Storefronts, soldiers and Stanley Cups: 100 years of Raleigh parade photos
By Scott Sharpe
A parade on Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street in 1918 welcoming home 113th Field Artillery following World War l. Note the electric streetcar tracks running down Fayetteville Street. Raleigh’s streetcars stopped operating in 1933 and many tracks were removed or paved over.
State Archives of North Carolina
Tucked away in The News & Observer archives are tens of thousands of photographs of North Carolina from the past 125 years.
We’re opening up those archives to show the tremendous change in both the physical and cultural landscapes of the state and, along the way, trigger both warm and bittersweet memories.
What was North Carolina like during two World Wars — the economic booms and busts in economies that of the Great Depression and the ongoing fight for civil rights? Who lived and worked where we do now? What is the visual fiber of North Carolina’s past?
This week, we were inspired by last month’s Stanley Cup parade and celebration for the Carolina Hurricanes, which drew over 190,000 people to downtown Raleigh. So we dug deep in the archives for historical photos from parades on Fayetteville Street. Let us know if you recognize any of the buildings and businesses that lined the street in the past.
Each week we’ll feature photos from the News & Observer archives, as well as images from collections at the State Archives of N.C. and the Library of Congress.
What photos do you want us to dig up next? Send your ideas for photos and scenes we should feature in future weeks. Email Visuals Editor Scott Sharpe at ssharpe@newsobserver.com.
A parade on Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street in 1918 welcoming home 113th Field Artillery following World War l. Note the electric streetcar tracks running down Fayetteville Street. Raleigh’s streetcars stopped operating in 1933 and many tracks were removed or paved over. The population of Raleigh in 1918 was approximately 24,000 people. At bottom is a scene from the parade and rally for the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes, June 20, 2026. Attendance at the event has been estimated at 180,000. Top: State Archives Bottom: Ethan Hyman
The 120th Infantry Band parades down Fayetteville Street in the 1920’s. Albert Barden Collection State Archives of North Carolina
An undated photo of the Boylan-Pearce Department Store float in Raleigh. Albert Barden Collection State Archives of North Carolina
The Southern Bell Telephone Company float on the 500 block of South Wilmington Street in an undated parade photo. W. W. “Bud” White Photograph State Archives of North Carolina
'Forty and Eight' Parade, Fayetteville Street, downtown Raleigh. Forty and Eight was an honor society of World War l veterans within the American Legion. Albert Barden Collection State Archives of North Carolina
Members of the American Legion Second Line Band including American Legion Second Line Band one with banjo, another with an accordion and the leader dancing with a cane in Raleigh’s American Legion parade in 1939. Robert L. Maxey Photograph Collection State Archives of North Carolina
A scene from the American Legion parade, Fayetteville Street, Morgan Street, Raleigh, NC, August, 1939. The car in the foreground is a 1938 Ford Standard Robert L. Maxey Photograph Collection State Archives of North Carolina
A scene from the Christmas parade on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh in November of 1939. Robert L. Maxey Photograph Collection State Archives of North Carolina
This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 9:44 AM.
