The highly entertaining and educational North Carolina Gazetteer has been updated for the first time since it was first published in 1968. (Kudos to Michael Hill at the N.C. Office of Archives and History for undertaking the updating of William Powell's monumental publication.)
For those unfamiliar with the book, it is quite simply a listing of place names in North Carolina. Some are well-known, most are not; some are funny, some are sad and some are just ... quirky. It's a must-have for natives and "furriners" alike.
So what does the entry for Raleigh say?
Raleigh, city, county seat, and state capital, central Wake County on Neuse River. Made county seat in 1771 and known as Wake Court House until the site was selected as the state capital in 1792 and named for Sir Walter Raleigh (1552?-1618), English statesman who sent the first English colonists to Roanoke Island. Inc. 1794. The legislature met at Wake Court House in 1781 and has met in Raleigh since 1794. Alt. 363. Now includes former communities of Oberlin and Caraleigh, which see, and West Raleigh. Home of North Carolina State University, Meredith College, Peace College, St. Mary's School, Shaw University and St. Augustine's College. Produces farm machinery, bakery products, processed meat, paper products, fabricated metals, heavy equipment, textiles, dairy products, cottonseed oil, and printed products.
Now, getting back to Oberlin and Caraleigh ...
Oberlin, formerly a community in central Wake County nw of Raleigh but now part of the city of Raleigh
Caraleigh, former community in central Wake County now within the city of Raleigh.
Unfortunately, there is no listing in the Gazetteer for Historic Method (Method Road), over near NCSU.
Also listed is Raleigh Township in "central Wake County." But that is the only mention of it.
Any Raleigh place names that you'd like for me to look up in the Gazetteer?
With college football in full swing and the Hurricanes' preseason games getting underway, it is easy to forget about the playoff-bound Carolina RailHawks, who are quietly having a tremendous season.
In fact, Coach Martin Rennie's team is having about as good as season as a team could have -- and they're playing well at the perfect time.
Following Saturday's comeback win over the Puerto Rico Islanders and the Vancouver Whitecaps' 1-0 loss Friday to the Montreal Impact, Carolina (12-9-8, 44 points) and Vancouver (10-5-14, 44 points) sit atop the NASL Conference, tied in points and goal differential (+10). The RailHawks hold a 41-30 edge, however, in the third tie-breaking measure: goals scored.
"It's a great situation for the club. Maybe two weeks ago we were making sure we were in the playoffs, and now we've got a chance to win [the conference]," RailHawks midfielder Matt Watson said. "That adrenaline [Saturday] helped us with the game and hopefully the same [Friday]."
The RailHawks will host their season finale on Friday against the Austin Aztex (15-5-8, 53 points), while Vancouver travels to Oregon for a Saturday match against the Portland Timbers (13-7-9, 48 points).
If Carolina and Vancouver both win, the RailHawks will have to at least match the Whitecaps' margin of victory to win the division.
"I don't think we've necessarily been given all the respect I think we deserve, but at the end of the day we've got a chance to win our conference," Carolina coach Martin Rennie said. "We're already in the playoffs, and we've got as good of a chance as anybody to win a championship." ...
As mentioned above, the RailHawks close out the regular season on Friday, October 1, when they face the Austin Aztex at 7 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park. The RailHawks will look to avenge a 3-2 loss to the Aztex in the teams’ only other meeting this season, at House Park in Austin. For tickets and information please visit the LGFCU Box Office at WakeMed Soccer Park, call 919-859-5425 or visit www.carolinarailhawks.com.
Josh Hamilton avoids alcohol during Texas Rangers' celebrations "The morning after the Texas Rangers clinched the 2010 AL West championship, outfielder [and Raleigh native] Josh Hamilton was one of the first players to arrive at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum before Sunday's game against the Oakland Athletics," according to ESPN.
"Hamilton, who has been out of action since Sept. 4 because of a rib injury, celebrated the AL West title a little differently than his teammates did Saturday night.
"Hamilton, whose baseball career was derailed for several years by drug and alcohol abuse, felt it was smarter for him to avoid the champagne and beer showers in the Rangers clubhouse. So he stayed in the trainer's room, showered and kept his commitment to speak to a large fan gathering in the stadium as part of Faith Day in Oakland.
"He was able to hug teammates and celebrate with them on the field right after the final out of a 4-3 Rangers victory. A large group of his teammates got the idea to dump water on him instead of champagne as part of the celebration, but Hamilton was already dressed and headed out to his speaking engagement when they located him. ..."
