Court Manor: A Jewel of the Valley

THE HERITAGE MUSEUM NEWSLETTER
Home of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society
Published Quarterly by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society
Volume 34, No. 1
Winter 2012
Court Manor, located on Va. 11 (the Valley
Pike) a few miles south of New Market, when
Willis Sharpe Kilmer was owner (left) and in
present day, under the ownership of the heirs
of Nick Wehrmann.
Court Manor: A Jewel of the Valley
tune in 1892 by becoming advertising director at age 23 and
promptly increasing sales. In 1904, Kilmer started “The Binghamton Press” and built a skyscraper to house the paper. He also
became infatuated with racehorses. Sun Briar Court opened in
Driving north on I-81 between Harrisonburg and New Mar- 1918 and that same year, the most famous of his horses, Extermiket, the observant passerby might spot, across a bare field dotted nator, won the Kentucky Derby.
by black cows, a weathered gray wooden structure. If you have a
Looking for a place to expand his breeding operation in
deep abiding love of horses and the history of anything associat- 1925, Kilmer found a perfect piece of property in the Shenandoah
ed with them, as I do, the sight of such a grand round barn will
Valley. The limestone underneath helped grow grass rich in bone
send a chill down your spine. It is a nostalgic symbol of a long-hardening calcium carbonate just like those areas in Kentucky
where his racing rivals came from.
ago time when horses were elevated icons of class and wealth,
Originally part of a land grant in 1746 from King George II,
their beauty celebrated and their speed even more so. The barn
the
land
came into the hands of the Moore family in 1765. In
speaks to me of people we’ll never know, who lived their lives in
1840, Reuben Moore II built a large two-story home and chrisdaily servitude to creatures they cherished.
tened the property Mooreland Hall. Portions of that home still
The sight of that barn, even after I have passed it so many
remain in the elegant white mansion that faces Va. 11.
times on the road, still takes my breath away.
When Kilmer bought the property from a descendant, he
changed its name to Court Manor and he dramatically changed its
***
look, too. He had hundreds of trees planted, including the maples
that still line Va. 11. Breeding facilities included barns and staFrom 1926 to 1940, Court Manor, located in Rockingham
bles for studs, weanling colts and weanling fillies, and new stock.
County a few miles south of New Market, was the second thoroughbred breeding farm of millionaire Willis Sharpe Kilmer. His There was a private laboratory, blacksmith shop, cow barn, granary and farm stables, power plant, general store, superintendent’s
larger facility, called Sun Briar Court after one of his famous
racers, was located in Binghamton, N.Y. Those grounds had their and manager’s homes as well as numerous farm laborer’s homes.
own track, a clubhouse and stalls for 100 horses.
Born in Brooklyn in 1869, Kilmer showed an early acumen
for finances. He stood to inherit from his father’s patent medicine
See page 6
business, Dr. Kilmer and Sons, but he helped make his own for-
Photos and article
by Lauren Jefferson
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM
HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Trustees
Calendar Of Events
Chairman: Greg Owen
Vice-Chair: Nancy Hess
Secretary: Monica Frackelton
Treasurer: John Paul
Linda Bowers
Wes Graves
Charlie Collette
Michael Hill
Nathan Miller
Irvin Hess
HRHS Staff
Executive Director: Penny Imeson
Administrator: Margaret Hotchner
Archivist: Laura Adams
Newsletter Editor: Lauren Jefferson
Staff: Amy Kiracofe, Cameron Hupp, Juanita Wysong
2012 Newsletter Submission Deadlines
Spring
Summer
Fall
April 1
July 1
October 1
All articles are subject to editing. Ideas for feature articles
must be submitted in advance of the article. We reserve the
right not to use unsolicited feature articles. Genealogical queries welcome.
Submissions can be emailed to the editor
[email protected]
Or mailed to HRHS
P.O. Box 716
Dayton VA 22821
The Heritage Museum Hours
Tuesday—Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Seasonal Sundays 1 p.m.—5 p.m.
Genealogy on Mondays by appointment
Office closed on Saturday and Sunday
Telephone: (540) 879-2616
Email: [email protected]
www.heritagecenter.com
www.heritagemuseumstore.com
Page 2
Feb. 14: “President Lincoln’s Rockingham Roots” Exhibit
opens. The mostly forgotten story of the American Civil War
President’s Southern heritage. Through August. $5/adults.
Feb. 16: “Slavery in the Valley,” 7 p.m. With Eric Bryan
Free. Description of the 1700s West African Farm at the Frontier Culture Museum, representing many of the slaves that
were brought to Virginia.
March 10: “The Rise of the Confederate Sharpshooter”
Luncheon/Lecture, noon. Jeremy Hilliard, 10th Virginia
Infantry living historian, provides the history of the formation
of these special forces of the Civil War with a focus on their
service at the Battle of Cross Keys. $15.
