Introduction

The history of the area now known as Robeson County goes farther back than when the county was carved out of fertile farmland along the border of the Carolinas in 1787, Robeson County is North Carolina’s largest county, spanning 948 square miles. The county is called “The State of Robeson” not only because of its size, but because of its fierce independence and self-reliance. Robeson County is named for Colonel Thomas Robeson, hero of the Revolutionary War Battle of Elizabethtown and proponent of creation of the county. Originally part of Bladen County, the residents of the area that was to become Robeson felt that their center of government needed to be closer, and that the huge county of Bladen was simply too unwieldy. Situated in the verdant southeastern section of North Carolina, Robeson is bisected by Interstate 95, and is located near Fayetteville and Fort Bragg, the country's largest military installation.

Unique in its equally balanced tri-racial population, the county combines in a rich heritage the Native American Lumbee tribe (largest Native American tribe east of the Mississippi), the African American community, and many descendants of the numerous Scottish and European settlers who arrived before and during the Revolution. Over the centuries, these people have worked together to create a culturally diverse community.
 
This volume has brought together a collection of vintage postcards that seek to take the reader on a trip through Robeson County’s proud heritage.  I have strived to include not only street scenes and business scenes from long ago but historical homes, churches, and most importantly, community life.  I gratefully acknowledge the overwhelming support of those interested in the preservation of Robeson County history in their generous assistance in sharing their images and stories.  It has been a true joy to journey back and reconstruct the county’s past. All postcards not listed as belonging to another individual or part of a collection are from the Hubbard-Tyner Collection, this collection was started by my wife and myself to purchase as many items relating to the history of North and South Carolina as possible.

 
It is interesting to see what parts of Robeson County were chosen in the past to grace postcards. As you progress through this book you will notice many landmarks that local residents pass each day with no thought of the importance they have played in the county's history.

On May 19, 1898 Congress passed the Private Mailing Card Act to allow private firms to produce postcards, until that time only the United States could issued cards. The government issued cards were pre-stamped postal cards that were first produced in 1873.  Writing was not allowed on the back of the postcard until March 1, 1907 when a new law was issued, before this time any message was written across the front over the photographs or artwork on the card.

Around 1900 we saw the first "Real Photo" postcards.  These were postcards that had real photographs and were usually printed on film stock paper.  Although most "Real Photo" postcards were advertising and tradecards, many were of entertainers and portraits of family members.

It is said that the publishing of printed postcards during this time period doubled every six months.  By 1907, European card publishers began opening offices in the United States and accounted for over 75% of all postcards sold in the United States.   At the end of this period in time, the hobby of collecting picture postcards became the greatest collectible hobby that the World had ever known. The official figures from the U.S. Post Office for their fiscal year ending June 30, 1908, cite 677,777,798 postcards mailed.  At that time the total population of the United States was only 88,700,000!