The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-04-06
HISTORIES OF THE COUNTIES A VITAL.
NEED FOR NORTH CAR0IINA-AN APPEAL
By Archibald Henderson,. Member American Historical
Association; Mississippi Valley Association; State Literary

,i,,. interest in local history. l have G
tsor reading quite recently such in i
teresting and valuable studies in local
bistorv as Events of the Lower Cape (
FearS' by MI. James Sprunt of Will
mington; "A History of Western
W,rth Carolina by Mr.. John P. Ar
tbur of Asheville; and In Ancient
ATbemarle'' by Miss Catherine Albert
snn Of Elizabeth. City. These. and
sorks of X character, testify elo-
otantly TO the rising tide Of interest
IN local North Carolina history, and
IN the desire on the part of our peo-
ne 10 m~emorialiZe in enduring form
,hs deeds and achievements of u
past. -,
history Of North Carolina as h most
vital and Immediate problem in his
torical investigation now confronting :,
our people. No people a form q
iusf estimate of their own history, or
feal legitimate pride therein. until
thew nave actually discovered what
that history is. / believe that no COM
rrehensive or fully complete history
of the State of North Carolina, up to
apv given point in time, will be writ
ZEN or can be written, until the con-
frhntions of the individual geOgra-
1hical units. such as counties OF Sec
lions. are studied and set forth with
elaboration and detail. In large
measure. the history of the State is
made up Of the history of the units
If which it is composed. The state
history is to a very great extent, the
collection and integration Of the his
tories and sketches of the counties
and the geographical decisions OF the
state. The county is the unit OF the
State. The history of the county fur
uishes the indispensable nucleus for
the history of the State.
fL...l - 80, oh nri2O af hirt N and
family in North Carolina, we are
abundantlY assured. that we may
have no fear that individuals aid the
rart they have played in the past will
be neglected by our native writers.
important works Of biography are
published from time to time, Otably
those fostered by the North Carolina
Historical Commission. Biography is
not the precise word to use; for these
works are really collections of letters,
papers. and documents, dealing with
the public activities and private in
terestS Of great men of the State.
Notable works in this class are the
letters Of Jonathan Worth, IN TWO
volumes, edited by Prof. j. q. dc
Roulhac Hamilton. of the State Uni
Sersity. already published; the letters
and memorials of Chief Justice Thorn
as Ruffin, IN preparation, also undel
The editorship of DR.. Hamilton; tht
letters and papers of Archibald II
Murphy, in two volumes, recently pub
hshed, edited by William Henry Hoyt
Of New York City; and the letter:
and papers of Willie p. Mangum iii
preparatory edited by DR. Stephel
- Weeks, of Washington City. 9th
or works Of like character, by Norti
carolina writer's, are in course o
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES dealing with i'm
portant characters and events in tn
life 70 the State.
II rs becoming generally recognize
that We need here in North Carolin
an Institutional history of our STATE
IN speaking of the constructive force
I'D the life of a State, DR.. G. Alphons
smith recently said: THE most i'm
portant are agriculture. transports
uon, manufacturing, government, III
tratlre, education, religion. and rel
resentative leadership. These are tn
torces which have moulded the pas
Of every American State, and in whic
tue american places his conf1del
trust for the future. History mu'
torreiate these forces with the pas
AMI must interpret them in terms
NE present. 1t must give the pup
Such a realization of their significan'
- VIII make he preceding narrat'
III his States development seem n
a meaningless tale but the inevltab
result of i~nteracting forces"
Many evidences are multiplying
lie interest now being displayed
These phases Of the development
North Carolina in past and preseI
Lr. Battle's monumental work of q
history of the University of Nor
carolina, in two large volumes; /!
Hdmilton's history of reconstruct
III North Carolina: Prof. G.. L. CoO1
history of public education in Nor
carolina. in two volumes, alrea
published, and his history of pRiva
schools in North Carolina, 174e-lS!
now in press, are conspicuous eXal
pies of works of this type.
The publications which now !
years have beer making invalual
contributions to the history OF I
state. in the way OF monographs. c
l~ections of letters. and historical a
biographical sketches, are h Sprl
historical QUALIFICATIONS. the Trim