March 22: “Woodworking at the Lincoln Homestead,” 7
p.m. Ray Pine relates how the Lincolns hired a craftsman and
brought him to their home to make furniture. Free.
April 14-15: 10th Virginia Infantry Living Historians Encampment and Spring Drill. Take an authentic look at 1862
camp life and the infantry soldier. Lectures inside on the unit’s
history during 1862, including the Valley Campaign, followed
by drill and firing demonstrations outside: Saturday, 10 a.m.
and 2 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. Free. Visit the museum galleries
($5) Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
May 12: “Shenandoah Valley Music: The Tradition Continues,” 7:30 p.m. Enjoy the living history of parlor, campfire
and dance hall music. Free.
May 17: “Sensation, Science & Scandal: The Popular
Press in Antebellum America,” 7 p.m. With Mark Sawin.
Free. How dimensions of the economic, technological, and
social changes underway in Antebellum American society
manifested themselves in the national culture
June 3: “Civil War Firsts,” 2 p.m. Income tax, the US Secret
Service, home delivery of mail—come and learn from Irvin
and Nancy Hess, as they present a program about a few of the
many “firsts” to come out of the Civil War. Free.
June 7: “Stonewall’s Narrow Escape,” 7 p.m. Irvin Hess
speaks about the surprise Federal cavalry raid at the village of
Port Republic on the morning of June 8, 1862 that nearly led to
the capture of General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.
June 8: Presentation by Robert Krick, author of “Stonewall
Jackson at Port Republic.” Location and fee to be determined.
Sept. 20: “The Civil War According to the Rockingham
Register,” 7 p.m. The Rockingham Register, begun in Harrisonburg in 1822, became a newspaper of regional importance.
This lecture will examine the Civil War as witnessed by
citizens of the Shenandoah Valley and reported by the paper.
Stay in touch for new listings at www.heritagecenter.com or
find HRHS on Facebook!
Volume 34, No. 1
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM
HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Correspondence
I cannot remember a time where I
was not fascinated with the old days, as
I used to call them. My abiding passion
for history shaped my academic pursuits, avocations and lifelong travel
interests, and this year, called me to
serve as Chairman of the Board of
Trustees for the HarrisonburgRockingham Historical Society.
As a member of the Board for the
past several years, I have closely observed the Society and its operations
from within. As such, I am exceedingly
impressed by the professional, dedicated and fiscally responsible manner in
which the organization strives to fulfill
its ongoing mission to collect, preserve
and share its wealth of artifacts and
documents, all of which vividly illustrate our local history—your history.
Be assured that the HarrisonburgRockingham Historical Society is a
thriving, enthusiastic, and energetic
organization that continues to grow in
its ability to sponsor the best in historic
From The Chairman
exhibits and programs of both local
and broader interest. The Society’s
outreach efforts and its importance as
an educational and economic resource
for our community continue to expand
as well.
Our museum collection and archives are treasures of local history—
some rare or seldom seen, but available
for research and viewing. For example,
the Society has compiled a database of
more than 3,000 digitized images that
wonderfully illustrate the people, places and events that represent our local
past. We continue to seek, without end,
additional local photographs of an historic nature to expand this database.
Every member of the Society comprises a critical element in a partnership that continues to sustain not only
our viability, but our purpose as well.
This partnership is manifested through
crucial financial and volunteer support,
but also through the common interest
we share and the pleasure we derive
from learning about and appreciating
our local history and heritage.
Please make plans to visit your
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical
Society museum and library in Dayton
during 2012, and to enjoy the numerous exhibits and programs we have
scheduled throughout the year.
—Gregory L. Owen
Donors Help Purchase Scanning Equipment for Photography Collection
Two recent donations have enabled the purchase of a
flatbed scanner that will help HRHS manage its vast photography collections.
The scanner is currently being used with the very
large eight by ten-inch negatives produced by professional photographer Lewis Lupton Kaylor, which
were donated to the museum as part of the Polly Frye
Photographic Collection in July 2011 (see Summer
2011 newsletter).
Kaylor, a professional photographer, captured the
images of many people, places and activities in our
community during the 1930s and 1940s.
A contribution by his daughter, Mrs. Jane Evans
of Virginia Beach, Va., established the scanner fund,
and a recent generous donation by his grandson, Dr.
Alan Kaylor Cline, professor of computer science and
mathematics at The University of Texas at Austin,
Volume 34, No. 1
provided the majority of the funds needed.
The scanner has been installed by Seymour Paul
and is now being used to reproduce the very sharp
Kaylor images. Seymour reports that he is very
pleased with the quality of scans being produced. The
scanning work will take several months and when
completed, may provide the material for a future exhibit featuring the life and works of Mr. Kaylor.
—Larry Bowers
To learn more about recent HRHS accessions,
see pages 5 and 11.
