Connecting the Docs: True Stories from the Old North State

About Connecting the Docs: True Stories from the Old North State

Connecting the Docs is a podcast from the State Archives of North Carolina. Our archivists use archival materials to bring you fascinating, true stories from around the Old North State. Sometimes archival records solve a puzzle, and other times, they start one.

Publisher

connectingthedocsnc

Category

government · history

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Aug 2019

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

62 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   State Symbols: Pitch, Pine, and Poetry

   How much do you know about the history of North Carolina's nickname, ‘The Tar Heel State’? We’re covering this history and more in today’s episode as we branch out to discuss a classic symbol of the Old North State, the Long Leaf Pine, and its deeply rooted impact on our economy, geography, and culture. Reference Archivist Katie Crickmore will explain the state’s naval stores industry, Microfilm Specialist Erin Templeton will walk us through the adoption of the State Toast and the State Tree, and Correspondence Associate Annabeth Poe will explore the origins of the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine, all led by host John Horan. Thanks for sticking with us through our State Symbols series! Primary Sources: “State Toast and Song.” General Statutes of North Carolina: 1957 Cumulative Supplement, vol. 3b, p. 346. North Caroline Digital State Publications Collection, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/general-statutes-of-north-carolina-1957-cumulative-supplement-v.3b/5602530?item=5605170. Archibald S. McMillan Collection, 1779-1906. Private Collections, PC.1676. Account of Naval Stores Imported [into Britain. n.d.], 1717-1720. British Records: ADM 49 Selections, Prices of Stores. ID: 21.123.8.1. Martin, Leonora and Mary Burke Kerr. “A Toast.” Our State, 9 Aug. 1958, vol. 26: no. 5, p. 12-13, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/state/978018?item=978074. Clark, Walter. “Our State Motto and its Origin.” North Carolina Booklet: great events in North Carolina history, Jan. 1910, vol.9: no. 3, p. 182, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/north-carolina-booklet-great-events-in-north-carolina-history-1910-january-v.9-no.3/413740?item=455474. Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Governors Papers: Governor Sanford, Miscellaneous Subject Files 1961-1965, Box 3. Secondary Sources: Butler, Carroll B. Treasures of the Longleaf Pines: Naval Stores. Tarkel Publishing, 1998. Outland, Robert B. “Slavery, Work, and the Geography of the North Carolina Naval Stores Industry, 1835-1860.” The Journal of Southern History, vol. 62, no. 1, 1996, p. 27–56. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2211205. Leonard, John W. “Martin, Leonora Monteiro.” Woman’s who’s who of America: a biographical dictionary of contemporary women of the United States and Canada, 1914-1915, pub. 1976, p.544,  https://archive.org/details/womanswhoswhoofa00leon/page/n5/mode/2up. “Origin and History.” Order of the Long Leaf Pine Society, 2026, https://longleafpinesociety.org/order-of-the-long-leaf-pine/.

2. 

   17 Sept 2026

   State Symbols: Food Fights

   Things are heating up at Connecting the Docs as we start off our seventh podcast season with an episode all about some of North Carolina’s most controversial food-related state symbols. Pull up a seat at the table as we discuss North Carolina barbeque, our hotly debated state fruit(s), and the strange history of legislature-approved symbolism. At the mics today is host John Horan, Correspondence Assistant Annabeth Poe, Reference Archivist Katie Crickmore, and Microfilm Specialist Erin Templeton. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more State Symbols episodes! Primary Sources: Grimes, J. Bryan, “The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina.” 1909, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/great-seal-of-the-state-of-north-carolina-1666-1909/2148975?item=2226324. “Draughan, James. Bertie Co., 1750, 1751.” Secretary of State Records, Land Office (Colonial), Granville Proprietary Land Office, Granville Land Entries, Warrants, and Plats of Survey, Bertie County. SR.12.8.3.004. “Barbecue Presbyterian Church History, 1928, 1965.” Church Records, Presbyterian, Harnett County. CHR.192-192.1. “Kenelm H. Lewis Papers, 1834-1907.” Private Collections, PC.162. “Among the Long-Leaf Pines, seat of the Turpentine Industry, of North Carolina, 1891 (Cooking Meat, Barbeque Style).” Original Prints, OP.10. “An Act to Adopt the Lexington Barbecue Festival as the Official Food Festival of the North Carolina Piedmont Triad.” General Assembly Session Records, 2007, HB: 433. Secondary Sources: Mooneyham, Scott, “Official pizza could fatten a budget.” Wilson Daily Times, 3 May 2005, p.10. “A National Garland: How Women Led the Movement to Declare State Flowers.” Smithsonian Learning Lab, 16 Aug. 2020, https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/a-national-garland-how-women-led-the-movement-to-declare-state-flowers/mAFroO4vbPlJakiE. Waggoner, Martha, “Eastern v. Western: Students enter the Barbecue Debate.” Wilson Daily Times, 27 May 2005, p. 5. “Polluting the Pig.” The Robesonian, 11 Feb. 2005, pg. 3. Leonard, Robert, “Letter to the Editor: Lexington barbecue’s reputation is undeserved.” Wilson Daily Times, 5 Mar. 2005, p. 10. “Lexington synonymous with barbeque tradition since the turn of the century.” Rocky Mount Telegram, 19 Sept. 1994, p. 2. “House Bill 382.” General Assembly of North Carolina, 2001, https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2001-2002/SL2001-488.html. Kramer, Jaclyn, “US fresh strawberry production expands with newer varieties.” Economic Research Service, USDA, 19 May 2021, https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/charts-of-note/chart-detail?chartId=1011560. Cline, Bill, “NC Blueberry Statistics.” NC State Extension, 11 Feb. 2025, https://blueberries.ces.ncsu.edu/blueberries-nc-blueberry-statistics/.

