• When the Past Refused to Die: A History of Caswell County North Carolina 1777-1977, William S. Powell (1977)



• Written by respected North Carolina historian William S. Powell, this volume is the definitive history of Caswell County, the home of many distinguished people who developed a plantation economy equal in importance to that of almost any other county in North Carolina.
  
  This is a 2015 softbound reprint of the original hardbound book, which had been out-of-print for many years.

• Images of America - Caswell County, Caswell County Historical Association (2009) (128 pages)


• This is the fourth in a series of publications by the Caswell County Historical Association devoted to the history of Caswell County. Following is an excerpt from the book's Introduction, written by Dr. Houston G. Jones, Ph.D: "Now the Caswell County Historical Association, in association with Arcadia's Images of America series, will preserve a selection of views of the county's people, institutions, activities, and places -- images that might otherwise have remained hidden among old papers. If previous publications serve as a guide, these views will reawaken interest and lead to the discovery of additional images that illustrate Caswell's interesting past." Softbound book.

• An Inventory of Historic Architecture Caswell County North Carolina, Ruth Little-Stokes (1979)



• In this visual history, a companion volume to William S. Powell's When the Past Refused to Die described above, Ruth Little-Stokes sets out her inventory of the historic places in Caswell County. Among the 367 properties photographed and catalogued are houses, outbuildings, mansions, stores, tobacco barns, log cabins, courthouses, and churches. Large hardbound book.

• Caswell County Driving Tour by Caswell County Historical Association, Dan River Basin Association, and Danville Regional Foundation


• Caswell County, one of North Carolina's best kept secrets, makes a great day trip from anywhere in the Piedmont and any time of year. Visitors will find unique shopping to suit every budget, history that matches every interest, and plenty of family-owned farms that offer fresh local produce, cheeses, and grass-fed beef. So gather the family and enjoy an old-fashioned drive through the rolling landscape, and see a piece of America at its best. Softbound pamphlet (30 pages).

• Caswell County North Carolina Deed Books 1817-1840, Katharine Kerr Kendall (1992)



• This paperbound book of some 364 pages provides real property deed abstracts, slave deeds, transfers of personal property, powers of attorney, and divisions of land among devisees. Through these records one can trace the migration of inhabitants for a twenty-three-year period that was critical to the growth of Caswell County. These years saw the creation of the town of Yanceyville in 1833, as well as many other historic transactions. Deed Books S through EE total 5,522 pages and are housed at the office of the Register of Deeds of Caswell County, Yanceyville, North Carolina 27379. This is a must reference for anyone interested in the history of Caswell County.

• Their Highest Potential: An African American School Community in the Segregated South, Vanessa Siddle Walker (1996)



• This inspiring and award-winning book chronicles the struggles of the African American community in Caswell County to establish equal educational opportunities for its children, resulting in a fully accredited high school, the Caswell County Training School (renamed the Caswell County High School). Central to the story is Principal Nicholas Longworth Dillard. Paperbound book.

• Gatewood: Facing the White Canvas, David Kasper and Carlyle Poteat (2004) (56 Minutes)



• In this revealing documentary, Yanceyville's own Maud Gatewood gives us insights into the determination and creative process that led to her becoming one of the most admired painters to emerge from the American South. For over fifty years Maud Gatewood was an inspired laborer, producing an extraordinary body of work. Honors came to her as a painter, advocate of the arts, and active citizen.



• Background



• DVD-Includes Added Material/More than 200 Gatewood Paintings)



• VHS Tape

• At the Foot of the Lake: The Pattillo-Patillo Family and Allied Lines, Millard Quentin Plumblee (1987)



• Historian Plumblee's work is a carefully documented genealogical record of the Patillo and allied families, including names, dates of births, marriages, and deaths. Moreover, it is a fascinating story of a people, a history of a place (especially Yanceyville and Southern Caswell County, North Carolina), and a heritage to anecdotal and narrative description that brings to life ancestors long ago buried. Hardbound book.

• Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color, Patricia Phillips Marshall and Jo Ramsay Leimenstoll (2010).



• Thomas Day (1801-1861), a free man of color from Milton, North Carolina, became the most successful cabinetmaker in North Carolina--white or black--during a time when most blacks were enslaved and free blacks were restricted in their movements and activities. His surviving furniture and architectural woodwork still represent the best of nineteenth-century craftsmanship and aesthetics. Hardbound book.

• Murder in the Courthouse: Reconstruction and Redemption in the North Carolina Piedmont (True Crime), Jim Wise (2010)



• No suspect was indicted or tried for the death of North Carolina state senator John Walter Stephens in a North Carolina courthouse; but the Ku Klux Klan rid itself of a troublesome adversary and precipated a showdown between the state's old guard and Governor William Woods Holden. Follow this little-known tale from the killing, through the "Kirk-Holden War," through the courts and to the finale, when Governor Holden was impeached and removed from office. Newspaper reporter and historical columnist Jim Wise takes us beyond the final days of the Civil War in North Carolina, amidst the destruction and poverty and debt, to chronicle the men whose clashing agendas and personalities shaped a violent era and laid foundations for the Jim Crow century to come." Paperbound book.