Page 3
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM
HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Selections from the Annual
Report 2011
of the Shenandoah Valley and the Library of Congress, and
“Bernhart & Company: Shenandoah Valley Folk Art Fraktur
(1774-1850),” an exhibit of the rare and unique documents
celebrating birth and baptisms, marriage and house blessings,
and other significant family events over two centuries ago.
Guest speakers included authors Dr. Warren Hofstra,
Ruth Toliver, and Katie Letcher Lyle; quilt appraiser Neva
Hart; James Madison University theater Professor Pam Johnson; and auctioneer Jeffrey S. Evans.
Laying a Foundation
At the suggestion of professional museum consultants,
In December, as a fitting finale to a landmark year,
the HRHS Board of Trustees embarked on a bold new plan in HRHS celebrated the loyal work of our volunteer corps at the
2009 to position the society for long-range success. 2011 rep- Annual Luncheon. More than 50 volunteers gathered to be
resented the first full year of the new administrative plan,
honored and appreciated.
which included the hiring of a full-time executive director to
These dedicated individuals are generous and energetic
provide leadership, coordination, oversight and continuity.
resources—greeting visitors at the front desk, assisting reUnder the leadership of Ann-marie Alford Latchum, the
searchers in the Genealogy Library, cataloging and preserving
first executive director, a strategic plan was created and apcollections, and developing exhibits, in addition to numerous
proved by the Board. The Book Store expanded its offerings. special projects.
Storage and archive efficiencies were improved. The image of
The Front Desk and Genealogy Library volunteers logged
The Heritage Museum in all aspects of marketing became
over 2,800 hours in 2011, while the Collections Committee
consistent. Volunteer training was initiated. The facility’s
provided over 2,250 hours. Numbers for the Exhibit Commitopening hours were rescheduled. Communication to voluntee and Board members were unavailable at press time.
teers, trustees, staff and community was enhanced.
With so many ideas and aspirations, we are thankful that
Certainly the resignation of the first executive director
the volunteer ranks consistently grow.
was an unanticipated challenge, but the improved professionalism within the organization allowed for a smooth transition Anticipation
this fall to a new director.
With so much foundation-laying behind us, The Heritage
Museum continues to grow toward its potential. In spite of
economic challenges in recent years, successful fundraising
Activities
After many months of planning and promoting, it is excit- efforts indicate a base of support for the preservation of Cening to report that visitation income is up 26% over 2010, and tral Shenandoah Valley heritage and history.
fundraising categories increased as well.
Optimizing the marketing benefits of the Civil War SesIn the first quarter, the museum hosted more than 500
quicentennial and renewing interest in genealogy will help
guests at the Annual Garden Club Tour & Tea. Other outreach expand visitation and membership. Outreach activity within
events included Brock’s Gap Heritage Day, Dayton Days, and the community is designed to develop more ambassadors for
tour groups from Cub Scouts to human resource managers to The Heritage Museum, again improving visitation, memberhomeschoolers to private groups. The Annual Banquet & Si- ship and fundraising.
lent Auction switched venues to the Spotswood Country Club
This month, in conjunction with the annual Lincoln’s
where guests enjoyed a lovely social atmosphere and enjoyed Birthday celebrations at the family home in Linville, we open
a presentation by U.S. Army Chief of Military History Rob
an exhibit highlighting “The Lincolns of Virginia.” RenovaDalessandro. Auction proceeds more than doubled over the
tions within the Invincible Spirit gallery will allow expansion
previous year.
of stories relating to the Civil War, music and much more.
This year’s Annual Fund donations surpassed expectaPublicity plans include the development of a History
tions by a nearly five-fold increase over 2010.
Hound mascot. Development goals include a new campaign
From the Great Valley Road to Newtown, from the Civil for preservation and progress. Additional membership beneWar to a Victorian marriage, from pen and ink to photogfits are under consideration.
raphy, more than 20 lectures, programs and events in 2011
Overall, 2011 was a year of Accomplishment for The
offered audiences a wide range of topics and opportunities to Heritage Museum and the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historimeet authors, educators and enthusiasts.
cal Society. As a repository for local memories, a means of
The museum hosted two exhibits: “Jed Hotchkiss: Shen- connecting the generations, and a tourist destination, The Herandoah Valley Mapmaker,” coordinated through the Museum itage Museum is a true community asset.
Executive Director Penny
Imeson presents a look at the
Society’s immediate past
and the plans for the future.
Page 4
Volume 34, No. 1
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM
HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Family Donates Civil War Letters
By Nancy Hill Hess
I remember my father once telling me that the
“wonderful thing about history is that you’re always
discovering new things.” It didn't make much sense
to me at the time, but as an older and wiser person
looking back, I now understand what he meant!
