Google Map of the Raleigh and North Carolina

We have created a map of some of the important locations in Raleigh and North Carolina on Google Maps.

Please follow this link view the map.

The map identifies locations according to the following key:

• A blue circular pin with a black dot in the center -- The Raleigh Convention and Conference Center. The location of the conference.
  
• A yellow house -- The three conference hotels
• A knife and fork -- Dining areas or specific restaurants
  
• A coffee cup -- (New!) Local coffee bars and cafés
  
• A purple push pin -- The Raleigh City Museum & Visitor's Center
• A green push pin -- Libraries and archives
  
• A yellow push pin -- Historical sites
• A red push pin -- Historic cemeteries
  
• A light blue push pin -- Other sites of interest
  
• A blue letter P -- Parking (New! The map now includes the locations of the Convention Center, Cabarrus and Archives parking lots.)
  

We will continue to update the map with additional locations, including parking locations.

Raleigh's Historic Cemeteries

Wake County (NC) is blessed with many wonderful old cemeteries, both large and small, several of which are located in downtown Raleigh -- Old City Cemetery, Oakwood Cemetery, Mt. Hope, O'Rorke and several others. Notable among them are two historic cemeteries located near downtown Raleigh -- Old City Cemetery and Oakwood Cemetery.

Old City Cemetery

A stroll through Raleigh’s Old City Cemetery, with its cobblestone roadways, is a trip through local history. Established in 1798 with sections for “residents, visitors & slaves”, those buried here include senators, generals and many of the founders of both the city and the state including Joel Lane, known as “the father of Raleigh”. While it is a treasure trove for genealogists with local ancestors, it also offers visitors and those without local connections a vivid and touchingly personal glimpse of history. One finds the grave of Jacob Johnson, father of our 17th President Andrew Johnson, who “died from disease caused by an over-effort in saving the life of his friend”; of Wm. Gray Kilkelly, Express Agent, “who perished the 10th March 1856, in the burning of the cars on the Seaboard Road”; and poignant eulogies such as “she died without an enemy” on stones that no longer bear a name.

Learn more about this cemetery.

Oakwood Cemetery

A few blocks north one can visit Historic Oakwood Cemetery, which began in 1867 when Henry Mordecai donated two and one-half acres to reinter the Confederate dead. An agent for the U.S. government, having claimed the existing cemetery on Rock Quarry road as a national cemetery for Union soldiers, threatened to throw the disinterred Confederate dead out onto the public street unless they were removed within 3 days. A local group, spearheaded by Sophia Partridge and largely comprised of women and children, moved more than 400 dead to their new resting place at Oakwood. The Confederate section of Oakwood now contains nearly 1500 graves including four Confederate generals. The cemetery was founded in 1869 and now includes 102 acres. Oakwood Cemetery, like City Cemetery, is the final resting place of many prominent people and many, though less well known, whose monuments and epitaphs speak of their own fascinating stories.

Learn more about this cemetery.

Whether you are seeking specific genealogical information, or simply wish to experience history in a very personal way, a visit to Raleigh’s cemeteries is sure to prove memorable.

If You Are Using Your RV For The Conference -- Read This!

NGS Conference Alternate Lodging
RV Parking at the NC State Fairgrounds info

Conveniently located 5.6 miles from the Convention Center, the charge is $25 a night for full hook up. 30 & 50 amp available. (No club discounts available)

I have blocked out the dates from May 10th to May 17th for anyone wanting to come in early to work at the NC State Archives. If anyone wants to stay after the conference you can do that....There is a two week parking limit.

Once you are there, you bypass the "first come first serve" rule of individual reservations. There s public transportation (bus) from the fairgrounds to the Convention for $4.00 round trip.

The cutoff date for reservations is May 1st 2009 as I have to give the fairgrounds a head count.

For further information or to reserve a space please contact me.
Carolyn Putterman
[email protected]

For further information on the NC State Fairgrounds, check out: http://www.ncstatefair.org/facilities/rvaccess.htm

What an Awesome Week to Visit Raleigh!!!

There are a number of wonderful cultural events being offered in May the week of the NGS Conference! Whether you are interested in fine dining, theater, music or art, Raleigh has something for almost everyone.

Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts Festival 2009

Artsplosure's spring arts festival is one of North Carolina's most acclaimed and well attended outdoor arts festivals, attracting more than 70,000 people annually to Moore Square Park in downtown Raleigh. The event is free to the public and features more than 250 visual and performing artists. It is scheduled this year on May 16 & 17, from 11:00am to 7:00pm.

(Photo: C. Biondi) For more details: http://www.artsplosure.org/

Theatre in the Park

Presents: Romeo & Juliet

Theatre in the Park will stage a special production of Shakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET,
featuring Evan Rachel Wood and Justin Long on May 15 - 17, 2009.

For tickets and additional information: http://www.theatreinthepark.com/

2009 Triangle Restaurant Week: From traditional southern cook'n to global cuisine, Restaurant Week is proud to feature some of the established favorites as well as new restaurants which have opened up over the past year!

Participating restaurants are offering fixed priced, three-course meals including an appetizer, an entree and dessert for just $15.00 for lunch, and $25.00 for dinner. Reservations are not necessary, but are recommended!

For a listing of participating restaurants and additional informations, call (919) 673-3974 or

visit http://www.trirestaurantweek.com/

Art in the Evening:

North Carolina Museum of Art

Unwind with us! On Fridays linger with soft jazz and a glass of wine from our lobby wine bar before the film series. Enjoy free docent-led tours at 6:30pm and stroll through the galleries.

One of the premier visual arts museums in the Southeast, featuring a collection spanning 5,000 years, from classical to contemporary. The Museum Restaurant and Store complete your visit. For more information call (919) 715-5923

or visit http://www.ncartmuseum.org/

Carolina Bluegrass Music Festival 2 : Koka Booth Amphitheatre

Featuring lively bluegrass music and 5 Grammy nominated national bluegrass acts including: The Del McCoury Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Tony Rice Unit, IIIrd Tyme Out, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Al Batten & the Bluegrass Reunion, and No Strings Attached.

For tickets and information :

(919) 462-2025

http://www.carolinabluegrassfestival.com/

North Carolina Museum of History -- Update -- New Exhibits!

With the conference fast approaching -- it's time to give you an update on what exhibits will be at the NC Museum of History in May!


Free Exhibits ....


ELECTED TO SERVE: NORTH CAROLINA’S GOVERNORS


This exhibit offers an insightful look at nearly 300 years of gubernatorial history. The state’s foremost leader has always faced challenges, from pirate encounters during colonial times to today’s budget concerns. Many twists and turns along the way have left a colorful history.


It explores how governors have shaped our state and improved Tar Heel life in areas such as agriculture, industry and education. The exhibit also highlights the contributions of several first ladies to North Carolina. Additional sections focus on political campaigns, voting and inaugural traditions.

EVERYDAY ARTISTRY


For centuries, many people in North Carolina made what they needed with what they had on hand. They transformed flour-sack cloth into clothing, tobacco twine into crocheted bedspreads, local wood into household furniture, and other available materials into useful items. Sometimes they adorned their creations with decorative embellishments.

This exhibit showcases a variety of utilitarian, yet decorative, items made by North Carolinians. Spanning three centuries, the exhibit features more than 50 items ranging from handcrafted furniture and toys to kitchen utensils and a variety of quilts.



MUSEUM SLEUTHS: WHATCHAMACALLITS AND THINGAMAJIGS

An 8-year-old accompanies her mother to an antique shop, and she spies an odd-looking contraption. “What’s this?” she asks, while reaching for a 1960s record player. Before you know it, items like record players or rotary-dial phones become objects of mystery for the next generation.
This exhibit spotlights a selection of unusual items that will befuddle or bemuse you. It features 21 objects from the museum’s collection of more than 150,000 artifacts. This small exhibit includes items ranging from a large object shaped like an elephant’s trunk to a gadget resembling a miniature water tower. Try to guess the identity of each one before revealing the answer. However, this may be quite a challenge because some artifacts date to the 1700s.


Paid Admission Required ....


KNIGHTS of the BLACK FLAG

Marauders. Plunderers. Bloodthirsty sea-thieves. Whatever their name, pirates have wreaked havoc on the high seas since waterway travel began. This exhibit will explore the legacy of pirates, from ancient times to the present, through intriguing artifacts, legends and history that bring their ruthless adventures to life.

It traces the history of piracy from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome through today’s pirates in Somalia. Artifacts, some dating to the early centuries A.D., represent tangible links to a violent past.

Central to the story are the fearless exploits of sword-wielding, pistol-toting characters such as Stede Bonnet, Anne Bonny, Mary Read and the most famous of all — Blackbeard. Hundreds of artifacts, including cannons, a ship’s bell and gold dust, will be on view from the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the shipwreck discovered at Beaufort Inlet in 1996. Blackbeard and his crew terrorized victims along North Carolina’s coast from this ship that ran aground in 1718. Amid tools, diving equipment, and videos of underwater archaeologists at the shipwreck site, visitors witness the discovery, excavation and conservation of one of the largest pirate ships ever to sail in the Spanish Main.

The exhibit allows young visitors to step inside a pirate’s life, to handle pirate weapons, to capture ships and try on pirate clothes. They can watch for pirates from the crow’s nest, defend their ship from a pirate attack, and experience firsthand what it is like to be a pirate.

Ticket and Group Tour Information -- Admission is free for ages 18 and under. The fee is $5 for ages 19 and up; $4 for senior citizens, active military personnel and adult groups of 10 or more.

NOTE: This exhibit will be open (free of charge) for those attending the Dessert Reception at the museum on Thursday, May 14th!


~~~~~~~~~~~


Check here for a complete overview of the current exhibits.

All images courtesy of the North Carolina Museum of History.

Dessert Reception at the NC Museum of History

NC Museum of History Reception

Thursday, May 14th 6:00-9:30p
Cost: $19.50 per person

Co-sponsored by the North Carolina Genealogical Society and the North Carolina Museum of History, we will have the NC Museum of History all to ourselves this evening to explore the many and varied exhibits relating to North Carolina history.

There will be a dessert reception in the museum lobby featuring delicious selections from Irregardless, a popular downtown Raleigh restaurant. Coffee and iced tea will be included.

The museum gift shop will be open and there will be talks given by William Alexander Haley (The Making of Roots), Earl Ijames (Colored Confederates, Myth or Reality?), and Jeffrey Haines (North Carolina People Finders).

NOTE: As a special treat, the exhibit "Knights of the Black Flag" will be open (for free) to those attending this wonderful event! Click here for details on the exhibit.

Oldest House in Raleigh -- Worth a Visit!

The Joel Lane Museum House

We are so glad you are coming to Raleigh this year! Please make time to visit the Joel Lane Museum House. Joel Lane’s house, the oldest in Raleigh, was built in the early 1770’s. Joel Lane was a Colonel in the North Carolina colonial militia and a patriot during the Revolutionary War. In 1771 he introduced the bill to create Wake County, and in 1792 he sold one thousand acres of land to form the newly planned capital city, Raleigh.

This faithfully-restored manor house was once deemed “The Best House for 100 Miles.” It features the Bible owned by Joel’s third son, William, fine examples of period decorative arts, and a number of excellent pieces of locally-made period furniture. Also on the site is a c. 1790 two-story domicile interpreted as a detached kitchen. Tours begin in the charming c. 1820 Visitors Center which was formerly a wing of Joel Lane’s home. The gardens feature a lovely neo-colonial formal English garden, formal herb garden, and fruit trees including pomegranates.

During the National Genealogical Conference conference, the museum house will be open at special times for tours for attendees. Please see your program guide when you check in or check our website.

The Joel Lane Museum House Board of Directors is responsible for the financial support and operation of the Museum. The organization is funded through donations and grants, not by local, state or federal governments. It is operated by a small paid staff and many loyal volunteers. Please call 919-833-3431, email [email protected], or visit our web site for more information.

Capital Area Greenway -- if you want to step outside a bit during the conference!

Though we know that you are coming to Raleigh for the conference, sometimes one just wants some fresh air and not just see nature through the expansive windows of the Convention Center!

The Capital Area Greenway system is a network of public open spaces and recreational trails which provide for activities such as walking, jogging, hiking, bird watching, nature study, fishing, picnicking and outdoor fun. The trails connect many of Raleigh’s parks and in many cases provide a compliment to the recreational activities at the parks. Many of the city’s major ecological features can be experienced in their natural state along the Greenway. Currently, the Greenway is a 54 mile – 3000 acre system and continues to grow.

