Historical marker J-53 stands in front of the former Stokes County Courthouse and points out a…read morenative of the area who went on into a political life. The has the same text on both sides and it marker reads, "Governor of Alabama, 1829-1831. Served in U.S. House and Senate. Official of Mississippi and Alabama Territories. Born near here, 1785." There is more information online. Moore rose from a frontier legal career in Huntsville to become one of early Alabama's most influential political figures. He served in the territorial and state legislatures, spent eight consecutive terms in the United States House, and was elected governor in 1829 before moving on to the United States Senate. A committed Jacksonian who later broke with Andrew Jackson over national politics, Moore's shifting alliances ultimately cost him support at home. After financial hardship and failed attempts to regain office, he left Alabama for Texas in 1844 and died en route, leaving a complicated legacy that included freeing several enslaved people in his will. There is street parking nearby and the ice cream/coffee shop across the street. [Review 625 of 2026 - 4713 in North Carolina - 25806 overall]

This is marker number 31 and it was erected by the city of Winston-Salem in 2013 to honor one of…read morethe earliest settlers in the city. It has the same text on both sides. It reads, "This site marks the location where Thomas J. Wilson built the first home in what would become the town of Winston. Wilson had received permission from the Moravian Church in 1847 to erect his dwelling north of Salem's central area, as he wanted to live in the country. An attorney, Wilson was a member of the Forsyth County bar for over half a century. Wilson served as Forsyth County's first attorney, was judge for the Eighth Judicial District, a state senator, and mayor of Winston for two terms. After a life of service to First Presbyterian Church, Wilson died in 1900 at the age of eighty-five." Thomas J. Wilson built the first home in what became Winston after purchasing rural land from the Moravians in 1847, seeking a quiet place outside Salem. He went on to become one of Forsyth County's most prominent early leaders, serving as the county's first attorney, a judge, a state senator, and a two‑term mayor. A key figure in organizing the area's Presbyterian community, he remained influential for decades until his death in 1900. There is metered parking here but it's busy during the week with the courthouses nearby. [Review 613 of 2026 - 4701 in North Carolina - 25794 overall]

Located in the same area as the Forsyth County Courthouse and around the corner, the equestrian…read morestatue of RJ Reynolds, this marker points out the original home of one of the city's core businesses. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "The Little Red Factory, also known as the Old Red Factory, was built in 1875 by Richard Joshua (R.J.) Reynolds as the first home of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Situated on land purchased from the Moravian town of Salem, this modest two-story structure was strategically located at the nexus of two key commercial advantages: the thriving flue-cured tobacco market and a newly constructed railroad line. R.J. Reynolds emerged as a prominent figure in the community, and the Reynolds family played a pivotal role in shaping the history and growth of Winston-Salem." Winston-Salem's growth is tightly linked to the rise of R.J. Reynolds, who arrived in 1874 and launched his business in the Little Red Factory, a small bright‑red building that quickly expanded as demand for tobacco surged. By the 1890s, Reynolds had built Factory Number 256 over the original site, absorbed most local competitors, and turned his company into a national powerhouse with brands like Prince Albert, Camel, Winston, and Salem, while also reshaping the city's skyline with projects such as the 1929 Reynolds Building. The company became one of the region's largest employers through the mid‑20th century, but later faced mounting health‑related scrutiny, regulatory pressure, and declining cigarette consumption, eventually merging with Nabisco in 1989 and relocating its headquarters to Atlanta in 1999. Although Factory Number 256 was destroyed in a major 1998 fire, the legacy of R.J. Reynolds remains deeply embedded in Winston-Salem's industrial, economic, and architectural history. [Review 617 of 2026 - 4705 in North Carolina - 25798 overall]

