#HistoricalMarkers March 16

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March 2026 marks the 75th consecutive month that Jeff Neelon, Jaclyn Donovan, and I have completed a 30-Day Coach4aday Challenge. For this milestone month, we’ve chosen to focus on teaching. Each day for 30 days, we will share one lesson, principle, or insight gained from the previous 74 challenges—calling it the 30-Day Coach4aday Teach It Challenge. For each of us we believe that our own personal growth increases when we share it.

If you travel in the State of North Carolina, you are likely to come across one of the 1600 plus Historical Markers along state roadways.

Back in June 2022 I was part of the 30-Day Sign Coach4aday Challenge. One of the post that month was on the North Carolina Historical Marker Program.

“Teach It” 30 Day Challenge Guidelines

In past challenges, we invited others to join us, though participation has been limited. This month, the three of us will return to January 2020—the very beginning—and move forward to the present, reflecting along the way and sharing a life lesson or insight from any month with one another.

Here is how we will do it.

1. Identify the principle, insight, or lesson from a previous 30-Day Challenge-identify the Challenge also.
2. Teach that lesson to each of us.
3. Share the conversation by posting on social media with the hashtag #Coach4adayChallenge

Day 16-North Carolina’s Historical Marker Program

If you are from North Carolina or travel through the state especially on state-maintained roads, you have seen a sign similar to one below.

The system now includes more than 1,600 silver-and-black markers statewide—each bearing the state seal and a short sentence in large type—covering a wide range of topics.

It began in 1935 and is one of the oldest in the United States. There is at least one sign in each of North Carolina’s 100 counties. Granville County has the distinction of getting the first sign in 1936. It was placed in the town of Stovall to commemorate the life of John Penn, an early political leader and signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Curiosity seekers should know there is a search engine to help you locate the signs. Getting approval to have a sign erected rest with the 10 members of the Highway Historical Marker Advisory Committee. Each member is history professor at a NC university or college.