Kinston, North Carolina, a picturesque agrarian city in the eastern part of the Tarheel State, envelops a rich history of well-known residents, historical battles, Southern myth, and thriving businesses. Typical of most Southern farming communities, tobacco played a key role in shaping the community's future; in fact, the city grew up around the site of an old tobacco warehouse located on the banks of the Neuse River. With the convenience of the Neuse winding through the city's downtown section, it is easy to see why people made their homes here more than two-and-a-half centuries ago.

Kinston is a celebratory volume that preserves the storied past of Lenoir County's seat of government. Photographs document the county's fourth courthouse, built in 1938 after the first three were destroyed; the evolution of Queen Street's downtown businesses; and the fabled artesian well fountain, rumored to always bring those who drank from it back to Kinston. Readers will meet Dr. Richard Henry Lewis, namesake of Lewis School, and revisit the city's bicentennial celebration, held in 1962. Informative stories add color to these attractive vintage photographs, which together spark fond memories in the minds of older residents while offering the younger generations a glimpse of their heritage.