Case in Point: Last summer, then-Executive Director Ann-marie Alford Latchum inquired as to
whether I would like to take on the project of scanning and transcribing Civil War letters brought in by
John Luther "J.L." Hopkins of McGaheysville, Va.
The letters were found in a wall of his ancestral
home, Cave Hill, which was owned by his great-great
grandfather, Gerard Tyson Hopkins, during the war.
I simply said yes, but what I was really thinking
was “Uh, hello?! Are you kidding?! This is every amateur Civil War social historian's dream!”
Over the next six months—with magnifying glass
in hand, scanner running full blast and Photoshop
open on my computer—I happily labored over the
delicate documents (rodents had had their way over
the years).
I didn't do it alone. To help complete the project, I
relied on the talents of many: Lt. Danny Hanlon of
the Dayton Police Department; Dale MacAllister,
HRHS resident historian; historians Nicholas Picerno
and Robert K. Krick; good friend Nita Gibson; and
my very patient husband, Irvin Hess.
Rest of the Story: In early December, I presented
a copy of the results, along with additional genealogy
research I had obtained, to Hopkins descendants J.L.,
Robert H. "Twig" Strickler, and Judith Strickler, wife
of the late Charles “Chip” Stickler. I was delighted to
find that they were ecstatic with the work and overwhelmed that J.L. decided to donate the original collection to HRHS.
We now have a wonderful set of local Civil Warera letters and Confederate monies. These documents give us a glimpse into the lives, thoughts,
hopes and fears of Valley families during that dark
time in our country's history.
Volume 34, No. 1
Letters donated to HRHS by John Luther “J.L.” Hopkins date from
the Civil War. The letters were found in a wall of Cave Hill, his
ancestral home.
Even more exciting is that during my research, I
came upon a diary and book written by Hopkins family members that corroborates the content of the newly discovered letters. Catherine Hopkins Broun
(Gerard Tyson Hopkins’ sister) kept a diary “Family
Events 1854-1889,” and Luther Wesley Hopkins (his
half-brother) wrote of his wartime experiences in a
book called “From Bull Run to Appomattox.”
HRHS is planning an exhibit of the letters to coincide with the special exhibit on President Lincoln and
his family connections to Rockingham County.
Your treasures may rest at HRHS!
Please consider donating artifacts and papers unique
to Harrisonburg and Rockingham County to the
Historical Society. Items must be reviewed before
being accepted into the permanent collection. We
request you make an appointment with the Collections Committee. For questions or to schedule an
appointment, call 540 879 2616.
Page 5
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM
HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Court Manor estate remains as agribusiness
From page 1
1940-1985
Since Kilmer’s death in 1940, the property has passed
through eight owners. Though it was never again used as a horse
breeding facility, the rolling farmland has always been used for
agribusinesses, including dairy, poultry and beef cattle operations, a guest ranch and a small zoo.
During all these changes in ownership, the property with its
rolling open hills and scenic Valley views escaped the attention
of developers and remained largely intact. However, in 1973,
with nearby Massanutten Resort in the works, the threat of large
-scale residential development loomed on the horizon. That
year, an Atlanta-based development company successfully
steered plans through the Rockingham County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors for a development that would
include 500 condominiums and 224 5-acre farmettes, along with
a golf course and equestrian, swim and tennis facilities.
None of this (thankfully) came to fruition.
In 1975, P.W. Moore and his associates bought Court Manor. Moore was a Verona building contractor and the great-greatgrandson of Reuben Moore II, who built the original mansion.
During Moore's ownership, several plans, including another
resort-retirement community, were proposed. For about a year,
an agricultural-based commune (some locals mistakenly called it
a cult) moved onto the property.
Wehrmann Angus
Over the years of constant use, the land and the buildings on
it had deteriorated, some beyond the point of salvage.
In 1985, Court Manor had something of a savior—textile
industry executive Nick Wehrmann, of Wilkesboro, N.C., and
his farm manager and business partner Richard McClung.
For six years, the two men had been building a prize herd of
Angus cattle, carefully selected and bred for performance. Their
farm in Georgia, however, was too rural to draw visitors to
sales.
Over the years, McClung had attended Angus sales at Court
Manor when the property was used as a beef cattle operation and
a guest ranch. He even remembers the day he first set foot on the
property—during the Great Atlantic Bull Sale on March 26,
1964. Each time he returned, he saw the property in “worse and
worse shape.”
But he knew good cattle land when he saw it—and Court
Manor, undergirded with limestone, was perfect to help create
the cattle they wanted to breed.
After the purchase in spring 1985, McClung says he and his
crew built more than 10 miles of new fences and demolished
many buildings, including greenhouses, dog kennels and residences that had deteriorated beyond repair. The swimming pool
near the mansion was filled in with the remains of the poolhouse
and gazebo, sodded over the top and seeded with grass.