Atlanta wants to lure Red Hat away from RTP
"If software firm Red Hat were to ditch its Raleigh headquarters for Atlanta, it would be a huge feather in metro Atlanta’s fedora," according to the AJC.
"Red Hat, the publicly traded software firm that had revenue of $748 million last year, is checking out Atlanta and other cities with strong local universities as it considers a potential move of its headquarters.
"The company, with the red fedora logo, has hundreds of employees crowded on a campus of North Carolina State University and needs more space. The firm provides open source, or free, software and makes fees by selling service and support agreements.
"Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker confirmed that Red Hat is looking around. ..."
Yahoo Finance has an article about some "up-and-coming" American cities, which uses a variety of measurements to come up with said list. Raleigh and Durham both make the cut.
"In a lump of coal you sometimes find a diamond," writes Greg Bocquet. "In an oil slick, you find patches of clear water. And in a recession, there are success stories that can change how we think about our country in the modern era. The United States is a vast country whose different regions vary so much in terms of climate, population, and business environment that it can be hard to determine exactly what one city is doing to achieve success that another is not.
"But while conditions are difficult in every part of the country, there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of some of our large and medium-sized cities. With a population as diverse and dynamic as we have in the U.S., innovations in striking the right balance between quality of life and economic opportunity will ensure that at the very least, Americans will always experiment with making their cities the most desirable as they can.
"To put together this list, we looked at U.S. Census data on a handful of metrics, broken down by metropolitan area, looking for indicators of progress in an otherwise bleak economic environment. ..."
Raleigh comes in at No. 1 as the Fastest-Growing City.
The "research triangle" of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill has long given some vigor to the economy of North Carolina, with Duke and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill leading employment in the area. As student populations grow and more choose to stay in the area after graduation, the city has risen to first place by increase in population from 2000-2008. All of this is good news for Democrats, as the city of Durham has voted for the democratic candidate in every presidential election since the town's founding in 1869.
Durham comes in at No. 3 in terms of biggest increase in wages.
Comparing cities by the increase in wages they experienced between December of 2008 and 2009 sees Durham (part of the same broader community of Raleigh and Chapel Hill, N.C.) also doing well. With almost a 10% increase in the average weekly wage from December of 2008 to the same time a year earlier, Durham has seen a population increase occur along with rising wages.
Good news for any city struggling with providing for its residents during a recession, Durham has seen a significant increase in unemployment recently, which will surely dampen the city's rapid growth in recent years.
Hopscotch highlights The folks at New Raleigh have compiled their high-points from the Indy's recent Hopscotch festival, which was, by all accounts, a great success.
"... Spending 23 years as a broadcaster, Clampett has moved on from television and his heart has pulled him back on the golf course," says the N&O. "Now, at age 50, he's trying to earn a place on the Champions Tour, and this week the Raleigh resident is shooting for a victory at the SAS Championship at Prestonwood Country Club.
"He explains his return to professional golf as unfinished business.
" 'I want to see how good I can get,' Clampett said. 'I never felt like my career was complete as a player. I felt like I had a lot more ability than what my record showed. I would like nothing more than to prove to myself that I can do it.' ..."
I'm a bit of a George Washington buff (I even, ahem, own a copy of his Rules of Civility), so when I got the opportunity yesterday to walk through "The Real George Washington" exhibit at the N.C. Museum of History, I couldn't pass it up.
“Although over a million people come to walk in Washington’s footsteps at Mount Vernon each year, we know that not everyone will have a chance to visit his home,” said Jim Rees, President of Mount Vernon. “We wanted to bring the fascinating story of Washington’s life to people around the country by showing a wide variety of compelling personal belongings and some intriguing elements from our new Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center.”
It is a fascinating exhibit, with special focus on Mount Vernon. There are numerous artifacts from the life of "His Excellency," as well as a set of those (in)famous dentures (horribly pictured via my phone cam).
Also fascinating are the real-life likenesses of Washington, "based on cutting-edge forensic research, showing him at different stages of his life: as a young surveyor, as commander in chief, and as our first president."
You can also see the famous Gilbert Stuart portrait of Washington from 1798 and the Washington family Bible.
If you have not been to see it yet, I highly recommend it. In fact, go this Saturday, for Colonial Day, and get in free.
I saw a trailer for the new movie "Due Date," starring N.C. State alum Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr., the other day. Granted, I may have seen every funny part in the trailer, but I'm optimistic since it's a Todd Phillips ("Old School," "The Hangover") movie.
