Established in 1818 as the state capitol Raleigh’s first museum, it has a wealth of information on state industry on the first floor. For example, in 1840, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad stretched 200km and was the longest in the world, famous pirate Blackbeard blockaded Charles Town with 19 captured ships, and the state invested so little in its own infrastructure at the beginning of the 19th century that it lagged behind other states. Farmers used wooden planks to build their own “farmers railroads” So they could get their goods to market by carts faster, but they were too expensive to maintain without government support.
America’s first gold rush was actually in North Carolina when gold was discovered in Cabarrus County in 1799. The state led the nation’s gold production until the Californian gold rush of 1849. Despite being early in the game, North Carolina gold was considered the worst while Georgia gold was considered the best.
Being a southern state, North Carolina was involved in the Civil War until the end of 1865. The last Confederate troops in the state to surrender were a group of Cherokee soldiers led by William Holland Thomas, who was adopted into the clan by the previous chief. North Carolina saw heavy fighting at the beginning and end of the war where at least half of its 125,000 soldiers had been wounded and 35,000 died.
The upstairs galleries are targeted at children, so I wouldn’t waste my time there if I didn’t have kids. The Sports Hall of Fame is worth a look if you’re into sports, but I know nothing about sports.
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