“When we moved in, the house was horrible condition,”
McClung said, of the manor, “and Mr. Wehrmann waited for
about a year and he thought about it and then he just beat it all
down and tore it all down…except for the ‘A’ frame over there
Page 6
One of the remaining barns from Court Manor’s heyday as a
thoroughbred breeding facility from 1925-40 can be seen at
the corner of Va. 11 and Moore’s Mill Road.
and the two chimneys.”
Wehrmann remodeled the home, in part using bricks from
the original structure.
He and McClung paid similar respect to the structures they
could save, including five barns and the round barn and the
name itself: for a long time, the business was referred to as
Wehrmann Angus at Court Manor.
Now, after 27 years of stability, the property is again for
sale. Nick Wehrmann died in a car accident in 2010, McClung
said, and since that day, “for all intents and purposes, the land
has been for sale…Nick Jr. [his son] and I have been running it
and things have been going well and it’s good, but at the same
time, you know there comes a time when heirs and everybody...well, there comes a time and this is the time.”
McClung says there’s been plenty of interest—“Who
wouldn’t like to have it, you know?” he asked—but with acquisition options starting at $13.7 million and soaring to nearly $22
million for the entire 1,900 acres and the 1,500-head cattle operation, the pool of prospective purchasers is limited.
For his part, though, McClung says he’d “like to see the
property continue as a cattle operation forever because people
should not be allowed to live on this kind of land. They need to
build a house up against that mountain or someplace on sorry
land, bad land. This place is not right for humans to live on. ..
Every shopping center, every airport, everything they build uses
good land and they’re not making any more of it. Who’s going
to feed this country? Tell me where the land’s going to be.”
There are no covenants on the land to prevent development
and McClung says it’s possible that in 20 years, an historic piece
of the Valley, and indeed American, history will be even more
altered.
“I hope it escapes [development] forever because it would
be a shame to have houses on this great cattle land…it’s a
unique piece of land.”
Volume 34, No. 1
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM
HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Heroic Valley Women During the Civil War
by Rosemarie Palmer
In 1861, when most of the Valley men went off to join the
Confederate army, the women were left to manage by themselves
with the children and the elderly. What were their lives like during this stressful time? Some of their acts of bravery have been
recorded, especially when invading armies looted and threatened
their homes during four long years of strife. We remember women like Eliza, Jessie, Catherine, and Martha Jane in these heroic
stories.
The generosity of two women during and after the Battle of
New Market in May 1864 left a deep impression on both Union
and Confederate soldiers. These women illustrate the diversity
that many overlook when thinking about the Civil War.
Jessie Hanning Rupert, an abolitionist, was given the title
“Daughter of the Regiment” by the 34th Massachusetts for her
care of Union soldiers after the battle. Rupert was ostracized in
New Market for her outspoken Unionist and anti-slavery beliefs.
When she burned a Confederate flag, she was thrown in jail. Only after her friend General Stonewall Jackson intervened was she
protected from further abuse.
Though her husband Solomon supported the Confederacy,
husband and wife came to a compromise by offering care and
food to soldiers on both sides in their New Market home.
Rupert’s tombstone in Emmanuel Lutheran Church cemetery
in New Market reads: “Here lies one who, famished, fed the hungry; though herself suffering, gave aid to the distressed; though
surrounded by foes, loved all, and who lived to hear even her
former enemies call her ‘The Angel of the Shenandoah.’”
Eliza Clinedinst Crim became known as “Mother Crim” for
her care of Confederate soldiers wounded in the battle.
Afterwards, she wrote a friend: “This was the first time I ever
saw the Virginia Military Cadets…I will never forget those brave
boy soldiers as they ran down the hill to victory and death.”
Crim was the first woman to receive the New Market Medal
of Valor, and, after her death in 1931, the VMI cadets carried her
flag-draped casket. She is buried in Emmanuel Lutheran Church
cemetery near Jessie Hanning Rupert.
In his “A History of Shenandoah County Virginia,” John W.
Wayland names Crim among “those women who are most worthy of honor, because their work is usually done in quiet ways,
without the ostentation and noise that usually follow prominent
men.”
Catherine Showalter was another of those women, but she
faithfully supported those men opposed to military service. A
descendant of Brethren pioneers, Catherine was born into a tradi-
tion of faithful living according to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
This included the belief that the bearing of arms against one another was contrary to their religion. When two groups of Brethren
and Mennonite men left their home in March 1862 to go west to
escape Confederate conscription, her husband, Jackson, was
among them. His group of about 18 was captured near Moorefield and returned to Harrisonburg.
An account by Brother J. M. Cline is quoted in “The Olive
Branch”:
When we arrived at Harrisonburg, we had the honor of
having our home for about two weeks in the courthouse.
