Connecting the Docs: True Stories from the Old North State

Uncovered Stories, Episode 2: Marginalized Communities in Early Statehood General Assembly Records

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. 

 

Uncovered Stories, Episode 1: Finding Enslaved Labor in the Treasurer’s and Comptroller’s Papers

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.  

Ask an Archivist: Fan Letters

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   

Year of the Trail: Interview with Special Guest Secretary D. Reid Wilson

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  

We Beg Your Pardon: The Saga of Slow Poke

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 

Year of the Trail: Indian Trading Paths

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 continue our three-part series exploring the “sights, sounds, and people” of North Carolina’s trail system. In this episode, we take a look at the oldest trail system in our state – Indian Trading Paths. Long before Europeans arrived in the New World, American Indians utilized a network of trails and pathways across the Southeast for travel, hunting, recreation, communication, and general cultural exchange. As the area was settled by colonizers, these paths became essential in their daily life, as well. Listen in as we discuss the original main streets of North Carolina.

  

Primary Sources:  

 

Outer Banks History Center Monographs (Single Volumes), “A New Voyage to Carolina,” John Lawson, (1709) 1967, 33BOK-0-59, https://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/lawson/menu.html, https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:759043

 

NC Maps, North Carolina Colony and State Maps, “An Accurate Map of North and South Carolina With Their Indian Frontiers, Shewing in a distinct manner all the Mountains, Rivers, Swamps, Marshes, Bays, Creeks, Harbours, Sandbanks and Soundings on the Coasts; with The Roads and Indian Paths; as well as The Boundary or Provincial Lines, The Several Townships and other divisions of the Land in Both Provinces; the whole from Actual Surveys by Henry Mouzon and Others (color facsimile),” (1775) 1967, MC.150.1775m.fac2 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:155991

Secretary of State, Land Warrants, Plats of Survey and Related Land Grant Records, Granville County, File No. 910, Michael Synnott, 1752, ID: 12.14.66.905, SSLG 57J

https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:444272

         

Treasurer’s and Comptroller’s Papers, Indian Affairs and Lands, Cherokee Nation, “For burying Cherokee warrior Saloe on his return from Governor of Virginia,” 1770, Box 1, SR.204.18 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:559906

 

British Records, Colonial Office: America and West Indies - Original Correspondence, Board of Trade and Secretary of State (CO 5/1-187), Secretary of State: Dispatches and Miscellaneous (CO 5/4), “Articles of Friendship and Commerce, proposed by the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, to the Deputies of the Cherokee Nation . . .,” 7 Sep. 1730, ID: 21.20.3.11 https://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.php/document/csr03-0067, https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov/solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:628689

 

British Records, Colonial Office: America and West Indies - Original Correspondence, Board of Trade and Secretary of State (CO 5/1-187), Secretary of State: Dispatches and Miscellaneous (CO 5/4), “Response of the Cherokee Chiefs to the Treaty Proposed by the Board of Trade,” 9 Sep. 1730, ID: 21.20.3.12 https://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.php/document/csr03-0067, https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:628690

 

An Interview with Gregory Richardson (b. 1951), 2023-01-26. ID: OH.010.003.

American Indian Heritage Commission Oral History Project

https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov/solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:1165996

 

Secondary Sources:

NCPedia, “Indian Trading Paths,” Tom Magnuson, 2006, https://www.ncpedia.org/indian-trading-paths

 

“The Trading Path and North Carolina,” Rebecca Taft Fecher, Vol. 3, No. 2, Fall 2008, UNC Greensboro – Journal of Backcountry Studies, https://libjournal.uncg.edu/index.php/jbc/article/viewFile/26/15  

The American Indian in North Carolina, Douglas L. Rights, 1957, Publisher: University of Michigan – J. F. Blair

“Tracing the Trading Path,” Mark Chilton, 24 Feb. 2014, OrangePolitics.org, https://orangepolitics.org/2014/02/tracing-the-trading-path  

“The Indian trading path and colonial settlement development in the North Carolina Piedmont,” Gladys Rebecca Dobbs, May 2007, UNC Chapel Hill – Carolina Digital Repository, https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/dissertations/d791sh108?locale=en

Year of the Trail: Mountains to Sea Trail

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 embark on a three-part series where we explore the “sights, sounds, and people” of North Carolina’s trail system. In this episode, we leave the recording studio to take a hike ourselves along the Neuse River Greenway Trail in Raleigh’s own Anderson Point Park. While enjoying the trail, we’ll discuss the beginnings of the North Carolina Trails Committee after it was founded in the 1970s, specifically their efforts to develop the Mountains to the Sea Trail, designed to connect the state from the mountains to the coast.      