"Due Date" also include N.C.'s Danny McBride, of "Eastbound and Down" fame, as well as Raleigh native and N.C. School of the Arts alum Rhoda Griffis. There may be more N.C. connections in the movie, but I don't have time to scour the entire imdb.com cast and crew listing.
I look forward each week to the Raleigh Connoisseur's DT Raleigh Chatter offerings, where Leo scans the Twittertopia for interesting tidbits about Downtown Raleigh.
By and large, most of the Raleigh-centric remarks are pretty positive. Take KevinAllenSmith, for instance, who tweeted: Raleigh has way too many kick ass bars and venues all located downtown. #chs needs to step up its game.
(What does #chs refer to? Charleston, S.C.?)
Iammisterd also stated that Glenwood South is beautiful at 230am [smiley face].
But, of course, you sometimes get the not-so-flattering comments too. For this, we'll leave it to pasionista to have the last word.
N.C. State University hopes to unveil another wolflike Tamaskan dog tonight for its game against Cincinnati. It will be State's second try this season before a home crowd to restore the tradition of fielding a live mascot [says the N&O].
Like the first dog - which was fired over the weekend amid what may have been a manufactured controversy about the quality of its kennel - this one will be called "Tuffy," after the school's strutting wolf logo.
Live it Up! on Hillsborough Street, September 25 Celebrate the recently-renovated (and hopefully revived) main artery near N.C. State on September 25.
According to the official event website there will be a dedication ceremony, beer garden, farmer's market, musicians performing, vendors and much more.
Cameron Village honors 'Barrel Monster' artist
"A local student and part-time construction worker whose street art has earned him fame and a little attention from law enforcement will get a permanent exhibit in Cameron Village," says WRAL.
"Joe Carnevale's sculpture 'Street Knight' will be permanently installed in Cameron Village Public Library's main lobby. Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker plans to attend the dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday.
"Carnevale, a history major at North Carolina State University, created 'Street Knight' for an Earth Day art competition at the popular Raleigh shopping plaza. The 15-foot-tall knight is made completely of street signs – all used with the permission of authorities.
"Members of the Cameron Village Merchant's Association liked the sculpture so much that they decided to purchase it and permanently install it in the library. ..."
I had to pause the DVR the other day when one of those Michael Strahan-centered Subway commercials came on. At one point a soccer player is shown, and it hit me: it's Tab Ramos!
Ramos, some of you will remember, was a legend of N.C. State and the U.S. National soccer team. Ramos is a member of the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame, was a leader on the very successful '94 World Cup squad, and was the first player ever selected for Major League Soccer when it was launched.
Ramos is more than just a person in the Subway commercial. He has partnered with Subway to help promote healthy eating among America's Hispanic community. (Ramos was born in Uruguay.)
"As a Latino athlete, I feel obligated to do my part in the fight against juvenile obesity, which is affecting our kids disproportionately in relation to the general population," Ramos said in a press release. "SUBWAY(R) Restaurants is a natural partner for this cause because its varied and affordable menu offers young people the choice of eating fresh and leading an active lifestyle." As part of this agreement, SUBWAY(R) Restaurants, which sponsored Ramos' 2005 Hispanic Heritage Award for Sports, is providing seed money and logistical support to help launch The Tab Ramos GOAL! Foundation.
"Since retiring from Major League Soccer in 2002, my aim has been to help deliver a message of education through sports," Ramos said. "By partnering with SUBWAY(R) Restaurants to kick off The Tab Ramos GOAL! Foundation, this dream has now become a reality."
... Ramos has skills that excel both on and off the pitch (a.k.a. the soccer field). In fact‚ it’s his ability to pitch children and their parents–and the media–on becoming more physically active‚ reducing screen time‚ and eating right that helped We Can! recently reach 4.5 million Americans on the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition.
That statistic reflects the number of potential viewers‚ readers‚ and listeners who could tune into media coverage of a speaking and media tour that Ramos made to We Can! community sites in the Atlanta‚ Houston‚ and San Diego areas.
The tour focused on promoting a healthier lifestyle to Spanish–speaking communities and media in those locations‚ and was sponsored by SUBWAY® restaurants as part of its partnership with We Can!. At each location‚ Ramos spoke to children in both Spanish and English about the importance of eating well and staying active. ...
In Atlanta‚ Tab kicked off his visit to the city by swinging by CNN Espanol‚ which is based there. His interview at CNN Espanol reached as many as 108‚000 potential viewers.
