The project leaders and DLAS advisory board would like to thank our community partners and contributors, without whose valuable contributions this project could not have been realized.
AAHGS was founded in 1977 in Washington, DC by a small group of historians and genealogists, who felt a need to share resources and methodology for pursuing historical and genealogical research. For more than 43 years, our members have worked together to trace the historical ties that bind us one to another, mold the present, and shape the future. The North Carolina / Piedmont-Triad Chapter, a nonprofit Organization, was founded in 1998 under the leadership of Lamar E. DeLoatch and Jack Dewar.
Fred Watts represents AAHGS on our advisory board. AAHGS and its members have contributed significantly to the project as volunteers, and provided invaluable insights and outreach opportunities.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides FamilySearch free of charge to everyone, regardless of tradition, culture, or religious affiliation. FamilySearch is dedicated to preserving important family records and making them freely accessible online. Our work is worldwide and has involved collaborations with more than 10,000 archives and partners in over 100 countries.
FamilySearch reached out to the project and provided direct access to digitized deed images and facilitated online search and transcription efforts.
The Heritage Research Center at the High Point Public Library provides online and in-person access to genealogy and local history materials.
Supervisor and Archivist Marcellaus Joiner serves on the advisory board and has been constant in his support of this project through his advice, insights, and contribution of many outreach opportunities. Mr. Joiner was an early supporter of People Not Property and was integral in initial discussions and in bringing together the advisory board.
Dr. Arwin Smallwood serves on the advisory board, co-led a field trip to Eastern North Carolina, and represented the project in a panel at the 2019 AAHGS Annual Conference in Washington, DC. NC A&T students contributed to and promoted the project.
North Carolina Register of Deeds are the custodians of many of the records that have been the source of the research that enables People Not Property. Their mission is to record, preserve, maintain, and provide access to real estate and vital records in accordance in North Carolina General Statutes. We are grateful to the many Registers and their offices. They have been gracious in their hospitality and eager in their willingness to work with us and support this project.
Drew Reisinger, Register of Deeds for Buncombe County and Jeff Thigpen, Register of Deeds for Guilford County have both been gracious enough to serve on the DLAS steering committee. Their intimate knowledge of the material and openness to sharing their insights and resources have been critical to the successful completion of the first phase of People Not Property.
Many thanks to all North Carolina counties who are participating in this project. You can view a list and browse included material of all North Carolina counties currently included in the project.
The Division of Archives and Records is part of the Office of Archives and History and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The name "Archives and Records" reflects the dual role of the division: to provide guidance concerning the preservation and management of government records to state, county, city and state university officials; and to collect, preserve and provide public access to historically significant archival materials relating to North Carolina.
Sarah Koonts, Director of Archives and Records, co-chairs the DLAS advisory board, and Government Records Section Head Becky McGee-Lankford serves on the advisory board. The State Archives have been invaluable in sharing their knowledge of public records, valuable insights, and advice. They have fielded many questions regarding access to images, and have rescanned books in order to provide better visibility. Mrs. Koonts named the project.