  

 

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  

 

Parks and Recreation Record Group, Planning and Special Studies Section: North Carolina Trails Program File, Boxes 1-4, SR.85.35 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:695971 

  

“Speech by Howard N. Lee, Sept. 9, 1977,” Natural Resources and Community Development Record Group, SR.82.49, Box 02709-0002 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:695140  

Resiliency in Records Management: Disaster Preparedness and Protecting Essential Records

As the conclusion of our Resiliency series, this episode shifts our focus from stories of the resilience of individual North Carolinians to information on how the State Archives can help government agencies throughout the state remain resilient in the face of disasters. In this episode, Records Description Unit Supervisor Josh Hager welcomes Records Management Consultant for Disaster Preparedness and Essential Records Kayla Leonard and Reference Archivist Katie Crickmore to the show to discuss the essential role that the State Archives has in helping agencies prepare for the effects of disasters on their records. You'll get the chance to play along as a records manager as Kayla and Josh lead Katie on a tour of the basics of identifying essential records and planning for disasters. We’ll discuss how to identify what’s essential (hint: it’s not always the most historically significant records). We’ll also play a game where you get to identify the hazards to records in an everyday workplace. You'll learn that a COOP isn’t just for chickens but is instead a critical step in disaster preparedness. Finally, you’ll learn what basic steps you can take immediately after a records disaster.

 

Find the Hazard Game:

If you cannot access the images, please visit our blog: https://ncarchives.wpcomstaging.com/2023/10/11/resiliency-in-records-management-disaster-preparedness-and-protecting-essential-records/

 

Additional Resources:

Contact Kayla Leonard at kayla.leonard@dncr.nc.gov

 

Records Management Tools: https://archives.ncdcr.gov/government/rm-tools

 

Disaster Preparedness Resources: https://archives.ncdcr.gov/researchers/preservation/disaster-preparedness

 

Essential Records Overview: https://www.statearchivists.org/programs/emergency-preparedness/essential-records-er-course/handouts-essential-records-er-course/

 

 

Resiliency in the Face of Natural Disasters: Other Storms and Natural Disasters

Resiliency is the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties, or, to put it simply, fortitude. In the previous episode, we heard four stories of North Carolinians showing resiliency in the face of historic hurricanes, but hurricanes aren’t the only type of bad weather our state has faced. This episode showcases four more stories of resiliency shown by North Carolina citizens when facing other major storms and natural disasters. Join us as we discuss the Southern Railway Company’s emergency response to a historic mountain flood, Rebecca B. Cullum’s overcoming her fears to deliver help after a coastal blizzard, the community of Red Springs coming together to rebuild after a tornado outbreak, and the multi-agency efforts to control a blaze in a wildfire hotspot. Whether it’s individuals risking their lives for others, agencies funneling resources into rescue operations or communities coming together to rebuild, North Carolinians are absolutely resilient!   

 

Tornado Maps:  

Wildfire Map: 

If you cannot access the images, please visit our blog: https://ncarchives.wpcomstaging.com/2023/09/27/resiliency-in-the-face-of-natural-disasters-other-storms-and-natural-disasters/

 

Sources:  

  

The Floods of July, 1916: How the Southern Railway Organization Met an Emergency, 1917, Outer Banks History Center Monographs, ID: 33BOK-0-293 https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p249901coll37/id/4917/rec/41   

 

Flood Near Railroad Depot, Asheville, North Carolina, 1916 (1998), General Negative Collection, Record ID: N.98.10.47 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:252484  

 

The Lincoln County News, 27 Jul 1916, Pg. 1, “Railway People Hard at It,” LinLCN.4 

 

An Interview with Frances Cullom Morgan (b. 1948), 2021-05-19 [1:00:25] ID: OH.GEN.001 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:1154702  

 

The Rocky Mount Evening Telegram, Rocky Mount, NC, 7 Mar 1962, Pg. 1 “Outer Banks Area Isolated by Big Storm,” [Newspapers.com]   

