Sugar and Spice

Sweet, spicy ginger cookies. One of the joys of living here in Winston-Salem is that ginger cookies aren't just for holidays. They are a celebration no matter when you eat them. So thin and crispy, just the right "spicy", it's no problem to eat the entire package yourself. Where did these delectable little tidbits come…

OTSP: The Bethels and the Case of the Hotel Bethel

This is the fourth and final post in a four-part series that will examine different African American aspects of life in Forsyth County, NC during the same time span of the book, The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. The time span of the book is from 1905-1948, which these posts will…

OTSP: The Horton Branch continued with Nell Wright

This is the third post in a four-part series that will examine different African American aspects of life in Forsyth County, NC during the same time span as the book, The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. The time span of the book is from 1905-1948, which these posts will roughly follow.…

Native American Heritage Month

November is Native American Heritage Month. A time to celebrate and acknowledge the traditions, languages, contributions and stories of native cultures. For the month of November, the North Carolina Collection will be hosting the exhibit, "Saura Native Americans" highlighting the lives of the Saura, also known as the Cheraw. They were one of a number…

Forgotten Cemeteries

Nothing screams Halloween like an abandoned/overgrown cemetery. Winston-Salem is home to quite a few of these and they come in all shapes and sizes. When I started this blog post I thought I would write a little about all the small lesser-known burial grounds in Forsyth County. Then I thought, okay just Winston-Salem. Now it's…

OTSP: Mary Hairston and the Horton Branch Library

This is the second post in a four-part series that will examine different African American aspects of life in Forsyth County, NC during the same time span as the book, The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. The time span of the book is from 1905-1948, which these posts will roughly follow.…

OTSP: Early Black reporters in Winston-Salem

This is the first post in a four-part series that will examine different African American aspects of life in Forsyth County, NC during the same time span as the book, The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. The time span of the book is from 1905-1948, which these posts will roughly follow.…

Constitution Day 2022

Once again, the time draws near for us to celebrate Constitution Day. September 17th marks 235 years since a group of men put their names to paper and laid the foundation for the governing of this country. Thirty-eight delegates signed the Constitution. Of course, if you stop to count, you will notice there are actually…

1950 Census, It’s Here!

Finally, after 72 years the 17th Census (1950) has been released. Hard to believe it - genealogists everywhere have been waiting for this moment, including all of us in the North Carolina Collection. What will we find out, better yet, who will we find? North Carolina Collection waiting for the 1950 Census Release. First of…

America 250 Celebration

People have been asking why we have a Christmas Tree in our research room. It is not in fact, a Christmas Tree. It is a Patriot Tree 🇺🇸! Colonel Joseph Winston Chapter of the NSDAR America 250 Patriot Tree The Colonel Joseph Winston Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution…