Historian David Cecelski looks in this photo-essay in his “Working Lives” series, at several photographs that feature workers on a railroad that old timers called the “Old Mullet Road.”
culture and history
Cape Fear Museum to temporarily close for move to new location
The Cape Fear Museum of History and Science in Wilmington will be temporarily closed beginning Dec. 31 to allow for the preparation and relocation of more than 400 artifacts to the museum’s new location.
Moores Creek invites food vendors to 250th commemoration
Moores Creek National Battlefield officials are inviting local food trucks to take part in its two-day 250th anniversary celebration being held in late February.
Wright Brothers’ first flight anniversary celebration Dec. 17
Park fees are waived Dec. 17 at Wright Brothers National Memorial when the National Park Service and supporting organizations celebrate the accomplishments of Wilbur and Orville Wright on the 122nd anniversary of their first heavier-than-air, controlled, powered flight.
Colonial-themed Christmas event Dec. 13 at Moores Creek
Park staff, volunteers and historians will provide a variety of programs focused on celebrating Christmas in the 18th century.
Holiday lights are aglow ahead of annual Waterfowl Weekend
The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center is celebrating the holidays and heritage with its annual Waterfowl Weekend set for Friday through Sunday at the museum on Harkers Island.
State sites offer holiday programs with a little history, education
The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has a full schedule of holiday events taking place across the state, several of which in eastern North Carolina.
Tuscarora War, hazel eyes: Researcher traces tribe’s lineage
There were numerous factors at play that sparked the Tuscarora War in 1711, historian and descendent Dr. Arwin Smallwood explains the tensions among the tribe that inhabited much of eastern North Carolina and the influx of colonists.
Events to honor, remember Wilmington’s 1898 massacre
The massacre took place on Nov. 10, 1898, when a mob of armed white men marched to a local African American newspaper and set it on fire following a campaign by prominent white citizens in the city to overthrow the legally elected biracial city government.
NCDOT to offer ferry service to Ocracoke for Pirate Jamboree
The village of Ocracoke, which is hosting the Ocracoke Pirate Jamboree this weekend, remains accessible by passenger ferry from Hatteras as state transportation crews continue to work to get one lane of N.C. 12 reopen.
Records point to 13 unmarked graves in Old Burying Ground
Carteret County native Bill Lewis has spent the last few years digging through records to corroborate what he’s always heard: that 13 of his ancestors are buried in unmarked graves in the Old Burying Ground.
Mock pound cake: Guilty pleasure or culinary crime?
The first printed recipe for true pound cake dates to 1747, but the debate over the definition of mock pound cake continues to this day.
Tickets on sale for Nov. 28 Ocracoke Historic Homes Tour
Ocracoke Preservation Society is hosting the homes tour, that will include a first look at the ongoing renovations of Island Inn, which was built in 1901 and has been an Odd Fellow’s Lodge, a school, Navy officer’s club, a coffee shop and more.
State Archives to host oral American Indian project program
In celebration of American Indian Heritage Month, the State Archives of North Carolina is hosting Lunch and Learn program “Listening to our Elders: the American Indian Heritage Commission Oral History Project.”
Toadstools: Friend or foe? Your best bet is to surely know
Some are beauties, some look naughty, others appear delicious and nutritious while others still will land you in hospital if eaten. Often, and to many, mushrooms are mostly mysterious.
Pumpkin blowout to show Civil War technology in action
“The Great Pumpkin Blowout” Nov. 1 at Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson Historic Site offers the “unique experience” of detonating a jack-o’-lantern with the same technology used to launch Civil War-era torpedoes.

















