NC Cultural Resources Newsroom

The State Library of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Archives have unveiled the Web site, “From Crossroads to Capital: The Founding and Early History of Raleigh, NC.”  Through books, maps, manuscripts, and illustrations, the collection documents Raleigh’s founding in 1792 and takes viewers through the capital’s first 50 years.

“As we celebrate National Library Week, this new Web site is also a perfect fit with Cultural Resources theme this year – ‘Telling Our Stories,’” said State Librarian Mary Boone. “Look for more digital collections in the coming months as the State Library of North Carolina continues to make our state’s history available online.”

North Carolina’s bustling capital city was nothing more than a forest of oak and hickory trees located near the Wake Cross Roads and the tavern of early entrepreneur Isaac Hunter when legislators hotly debated its founding.

The Web site includes a time line, brief history, and a searchable database, which will be of great use for genealogists, students, and other researchers.  A unique feature of the site is that handwritten texts, such as deeds and reports are fully searchable.

For more information, e-mail the Digital Information Management Program staff at digital.info@ncmail.net.

Similar sites can be found around the country, including the Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage Program, Ohio History, and the New York Public Library Digital Collections.

Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker proclaimed April “Raleigh History Month.”  Click here to view the proclamation.

The State Library of North Carolina is a division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. The State Library of North Carolina works in partnership with communities to develop library service, coordinates statewide programs for all types of libraries, and offers direct library service to state employees, genealogy researchers, and people who have visual and physical handicaps. The State Historical Records Advisory Board and the State Archives are also part of Cultural Resources.

Cultural Resources’ 2008 theme is “Telling Our Stories,” which showcases the story of North Carolina’s rich arts, heritage, and cultural life.  For more information on Cultural Resources programs, visit www.ncculture.com.