You can access a map of the system.

From the Convention Center, you are just a couple of blocks from Optimist Park (#27 on the Greenway map) with easy access to the downtown leg of the Greenway.

And, if you have your car and are a bit more adventure- some, my favorite trail is the one that circum- navigates Lake Lynn (#19 on the Greenway map). It is a two mile trail that hugs the lake -- along the boardwalks you see several varieties of ducks, geese and other fowl, and in the warmer months you see turtles basking in the sun and other wildlife!

Via the Captial Area Greenway system you can quickly and easily seek the quiet and beauty of nature.

Planned Local Event #4 -- Historic Tour -- Life in the Old South Tour

Historic Tour -- Life in the Old South Tour

Tuesday, May 12 8:15a-5:30p

Cost: $55 per person (lunch not included in price)

Experience the Old South at Historic Stagville Plantation, one of the largest in antebellum North Carolina. From the halls of the plantation house to the dirt floors of the slave quarters, you will learn about the realities of a much storied era.

As a contrast to plantation life, we also explore the life of a small tobacco farmer at Duke Homestead. From this humble site, Washington Duke built a tremendous tobacco company. Costumed interpreters will demonstrate 19th century life and southern farming techniques.

After lunch on your own at Cracker Barrel, we tour Bennett Place, the site of the surrender between Generals Sherman and Johnston that ended the Civil War for the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.

The final stop is the charming and authentic Patterson’s Mill Country Store. In addition to their vast collection of mercantile antiques, you may browse their rich offerings of down home foods, crafts and nostalgic collectibles.

Depart by tour bus from conference center

Planned Local Event #2 -- Segway Tours

Segway Tours

Tuesday, May 12th 11:00a or 2:00p
Cost: $35 per person per tour

You’ve seen them on TV and watched police and city commuters ride them, now experience the fun and ease of riding a Segway (a self-balancing personal transporter), for yourself. After adequate training and practice time, we’ll glide around downtown Raleigh, listening to our tour guide tell stories about the various historic homes and government buildings we pass. Participants must be at least 18 years old, less than 260 lbs. and have the ability to stand for at least an hour. Helmet and bottled water are provided. We’ll depart from the conference center 45 min. before each tour begins and walk a few blocks to Triangle Segway for our training time. After the tour, we’ll walk the few blocks back to the conference center.

Planned Local Event #1 -- Raleigh Trolley Tours

Now that the details of our exciting "local events" have been finalized -- it's time for us to share them with you! Let's start with the tours aboard Raleigh's historic Trolley!

Raleigh Historic Day Tour

Tuesday, May 12th
9:30a-3:30p
Cost: $45 per person (lunch on own)

You’ll leave the convention center aboard a historic trolley and have a guided tour of several downtown Raleigh sites.

• Joel Lane House with its authentic 18th century garden, is the oldest dwelling in Raleigh.


• Mordecai Historic Park includes the Mordecai House, President Andrew Johnson’s birthplace, St. Mark’s Chapel, and other historic buildings and gardens.


• Lunch on your own in Raleigh’s Historic City Market


• Historic Oakwood Cemetery, the final resting place of 2,800 Confederate Soldiers, five Civil War generals, seven governors and many others. A cemetery historian will share colorful stories about their lives.

Raleigh Evening Orientation Tours
Tuesday, May 12th
4:00p-5:15p, 5:20p-6:35p or 6:40p-7:55p
Cost: $15 per person per tour

Ride the historic trolley and learn your way around downtown Raleigh. Discover how conveniently close you are to the State Archives, restaurants, shops, museums and art galleries. A tour guide will point out landmarks and tell colorful stories about historic downtown. Each tour lasts approx. 1 hour 15 min. Includes choice of sitting or standing. Drop off and pick up at conference center only.

What's With the Acorn?

"Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" and often is described as "a park with a city in it." Trees planted at the city's inception still provide cooling shade for visitors to Moore Square Park..."

To honor this moniker, for the City of Raleigh's bicentennial celebration in 1992, John Watkins conceived the idea of a giant acorn and persuaded local businesses to cover the cost for it's design and creation by sculptor David Benson.

Some acorn stats ...
+ 1,250 pounds
+ 10 feet tall
+ copper and steel
+ rests in Moore square except on New Years eve

For 16 First Night celebrations (since the Bicentennial of Raleigh in 1992), the acorn has been lowered from a crane at the stroke of midnight to signal the dawning of the New Year

