Celebrating 86 years of service in 2015, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol remains dedicated to fulfilling its primary mission — promoting a safer state. A new exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh will highlight the organization’s history and showcase vehicles, firearms, uniforms and more from 1929 to the present. The exhibition North Carolina State Highway Patrol: Service, Safety, Sacrifice will open Saturday, Jan. 31, and run through Aug. 2, 2015. Admission is free. The exhibit was produced in conjunction with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the Highway Patrol Hall of History.
“This exhibit will provide insight into a law enforcement organization that always strives for excellence,” said Col. Bill Grey, commander of the State Highway Patrol. “Since 1929, with its rich tradition and remarkable members, the State Highway Patrol has provided outstanding service to North Carolina citizens.”
The State Highway Patrol was established on March 18, 1929, to address the increase in motor vehicle traffic on the state’s highways and the resulting increase in fatalities. Today, 1,759 state troopers continue a strong legacy of policing and protecting the state’s highway system and promoting highway safety. The element of risk is continuous: 62 troopers have died in the line of duty in service to North Carolina.
In 1929 the 37 original members of the Highway Patrol received their first assignment: to motorcade across the Tar Heel State. The purpose was so that they could see the state and so residents could see them. Each patrolman rode a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, while the officers sat in newfangled Ford Model As during the tour that began in Beaufort. The exhibit will feature items representative of the time: a 1928-1931 Ford Model A Coupe, a 1929 Highway Patrol uniform and a 1934 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Photographs in North Carolina State Highway Patrol tell the stories of people in the organization, such as Charles D. Farmer of Raleigh, the first commander of the State Highway Patrol. Capt. Farmer is considered the “Father of the Patrol.” Other exhibit images recount decades of events centered on service, safety and sacrifice.
Visitors to North Carolina State Highway Patrol will discover how uniforms, radio communication, speed-timing devices and other equipment have changed. In addition, 12 firearms, a pair of handcuffs, and batons will be on view.
This sampling of artifacts in the exhibit provides a glimpse of what the new exhibition features.
- A Breathalyzer 900A that troopers used from 1961 to 1990 to determine a driver’s blood-alcohol concentration.
- Speed-timing instruments that range from a speed-timing watch used from 1950 to 1968 to an MPH K-55 radar employed from 1979 to 2005.
- A dosimeter, ca. 1950, that could detect radiation in an area. The hairline indicator, which moved up from “0,” would determine the amount of exposure.
- A Harley-Davidson motorcycle, ca. 1995. In 1994 the Highway Patrol returned to using motorcycles. Today, the motor unit includes 11 troopers and operates the 1200 BMW RTP Police Touring Motorcycle, which can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds.
- Several badges, pins and assorted insignia representing various ranks in the Highway Patrol. The Patrol is a semimilitary organization.
- Firearms used in service, which include an Auto-Ordnance Corporation Thompson .45 ACP caliber select rifle, 1929-1950, and a Sig Sauer P-226 .357 SIG caliber semiautomatic pistol, 2014.
Come to the North Carolina Museum of History to learn more about the State Highway Patrol and its many contributions to the citizens of North Carolina. For information about the Museum of History, a Smithsonian-affiliated museum, call 919-807-7900 or access ncmuseumofhistory.org or follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ or YouTube.