3. 

   29 Jul 2026

   The War of Independence: Fighting for the Crown

   As the United States continues to celebrate its 250th anniversary, the nation has spent a lot of time remembering the success and strength of the Patriots who fought for their freedom from tyranny. From where we stand today, it is difficult to imagine opposing such a righteous cause, but those who fought for the British Crown were just as diverse and complex as their rebellious counterparts. In this episode, we’re dissecting some of the varied reasons why supporting independence in 1776 was not the obvious choice that it is now. Joining our host John Horan for this discussion of controversy and loyalty is Reference Archivist Katie Crickmore, Information Management Archivist Michelle Witt, and Imaging Specialist Erin Templeton. Primary Sources: Halifax Resolves. Secretary of State, Revolutionary War Records, Fourth Provincial Congress, SR.12.13.3.006. Josiah Martin Proclamation – 1776. British Records, Loyalist Claims, Record ID: 21.3.15.17. “Diplomacy talks with Cherokee.” Secretary of State Records, SR.12.13.3.11. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/continental-congress-records-diplomacy-talks-with-the-cherokee-nation-and-the-muskogee-nation-april-15-1776/433430?item=433436. “Letter from General Rutherford to the Council of Safety about the expedition against the Cherokees, July 5th, 1776.” Secretary of State, Council of Safety, SR.12.13.3.00511. https://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.html/document/csr10-0275. Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation. The Virginian Gazette, 25 November 1775, p. 3, Container ID: NSP.5. “Joseph Hart ordered to take the Oath of Allegiance or Exit North Carolina.” Granville County, Miscellaneous Records, CR.044.928.26. “Article concerning the departure of loyalists.” NC Gazette, New Bern, 25 July 1777, Container ID: 18Cen-2. Confiscation – Cornell v. Spyers Singleton – 1786. District Court Records, New Bern District, Miscellaneous Records, SR.398.6, Box 39. “Petition to the General Assembly from Mary Lewellin, John Llewelyn’s wife.” GASR, Nov-Dec 1777: Senate Joint Resolutions, Record ID: 66.8.10.9.2, Box 1. “Narrative of Colonel David Fanning, Written by himself, Detailing Astonishing Events in North Carolina, from 1775 to 1783.” David Fanning Paper collection, PC.489. “An Act of Pardon and Oblivion.” GASR, Session Laws, 1783, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/acts-of-assembly-of-the-state-of-north-carolina-1783-april/3691863?item=4230279. “The Proceedings of the Long Island of Holston River with Cherokee Nations; Avery Treaty, 1777.” Governor’s Office, GO.132, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/proceedings-of-the-treaty-of-the-long-island-of-holston-river-with-cherokee-nations-avery-treaty/6153047. Allen MacDonald – 1784. British Records, Loyalist Claims, Record ID: 21.3.6.2. William Hooper Papers. PC.1141. Secondary Sources: “From Regulators to Revolution: The War of Regulation.” Connecting the Docs, 15 January 2025, https://connectingdocs.podbean.com/?s=regulators. Morrow, Megan. “Thomas Peters: Black Loyalist, Politician, and a Founding Father of Sierra Leone.” ANCHOR. Library of NC. February 2025, https://www.ncanchor.org/anchor/thomas-peters. Kassa, Kemisa. "The Black Pioneers Loyalist Company." ANCHOR. Library of NC. 2024, https://www.ncanchor.org/anchor/black-pioneers-loyalist.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

18 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

35

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

77

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