A year of history. looking toward the future

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1 A year of history. looking toward the future Annual Report of the Chapel Hill Historical Society September, August, 2018 The Chapel Hill Historical Society was founded in 1966 to research and document the history of Chapel Hill and surrounding communities, to encourage and assist in the study of local history, and to provide public programs and publications related to the heritage and traditions of the area. The Society is a private, non-profit organization, led by a volunteer Board of Directors. It is funded by memberships, contributions and occasional grants. Reading Room and Research Library The Town of Chapel Hill has provided the Historical Society with space for a reading room and research library since 1995, originally in a spacious room on the lower level of the old Public Library on E. Franklin Street. In 2015, the Society moved to our current quarters on the lower level of the Chapel Hill Public Library on Library Drive. We are open 16 hours a week, and we welcome everyone to visit and to use our library and archives. If these hours are not convenient, please let us know and we will try to arrange access at other times. This summer, the Public Library reclaimed half of the space we have been using. We have moved our furniture into the remaining space, and we await construction of a new wall to separate our quarters from new Library offices. We are beginning to search for a new, permanent home, where we can be open to the public and continue to offer reading room and reference services.

2 Research Assistance The Society maintains a collection of books, images, maps and resource files relevant to Chapel Hill history. In addition, we have bound volumes of the Chapel Hill Newspaper and other periodicals, including school yearbooks and telephone books. Visitors contact CHHS seeking information about their families and about local history, people and buildings. Our staff and volunteers are often able to provide valuable resources to guide their searches. In the past year, we helped more than 100 academic historians, journalists, family researchers and members of the public with questions related to local history and genealogy. A few examples: Collaboration with the N.C. Botanical Garden and the UNC Botany Department to identify Scott s Hole, the site where historic botanical specimens were collected in the 1800s. A request for information about a great-grandfather who was believed to be a blacksmith in the area in the 1860s. Ongoing collaboration with the Town of Chapel Hill and local organizations on the history of civil rights activism in Chapel Hill. History of the Chapel Hill Fire Department and major fires. Bringing History to the Community: Public Programs and Events We offered a monthly series of programs and events, free to the public, usually at the Chapel Hill Public Library. Four Chapel Hill writers whose lives illuminate our past: George Moses Horton, Caroline Lee Lentz, Betty Smith, and Paul Green. UNC and the Great War : the impact of World War I on the UNC campus. Time of Death: how the investigation of an unsolved murder in the 1960s was affected by cultural and social factors. The Carolina Playmakers and the Federal Theatre Project. Frederick Koch and Paul Green created the model for a federal folk drama program. The B-1 Band at Chapel Hill. During World War II, the 45-piece marching band of the Navy Pre-flight Program at UNC integrated the modern U.S. Navy.

3 Dromgoole: Twice Murdered. How the disappearance of young Peter Dromgoole led to the Order of the Gimghoul and Gimghoul Castle. The Cloudbuster Nine. Ted Williams and other major league all-stars created a baseball team on the UNC campus as part of the Navy Pre-flight Program. Bringing the News to Chapel Hill: Women telegraph operators and the role of telegraph services in reporting political and sporting events in North Carolina. The North Carolina Botanical Garden, its origin and growth. Information about specific programs is available on our website, including many of the photographs, charts and slides used to illustrate the presentations. Our Town Treasures Every year, we select a group of individuals who have contributed to the community with service and leadership. In October, 2017, we were proud to recognize (left to right): Lillie Lee Perry Atwater, Tim Taft, Judge Stanley Peele, Ted Parrish, Joseph Fearrington, Adam and Jane Stein, and Norma White. Proclamations were presented to these individuals by Mayor Pam Hemminger (Chapel Hill) and by Mayor Lydia Lavelle (Carrboro). Biographies of the recipients can be found on our website.

4 Special Projects The Society has restored the McCauley Cemetery beside University Lake and is conducting active research into the McCauley family s contributions to the community. With the help of McCauley family members and other interested donors, UNC-Chapel Hill and OWASA, we have stabilized gravestones, repaired the dogwood gate, and restored fencing. Digital profile The Society operates a website, We continually add to the resources available to the public via the internet. In addition, we have a Facebook page with over 200 followers. Some of our posts have been viewed by over 1000 individuals. The following graphs show website usage over the past year:

5 Support and Partnerships The Historical Society is grateful for the ongoing support and collaboration of the Town of Chapel Hill and the Chapel Hill Public Library, which provide us with space for our office on the lower level of the Library. The following organizations have assisted us with speakers and/or locations for presentations: The North Carolina Botanical Garden The Southern Historical Collection of the Wilson Library Special Collections Thank you to the following businesses for their contributions to a reception for the 2017 Town Treasures: Harris-Teeter Mediterranean Deli Bakery and Catering The Fresh Market Board of Directors, Officers: President, Sarah Geer Vice-President, Carl Anderson Secretary, Farris Smith Treasurer, Thomas Jepsen Board members: Lois Annab Bill Burlingame Richard Ellington Marsha Jepsen Kris LaLumiere Pat Oglesby Barbara Pipkin Kim Talikoff Valerie Yow Staff: Gillian Mahoney Your tax-deductible contributions and memberships sustain the work of the Historical Society. We welcome donations at any time, and we urge you to become a member of

6 the Society. You can join online at We also welcome your participation in the Society as a volunteer or member of the Board of Directors. Come join us as we continue to tell the story of our community.