Check out some other Raleigh, Fun Facts!

Why come to Raleigh?

Why should you come to Raleigh in May 2009?

The weather is great. The average daytime highs are in the mid- to upper-70s.

The dogwood trees and rhododendron plants are in bloom, painting the city with color.

You can network with hundreds of genealogists who are also coming to the conference.

The conference is held in the middle of North Carolina history. Enjoy being close to many archival repositories just waiting for you to explore their collections. (Read about the many research opportunities on this blog.)

North Carolina barbeque - need we say more?!

Indulge yourself with four days of genealogy lectures by nationally-known speakers.

Enjoy world-class museums, many within walking distance of the convention center.

Stroll through an exhibit hall filled with vendors offering a wide variety of genealogy products and services.

Heartbeat of Raleigh -- Its Renaissance -- Fayetteville Street

Fayetteville Street in Raleigh (just a block over from the Convention Center where the conference will be held) is the central thoroughfare of Raleigh and reflects the history of this capital city!

In an attempt to re-energize this thoroughfare in the 1970s, the street was closed to traffic and converted to a pedestrian mall in an attempt to revitalize the downtown area.

The lack of success of this project resulted in a return to vehicular traffic in 2006, and was celebrated as part of Raleigh Wide-Open, a now annual event!

Read about the history of this street leading up to its renaissance!

When you are here for NGS 2009, you'll get to see for yourself how successful the project has been as you enjoy the sights, sounds, restaurants and businesses that now line this exciting street that connects the Capitol Building at the northern end to the Progress Performing Arts Center at the southern end.

Our State Capitol Building -- a landmark we are proud of!

In 1788 the NC State Convention voted to fix the capital within ten miles of Isaac Hunter's plantation in Wake County. Construction of a State House began on the town's central square in 1792.

First occupied in 1794, the building served as the capitol until it burned in 1831. The cornerstone of the present State Capitol, constructed on the site of the former State House, was laid in 1833 and the building was completed in 1840. It is one of the finest and best preserved examples of a major civic building in the Greek Revival architecture style.

If you want to step back into history, visit this building! Whether you go inside of it during the day or stroll around it in the evening, it captivates you.

Located only a few blocks from the Convention Center, it's within easy walking distance! Self-guided tours are available anytime the building is open and guided tours are available Saturday, 11 am & 2pm and Sunday, 2 pm. Admission is Free!

In addition to the wonderful architecture and interior, the grounds, Union Square, is home to numerous statues and monuments that have been erected to memorialize people and events in the history of North Carolina. The collection consists of fourteen monuments, most of them bronze on stone bases.


If you won't have time to check it out in person, then take the virtual tour!

Travel into RDU has just gotten better!

By the time you arrive for NGS 2009, Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) will have unveiled Terminal 2 -- a brand new state-of-the-art terminal!

If your plans including flying in on Air Canada, American, Delta, United and select regional carriers, you will get to experience this new terminal first hand!

Some features of the new terminal include:

+ 3 times larger than the old Terminal C.
+ 3 ticketing islands -- each feature 20 traditional ticket counters.
+ 60+ electronic kiosks will be located throughout the airline check-in area.
+ will accommodate up to 11.4 million passengers each year.
+ each concourse features 2 moving walkways.
+ security checkpoint will accommodate up to 10 security checkpoint lanes.
+ baggage claim area will feature 5 baggage carousels.
+ fully automated in line baggage screening system will screen all checked luggage as required by TSA.

What this means for your visit to Raleigh is that all aspects of your arrival and departure should go smoother and faster and may even be pleasurable (we hear that 15% of the waiting seats will have power outlets and USB ports for the tech savvy traveler!).

This article by the N&O gives a nice overview of the new terminal or check out the airport's own web-page to learn more about this exciting new airport experience!

Exciting Art Exhibitions -- May 2009 -- Artspace!

Exciting exhibitions planned for May 2009 at Artspace!

