a chronology of the key events of the Swann case and its legal outcomes. Finally, we’ll dive deep into the correspondence of Governor Bob Scott to look at how citizens from across North Carolina argued for and against busing in both expected and wildly unexpected ways.   Special thanks to correspondence narrators Annabeth Poe, Madison Lawson, and Kaylin Preslar.    Collections Used for Research  Governor Robert Scott Papers:   State Board of Education, School Buses, 1969 (Box 17)  Alphabetical File, Education, 1969 (Boxes 115-116)  State Board of Education, School Buses, 1970 (Box 158)  Alphabetical File, Desegregation, 1970 (Box 270)  Alphabetical File, Education (General), 1970 (Box 270)  State Board of Education, Busing Children, 1971 (Box 303)  Department of Public Instruction, State Board of Education, School Buses, Busing Children, 1972 (Box 463)    Department of Public Instruction, Superintendent’s Subject File. Mailing of Free Choice Forms, 1969; Statement of Dr. Craig Phillips, 1971; and Letters of Protest from Forsyth County, 1970. Item 1074, Transfer 3: Boxes 12, 16, and 25 (unprocessed).     Secondary historical information source: Robin Brabham, "Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education," North Carolina Encyclopedia (NCPedia), 2006. https://www.ncpedia.org/swann-v-charlotte-mecklenburg-board.     Commercial Excerpt from “An Interview with Lucy Penegar (b. 1940)” by Jason Luker at the Gaston County Museum of Art and History in Dallas, North Carolina on March 15, 2021. From the State Archives of North Carolina, She Changed the World Oral History Project. Audio. https://appx.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:1155061. 

In the second and third episodes in our Class is in Session series, we focus on hearing from American Indian students about how they navigated school segregation and desegregation inside and outside of the classroom. Using a combination of government records and oral histories, join host John Horan and producers Josh Hager and Annabeth Poe for an overview of American Indian public education across the state over time. In the previous episode, we learned about segregated schools through the lens of the Sappony and how students integrated UNC-Chapel Hill’s Medical School. Now, hear the harrowing tale of what it was like to desegregate Dunn High School and the odd circumstances surrounding bussing in both Robeson and Harnett Counties.   This episode contains content that may be harmful or difficult to listen to, including language that reflects outdated, biased, and/or offensive views as well as descriptions of conflict, racism, and violence.    Collections Used for Research  American Indian Heritage Commission Oral History Project, 2022-2024. State Archives of North Carolina. OH.010.  “East Carolina Indian School (I-97).” North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, January 3, 2024. https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2024/01/03/east-carolina-indian-school-i-97.   “Enrollment Data - Interactive Data Dashboard.” The University of North Carolina System, Fall 2023. https://www.northcarolina.edu/impact/stats-data-reports/interactive-data-dashboards/.  Normal Schools for African American Students Files, 1900-1924: Pembroke-Cherokee Indian School. Department of Public Instruction Record Group. Division of Negro Education. Special Subject File, Box 3.  Robeson County High School Annual Reports, 1950-1955. Department of Public Instruction Record Group, Division of Instructional Services, Supervision and Curriculum Section, High School Principal’s Annual Reports, Box 18. 

In the second and third episodes in our Class is in Session series, we focus on hearing from American Indian students about how they navigated school segregation and desegregation inside and outside of the classroom. Using a combination of government records and oral histories, join host John Horan and producers Josh Hager and Annabeth Poe for an overview of American Indian public education across the state over time. Then, learn about the conditions of American Indian schools prior to the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. Finally, listen to students describe their experiences integrating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in their own voices in part one, and their experiences integrating local white public schools in part two.   This episode contains content that may be harmful or difficult to listen to, including language that reflects outdated, biased, and/or offensive views as well as descriptions of conflict, racism, and violence.    Collections Used for Research  American Indian Heritage Commission Oral History Project, 2022-2024. State Archives of North Carolina. OH.010.  “East Carolina Indian School (I-97).” North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, January 3, 2024. https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2024/01/03/east-carolina-indian-school-i-97.   “Enrollment Data - Interactive Data Dashboard.” The University of North Carolina System, Fall 2023. https://www.northcarolina.edu/impact/stats-data-reports/interactive-data-dashboards/.  Normal Schools for African American Students Files, 1900-1924: Pembroke-Cherokee Indian School. Department of Public Instruction Record Group. Division of Negro Education. Special Subject File, Box 3.  Robeson County High School Annual Reports, 1950-1955. Department of Public Instruction Record Group, Division of Instructional Services, Supervision and Curriculum Section, High School Principal’s Annual Reports, Box 18.   