In Houston‚ Ramos presented to hundreds of local residents at a cultural festival sponsored by a new We Can! community site‚ Neighborhood Centers‚ Inc.‚ which serves many at–risk communities. ...
Hundreds of people also turned out for an afternoon of soccer following a presentation to students at Otay Elementary in Chula Vista‚ California‚ near San Diego.
Nearly one out of every three children in the U.S. ages two to 19 is overweight or at risk of becoming overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Extra pounds can lead to life-long health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. In adults, overweight and obesity contribute to these and other chronic conditions, including certain cancers.
So maybe Tab is also trying to make amends for promoting candy bars back in the day?
And, just for fun, here are some Ramos highlights.
Back in August, my wonderful wife put together a survey enthusiastically titled, "Let's Convince Target that Downtown Raleigh is Ready for Them!" The gist of the survey was to gauge the interest of Raleigh-area shoppers in a DTR Target.
And while the survey was admittedly unscientific, it did highlight some interesting things. First and foremost is the fact that 93 percent of the 100 people (from Raleigh and outside of Raleigh) that responded said they would shop at a Downtown Raleigh Target. In addition, 81 percent stated that they would shop at a DTR Target more than any other location.
Even more intriguing is that 72 percent of those that responded said they would shop at DTR Target at least once a week if not multiple times a week. That contrasts with the fact that currently just 57 percent of those survey shop at Target at least once a month.
Those who responded to the survey were also asked what they view as potential obstacles to a DTR Target. The overwhelming answer was, not surprisingly, parking. Among others were finding the space for it (without tearing down existing buildings), though some mentioned the lack of other complementary retail establishments (more on that below). Interestingly enough, others mentioned that parking is ample downtown, so maybe the perception of no parking would need to be addressed.
Respondents were asked: Are there other stores that you would like to see come to Downtown Raleigh? Among the answers were Trader Joe's, Urban Outfitters, Dave & Buster's, Office Max, Steinmart, Sephora, American Apparel, H&M, Nordstrom, Belk, Ann Taylor, a butcher, bookstores, a movie theater and much more. Also, there were overwhelming mentions of the need for a grocery store. As one person wrote, there is a need for "[j]ust more retail in general, which needs to be clustered together to create a good critical mass for shopping."
Here is a closer look at the survey results, based on specific questions.
How often do you shop at Target? Multiple times a week: 20 percent Once a week: 37 A couple of times a month: 30 Once a month: 10 Rarely: 5
Which Target do you frequent? North Hills: 68 percent Garner: 14 Capital Boulevard: 13 Other: 27
Would you shop at a Downtown Target? Yes: 92.9 percent No: 7.1
How often would you shop at a Downtown Raleigh Target? Multiple times a week: 40 percent Once a week: 32 A couple of times a month: 12 Once a month: 2 Rarely - but I still think it's a good idea: 8 Never - and I don't think it's a good idea: 7
Do you think there is anything about Downtown Raleigh that would be an obstacle to you shopping there? (Select answers) It would need a full pharmacy.
Parking may be an issue. But if it is in a location easy to walk to, I will walk. And if it is on the R Line, I will ride the bus.
I want downtown Raleigh to stay away from box stores. In my opinion box stores stifle small independent businesses, which is the charm of a vibrant downtown.
There is not enough land for a large store. It would mean destroying a neighborhood - of course it would be a poor and black neighborhood.
No. Plenty of density to support this in the warehouse district or one of the government lots around the capital.
Parking could pose an issue. I also like grocery shopping at the Super Target, so I think I would continue to visit it once per week. But a smaller downtown Target would be perfect for the other quick visits.
As long as there is available parking in a nearby garage, I would be there in a second! It would also be fabulous if this was one of the Targets that offered fresh food, since there is also a lack of grocery stores downtown (other than Cameron Village).
The only thing would be the "pushing out" of locally owned businesses that Target would do. The only "large" shop that downtown deserves is some sort of grocery store, and not one attached to Target or Walmart. In addition, there are enough people who don't know the one way roads, bringing a place like Target downtown would bring them out in droves.
There are no other retail establishments there. It would be nice to be able to visit multiple stores in one trip, just like a real city.
It would take away from the character of downtown ... homogenous worlds aren't always a good idea.
I live near North Hills but work in downtown Raleigh. I would still shop at North Hills, but if there was ever something I needed after work and the downtown Raleigh was easier to get into/out of at rush hour, I could envision myself stopping there.