Located in one of the busier parts of downtown Reidsville, I spotted this marker as I was parking…read moreand heading to dinner. It is easily visible on a very tall sign. The marker reads, "Governor, 1851-54, U.S. Senator, Congressman, member of peace conference, 1861, and of state conventions, 1861, 1875. Home stands 2 blocks east" Online, there is more information. "David Settle Reid, in addition to being governor, served in both houses of Congress. The oldest son of Reuben and Elizabeth Settle Reid, David Reid was born on April 19, 1813, in Rockingham County and was raised in a community that in time became the city of Reidsville. In 1829, at the age of sixteen, he was appointed postmaster of the new city. On December 19, 1850, Reid married Henrietta Settle, daughter of Thomas Settle Sr., and they had four children. "Through hard work, Reid rose quickly in wealth and popularity. In 1835, at the age of twenty-two, he achieved two goals, being elected both colonel of the county militia and a state senator. In time, he would become a leader of the Democratic Party. Reid played an influential role in passage of the 1839 public school law and the state's first public school opened in Rockingham County in 1840. Reid won his second bid for election to the U. S. House in 1843. There he supported the expansionist policies of President James K. Polk including statehood for Texas, resolution of the Oregon dispute, war with Mexico, and subsequent Mexican territorial cession. "As the Democratic choice for governor in 1848, Reid agreed to run only if permitted to introduce the issue of elimination of the property requirement to vote for state senators. Narrowly defeated by Charles Manly, Reid ran again in 1850 on the same issue, defeating Manly. Other planks in Reid's campaign called for "judicious" internal improvements, more support for public schools, and defense of Southern rights, a theme he emphasized in his inaugural address on January 1, 1851. While professing loyalty to the Union, Reid declared that the suppression of States' rights would violate the Constitution and negate such allegiance. "Reid's two terms as governor were marked by expanded internal improvements, appointment of Calvin H. Wiley as the first Superintendent of the Common Schools, initiation of the geological survey, and confirmation of land titles held by Cherokee Indians who had remained in North Carolina. Reid also proposed replacing the land and poll tax with one based on the value of one's estate, but it was not seriously considered by the legislature. "On November 24, 1854, the General Assembly elected David S. Reid to fill a vacancy in the U. S. Senate, and he turned over gubernatorial duties to Warren Winslow. During his term in the Senate he spoke in defense of States' rights, reflected in support for the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Defeated for re-election in 1858, Reid retired to private life, stepping back into the public arena occasionally. His last political endeavor came in the Convention of 1875 where, from behind the scenes, he directed Democratic Party activity and influenced constitutional reform. Reid suffered a severe stroke in May of 1881 that left him paralyzed. He fought failing health for a decade, dying on June 18, 1891. He was buried in Reidsville." This is marker number J-13. It was erected in 1939 by the Archives Conservation and Highway Departments. [Review 2486 of 2024 - 3939 in North Carolina - 23498 overall]

On the sidewalk in front of the massive complex that is the Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, this…read moremarker is a reminder that things weren't always the way they are today. Historical marker J-120 has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Landmark federal court of appeals decision 1963 involving Cone Hospital led to racial integration of hospitals in the U.S." Simkins v. Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital challenged segregated hospital systems in Greensboro, arguing that facilities built with federal Hill-Burton Act funds could not lawfully discriminate. George C. Simkins and other African American physicians and patients sued after one hospital barred Black patients entirely and the other allowed only limited access. The Fourth Circuit ruled in 1963 that hospitals receiving federal funds were subject to the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, making separate but equal policies unconstitutional. When the Supreme Court declined review in 1964, the decision stood and helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Act's desegregation of public facilities. As it was a weekend, I was able to quickly stop in the medical office across the street to park. On a weekday, there is no good parking nearby. [Review 654 of 2026 - 4742 in North Carolina - 25835 overall]

This marker is located in downtown Greensboro and points out what was here during the Civil War…read more North Carolina had a number of Civil War battles and many of them in this area. The marker reads, "Set up in the First Presbyterian Church to receive wounded from Battle of Bentonville, 1865, was here." Online, there is more information. "During the winter and early spring of 1864-1865, General William Tecumseh Sherman's army wreaked destruction on Georgia and South Carolina. On March 8, his men entered North Carolina. Concerned with the ability to feed and supply his 60,000 men, Sherman divided his army into two wings: the left, commanded by Major General Henry Slocum and the right commanded by Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard. Both wings advanced in the direction of Goldsboro, as Confederate forces from across the region were cobbled together in an attempt to delay their progress. "On March 19-21, at Bentonville, Sherman's army lost 304 killed in action, 1,112 wounded, and 221 missing. The Confederates lost 239 killed, 1,694 wounded, and 673 missing. While many of the wounded were treated immediately at the numerous field hospitals established by both Federal and Confederate forces, some Southern soldiers were sent west to Greensboro. Many of these men were attended to at temporary Confederate hospitals established at the First Presbyterian Church and Edgeworth Female Seminary. The congregation of the church had offered their services and their facility to the Confederacy as early as April 1862, but it had not been used as a hospital until the latter half of March 1865. "Locals recorded their shock at the number of wounded. A local woman who was present recorded that those who died of their wounds "were laid in a semi-circle around the pulpit in their last long sleep." The exact number of those who died at the church remains unknown. A monument to them is located at Green Hill Cemetery. After the Federal occupation of Greensboro, the field hospital was converted back into the church once more." This is marker number J-30 and it was erected in 1950 by the Archives, Conservation and Highway Departments. [Review 2493 of 2024 - 3946 in North Carolina - 23505 overall]

