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March 16, 2026

Wake 250: Artifacts from Archaeological Digs in Rolesville, NC, by Michael Bailey

Wake 250: Artifacts from Archaeological Digs in Rolesville, NC, by Michael Bailey

Michael Bailey, President of the Historic Rolesville (NC) Society, will dicuss the 18th-century artifacts that he has uncovered in the vicinity of Rolesville NC.

More details to come. 

Mike Bailey is the founding and current president of the Historic Rolesville Society (HRS), a local non-profit organization.  Mike served in the US Navy and has over 20 years of experience in the life sciences sector. He currently works as a Senior Validation Engineer with KBI Biopharma. He also has over 25 years of scuba diving experience and has volunteered his underwater diving services for the Youngsville Dive Rescue Team out of Franklin County, where he implemented and trained divers for underwater metal detecting. He has a real knack for searching for and finding lost history. 

Mike is a Raleigh native who grew to love history by discovering lost artifacts  with a metal detector in hand during his childhood in northern Wake County. He still searches today successfully documenting local history. The artifact collection has grown over the decades, and many of the artifacts are displayed in the Little House Museum in Rolesville, NC. Local history is vast and fascinating, especially when looked at along with physical clues from the past. This type of investigation leads to thinking more deeply about the land and ground we live on. 

Mike enjoys sharing this history with others. It is a history which spans thousands of years from native Americans through the period when Wake County was being formed, and after. Some of the artifacts are among the area's oldest, and each artifact shares a story of its creation, purpose, and use. 

On a side note, Mike did not like history in school, but once he started finding it, interest, research, and intrigue developed, helping him to become a true local history detective.

Registration for the event is required, and no refunds will be issued unless we must cancel the event.

Location: Classroom in the Visitors Center at Mordecai Historic Park
1101 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh NC 27604

Time: 7 PM - 8 PM

Fee: $5 for member; $10 for non-member; free for member $100 and up