Would you shop at a Downtown Raleigh Target location more than any other? Yes: 81 percent No: 19
Are there other stores that you would like to see come to Downtown Raleigh? (Select answers) I still miss the downtown Belks!
A decent craft store
Barnes & Noble/Borders. Other larger department stores. (I would prefer local chains, but feel like it would take the investment of larger, national chains to "get the ball rolling.)
Supermarket (please)
A good, affordable grocery store and any department store.
Prefer locally owned businesses and merchants.
chain resturaunts
non-chains. Would love to have a bakery, a really good ice cream shop that would stay open, shoe store, pet store
I do not want to see national chains (aka box stores) in downtown Raleigh. Let's keep downtown Raleigh looking like downtown Raleigh and not like looking like everywhere, USA
My wife would go crazy for an anthropology or pottery barn, pier 1 or other similar home furnishings store.
If the Target had a grocery store that'd be ideal. We also need a downtown movie theater, downtown library and downtown green space expansion.
Downtown Raleigh needs more retail in general. I try very hard to not go outside the beltline, but do go to North Hills frequently (gym, Target, dining) and Crabtree when I am forced to. Would like to see a Sephora/Ulta or high-end makeup store, Bath and Body Works, niche specialty stores such as Anthropologie or Urban Outfitters, a home decor/furnishings store such as Restoration Hardware/Pottery Barn/Z Gallerie/Crate and Barrel and most of all A BOOKSTORE whether independent or chain (Barnes and Noble)!!
Grocery store in warehouse district. ANY grocery store.
I'd like to see any new stores (including a target) integrated into the current buildings rather than tear down and build. this would provide more of a downtown feel.
Raleigh ranks among the least stressed metro areas ... [and] Charlotte ranks among the worst, according to a new survey from business news website Portfolio.com [says WRAL.com].
Raleigh ranks 47th among the top 50 largest metros in levels of stress, Portfolo.com says. ...
The Portfolio.com survey, reported in conjunction with American City Business Journals, is based on an index of 10 indicators.
Coming in last/first is (ta-dah!) Detroit with L.A. second, then Cleveland, Riverside, St. Louis and the NYC.
Salt Lake City had the lowest stress level with Virginia Beach-Norfolk placing second.
Factors used in the rankings included: Unemployment, income growth, poverty, deaths from circulatory-system diseases, sunshine, unhealthy air, robberies, murders, commuting, and housing costs.
This kinda all makes sense. Raleigh may not have mountains or (much) water, but we have low(er) unemployment, sunshine (some would say too much), low crime and (relatively) low housing costs. Commuting? Meh. But we're working on that.
It had become a running joke over the years, but ask any N.C. State fan what needs to be done to improve the athletic teams' performance, and many would mockingly open with two simple words:
Live. Wolves.
Well, State apparently now cares about its sports teams' performances. Meet Tuffy, State's first live "wolf" mascot in many, many moons. As the N&O pointed out, Tuffy is not a real wolf ("it's been decided that a real wolf would be too dangerous"), but a Tamaskan Wolfdog, which "looks a lot like a wolf but is smaller."
Tuffy, of course, comes from the name of the State Strutting Wolf mascot.
"As long as Red Riding Hood doesn't attend any of the games, this should work out OK," joked the N&O.
"The North Carolina Museum of Art is attempting its own masterpiece: an exhibit that features more authentic Rembrandt paintings than any American museum has yet achieved," says the N&O.
"The museum is borrowing and leasing masterpieces by the 17th century Dutch painter from about two dozen museums in the United States, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The total insured value of the three-month exhibit is undisclosed, but officials say it will exceed anything the museum has put together before, including blockbuster exhibitions of Picasso, Matisse, Monet and Rodin."
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Larry Wheeler, director of the N.C. art museum, said the Rembrandt exhibit, which is planned to open in October 2011, will display some of the Dutchman's best work. Wheeler characterized some of the 31/2-century-old canvasses as priceless. Rembrandt - a celebrity in his own day who boosted his income by selling dozens of self-portraits to adoring fans - ranks among the top European artists of any age.
Eat our dust, Baltimore, Indy and San Diego. We're gunnin' for you, Pittsburgh.
"The Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville market moved up one spot to No. 25 among the nation's biggest television markets, Nielsen reported Tuesday in its latest annual ranking," writes the N&O's Alan Wolf.
"This region expanded 2.1 percent to 1.13million TV households, putting it just ahead of the markets of Baltimore, Indianapolis and San Diego.
