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Welcome to OBCGS

Our Library is open to all visitors during open hours. We have a volunteer present on Tues – Sat from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. The docents are prepared to answer questions, ship books, mail research requests and do other administrative duties as well as be present to welcome visitors to do research.

If you want specific help with a research project, give us a call (828-253-1894) to make an appointment or you can fill out the form on our Assisted Research page and we will be in touch!

Please check the calendar or sign up for our monthly newsletter (on the right side of this page) for more info on our activities. Contact us by email (see our contact page above) if you have any questions.

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Explore Some WNC Family Histories

BENNETT FAMILY This post is a Proposal that: William Bennett (abt 1730-1806)was the father ofJohn Bennett (abt 1756-abt 1837)and grandfather ofHardeman Bennett (1775-1849) Based on a study of existing records for Upper South Carolina and Western North Carolina by Carolyn Bennett Mahaffey, Atlanta, Georgia, Posted February 2021 Bennett Family Report ******************************************************** KIMSEY FAMILY Read how Cecilia (Smith) …

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Useful Research Links

This post offers some useful links that could enhance your research into Western North Carolina genealogy and local history: Alexander Street North American Womens Letters and Diaries.  https://alexanderstreet.com/products/north-american-womens-letters-and-diaries The collection includes approximately 150,000 pages of letters and diaries from Colonial times to 1950, including 7,000 pages of previously unpublished manuscripts—all in electronic format for the first …

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Abandoned and Neglected Cemeteries, Laws and Current Practices in Buncombe County, NC

Betsy Couzins, one of OBCGS’ library volunteers, has written a well-researched article on the local laws governing cemeteries in Buncombe County. She gave a professional presentation at the library’s Saturday program on March 23, 2019 covering the same information. You can retrieve a copy of her article here:

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New Books for Sale!

We are excited about our new genealogy books focused on Western North Carolina listed below. They are now available in our eBay bookstore! You can find many genealogy and local history books in our eBay store: Click here for our eBay Bookstore You can search by name, author or subject by using the white search …

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Researching Your African American Family History in North Carolina

UPDATED Oct 2021: Ancestry.com has loaded a new database on their site from the “US, Freedman’s Bank Records, 1865-1874”. The original records are housed at the National Archives and Records Administration on microfilm. Ancestry is making them available in fully digitized and searchable format to make it easier to find your African American ancestors.  The …

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