The Article Library is our way of sharing some of the interesting articles that have been published in the society’s quarterly journal, the North Carolina Postal Historian, in recent years. Selected articles will be summarized here and linked to pdfs to view the articles. The information in each article is the property of the article’s authors. We hope that you will enjoy reading the articles.
“Incidents” in the Life of a North Carolina Slave Girl Can Be Read Between the Lines of Postal History by Kevin Lowther. Published in the Spring, 2024 issue (Volume 43, No. 2, Whole No.166) A very interesting article on the life of a slave girl from Edenton, NC. The article includes images of covers related to her life there.
Rare Korean War POW “Dove of Peace” Postcard by John Walker, published in the Spring, 2023 (Volume 42, No.2, Whole 162). This article won the New Writers’ Award for 2023. The article is about a very rare Korean War card mailed from North Korea to Charlotte, NC.
The Postal History of a Premier Southern College – Trinity College to Duke University by Tony L. Crumbley, published in the Fall, 2022 (Volume 41, No. 4, Whole 160). This article covers the postal history of Duke University from its beginning as a private one room school house to the 20th century. Numerous ad covers are shown.
North Carolina’s Confederate Military Hospitals by Charles F. Hall, Jr., published in the Winter, 2020 (Volume 40, No. 1, Whole 153). The article covers the Confederate Hospitals in North Carolina and included numerous images of covers posted to and from this hospital.
Dates of Establishment of North Carolina RFD Routes, 1896-1911 This is a companion file to the article Rural Free Delivery in North Carolina, Part 1 by Darrell Ertzberger published in the Spring issue (Volume 39, No. 2, Whole No. 150). The Excel file lists the dates of establishment of RFD routes in NC between 1896 and 1911.
The Postal History of Fort Bragg, North Carolina by Charles F. Hall, published in the Summer 2010 issue (Volume 29, No. 3, Whole No. 111), provides the history of one of the largest military installations in the United States, located 10 miles northwest of Fayetteville, N.C. The article locates a handful of small post offices that were abandoned when the original 120,000 acres of the Army reservation was created and illustrates a few of the scarce covers from these post offices. (2010 North Carolina Postal History Society Literature Award)
A Postal History of Tourism in Western North Carolina by Scott Steward, published in the Winter 2010-2011 issue (Volume 30, No. 1, Whole No. 113), provides a glimpse into tourism in the western part of North Carolina, which goes back to the late 1820s, when a turnpike was constructed from Greensville, South Carolina, through western North Caroline, to Greenville, Tennessee. Covers related to tourism in this region are illustrated. (2011 North Carolina Postal History Society Literature Award)
Magnus Illustrated Envelopes Related to North Carolina by Maurice M. Bursey, published in the Fall 2008 issue (Volume 27, No. 4, Whole No. 104), illustrates a number of patriotic envelopes created by Charles Magnus, considered by the author to be the most prominent publisher of these designed envelopes during the Civil War. Several of his envelopes have ties to North Carolina, illustrating scenes of significant battles or maps of the theater of action in North Carolina.
The Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad by Tony L. Crumbley, published in the Winter 2009 issue (Volume 28, No. 1, Whole No. 105), gives a brief history of the railroad line and illustrates numerous covers with the handstamp markings of the agents who rode the line and processed mail for the U.S. Postal department.
Hot Springs, North Carolina – A World War I Internment Camp by Richard F. Winter, published in the Winter 2008 issue (Volume 27, No. 1, Whole No. 101), tells the story of a civilian internment camp during World War I in the beautiful western North Carolina location of Hot Springs. Here, a resort destination from the early 1800s with its healing mineral springs and scenic mountain setting became the home for interned civilians from German merchant shipping detained in U.S. harbors when the United States entered the war in April 1917. The well-illustrated article of life in the camp also shows a number of covers from internees in the camp with the special markings associated with that camp.
North Carolina’s Tobacco Advertising Covers by Tony L. Crumbley, published in the Summer 2009 issue (Volume 28, No. 3, Whole No. 107), illustrates a generous number of tobacco advertising covers and discusses the industry surrounding North Carolina’s largest cash crop.