Driving through Greensboro, I spotted this marker and stopped to read it. Once I was online later,…read moreI was able to read the essay on the state website and now you'll know about this man as well. The marker reads, "John Motley Morehead, 1796-1866. Governor, 1841-45. An advocate for railroads & industrial development. Lived at Blandwood." Online, there is more information. "ohn Motley Morehead, the first governor inaugurated in the present State Capitol, presided over an era of industrial development and, after his term, promoted construction of the North Carolina Railroad. The son of John and Obedience Motley Morehead, he was born in Virginia on July 4, 1796, but his parents moved to Rockingham County when he was two. Young John studied at David Caldwell's school near Greensboro and then entered the University of North Carolina with the class of 1817. He completed his education by studying law with Archibald D. Murphey and set up an office in Wentworth in 1819. In 1821 Morehead had married Ann Eliza Lindsay of Greensboro; they had eight children. "Morehead represented Rockingham County in the 1821 session of the House of Commons and Guilford County for two successive sessions beginning in 1826. His political views were honed by his western upbringing and his early association with Archibald D. Murphey. As a westerner he witnessed the domination of a majority by a minority with special interests and saw the need for constitutional reform, and as an associate of Murphey he learned of the potential benefits of internal improvements, a stronger banking system, expanded education, and a government active in the public sector. As a delegate to the 1835 Constitutional Convention, he sided with his fellow westerners and fought for legislative representation based on population. As a proponent of education and the father of five daughters, he took upon himself the establishment in 1840 of Edgeworth Female Seminary. "Morehead's activity and high visibility made him a logical choice of the Whig Party which sought to continue the progressive program begun during the previous administration. Though popular enough to be elected governor in 1840 and again in 1842, Morehead found himself facing a legislature controlled by conservative Democrats. He pushed for a broad program of internal improvements but made little headway. His one achievement was a law establishing a school for the deaf. The blind, whose education he also advocated, were not admitted until years later; nevertheless, the long operating school for the sight-impaired still bears his name. "After his terms as governor, Morehead became the state's foremost promoter of railroads, particularly the North Carolina Railroad which he served as president from 1850 to 1855. He also invested in a cotton mill at Leaksville and other manufacturing enterprises, and he was on the board of trustees of the University of North Carolina. Morehead again represented Guilford County in the House in 1858-1859. He returned for the next session as a member of the state Senate. As the secession crisis mounted, Morehead favored maintaining the Union and attended the Washington "Peace Conference" hoping to avert the impending conflict. With its failure, he viewed secession as an unavoidable necessity and threw his allegiance to the South. He was elected as a delegate to the Confederate Provincial Congress in 1861 and served until it completed its work in 1862. His public service to his state was over, and he returned to Greensboro where he died on August 27, 1866. His grave remains in the yard of the [First Presbyterian Church, J-30}." This is marker number J-4 and it was erected in 1936 by the North Carolina State Historical Commission. [Review 2498 of 2024 - 3951 in North Carolina - 23510 overall]

This marker is located just outside of Reidsville and points out the history of this school. There…read moreis here to pull over and read the marker. And then you can read the below to learn more about it. The marker reads, "First free school in the state, established under Common School Law of 1839, opened January 20, 1840, in this vicinity." Online there is more information. "It has long been known that the first public school in the state opened in Rockingham County on January 20, 1840. That fact is cited in several textbooks. Less well known is the basis for this claim and especially difficult to determine is where that school was located in the county. The Common Law of 1839 authorized counties to hold elections in which voters might vote for or against taxes for public schools. In elections in late 1839 sixty-one of sixty-eight counties voted to support school taxes. The remaining seven counties soon followed course. By 1846 every county had at least one public school. "Notice of the opening of the Rockingham school appeared February 18, 1840, in the Greensborough Patriot and was reprinted the same month in the Raleigh Standard. The article indicated that the "first free school in Rockingham County went into operation on the 20th of January 1840." Further, it stated that "this is probably the first free school commenced in the State." The story did not specify the location of the school but did indicate that the county had been divided up into districts with houses to be completed and schools in operation in each "in a short time." "Tradition has it that the first school was located in the present Williamsburg community in the southeastern part of Rockingham County. Some accounts even refer to the "Williamsburg School." Since the community was known by other names as late as 1960, the reference appears to be ill-founded. However, support may be found for the claim that the general vicinity was the site of an early school. Deeds drafted in April and December 1840 transferred ownership of one acre from local parties to the Literary Fund for the "advancement of education and promotion of common schools." The tracts were in the general area of Hogan's Creek north of the Williamsburg community. It is impossible, with the available documentation, to fix precisely the location of the first school cited in the newspaper account but local tradition strongly supports the general vicinity of the site." This is marker number J-94 and it was erected in 1991 by the Division of Archives and History. [Review 2482 of 2024 - 3936 in North Carolina - 23494 overall]