Here we were fed principally by friends who brought us
boxes and baskets of good things to eat. After we were
there a few days we all got a kind of epizootic and had it
not been for Brother John Cline, it did seem that we
could not have lived.
Catherine was one of the women who brought food regularly
to the men incarcerated in the Rockingham County Court House.
In the conviction of her faith, she demonstrated her support for
the efforts of the men to take a stand in opposition to participating in the Civil War. Her photo with a companion showing this
act is in The Heritage Museum in Dayton.
In the fall of 1864, as Union infantrymen approached Mount
Crawford on their way to Strasburg during The Burning of the
Valley by Sheridan’s troops, 17-year-old Martha Jane Byerly
watched with her family as their neighbors’ property burned.
She stood in disbelief on the morning of Oct. 6, as blue-clad soldiers marched up the lane to her family’s home. She held her
most prized possession, a concertina.
An officer entered the Byerly home, announcing his intent to
destroy it. Martha Jane’s father Jacob made several pleas, but the
officer refused to give in. Then unexpectedly, the officer said he
would spare the home, but burn everything else. Meanwhile,
Martha Jane stood in the back yard and watched as soldiers
burned pens, corncribs, the smokehouse, and barns.
Livestock were wandering about, along with a little duck that
was Martha Jane’s pet. One soldier picked up the duck and told
Martha Jane if she played a tune, they might give her the duck
back. Composing herself, Martha Jane placed her fingers on the
buttons of the concertina and played the Southern anthem
“Dixie.” The surprised soldiers gave her the duck back, and the
house still stands in Pleasant Valley today.
Additional Sources
“1864 The Valley Aflame,” Lot’s Wife Publishing, 2005.
Heatwole, John. “The Burning: Sheridan’s Devastation of the
Shenandoah Valley.” Howell Press, 1998.
Our Wish List
Have you moved or changed your address?
Library task lamp—
Donations for Library
books—
Metal bookends—
Acrylic display
stands for brochures—
Large magnifier
desk lamp for archives
Email Administrator Margaret Hotchner
at [email protected]
Volume 34, No. 1
Please let us know so that we can
update our records.
Page 7
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM
HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
New In The HRHS Bookstore
For kids of all ages!
Ball and cup toys
in your choice of
Union or Confederate
soldiers
$5.00
Plus Jackson, Lee,
Grant, and Lincoln
magnets and collectible Lincoln coin sets.
Come in for a visit and
stay to shop!
Valley Thunder: The Battle of New Market
By Charles R. Knight
$29.95 hardcover
This title is the first full-length account in nearly four decades to examine the sweeping combat at New Market on May 15, 1864—the battle that opened the pivotal 1864
Shenandoah Valley Campaign. It is based upon years of primary research, previously unpublished documents, and a firsthand appreciation of the battlefield terrain.
Welcome to Fort Valley: The History and Culture of
Virginia’s “Valley within a Valley”
Jeannette Conner Ritenour, James Harris Trott, and Margaret Akers Trott
$59.95 hardcover
Using anecdotes, old newspaper clippings, more than 500 illustrations, and
extensive source documentation, the authors tell the story of Fort Valley, VA and
its people from the mid-18th through the 20th centuries.
Shop and support The Heritage Museum online:
www.heritagemuseumstore.com
Questions? 540 879 2616
Please note-not all items in gift shop are available online.
k
Than
you!
The Spotswood Garden Club hosts its annual Home and Garden Tour to benefit historic garden restorations in Virginia on Wednesday, April 25, 2012. This year's theme, Art and History Trail, will include privately owned historic homes in the village of Port Republic, as well as The Widow Pence Farm,
owned by Dr. Irvin and Nancy Hess. Tour hours: 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Tickets include a tea served 11:00
a.m.-4:00 p.m. Advance tickets ($20.00) available at The Heritage Museum. Same day ticket ($25.00)
available at home sites.
Page 8
Volume 34, No. 1
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM
HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
News From the Genealogy Library
1940 Federal Census To Be Made Available in April 2012
The 1940 Federal census will be released April 2.
The National Archives and Records Administration
(NARA) plan to make available free of charge at their
facilities digital images through their public access
computers as well as on personal computers via the
Internet. Genealogy websites such as Ancestry.com
and FamilySearch.org will also make these records
freely available. Ancestry.com has indicated access
will be free through the end of 2013. There is currently no index available for these records; in order to locate people, you will have to know the enumeration
district where they lived in 1940 and then browse
through the population records for that district.
Wise family seeking information
Harvey Wise is in the process of developing an
extensive family tree for the descendants of Adam,
John, and Michael Wise of Rockingham County—
more specifically, the Wises from the Bridgewater
and Centerville area who settled there in the 1780s
and 1790s. Numerous first names of subsequent
generations include: Adam, David, Emanuel, Harvey, John, Michael, Peter, Samuel, and William. If
interested in assisting or providing information,
please contact [email protected].