Gallery One will host an exhibition by Michigan artist Sarah Lindley, opening May 1, 2009. Lindley’s exhibition will present recent porcelain work reminiscent of roll top desks, trunks, chests of drawers, and cabinets. While normally these items are designed to protect, organize, and display their contents, Lindley reduces the forms to systems and structure – essentially skeletal forms – incapable of function. The function is defied further by the fragile nature of the material (porcelain) from which they have been created.

Gallery Two will present the work of our Artspace Summer Arts Program instructors. This exhibition, opening May 16, 2009, will feature works for sale by the many talented professional artists who join us each summer to teach visual arts to children and adults. Proceeds from art sales benefit the Artspace Summer Arts Program scholarship fund.

Additional exhibitions will be located in the Upfront Gallery, lobby, and hallways throughout the building.

Always check the Artspace web-site for information about all current exhibitions and special events.

Come be inspired at Artspace!

Artspace is a one-of-a-kind nonprofit visual art center dedicated to providing inspiring and engaging arts education and community outreach programs, creating a dynamic open studio environment of professional artists, and presenting nationally acclaimed exhibitions. Since 1986, Artspace has been Raleigh’s visual art center providing the community with the opportunity to interact with working artists and participate in hands-on arts education.

The building is open to the public Tuesday - Saturday from 10am-6pm and 10am-10pm on the first Friday of each month. Admission is free and donations are appreciated.

A Historic Space
Located just blocks away from the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh’s City Market, the Artspace facility was built in 1911 to serve as the city’s livery for the downtown City Market area. In the 1960’s, the building was transformed into the Sanders Ford Car Dealership. Today this 30,000 square foot facility is home to 35 artists working in a variety of media, along with three exhibition spaces, education space, and a gift shop. Artspace is one of the largest open studio environments in the country and the premier organization of its kind in North Carolina.

What is an “open studio environment?”
Unlike other gallery or studio settings, Artspace artists invite the public to watch them work in their studios, discuss the creative process, learn about new techniques and tips, and purchase a work of art direct from the artist. The Artspace Artists Association boasts 100 professional members, with 35 of these artists working in open studios at Artspace. Artists within the building represent a wide variety of mediums, including watercolor, landscapes, portraiture, mixed media, clay, printmaking, sculpture, jewelry-making, and felt making.

Artspace is conveniently located 2 blocks from the Raleigh Convention Center at 201 E Davie St.

Come by today and immerse yourself in the creative process!

Immerse Yourself in History at the North Carolina Museum of History

Just a few blocks from NGS 2009, you can be immersed in North Carolina's history at the North Carolina Museum of History.

The museum is located at 5 E. Edenton Street in downtown Raleigh. Admission is FREE, and parking is free on weekends. The museum’s hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. The Museum Shop, featuring North Carolina crafts, is open daily. The museum is part of the Office of Archives and History, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

Some exhibits that may interest you, include:

A Call to Arms: North Carolina Military History Gallery
See artifacts from 11 wars, from the American Revolution to the war in Iraq. The gallery is filled with weapons, uniforms, home front items, photographs and other objects from wars that have touched thousands of Tar Heel lives. Online Exhibit Preview / Podcast

Carbine Williams
See the original workshop of David Marshall “Carbine” Williams. This self-taught gunsmith from North Carolina helped design the U.S. Carbine, caliber .30, M1, which became a favorite weapon of American forces in World War II, the Korean War and the early years of Vietnam. The one-room workshop includes nearly 3,000 artifacts.

Pleasing to the Eye: The Decorative Arts of North Carolina
This large exhibit overflows with hundreds of items that reveal the craftsmanship and artistic expression of generations of North Carolinians. See paintings, pottery, furniture, needlework, silver, quilts, metalwork, costumes and much, much more.

N.C. Sports Hall of Fame
See more than 200 items representing Tar Heel sports heroes. Items in the exhibit include champion driver Richard Petty’s stock car, Meadowlark Lemon’s Harlem Globetrotters basketball uniform, N.C. State University coach Kay Yow’s Olympic team basketball, Jim Beatty’s running shoes, Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice’s UNC-Chapel Hill football jersey and Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke University warm-up jacket. N.C. Sports Hall of Fame Members, N.C. Sports Hall of Fame Web site

1920s Drugstore