Welcome to Season 5 of Connecting the Docs! We start this season with a trip to the classroom as we focus on three topics relating to North Carolina schools and education history. In our first episode of the series, we take a look at the history of Rosenwald Schools in North Carolina. Join host John Horan, podcast intern Lawanda McCullor, and producer Josh Hager as we learn how the Julius Rosenwald Fund spearheaded the construction of numerous schools across North Carolina for African American students, particularly in rural areas. The Rosenwald Schools became centers of community, starting from their onset in the 1920s until many of them fell out of use at the time of school integration. We’ll also learn about the Anna T. Jeanes Foundation and how that organization funded training for new African American teachers. The Rosenwald Fund and the Jeanes Foundation were key factors in building a community of teachers, parents, and supporters dedicated to educating African American youth in North Carolina during the years of Jim Crow.     Collections Used for Research:  Department of Public Instruction Record Group. State Superintendent’s Office: Correspondence File. SR.104.3.    Department of Public Instruction Record Group. Division of Negro Education: Special Subject File. SR.104.339.    Department of Public Instruction Record Group. Division of Negro Education: General Correspondence of the Director. SR.104.335.    Department of Public Instruction Record Group. Division of Negro Education: Correspondence of the Supervisor, Rosenwald Fund. SR.104.338.     Department of Public Instruction Record Group. Division of Negro Education: Articles and Speeches by N.C. Newbold. SR.104.336.    Secondary historical information source: NCPedia (State Library of North Carolina).    

Welcome back to the final series of Season 4, “Uncovered Stories.” In this series, you’ll hear about incredible records that archivists uncovered during work assigned for other, sometimes unrelated projects. These discoveries add new significant research topics to collections held by the State Archives for decades and shine a light on people and subjects upon which previous collection guides did not focus.      In the last episode of the series, host John Horan welcomes Digitization Archivist Caitlin Martell and former Connecting the Docs intern and current Assistant Oral Historian Annabeth Poe to discuss an overlooked letter from one of the Archives’ private collections. Caitlin found the letter, written in 1781, while digitizing documents about John Williams, a Granville County lawyer and Continental Congress delegate, for America’s 250th anniversary. The letter caught her eye because within a series of letters about troop rations and political movements, it had an unusual author with an unusual request. A dying Hillsborough woman named Ruthey Jackson was asking Williams to take in her daughter Nancy, who was the result of an affair with one of North Carolina’s most famous Revolutionary War generals. Join us as we discuss the letter, reveal Nancy’s father, and investigate what happened to Ruthey, Nancy, and the other characters in this 1700s soap opera.    From the Archives    The Letter: PC.176.1: John Williams Papers, 1772-1781 [digitized, pages 65-66], https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/john-williams-papers-1772-1781/425265?item=425574.    21.111.48, 49, and 52: Special Agents’ Reports on Claims, Vol. XI, British Records Series (Microfilm z.5.149N from PRO Series T 79/84, 85 & 88).    CR.044.101: Apprentice Bonds and Record, Granville County (Boxes 1-4).    CR.044.102: Bastardy Bonds and Records, Granville County (Boxes 1-4).     CR.044.510: Guardian Bonds, Granville County, 1758-1927.    CR.044.801: Wills, 1749-1968, Granville County.    CR.073.101: Apprentice Bonds and Records, 1780-1905, Orange County (Boxes 1-3).    CR.073.102: Bastardy Bonds and Records, 1782-1908, undated, Orange County (Boxes 1-3).    CR.073.301: Minute Docket, Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1752-1868.    CR.073.801: Wills, 1752-1968, Orange County.    MF-C.012.80001: Brunswick County Wills, 1764-1954.    "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970, Orange County, Deeds, 1753-1793, Vol. 1 & 2,  images, accessed through FamilySearch.    "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970, Orange County, Land Records, 1778 and 1779-1795,  images, accessed through FamilySearch.    US Census Bureau, 1790 United States Federal Census, New Hanover County, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, images reproduced by FamilySearch (accessible through the Archives).    US Census Bureau, 1800 United States Federal Census, Granville County, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, images reproduced by FamilySearch (accessible through the Archives).    Secondary Sources    Samuel Ashe, Biographical History of North Carolina Volume III, Greensboro, NC: Charles L. Van Noppen Publisher, 1906, page 129.    Mrs. John C. Bernhardt, “Burton, Robert,” North Carolina Encyclopedia (NCPedia), 1979, revised November 2022, https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/burton-robert.    Louise Littleton Davis, Nashville Tales, Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Co., 1981.    M.M. Edmonds, “Williams, John,” North Carolina Encyclopedia (NCPedia), 1996, https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/williams-john.    Marjoleine Kars, Breaking Loose Together: The Regulator Rebellion in Pre-Revolutionary North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2002.    Ransom McBride, “Claims of British Merchants,” North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal 9, no.3 (1983); 156; 11, no. (1985); 29.    John F. Reed, “Nash, Francis,” North Carolina Encyclopedia (NCPedia), 1991, https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/nash-francis.    Steven E. Siry’s Liber

