In the era before integration, Ridgeview High School’s football team was the pride of Hickory, breaking state records left and right. Today, the remaining players are seeing to it that their legacy is not forgotten.
1960s
The 1960s: Crossing into the Future in Wilmington
On the cusp of a new decade, the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is completed in Wilmington. The modern bridge is an icon of the fast-growing city, a connection to the rest of the state, and a promise of big things to come.
The 1960s: The State of Literature
In the 1960s, a renewed focus on culture and education brings a burst of energy to the state’s literary scene: Writers sing North Carolina’s praises in poetry and prose.
The 1960s: How Cape Lookout Became a National Seashore
By 1965, the diamond-patterned lighthouse has helped keep seafarers safe for more than a century. Now, a new kind of coastal protection takes shape for the pristine stretch of the Outer Banks.
The 1960s: North Carolina’s First Professional Basketball Team Mounts a Full-Court Press
In 1969, North Carolina bounds onto the national court: Fans across the Piedmont rally to support the state’s first pro basketball team, the Carolina Cougars.
The 1960s: The Great Blizzard of 1960
The decade blows in with a series of winter storms that threaten to incapacitate the High Country. But residents are resilient — and the rest of the state mobilizes to help.
The 1960s: A Dynamic Decade
Momentum has been building, and by the early 1960s, the payoff is clear: Now in the national spotlight, North Carolina enters an era of action and activism.