Andrews-Duncan House, 9 September 2018. 8×10 tintype by author.

The long-languishing Andrews-Duncan House at 407 North Blount Street may have shed its last window screen, tossed its last corbel, and dropped its last roof slate. After years on the market, the State of North Carolina has a pending buyer for this property. The new owner plans to restore the house and what is even better… No wedding venue, office, or event space here—incredibly, the new owner intends to live in the seven bedroom, six bathroom, 10,000-plus square-foot mansion.

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Dear Goodnight Raleigh readers,

It is with a heavy heart that I announce the June 30, 2018 passing of Karl Edward Larson, known to readers and friends alike as Raleigh Boy. He battled a brief illness with optimism and strength.

Karl came of age in the 1960s, a time of energetic and abrupt transition in Raleigh. Citizens watched as the city changed some with anger, some with hope. Karl was able to view the changes in an historical perspective. Perhaps influenced by his father’s love of history, he recognized at a young age that the new construction, urban renewal and demolition of historic Raleigh homes and buildings were worth documenting”and document he did. He rode the streets of Raleigh by bike with his Kodak Instamatic camera, snapping photographs of his changing city. He recorded the growth, destruction, stagnation, rot and every crack in between. In so doing, he formed a bond with his hometown that would never waver.

Raleigh was Karl’s primal landscape–the benchmark on which he compared all others. He devoted countless hours to studying Raleigh’s history; filing away not only names and dates, but astute historical analysis peppered with the right amount of perspective, imagination and curiosity.

Those of you who had the pleasure of his company know of his humble and kind nature, engaging conversation and unmistakable laugh–a sometimes quite raucous “YUK, yuk, yuk!” often accompanied by “Lordy mercy!” or “Girl, I swear!” It was rare that I saw Karl in a state anything short of a decent mood. His infectious conviviality earned him many friends. I considered him my best friend, but he wasn’t the type to choose favorites. In addition to friendship, Karl taught me volumes of Raleigh history, but what he didn’t teach me, I learned myself using skills he taught me about research, how to objectively and fairly perceive and analyze the past, and how to notice and remember details.

For nearly a decade, Karl’s posts on Goodnight Raleigh have entertained and educated many thousands. Thankfully, that will continue as his voice lives on in written word. His legacy and monument lie in the great numbers of people he touched through friendship, educated and instilled within a stronger sense of place.

Goodnight, Raleigh Boy. Requiescat in pace.

You can read more about Karl’s life here: https://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/article214803170.html

N_53_16_4749 From the Albert Barden Collection, State Archives; Raleigh, NC.

Pictured is the office of the Carolina Oxypathor Co. located at 124 W. Martin Street c. 1913, just a few doors down from the original News and Observer building. The photograph above was likely taken for an advertisement.

Oxypathor—It already sounds bogus, right? Well, your suspicions are well-founded. In the early 1900s, as the marvels of electricity continued to permeate the everyday lives of Americans, the science behind electricity was a mystery to most people—it was magic. This presented a lucrative opportunity for quacks and charlatans across a variety of fields.

Women are seen inside the office of the Carolina Oxypathor Co. N.53.17.519 From the Albert Barden Collection, State Archives; Raleigh, NC.

One quack in particular, E. L. Moses of Buffalo, NY, developed the Oxypathor in 1910. This device consisted of a piece of tubular shaped metal filled with sand while its attached wires were fitted to a person’s wrists and ankles. The metal part sat in a bowl of water while the “patient” enjoyed the benefits of large quantities of oxygen absorbed through the skin. The Oxypathor claimed to heal a variety of conditions including disorders of the blood, pneumonia, typhoid fever, etc.

Oxypathor device seen in display case at NC State Fair.
N.53.16.4746 From the Albert Barden Collection, State Archives; Raleigh, NC.