EDITOR'S NOTES: Historical news provides context to reports

By David Kennard

   One of the fun parts of my job here at the Robesonian provides the opportunity I have to put together the “Our History” column. You can find it in today’s Robesonian.

But, before I go any further, I must acknowledge the Robeson County Public Library and the staff, who have been very helpful both in providing the Genealogical Room and the knowledge of how to find historical documents there.

Every couple of weeks I visit the library to use the microfilm machine to view past editions of the Robesonian. The library has full microfilm editions of the paper dating back to the early 1900s.

As Robeson County residents, we are blessed to have such a resource that provides a glimpse back in time.

David Kennard

We also have quite a few bound editions of the Robesonian here at the office, although they are not cataloged, or even sorted; rather, our bound editions are in a state of disarray and trying to find anything — even if I know the date I am looking for — is exhausting.

Additionally floodwaters a few years back soaked a good number of the editions, wiping out for good Robesonians from about 2010 to the present.

That’s one reason that the column in today’s Robesonian skips past the “10 Years Ago” time frame.

Other valuable resources are the daily essays published by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which posts “This Day in North Carolina History.” These short essays provide a wonderful look back at significant events from North Carolina days gone by.

The catch to this resource however, is that I almost always must check in daily to gather a complete view of our state’s history. If I miss a day, it takes some digging to find out what I missed. That’s why when you read my “Our History” compilation it says “This Week…”

For instance, If I miss the date that the specially-designed Fresnel lens of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was lit to mark Diamond Shoals, I may not get to see that information for another year. (Of course the answer is it was lit on Dec. 16, 1870 — but only amateur history buffs like me would know that — or at least know where to find that information.)

Another fun note about the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse: The lighthouse lit in 1870 is counted as the second of three at Cape Hatteras, according to the Cultural Resources Department. Even more trivial info: Today there are seven standing lighthouses — Currituck, Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras, Ocracoke, Cape Lookout, Oak Island and Old Baldy (Bald Head Island).

Finally, my other source of information comes from the “Today In History” column made available to Associated Press members. That source documents key events in U.S. and World history, but like the NC Cultural Resources Department, the AP provides only a glimpse of history, one week at a time. And, if I miss the four- or five-day window to collect the data, it’s gone again until next year.

Missing moments in time is frustrating, especially to journalists who like to provide context to news events here in Robeson County and the rest of the region.

Robesonian readers know that periodically we’ll include short glimpses of history in stories about COVID-19, or the jobless rate, or the price of gasoline, or almost every story on the sports page.

History provides context to the events that take place throughout the year.

Here in another couple of weeks you’re going to start seeing our various “Year-end” reports that recap significant events and issues that we’ve published in The Robesonian during 2022. Each of these annual news reports will include short briefs listed in chronological order as they were reported.

And, while I’m still relatively new to the area, these recaps help me understand what’s important to Robeson County residents. Stay with us as 2022 ends and we begin another year of making history.

David Kennard is the executive editor of The Robesonian. Contact him at dkennard@robesonian.com.