North Carolina

North Carolina is a state of firsts and footholds—where flight took wing on the shifting sands of the Outer Banks and fortunes were forged in the red clay of the Piedmont. From the high ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the tides of the Atlantic, the Old North State offers a story shaped by ambition, invention, and resilience. Here, pottery was spun from the earth long before the birth of a nation. Here, freedom was demanded at a Woolworth’s lunch counter and delivered in a voice as singular as Nina Simone’s. Tobacco empires rose, NASCAR was born, and university halls echoed with the first murmurs of public education in America. In tracing one hundred places across this richly varied landscape, we encounter more than just moments frozen in time—we discover a people defined by persistence, ingenuity, and a fierce pride in place. North Carolina doesn’t whisper its history—it sings it, races it, builds it, bakes it, and plants it deep. 

Moravian souvenirs... college sports... gold rushes... the “Poet of the People”... iron horses... kissing bridges... Hollywood producers... roadside architecture... beloved carbonated beverages... iconic dams... the CCC... general stores... historic stages... auto racing... carousels... diners... the golden age of motoring... kit houses... master potters...  minor league baseball... civil rights... barbecue...early aviation... bucket list golf... Sears kit houses... the rise of suburbia... This book will have you telling stories like a native in no time.

The photos and stories collected here are a fast and fun way to learn the explanations behind the quirks, the traditions and the secrets that make North Carolina uniquely North Carolina. What was the steepest mainline railroad line in America? Solved. What building ignited North Carolina’s rise to the ”Hollywood of the East”? A mystery no more. The first public park built in North Carolina? Identified. The second smallest post office in America? Revealed.

in print and ebook
Where dunes once caught the Wrights’ first flight, And granite wings reach toward the light. Find hill and hangar, stone and sky—where Kitty Hawk taught man to fly.

Where dunes once caught the Wrights’ first flight, And granite wings reach toward the light. Find hill and hangar, stone and sky—where Kitty Hawk taught man to fly.

From factory floor to manor wide, Where Camel smoke rose up with pride. Seek art and gardens, English air—Reynolds built his legacy there.

From factory floor to manor wide, Where Camel smoke rose up with pride. Seek art and gardens, English air—Reynolds built his legacy there.

A doorstop once of golden gleam, Became the start of miners’ dream. Where quartz was crushed and gold set free—go dig this tale of history.

A doorstop once of golden gleam, Became the start of miners’ dream. Where quartz was crushed and gold set free—go dig this tale of history.

He backed the cause with ships and gold, A patriot’s tale in pine is told. Georgian grace where grief once stayed—this stately home John Stanly made.

He backed the cause with ships and gold, A patriot’s tale in pine is told. Georgian grace where grief once stayed—this stately home John Stanly made.

Where trains went faster climbing high, And brake men watched the sparks fly by. A mountain feat, both steep and proud—find tracks that left the engines loud.

Where trains went faster climbing high, And brake men watched the sparks fly by. A mountain feat, both steep and proud—find tracks that left the engines loud.

A brotherhood of skill and song, In half-timbered walls they toiled long. Where Moravian men did dream and strive—this house kept sacred hopes alive.

A brotherhood of skill and song, In half-timbered walls they toiled long. Where Moravian men did dream and strive—this house kept sacred hopes alive.