"The latest ranking puts the region into a new realm."
As Wolf writes, some national advertisers only buy ads in the top 25 -- a good and bad thing.
"As more [national advertisers] start buying ads in the local region, it could boost revenue for local stations but also drive up prices for local advertisers."
In the latest Nielsen ranking, Charlotte moved up a notch to No. 23, passing Pittsburgh, Nielsen reported. Among major TV markets, Raleigh was sixth in growth, while Charlotte was 10th.
College Football Hall of Fame to honor Dennis Byrd on Saturday In May, former N.C. State football player Dennis Byrd was honored as one of just a handful of 2010 inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame. Just two months later, Byrd was dead.
North Carolina State and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame will jointly honor the late Dennis Byrd with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute September 4 as the Wolfpack hosts Western Carolina in Raleigh [according to WRAL]. Members of the Byrd family will accept the honor on his behalf. The game is scheduled to be carried on ESPN3.
"Dennis Byrd was the best that has ever played his position at NC State, and he will remain in our hearts forever," said David Horning, executive senior associate director of athletics at NC State. "He was a leader, a motivator, and inspired many throughout his life. He will always be remembered at NC State for his dominant play and his commitment to his team. There will never be another Dennis Byrd." ...
Throughout the season, each Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) College Football Hall of Fame inductee is recognized during a special on-field event at his school where a commemorative plaque is presented to the university for permanent display. Beginning with the NFF's inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1951, the On-Campus Salute has served as the first of numerous highlights in the hall of fame experience, giving the school's fans the chance to cheer the names of their greatest legends one more time.
"Dennis Byrd possessed a rare combination of size and agility that helped him make history at NC State," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "He played the game because he loved it, and there is nobody more deserving of a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame than Dennis Byrd. We look forward to the tremendous honor of traveling to Carter-Finley Stadium to hear the crowds cheer his name in appreciation."
State's QB from the Land of the Rising Sun GoPack.com's Tim Peeler has a fantastic profile of a long-forgotten Wolfpack QB: Japan's Teisaku Sugishita.
"Just how this native of Kofuku, Japan - a tiny town in the central Gifu Prefecture, about 100 miles from Tokyo - made his way to Raleigh, N.C., in the late 19th century is a mystery that is lost to the vestiges of time," writes Peeler.
"One of the ways Western technology was imported was by sending Japanese students abroad and supporting their study in American and European universities," said John Baugh, director of the North Carolina Japan Center and an NC State professor of civil engineering. "While British railroad engineers, Dutch civil engineers and other foreign advisors were hired by the Japanese government, providing scholarships for Japanese engineers to study abroad was seen as a more cost-effective way to gain access to the best ideas and technology.
"Between the 1860s and `80s, about 20 Japanese had been sent to the United States to study in various fields of engineering, with most of them returning to work in government positions, as did Mr. Sugishita, who worked for the Imperial Railway of Japan immediately upon returning."
The sparse school records of the time show that Sugishita enrolled in the civil engineering program in the fall of 1894, as part of the fourth freshman class in school history.
Shortly thereafter, he joined the football team. He clearly wasn't scared away by the less-than-virile school colors of pink and blue that the football team wore at the time, or the brown and white it switched to for the 1895 football season. Sugishita surely liked it, though, when students voted in the fall of 1895 to change the colors yet again, this time to the same red and white that adorned the famous flag of his native "Land of the Rising Sun." ...
Not much is known about Sugishita's playing career, though the Atlanta Constitution referred to him as "the young Japanese, who played such a good quarter back and made a number of beautiful tackles throughout the game" in its story about NC State's 42-6 loss to Virginia Military Academy on the grounds of the Cotton States and International Exposition on Oct. 25, 1895.
Two years later, he was teammates with Edwin Bentley Owen and George Frederick Syme, two future NC State leaders who have on-campus dormitories named in their honor. That team lost to Guilford, 18-0, and North Carolina's scrub team, 40-0, but beat Davidson, 19-0, in its third and final game of the year. ...
Sugishita earned his degree in civil engineering as part of the 16-member class of 1898. His senior thesis detailed the design of a steel highway bridge.
Soon afterwards, he returned to Japan and began working in the lucrative silk trading industry. After he was drafted into the Japanese Army during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), his life took many twisting and tragic turns, and he stopped communicating with his friends back in North Carolina.
Read the rest of Tim's fantastic piece to find out what happened to Sugishita.
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