Welcome back to the final series of Season 4, “Uncovered Stories.” In this series, you’ll hear about incredible records that archivists uncovered during work assigned for other, sometimes unrelated projects. These discoveries add new significant research topics to collections held by the State Archives for decades and shine a light on people and subjects upon which previous collection guides did not focus.  In this second episode, former Connecting the Docs Intern and current Assistant Oral Historian Annabeth Poe takes the hosting stage and interviews Friends of the Archives 2023 Summer Intern Hannah Nicholson about her project, creating a LibGuide about the records of marginalized communities in the General Assembly records from the years of early statehood, 1777 to 1789. What started as a research question into these records stemming from the Archives’ continued efforts to prepare for America’s 250th anniversary became a much larger project as more records of various categories emerged. Hannah and Annabeth discuss two incredible stories in particular: the fascinating emancipation of Hannah Bowers by Margaret Gaston (yes, the Gaston family for which the county is named) and the roller-coaster saga of Ned Griffin, an enslaved man who was promised freedom by his enslaver if he would serve in his place in the Revolutionary War. Learn how both stories as well as the other records documenting women’s history, African American history, American Indian history, and religious minority communities show how the bills, resolutions, petitions, and other legal records of the General Assembly have incredible significance to the social and cultural history of North Carolina.  Please note that the LibGuide discussed in this episode is undergoing final edits. Look for it on the State Archives website later this year!    Records cited:  All records from General Assembly Record Group, General Assembly Session Records, 1777-1789.    May 15: Senate bill to give Ned Griffin his freedom (petition and messages only), May 15, 1784, General Assembly Session Records, April-June 1784, Box 3.    Dec. 12: House bill to emancipate Hannah, alias Hannah Bowers, of the estate of Alexander Gaston (with petition), December 12, 1786. General Assembly Session Records, November 1786-January 1787, Box 3.   

Welcome to the final series of Season 4, “Uncovered Stories.” In this series, you’ll hear about incredible records that archivists uncovered during work assigned for other, sometimes unrelated projects. These discoveries add new significant research topics to collections held by the State Archives for decades and shine a light on people and subjects upon which previous collection guides did not focus.    In this first episode, host John Horan and regular panelist Josh Hager are joined by State Agency Description Archivist Alexandra Dowrey and Digital Description Archivist Caroline Waller. Over the past two years, Alexandra and Caroline have worked on a large-scale project to modernize the housing and description for the Treasurer’s and Comptroller’s Papers, a massive collection of financial records dating from colonial times to the early 20th century. While they expected to find some documentation of enslaved labor, especially in records pertaining to the State Capitol building, the volume and scope of these records across various parts of the collection was a major discovery. In this episode, Alexandra and Caroline will discuss the important and often heart-wrenching accounts that they have catalogued in this collection. Among other stories, you’ll learn about how enslaved laborers working on the Capitol’s construction had the well-honed skills of a master artisan and how a series documenting import and export taxes include record of the trafficking of eighty enslaved persons to work on infrastructure projects in the Great Dismal Swamp.    As you might expect, this episode includes frank discussions of slavery and the daily life of enslaved persons. This episode may prove upsetting to some listeners. Our hope is that this episode will bring new attention to this collection that will enable the proper acknowledgement of these enslaved individuals and to enable further historical and genealogical research.    Sources:  Confiscated Lands, Halifax County, 1780-1809. Treasurer’s and Comptroller’s Papers, SR.204.22.014.    Eighty enslaved Africans arrived at Port Roanoke on the Brig Camden on June 10, 1786. Treasurer’s and Comptroller’s Papers, Ports, SR.204.40.033.    Navigation and Canal Companies: Cape Fear and Deep River Navigation Company, Payrolls, November 1859, Treasurer’s and Comptroller’s Papers, SR.204.10.013.    Public Claims of Individuals Against the State, 1733-1769, Treasurer’s and Comptroller’s Papers, SR.204.41.001.    State House: Pay Claims, Warrants, and Receipts, 1821; State House: Hire of Enslaved Persons, 1821; State Capitol: Laborer’s Pay and Enslaved Labor, 1837-1839 in Receipts and Pay Claims, Capital Buildings, Treasurer’s and Comptroller’s Papers, SR.204.8.  

