10/01/2026
š The arrival of October has long signaled the change of seasons. Throughout southeastern North Carolinaās history, fall brought new rhythms of work, preparation, and community.
For colonial settlers of the 1700s, autumn meant preparing for winter. October was often hog-slaughtering season, with meat smoked, salted, or brined for preservation. Work in the regionās important naval stores industry could also continue into the cooler months, when labor around hot tar kilns was more comfortable than during the heat of summer.
Immigrants brought their own seasonal traditions. Scottish settlers held fall markets that became known as Scotch Fairs, Although we don't know whether Irish settlers in the Cape Fear observed Samhain, the ancient festival marked the transition from harvest into winter, and its traditions would later help shape celebrations on October 31.
By the time the Poe family lived in Fayetteville in the early 1900s, the rhythms of fall had begun to change. Canned goods and grocery stores made extensive winter preparations less essential, though many families still preserved food at home. Hog slaughtering also continuedāLillie Poe even recorded in her diary that her father had a hog slaughtered that weighed 324 pounds!
Fall increasingly offered opportunities for recreation and socializing as well. The North Carolina State Fair had become a major attraction, while Halloweāen was developing into the festive social holiday we recognize today.
Today, winter preparation may play a smaller role, but North Carolinians still mark the season with county and state fairs, corn mazes, and Halloween festivities like SCarowinds.
š Despite the changes of the past several centuries, fall in North Carolina remains a season of transition, preparation, and gathering together.
Image: Fall colors on Rich Mountain Road Overlook, National Park Service, Public domain
