Acknowledgments

Robeson County has been a labor of love and a wonderful collaboration of the citizens of Robeson County. This project began as an independent study for my history major at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. My wife, Bess, and I were able to find a large number of photographs in our own collection, the Hubbard-Tyner Collection, and this created a starting point for the gathering. I traveled the county renewing friendships and creating new ones as I sought out the needed photographs and information to create this book.

I want to thank all of individuals who opened their private collections and shared their cherished photographs with me. They include Lyl MacLean Clinard; John and Betty Edens; Susan Caldwell Hall and Thomas Caldwell Hall; Mary Shaw Hughes and Carolyn Bethune Hughes; Patricia Knott; Jimmy Locklear; Hector MacLean; David Mann; Mutt McCoy; McKay Morgan; Flora Lou Morgan Morton; John and Dot Ray; Faye McRainey Reaves; Helen Seawell Sharpe; Victoria Smith; and Peggy Tyner Townsend.

A project like this would have been impossible with out numerous groups throughout Robeson County and the State. I would like to gratefully acknowledge the assistance from the African American Cultural Center, Border Belt Museum, Carolina Civic Center, Carolina Collection at UNC Chapel Hill, Centre Presbyterian Church Archives, Kate Biggs Collection at the Robeson County Public Library, Maxton Historical Society including the Mary McLean Poole Collection, McMurray McKellar Historical Museum including the Morrison Collection, National Archives and Records Administration, Red Springs Historical Commission, Sarah and Linwood Hayes owners of TarPackers Restaurant, Town of Fairmont and the Town of Maxton.

Special thanks are in order for certain groups that have intensively supported this effort. They are Sarah Britt of Historic Robeson, Inc; Steve Massengill, Supervisor of the Non-Textual Materials Unit of the North Carolina State Archives; Lawrence Locklear, Bobby Ayers, Scott Bigelow and Monnie Sanderson, the staff of the UNCP University Relations. Also, a big thank you goes to Stephen C. Edgerton for scanning and sharing many photographs from the McKay Family Photographic Collection.

The entire staff of Arcadia Publishing has been wonderful to work with especially my editor, Laura New; she has kept my feet to fire throughout this process. At the University of North Carolina at Pembroke I must thank my boss, Art Department Chairman Janette Hopper and History Department Chairman Dr. Robert Brown who stepped forward to approve this project. My advisor, Dr. Stephen W. Berry, II, has spent hours reviewing my selection of photographs and offering suggestions.

This book would not have been a possibility without one person, my wife. Bess has spent untold hours working with me on this publication. She has helped to look through hundreds of photographs and has read, reread and read once again every word of text. She has been a wonderful supporter of this project as she has been of all of my projects. She has also had the added burden of our two and half year old son, McKay, as I have traveled around the county. She has been kept awake as I sat up until one in the morning typing away on the laptop. Bess, my darling this book is dedicated to you for all of your love and support. Thank you!