This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Hertford has changed and developed over the last century.

When Hertford County was established in 1759, Eastern North Carolina had served as a home to African Americans for more than 170 years. Over time free blacks and the Meherrin people married, creating a unique free black community of farmers and artisans. Since that time, residents, enriched by diversity, have enjoyed the county's small-town feel and picturesque landscape.

"This practical and comprehensive guide provides an introduction for family historians to trace their ancestors in Hertfordshire. It is thematic in approach, the chapters incorporating related material on subjects as broad as military ancestors and the poor and the sick"--Publisher's description.

Before the outbreak of the Civil War, Hertford County had one of the largest populations of free people of color in North Carolina. Although they lived in a rural community, Hertford County's free people of color and their descendants found success in business, education, community development, religious life, and politics. Warren Eugene Milteer, Jr.'s tireless efforts in numerous archives have produced the first full-length study of their lives and contributions from the colonial period into the twentieth century.