 

Spen-a-Rest Beach Cottages, Kitty Hawke, NC, March 1962 just after the Ash Wednesday Storm, 2015; 1962 ID: N.2015.3.3 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:258979   

 

Red Springs Citizen Photograph Collection, 1984 TO 2005, ID: PHC.296 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:1144282  

 

News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 01 April 1984, Pg. 1, “From Ravaged Ruins, Spirit of Recovery Stirs in Red Springs,” [Newspapers.com]  

 

Indian Affairs Record Group, Tornado Disaster, 1984, ID: SR.111.6.025 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:1140402   

 

Forest Resources Record Group, Fire Control Section: Fire Reports File, ID: 84.14 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:695586   

 

The Robesonian, Lumberton, NC, 5 Apr. 1955, Pg. 1, 4 “Forest Fires Rage in Eastern Areas,” and Pg. 4 “Losses Mount as Fires Rage Out of Control,” [Newspapers.com]

Resiliency in the Face of Natural Disasters: North Carolina Hurricanes

North Carolina is no stranger to hurricanes. According to the National Hurricane Center, North Carolina is number 4 on the list of states most affected by hurricanes and throughout the state’s recorded history, hurricanes have been responsible for nearly 1,000 total fatalities and over $15 billion in damages. Yet time and time again, the citizens of North Carolina have shown their resilient nature in the face of these storms. This episode showcases four stories of resiliency brought on by four of the strongest hurricanes in our state’s history. Join us as we discuss Jesse Stevens Taylor’s dedication to her storm warning post during Hurricane Hazel, Rasmus Midgett’s heroic one-man rescue after the San Ciriaco Hurricane, New Bern’s preparation for the Revolutionary War amid the Independence Hurricane, and the town of Princeville’s persevering spirit after Hurricane Floyd. Whether it’s individuals risking their lives for others, agencies funneling resources into rescue operations or communities coming together to rebuild, North Carolinians are absolutely resilient!  

 

Hurricane Path Maps:

If you cannot access images, please visit our blog: https://ncarchives.wpcomstaging.com/2023/09/13/resiliency-in-the-face-of-natural-disasters-north-carolina-hurricanes/

 

Sources: 

 

“Weather Watcher,” Our State Magazine, May 2006, Vol. 73, no. 12, State Library, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/our-state/1100309 

 

Governor Luther Hodges Papers, General Correspondence (Civil Defense subject file) Box 260.  SR.367.1 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:738923 

 

Carolina Power and Light Photograph Collection, Hurricane Hazel ID: PhC.68.1.471.1-4 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:70597 

 

“North Carolina’s Hurricane History: Fourth Edition, Updated with a Decade of New Storms from Isabel to Sandy,” Jay Barnes, UNC Press Books, 2013 

 

Herbert Hutchinson Brimley Photograph Collection, 1880-1977 - Wreck of the Priscilla, Hatteras, NC, 1899. ID: PhC.42.Bx6.Boats.F19 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:912431  

 

The Story of Rasmus Midgett: Lifesaver, 1900-1999, ID: VT.119 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:866110    

 

“Hurricane of Independence: The Untold Story of the Deadly Storm at the Deciding Moment of the American Revolution,” Tony Williams, Sourcebooks, Inc., 2009 

 

British Records, Royal Observatory, Charles Town, [South Carolina]. William De Brahm [surveyor general, southern department] to the Earl of Dartmouth [William Legge, secretary of state]. 8 Dec., 1775 ID: 21.20.64.1 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:629462    

 

North Carolina Newspaper Collection, Virginia Gazette or Norfolk Intelligencer, “Extract of a Letter from Newbern, in North Carolina, dated September 9, 1775,” 21 Oct 1775, page 2, NSP.5 https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/DigitalLibrary/va-gazettes/VGSinglePage.cfm?issueIDNo=75.DH.49&page=2&res=LO   

 

Temporary Housing Section, Information Management Unit: Photograph File, 1999-2002 ID:  SR.56.7 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:659101    

 

Governor James Hunt, Emergency Management File, 1999-2001. SR.374.32 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:748121    

 

Water damage in Princeville, North Carolina, Hurricane Floyd, October 13, 1999, 1999 ID: N.2000.2.49 https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:254662