Whether you are just getting started
or a seasoned searcher . . .
Visit our extensive Genealogy Library
Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
Seasonal Sundays 1 pm - 5 pm
and by appointment on
Mondays 10 am - 5 pm
We have one of the largest collections of
Rockingham County records.
Can’t come in? Hire our Researcher!
Volume 34, No. 1
The NARA website (www.archives.gov/research/
census/1940/faqs.html) will help you find more information about the 1940 Federal Census and aids for
beginning your research, locating enumeration districts, and occupation and industry classifications.
FamilySearch.org has contacted HRHS and asked
for the assistance of our members who are familiar
with the local names and places in Virginia to ensure
the records are indexed with the highest possible quality. If interested in volunteering for this project, visit
https://familysearch.org/1940Census for more information.
—Margaret Hotchner
A Warm Welcome To
Our New Members
Jo Ann Babcock, Broadway, Va.
Robert & Sue Coffman, Timberville, Va.
Joan Collins, Churchville, Va.
Randolph Hammer, San Antonio, Texas
Delaney & Brenda Hopkins, Harrisonburg, Va.
Joellen Johnston, Louisville, Ky.
Betty Kline, Bridgewater, Va.
Tony & Carolyn Lawson, Elkton, Va.
Ronald Lazenby, Greensboro, NC
Linda Yancey McCormick , Harrisonburg, Va.
Charlotte McNulty, Harrisonburg, Va.
Mindy Morrison, Harrisonburg, Va.
Joseph Myers , Harrisonburg, Va.
Susan Laird North, Benicia, Ca.
Astrid Pickering, Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Juanita Taylor, Harrisonburg, Va.
Pamela Taylor, Dulles, Va.
Andrew Thayer, Strasburg, Va.
Page 9
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM
HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Anti-Suffragette Letter Found at Yard Sale
This letter was found at a yard sale in Broadway, Va., in the 1980s tucked in a box of linens. A copy was given to HRHS by Dot
Hatmaker. The finder of the letter thought the contents to be a “marvelous word portrait of the times.” Transcription was provided
by Dale MacAllister. He notes underlining was omitted and excessive punctuation and capitalization was problematic.
May 1, 1910
My own love . .
I did not intend to write to
you again until I heard from you, but
after talking to you over the phone,
thought I would. I don’t know when
I have been worked up to such a
point as I have over this “question.”
I being born in the South, and
taught by a good Christian Mother &
Grandmother, to Honor & Respect
all women, of our South Land, and
to look up on this new women ideas
with disgust, and suspicion, and
hold to the long time honored principals [sic] of this land, that our women was and are the best, purest, prettiest, and to be most honored above
all things else, that there is nothing
to [sic] good for them, to die if I need
be in their defence, love and protect
them, and that women is above men
in virtues, and all that is good &
pure, that we as men should not look
upon her with envy, that God intended it to be so, for we as men
should till the soil, do the rough
work, and shield from our women
all the rough side of life we could.
That she was our homemaker our
happiness depended upon her, that
she was not only our equal, but superior. That we as the rough side of
life should look upon her, as all that
is gentle, refined, beautiful, and to
treat her so. Then for you as any one
else, to try to say by letting women
vote, hold office, & ect. [sic]. That
would elevate them in the eyes of
men that has been raised here in this
south land. If we had been taught
that she was our equal, no better
than we are, it would be different.
Then to think, that I could have the
Page 10
slightest respect for one that advocate such, no, no, a thousand times
no, and for me to think, that, my
own love, one that I love as my own
soul, to try to get such ideas in to
me, and by doing so, make me have
a less opinion of her. Love I cannot
stand it, if I cannot love, honor &
respect you, I positive will have
nothing to do with you.
And if you can think hard or
get mad about it, I’m sorry. This as I
have said is a principal [sic] in me
as much a part of me as any member of my body. Now, knowingly,
would you do any thing that would
make me loose [sic] the confidence &
respect I have in & for you? Could I
be happy with one I could not look
up on with pride and respect & love?
Well it is just impossible for me to do
that with a suffragette as it would for
me to one of the lowest women in
this city. I wasn’t taught that way. It
has not been a custom here in our
south land. It will never become one,
either, as long as the pure southern
blood run through the veins of her
men and women.
Love would you get mad if I
should see you close to a great precipice, and starting to fall, and I
should rescue you? Would you get
mad if you was in danger of loosing
[sic] your life by some wild animal
beast of some kind, and I would rescue you, even at the risk of my own
life. Now dear, you have my idea
about this, in either of the cases
wouldn’t I use all the means I had to
rescue you, wouldn’t it be my duty,
if I loved you. Now do you wonder
at me saying every thing I can think
of, and more if I could to keep you
just as you are, my own love. Can
you say I am unkind? Can you say I
am trying to keep women down?