Have you ever wanted to ask an archivist why your photos are fading away? Or why only some records are digitized? Or whether they actually wear white gloves when handling old records?   Well, good news! In this episode, our archivists will answer questions just like these that have been sent in from listeners like you! Inspired by the annual #AskAnArchivist day on social media and other popular programs, this episode will cover best practices for preserving family records, how archivists decide what to digitize, tips for researching at the State Archives, and more!  Also be sure to check out the links below for further resources!     Suggested Resources for Preservation:  Northeast Document Conservation Center: https://www.nedcc.org/   Quick Preservation Tips: https://ncarchives.wpcomstaging.com/2015/04/27/quick-preservation-tips/    Family Oral History: https://ncarchives.wpcomstaging.com/2021/07/01/family-oral-histories-introduction-and-planning/    UNC-G Scrapbook Collection: https://gateway.uncg.edu/islandora/object/ua%3AUA0111?page=3&display=grid   Protecting Records: https://ncarchives.wpcomstaging.com/2021/04/30/mayday-saving-our-archives-2021-protecting-your-important-books-papers-and-photographs/     Suggested Resources for Research:  North Carolina Digital Collections: https://digital.ncdcr.gov/    Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/north-carolina-state-archives/   NC Land Grants: https://nclandgrants.com/   NC Maps: https://web.lib.unc.edu/nc-maps/   TranscribeNC: https://archives.ncdcr.gov/researchers/transcribenc    Journey of an Archival Record – Digitization and Access: https://connectingdocs.podbean.com/e/the-journey-of-an-archival-record-part-iii-digitization-and-access/    DOC Search Guides: https://archives.ncdcr.gov/documents/doc-search-guides    State Library’s Genealogy Guides: https://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/research/research-guides-and-tools#Genealogy-41   

2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the NC Trails System Act, and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is celebrating with the Year of the Trail campaign, where all types of trails are being celebrated across the state. Join us as we conclude our three-part series exploring the “sights, sounds, and people” of North Carolina’s trail system. In this episode, we are joined by Secretary D. Reid Wilson for a special retrospective interview. We learn about the origins of the Year of the Trail Campaign, some of the great trail events that have gone on around the state, and we discuss finding peace through hiking.          Primary Sources:        General Assembly Session Records, May Session 1973, House Bill 436, “An Act to Create a Scenic and Recreation Trails System and to Provide for the Designation, Administration, Regulation, and Acquisition of Scenic Trails and Trail Rights-of-Way,” SR.66.8   https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesLevelId:series-31391        Secondary Sources:     https://www.dncr.nc.gov/programs-services/featured-programs/nc-path    https://greattrailsnc.com/     https://www.alltrails.com/?ref=header       Other Links:    https://digital.ncdcr.gov/collections/carolina-christmas  

Happy Holidays! We all have heard of presidential pardons for turkeys at Thanksgiving. Of course, we know that since the first state constitution in 1776, North Carolina governors have had the ability to declare executive clemency to people. But have you heard of a governor pardoning a possum? In this episode we are joined by Records Description Archivist Mike Childs to learn about Slow Poke the Possum of Harnett County, the only possum to be officially pardoned from his sentence to be eaten! Slow Poke’s incredible journey begins in 1970, when he was entered into a beauty contest. The winner of the contest would be subject to Possum Pickin’ Day, a celebration championed by North Carolina Governor Bob Scott, who often partook in eating possums, a rural delicacy. When Slow Poke won the beauty contest and his fate was set, public outcry led Governor Scott to make history by pardoning the possum from becoming his next main course. Long live Slow Poke!    Resources:  SR.370.2.242: Governor Robert Scott Record Group, General Correspondence, Governor's File, Political Folder - Releases, Press, January-March: Proclamations Folder (Box 242)    SR.370.2.257: General Correspondence, Governor's File, Statements, E-Q: Folder H (Box 257)    SR.370.2.257: General Correspondence, Governor's File, Statements, E-Q: Folder P-Q (Box 257)    SR.370.17.7: Executive Mansion Files, 1970 Correspondence, August-December; Invitations Declined, January-February (Box 7)    PC.1317: Robert Scott II Papers, 2011 Addition, Scrapbooks