• The Dan River Book, Walter Forrest Altman, John A. Cleaveland, Brooke B. Fentress (2003)



• An outstanding guide to canoeing the Dan River, with maps, tips, and a full index. Author is avid environmentalist, historian, and retired professor Walter Forrest Altman. Paperbound book.

• 2000 Souvenir Calendar: Collection of Photographs of the Historic 1861 Caswell County Courthouse and Square in Yanceyville, North Carolina, Caswell County Historical Association



• This most-impressive publication is more than a calendar. It shows a century in the life of the historic Caswell County Courthouse, with some images never before seen by the public. This is a must for the library of anyone interested in the history of Caswell County. Supply is limited.

• Tobacco Money Feeds My Family, Cynthia Hill, Curtis Gaston (2003)



• This documentary film goes beyond the moral debates on tobacco and takes the viewer on a journey into the world of tobacco farming families. It follows the lives of three tobacco farmers through three seasons, witnessing their triumphs and tragedies as they struggle to raise their much-embattled crop.



• VHS Tape



• DVD

• Carolina Communities, Charles B. Motley (1995) (96 pages)


• This is a book devoted to many of Caswell County's small communities, including Leasburg, Semora, Pelham, Prospect Hill, Purley, Ridgeville, Stoney Creek, and Yanceyville. It includes articles written by Miss Ella Thompson (Leasburg), William S. Dixon (Leasburg), Mary McAden Satterfield (Semora), and Tom Henderson. Softbound book.

• Kirk's Raiders, Matthew Bumgarner (2000)


• During the American Civil War the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina were deeply divided between Union and Confederate causes. Colonel George Kirk of Tennessee led nearly 2000 Southern boys against their brethren from 1862 until 1865, fighting at Warm Springs, Burnsville, Morganton, Erwin, Waynesville, Blowing Rock, and Lenoir. In 1870, he returned to central North Carolina to suppress a Ku Klux Klan insurrection in Alamance and Caswell Counties. Mayhem, bloodshed, and controversy followed George Kirk wherever he went. This is his story. Complete rosters of the 2nd and 3rd North Caroliina Mounted Infantries are included, as well as nearly fifty newly published photographs, letters, and maps. This is the definitive George Kirk study. Softbound book.

• Confessions of a Chicken Thief and Other Stories, Betty Meyers (2005)


• Humorous stories by Caswell County resident Betty Meyers. Softbound book.

• Helen Jean Stories, Helen Ledford (2014)


• Helen Farthing Ledford tells stories about growing up on a teeming Caswell County, North Carolina farm in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s with her Mama Allie Farthing, a passel of siblings, and the Lord only knows how many dogs, cats, ducks, and other beasts. A nostalgic look into slower times well remembered, Helen's prose, poetry, and pictures invite warm contemplation of an era gone by. Softbound book.

• The Story of Your Ancestors: Cosmos, Earth and Creatures Where You Came From, Where We Are, Where We're Headed, Forrest Altman (2007)


• "COSMOS," describes the origins of our Universe and the emergence of light, matter, time, space, stars, galaxies and the Solar System. "EARTH," traces the emergence of the atmosphere, oceans, continents and early life forms "HOMO SAPIENS," while outlining the activities of human beings worldwide throughout prehistory and historic time, focuses on North America in the past 400 years. In style the book is conversational. The author addresses the reader directly, adding his personal experiences to the facts of science and history to tell such a story as might be told around a campfire by old men to the young. The author uses vivid language and his sense of humor in telling the story. The narrative is further enhanced by timelines, diagrams and 80 illustrations, including original art by two talented artists. Softbound book.

• WBTM's Mystery Guests: 75 of the Most Fascinating People in the Dan River Region, Kathryn Davis (2005)


• Mystery guests who appeared on radio station WBTM (Danville, Virginia). Softbound book (124 pages).

• Through the Eyes of Your Ancestors, Maureen Alice Taylor (1999)


• Here is an easy-to-follow approach to the fascinating hobby of genealogy. Every family has a story, and this book can help kids uncover the secrets and adventures of their own ancestors. From lists of helpful organizations to sample interview questions, state-of-the-art computer programs to Web sites, this guide will help children become family historians. Each chapter begins with a real anecdote, enticing young readers with visions of what they might find hidden in their ancestors' pasts. All varieties of families are represented here - extended, adoptive, and blended, from many races and cultures - with emphasis on the unique role that each has played in the founding and development of the United States. Softbound book (86 pages).

• Robert Blackwell and Zillah Rice Blackwell Family Genealogy Charts

Chart No. 1: Descendants through son Carter and wife Isabella Bracken

Chart No. 2: Descendants through son Garland and wife Mary Scott

Chart No. 3: Descendants through son Thomas and wife Rebecca Watt

• These are large charts printed on architectural blueprint paper
• Chart No. 1
• Chart No. 2
• Chart No. 3

• Stephen and Mary Brown Pleasant Family Genealogy Chart: Descendants of William Brown Pleasant and Nancy Milner
• This is a large chart printed on architectural blueprint paper

For availability, prices, and ordering details, contact the Caswell County Historical Association. The CCHA maintains its own online store. See: CCHA Store.