No, no, instead I’m trying to keep
them where they belong, high above
the men, so that we may all ways
Honor, look up to our Mothers, Sisters, wives & sweethearts. Oh! Love,
just suppose we looked upon our
women, as our equal, no better than
us. I cannot think of such, I can’t, I
can’t, why it seem to me, if such was
the case, all that was near and dear
to men would be lost, gone, and it
would only be a short time when,
this glorious America would be like
in some countries now, where the
woman, yes do the work.
Now I hope I have shown you
why I have this idea, and I ask you,
would you have me to think different?
Now with my hearts love, for
you, and a great big X, devotedly,
Your Mack
Volume 34, No. 1
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM
HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Recent Accessions to HRHS Collections
Emma Jane Burkholder, of Harrisonburg, donated
a marble tablet with the inscription “Compliments of
Joe Miner and Sons; Rogersville, Tenn. to Prof. J.H.
Hall; Dayton VA, Jan. 24,
1911.” Prof J.H. Hall was a
musician and teacher at the
Shenandoah Conservatory in
Dayton. The item was acquired in the late 1970s at
Rivendale Home for Boys in
Mount Clinton, where Emma worked. She found it in the laundry room and the
board gifted her the item.
Philip Way, of Dayton, donated, on behalf of his
mother Arlene, a box of hats belonging to Jean
Mauck, a teacher at Waterman School. The hats date
from the 1920s.
Edward Ney, of Harrisonburg, donated photos, a
family tree, and other documents relating to Joseph
Ney’s store, located on Court
Square in Harrisonburg. Ney
is a descendent of Joseph
Ney and worked in the store.
Philip Lee, of Abingdon,
donated materials relating to
Shenandoah Conservatory,
including photos of Dayton
campus buildings and activities (left), programs of a May
Day festival and Shenandoah Symphony Orchestra concert, and a diploma.
Bonnie S. Shelton, of Williamsburg, donated two song books published by The
Ruebush-Kieffer Co., of Dayton: “Male Quartettes” (1909) and “Premier Male Quartets” (1911).
Doris Eberly Greider, of Bridgewater, donated
two photos of Rushville School (winter 1904-5) with
identifying names and a poem “A Teacher’s Reflection of Rushville School,” written by Sem Swope,
who taught there from 1935-1937.
Thanks To Our Business Sponsors For Their Proud Support Of HRHS
LDA Creations
2328 Silver Lake Road, Dayton, VA 22821
540-879-2800
BONNIE L. PAUL, P.C.
If your business would like to become
a supporter of THE HERITAGE MUSEUM,
contact Penny at 540-879-2616.
4159 QUARLES COURT
TELEPHONE: 540.433.0990
HARRISONBURG, VA 22801
FACSIMILE: 540.433.2691
EMAIL: [email protected]
Volume 34, No. 1
Attorney at Law
Page 11
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM
HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
“President Lincoln’s Rockingham Roots” Exhibit Opens
Opening on the birthday of the 16th
President of the United States, Abraham
Lincoln, this exhibit at The Heritage Museum in Dayton, Va. tells the story of
Lincoln’s ancestors in the Shenandoah
Valley.
The President’s great-grandfather,
“Virginia John” Lincoln, of English ancestry, moved his family from Pennsylvania
to Rockingham County in 1768. Virginia
John, his wife Rebecca, and their nine
children, including the President’s grandfather, Abraham Lincoln, age 24, settled
into a log house on Linville Creek. Those
Lincolns and their descendants became
prosperous and prominent families in
the fertile land, among them farmers,
cattlemen, a surveyor, and an innkeeper.
Abraham Lincoln married a local girl,
Bathsheba Herring, and had five children;
connection to his Rockingham roots
through his own handwritten letters to
his cousin, David Lincoln, at Lacey Spring
and through the President’s meeting
with Representative J.T. Harris, of Rockingham County, on the eve of the Civil
War. It contrasts the dirt floor log cabin
of the President’s birth with the stately
Lincoln Homestead, built by the President’s great uncle, Jacob Lincoln, still
standing on Linville Creek. It underscores
the “brother against brother” tension of
the Civil War as the Confederate Lincolns
his son, Thomas, was to become the fa- fought the Union army led by their
ther of the President. Abraham moved
cousin Abe.
his family west to the frontier of Virginia
Photographs, drawings, documents,
(later to become Kentucky) in 1780 when and artifacts from the Linville and Lacey
Thomas was age four. In 1809, the future Spring homes, including a Confederate
president was born.
sword, bring more than 200 years of
The exhibit highlights the President’s Shenandoah Valley Lincoln family history
OR CURRENT ADDRESS
Harrisonburg - Rockingham Historical Society
P.O. Box 716
Dayton, Virginia 22821
Permit No. 19
Harrisonburg/
Rockingham
PAID
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage