Historical Society lecture series: “Mystery at Mountain Lake” revisited

Our 2012 lecture series will kick off with a talk by Giles County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Mark Skidmore, at 7:00 pm on Thursday, March 1st at the Pearisburg Town Hall. Last October Investigator Skidmore gave a talk at Mountain Lake Hotel about the mysterious remains found in Mountain Lake in 2008. The presentation was so popular that we’ve decided to bring him back for an encore! The event is free and open to the public.

Using photographs from the scene, Skidmore will describe the discovery, excavation and identification of the human remains and artifacts found at the bottom of the dried lakebed. After the talk, visitors will be able to view the artifacts, including clothing, an elegant monogrammed cigarette case, coins, a pocket watch and a college ring. The exhibit will then move to the Historical Society museum, where it will remain on display until April 22.

Black History Month:Giles County’s African American Community in the 19th Century

Tracing the history of the African American community in Giles County is proving to be a formidable challenge for researchers at the Giles County Historical Society. Last year we
began a research project to draw a picture of life in the 19th century for Giles County’s black residents. Records are sketchy, especially for slaves, whose names were usually not recorded in official documents.

What kinds of documents have provided us with information? From the county’s first decade we have in the 1810 federal census a list of slaveholders, who owned a total of 240 slaves. Slave names, age and sex are not given.

During the first half of the century, names of slaves were rarely noted, except in the personal papers of slaveholders. A few names, however, can be gleaned from probate and other records in the Giles County courthouse. For instance, an estate inventory from 1813 lists “1 old milk cow, 1 copper still, 1 rifle, an old saddle, 1 tomahawk, glass bottles, a Bible, a big coat, three hats, black girl Jinny, black woman Silvy, black man Jack.”

The “Giles County Register of Free Negroes” for the years 1816, 1817, 1818, and 1825 provide us with surnames. The most frequent are Holland, Viney or Vinia, Lewis, and Hendrick or Hendricks. The numbers of free blacks range from around 20 to 40 in a given year.

In 1850 and 1860 the U.S. Government published comprehensive “Slave Schedules”, listing every slaveholder in Giles County and the age, sex, and “color” (black or mulatto) of each slave they possessed. The Federal Censuses for those years also lists individual names of Giles County’s free blacks. By this time the Holland, Lewis and Hendrick names have mostly disappeared, and few Vineys remain.

In these same records new names become prominent, including the families of Samuel Callender, blacksmith; William Scott, shoemaker; Francis Harman, farmer; Daniel Moss, blacksmith; as well as the Collins, the Shavers, and Thomas Beasley, a Staffordsville farmer whose property was worth the considerable sum (at the time) of nearly $2000. Up to the time of the Civil War, the population of African Americans, both enslaved and free, came to nearly 12% of the county’s total population. Today’s figure is a little over 2%.

Last year Historical Society researchers unearth a gold mine of information at the National Archives in Washington, DC. – the Freedmen’s Bureau Census. The Freedmen’s Bureau was
created by the government in 1865 to assist freed slaves with housing, medical care, education, and legal and security threats. In 1865 they conducted a census of freed slaves in the South, and the Giles County list has fortunately survived. For the first time we have the first and last names of former slaves, their ages and the names of their former masters.

We are now looking at the 1870 and 1880 Federal Census records and have noted a rapid drop in the county’s black population. Court records from the time of the Civil War mention large numbers of runaway slaves fleeing the county in the wake of two Union invasions. Enlistment records of the U.S. Colored Troops indicate that several Giles County men joined the Union
Army, and their families may have followed them North during or after the war.

We are still in the preliminary stages of piecing together a picture early Giles’ African American community. The records are now being gathered, transcribed and analyzed, and will eventually be published on our website. But we need help – we are few and the records are many! Perhaps a retired teacher or history buff with spare time would like to help? Contact Kate Delaney at 921-3999, or 921-1050.

Share Your Historic Photographs

TOP- Car show and race track near the present location of the Pearisburg Community Center. The former Linda Lorraine Bed & Breakfast house can be seen at the upper left.

BOTTOM- A 1946 view of Pearisburg High School (now the Pearisburg Community Center) before the development of Fort Branch

Share Your Historic Photographs

“A picture is worth a thousand words” means that many complex thoughts and ideas can be conveyed by a single still image. This old adage is especially true at the Giles County Historical
Society.

Each year, approximately 2000 people visit the museum complex. While all are aware of our collection of artifacts and archives, few are aware of our photographic collection spanning the history of Giles County.

Old photographs capture more than a moment in time chronicling the past. For adults, old photos trigger forgotten memories . . . which lead to interesting stories . . . which leads to research . . . resulting in new discoveries about Giles County!

Old photographs not only teach children about the past, but help them develop important skills for the future. When showing photos to children, encourage them to think about how people lived during that time. By taking on the perspective of others, children develop understanding, compassion, and empathy for others.

The Giles County Historical Society encourages the public to share their old photographs for its collection. For those who do not want to part with their cherished mementos, photographs can be scanned by the Historical Society with the originals safely returned to their owner. We are currently in the process of making our photographic images available on line. So, if a picture is worth a thousand words, just consider what your photographs could add to Giles County history!

The Giles County Historical Society works to preserve, interpret and exhibit Giles County’s rich historical and cultural heritage. It provides a repository for Giles County family histories, documents and artifacts, assists genealogical researchers, and supports the preservation
of endangered Giles County artifacts, sites and records. The Giles County Historical Society, Museum and Gift Shop (921-1050) are closed during February and will reopen on March 1. For more information, visit www.gilescountyhistorical.org.

Farewell To A Great Lady

Giles County Historical Society Loses Charter Member



When the Historical Society board of directors met on February 2nd there was an empty seat at the table. Estelle Woodbury, charter member and ardent supporter, passed away on January 25, 2012. She was a unique lady who did not just recognize a need or a problem, she had the focus to envision the solution and the strength of personality to persuade others to join her and turn the vision into reality. She shared this talent with the Pearisburg Women’s Club, the Garden Club, Redeemer Lutheran Church and the Historical Society. She was a working member of each one and whatever the current project, Estelle was right there – arranging for fried apple pies for a fundraiser, arriving at the Andrew Johnston House with a car full of her lovely flower arrangements to decorate for an event – always encouraging, always looking for ways to make things better.

Estelle loved Giles County history and enjoyed sharing her memories of local places and people. She would talk about her childhood in Eggleston and her admiration and pride in her mother who, as a young widow during the Great Depression, raised and educated four children. You
have to wonder if Estelle realized that same strength and dedication to others in herself, because it was surely there.

All of us at the Historical Society offer our heartfelt condolences to Estelle’s family and to her beloved Harold. She was a great friend and we miss her.

A Taste of some of the events for 2012

The Andrew Johnston House and Giles County Historical Museum are closed during the months of January and February. What are we doing during that time?

This quiet period gives us the opportunity to thoroughly clean and inspect our historic properties, check for mold, insect and weather damage, inventory and re-stock our gift shop, and train ourselves in new equipment and software. Most important – we’re busily planning events for the coming year. Here is a taste of what we’ll offer our members and visitors in 2012:

Civil War Weekend & the Battle of Giles Court House (June 9-10} will include a memorial
service, military parade, living history encampment, BBQ dinner, period music and dance, a Civil War hospital, topped off by a thrilling reenactment of the Battle of Giles Court House.

1st Thursdays Lecture Series – a new program that will feature a variety of topics, including
writing and publishing your story, the Battle of Giles Court House, The art of Appalachian storytelling, “Mystery at Mountain Lake”, eugenics in Appalachia, Negro spirituals, how to use historic records in the courthouse, and brick architecture in southwest Virginia.

Happy Birthday Andrew Johnston! – July 15 marks the birthday of our “founding father”, and we’ll celebrate with something special for the kids.

Heritage Arts Workshops –you can learn clogging, the art of the silhouette, making a
Civil War-era dress, glassblowing, traditional country dancing, and basket making, among other skills to add to your resume.

Summer History Camp for Kids - another exciting new program for kids age 8-11 will feature a week of archaeology, traditional music and storytelling, genealogy research, preparing Native American and Colonial food, old-time games and crafts, and a day in the life of a Civil War soldier.

Victorian High Tea –Participants will be able to sample scones and pastries, jams and Devonshire cream, cucumber and salmon sandwiches, and a delicious assortment of select
teas, served by Edwardian waitresses in the elegant rooms of the Andrew Johnston House.

Holiday Open House – “A German Christmas at the Andrew Johnston House,” Celebrate Giles County’s German heritage with advent wreaths, an Old World Christmas tree, traditional carols, an oom-pah band, nutcrackers galore, fruit bread and marzipan cookies, and a gingerbread
house contest.

We will also continue popular programs such as the Antiques Appraisal Fair and weekly Needle Arts Classes. Stay tuned to our website for further details: www.gilescountyhistorical.org. Or call us at 540-921-3999. As always, we welcome your ideas and suggestions too enhance these and other programs!

Historical Society Welcomes New Executive Director

Historical Society Welcomes
New Executive Director

In December the Giles County Historical Society welcomed a new Executive Director, Patricia Jacobs. Jacobs brings impressive academic credentials to the job, including a BS in Education from the University of Virginia and a BS in Anthropology from Radford University. She earned an M.Ed in Communications Disorders from UVa and is currently working on a Masters in Public Health at Virginia Tech. Jacobs also attended a summer Field School in Archaeology sponsored by Radford University, was awarded a Certificate in Leadership and Nonprofit Management
from Radford.

Jacobs has lived in Giles County since 1988, and her mother’s family, the Thompsons, settled in the county in the early 1800’s. She has always been deeply interested in local history and Appalachian cultural in general. During her academic career she studied Appalachian folk medicine, public health in the region during the Great Depression, and migration in Floyd County, among other subjects.

Jacobs is not a newcomer to the Historical Society. From 2003 to 2006 she worked as a grant
writer, and she returned this past summer to organize an archaeology dig for 5th graders at Eastern Elementary School. When asked what she hopes to achieve in her new position she replied, “We have a real gem here with the 1829 Andrew Johnston House and the Historical Museum, as well as our research office. The society board members and previous Directors have worked hard for the past 25 years to create perhaps the best center for history, education and research among Historical Societies in the region.

“My hope is to raise our profile in Giles County. There are too many people who say they have
never visited the museum complex. For a number of years we’ve offered tours for the county’s elementary students. One of my goals is to ensure that every schoolchild in Giles County visits the museum -- and that they come back with their parents!

“We’ve also started a lecture series that will offer something for everyone: genealogy, local Civil War history, Appalachian storytelling, memoir writing and self publishing, local architectural history – there’s an unlimited number of subjects and many people in the area who can speak about them.”

Jacobs also wants to expand the exhibits in the museum. A new exhibit on the Civil War in Giles
County has just opened, and a recent donation of rare Paleolithic fossils found in the county will soon become another exhibit.

“All of these ideas require help from our community to become reality. We need volunteers in
many areas, including museum tours, exhibit creation, programming, education and outreach. We especially seek former teachers and other who’ve worked in educating the public. I’ll be spending a lot of time on the phone in the coming weeks to round up a great team!”

The Giles County Historical Society works to preserve, interpret and exhibit Giles County’s rich historical and cultural heritage. It provides a repository for Giles County family histories, documents and artifacts, assists genealogical researchers, and supports the preservation
of endangered Giles County artifacts, sites and records. The Giles County Historical Society and
Museum (540-921-1050) is closed during January and February. Regular opening hours will resume on March 1:Wed-Fri from 12-5 PM and Sat-Sun from 2-5 PM. Admission is free. The Research Office is open on Thursday from 12–5 PM. For more information, visit www.gilescountyhistorical.org

You never know who will show up at the Museum

On December 21st, nineteenth-century gunfighter Luke Short and his wife Hettie arrived for a tour of the Andrew Johnston House and museum. They told stories of the Old West and about the Pinkerton Detectives in Princeton, who may have passed through Giles County. The Shorts were visiting Princeton, and our friends at the Mercer County Historical Society sent them to us. After a very interesting chat we in turn sent them along to a well-known local eating establishment where they were hospitably entertained.

The Historical Society will be closed January and February. During that time we will planning our events for 2012, including exhibits, lectures, classes and a Civil War weekend. We welcome any ideas and suggestions. Check our website at http://www.gilescountyhistorical.org/ for further information.