September 28, 2001
Raleigh City Museum Hosts Piggly Wiggly,
Yarborough House and 200 Other Businesses

The public is invited to the grand opening of the Raleigh City Museum's new exhibit, Businesses That Built Raleigh. Visitors will see a 35-foot long Piggly Wiggly sign from the Five Points store, a chamber pot from the Yarborough House that burned in 1928, one of the first television cameras used by WRAL-TV, a 1970s debutante dress and evening gown made by the Otey sisters, and other artifacts that depict 200 years of businesses in Raleigh. The event will be held Saturday, September 29, 2001 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at 220 Fayetteville Street Mall in downtown Raleigh.

This event is free and open to the public. Media is invited.

During the public grand opening at 2:00 p.m. the museum will host a panel discussion by prominent local business leaders who will share their personal experiences in Raleigh. Panelists include Karl Hudson, Jr. (Hudson-Belk Department Store), Geraldine Harris Burroughs (Harris Barber College), Paul Jervay (The Carolinian), Wesley Williams (Raleigh Merchants Bureau), Frank Jolly Ragsdale (Jolly's Jewelers), Leon Jordan and others.

The exhibit explores the history of Raleigh's businesses and industries from 1792 to the present. Focal points will include the development of the Raleigh commercial identity, the heyday of Raleigh's downtown, and the suburban explosion that began in the 1950s. Themes discussed throughout these focal points include the changing role of women in business, the separate African American district along East Hargett Street, the perseverance of family-owned businesses, and businesses as social gathering places. The exhibit incorporates artifacts and historic photos with other interactive audio-visual displays to highlight the many businesses and individuals that helped shape Raleigh's commercial history.

The Raleigh City Museum, a private non-profit corporation, is the only organization dedicated to preserving, interpreting and educating the public about Raleigh's history.

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