Patent medicines, loose herbs, and turpentine and tar products used in home remedies are just a sampling of artifacts lining the shelves of the 1920s drugstore. A mortar and pestle rest on the workroom counter, where the pharmacist mixed drugs and filled prescriptions. Fixtures from the J.C. Brantley Drugstore in Raleigh, such as mahogany cabinets, massive marble counters and large mirrors, date to the 1890s, when the drugstore (originally the O.G. King Drugstore) first opened its doors.

The North Carolina Museum of History is alive with the past—your past.

Come for the Conference and Stay a While

May is a wonderful month to visit North Carolina. From the mountains to the shore, enjoy the blossoming beauty that comes with spring. With an average daytime temperature around 78 degrees, you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities.

Western North Carolina offers the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Great Smoky Mountains, and the Black Mountains. At the other end of the state are more than 300 miles of sandy beaches dotted with historic lighthouses. Between the mountains and the ocean are many historical and cultural sites that will add to your conference experience. When you come to Raleigh in May 2009, spend some time exploring all that North Carolina has to offer.

Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, take the kids to the North Carolina Zoo, explore the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science, climb the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, or learn about early flight at the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

Raleigh is about equidistant between the mountains and the shore and boasts its own array of historic and cultural spots. Explore the unique outdoor art exhibits at the North Carolina Museum of Art, learn about the state's history at the North Carolina Museum of History, take the kids to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, stroll down historic Fayetteville Street, take a guided or self-guided tour of the State Capitol, enjoy a quiet afternoon at Pullen Park, or hike one of the trails in Raleigh's 54-mile Greenway Trail System.

Visit the following websites for more information about tourism in North Carolina and in Raleigh:

North Carolina Division of Tourism
Greater Raleigh Visitors and Convention Bureau

The Lost Colony

Before the pilgrims came to Plymouth Rock and before Jamestown became the first permanent English settlement in North America, a group of colonists arrived at Roanoke Island. With the assistance of his friend, artist John White, Sir Walter Raleigh made plans to start an English settlement in America. More than a dozen families signed up for the adventure that would send them across the ocean. They set sail from England on 8 May 1587. The ships made their way to what is now the North Carolina outer banks by mid-summer after sailing through the Caribbean. The 150 brave men, women, and children settled on Roanoke Island in July 1587 and were left to build a community.

Roanoke Island lies between the mainland of North Carolina and the barrier islands of the Outer Banks. A small island, it is eight miles long and two miles wide. When the colonists arrived, they found woods of cedar, cypress, and gum trees. Deer, rabbits, and wild birds were abundant. Grapes grew wild in the dunes at the water’s edge. After three days on the island, a group a American Indians peacefully approached the group. The settlers offered the Indians gifts and the Indians returned the gesture by using their canoes to paddle into the sound to provide a catch of fresh fish.

When ships returned to Roanoke Island three years later to check on these early colonists there was no sight of them. Their village was ransacked, burned, and abandoned. Four hundred years later, it remains a mystery as to what happened to the Roanoke colonists. Some theorize that they abandoned Roanoke Island to live either with the Indians or to move further north into Virginia. Other believe the settlers died from disease or starvation. Recent research has revealed that North Carolina suffered its worst drought in eight hundred years at the time the Roanoke colonists arrived. Surely they would not have survived the hot, dry, rainless summer and fall if they had not moved on.

The Lost Colony is commemorated at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on Roanoke Island, North Carolina, which is a part of the National Park Service. In addition to North Carolina’s natural beauty, the Site preserves the history of the early Roanoke colony. For more information, visit the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/fora/.

Annually, the Roanoke Island Historical Association, produces the outdoor drama "The Lost Colony."

And, don't forget to checkout The Lost Colony Center for Science and Research.

Reference: The Mysterious Disappearance of Roanoke Colony by Zachary Kent, Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 2004.