The Heritage Museum Newsletter Home of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society Published Quarterly by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society

Volume 32, No. 4

Winter

2010

HRHS Hosts Annual Banquet, Silent Auction By Nancy Hess The Harrisonburg–Rockingham Historical Society held its annual banquet at the James Madison University Festival Conference Center Oct. 6, 2010. Three new board members were approved: Linda Bowers, Wes Graves, and Michael Hill. Seymour Paul was presented with the Volunteer of the Year award (see page 5). Attendees bid on an array of 30 items generously donated for the silent auction and over $1,000 was raised. Members Irvin and Nancy Hess provided a media program about the Widow Pence Farm, located on part of the Civil War battlefield at Cross Keys. After purchasing the 50-acre farm on Port Republic Road in 2000 from Warren and Mary Catherine Myers Jarrels, the Hesses have preserved the property with an easement and lovingly restored the log home. The movie made by the Hesses guided the audience through their journey. Among the many surprising twists and turns: Irvin had in fact returned back to his roots…his great-great grandfather, Henry Abraham Beahm, was an immediate neighbor to the Widow Pence. Their story depicted the struggles and trials of the Beahm and Pence families during the 1862 battle and in 1864 when troops came through the area, again burning the crops and barns. The farm was home to numerous families in the following years including Joseph and Pearl Showalter Myers, the Jarrels and finally the Hesses. History and preservation is important to Irvin and Nancy. Since 2004 they have hosted a Civil War camp for children each summer. They have also had several reenactor preservation marches and have raised substantial monies for battlefield preservation. Today the Hesses enjoy sharing their farm, heritage and discoveries with family, friends and neighbors— proving once again that ―no matter how far you may stray…you always seem to find your way back home again!‖

Diners enjoy a catered meal before the program at the JMU Festival Conference Center.

From top: Irvin Hess shares some family history with reporter Jeremy Hunt, who wrote about the HRHS annual banquet in an article for the Daily News-Record. Nancy Hess talks with former HRHS president Sidney Bland. The silent auction raised approximately $1,000.

THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Trustees

The Heritage Museum

Chairman: John Paul Vice-Chair: Nancy Hess Secretary: Cathy Baugh Treasurer: Bonnie Paul Casey Bilhimer Al Jenkins William Kyger, Jr. Dale MacAllister Neal Menefee Nathan Miller Greg Owen Rosemarie Palmer Harry Rawley Elsie Ziegenfus HRHS Staff Executive Director: Ann-marie Alford Latchum Assistant to the Director: Penny Imeson Archivist: Laura Adams Newsletter Editor: Lauren Jefferson Staff: Amy Kiracofe, Cameron Hupp, Rian Chandler-Dovis

2011 Newsletter Submission Deadlines   

Spring Summer Fall

March 1 June 1 September 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. Submissions can be e-mailed to the editor ([email protected]), or placed on computer disk and mailed to Lauren Jefferson, 5200 Singers Glen Rd., Harrisonburg, VA 22802.

Heritage Museum Hours Of Operation Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Office is closed Saturday) Office / Library (540) 879-2616 Museum: (540) 879-2681 Internet site: www.heritagecenter.com Email: [email protected] Page 2

Calendar Of Events Through April 30: “Jedediah Hotchkiss, Shenandoah Valley Mapmaker” exhibit. Dec. 4: Winter Solstice Program, noon-2 p.m. Includes program with John Horst, lunch and admission to the museum. $15/adults, $10/ children. Dec. 4: Storytime at the Cromer-Trumbo House, 2:30-3:15 p.m. Christmas stories, songs and a craft project. Limited seating on the floor. Free. Jan. 20: “The Great Valley Road,” 7 p.m. This lecture and book signing by Dr. Warren Hofstra, editor of The Great Valley Road of Virginia explores the relationship between Route 11 and the people of the Shenandoah Valley. Free. Jan. 22: “The Story of the Widow Pence Farm,” noon—1 p.m. Includes program with Nancy and Irvin Hess and admission to the museum. $5. March 26: “Jedediah Hotchkiss, Stonewall Jackson’s Topographical Engineer,” noon—2:30 p.m. The first of this two-part program is an encore of the popular presentation by Evan Castle. The second part explores Hotchkiss’ post-Civil War career. The program includes lunch and admission to the museum. $15/adults, $10/children. Seating is limited so please sign up in advance.

Check Out Our Website at www.heritagecenter.com. Find us on Facebook at the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society page. If you change your e-mail address, please let us know by e-mailing [email protected] Volume 32, No. 4

THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Welcome to the Heritage Museum! From the desk of the Executive Director I want to take the opportunity to say a very special thank you to Mary Nelson, who retired from her administrative duties in September. Mary was incredibly helpful in my first few months of transition and I am grateful for her time and experience. Thank you, Mary, for all of your contributions to The Heritage Museum and HRHS! We are so glad you will continue to be a part of our family as a volunteer. Our newest staff member is my assistant, Penny Paul Imeson. Please stop in and welcome Penny to HRHS! It has been an exciting first three months. Since August, we have opened a new exhibit, hosted many well-received programs and lectures, recruited new volunteers, held our inaugural Wayland Society dinner and our annual banquet/ silent auction, revamped our bookstore, and opened the Cromer-Trumbo House for special tours and events. There is much, much more in the works in the coming months so look for new winter programming and chances to attend special events. I look forward to seeing many of you for our upcoming programs and lectures, and I hope you will take advantage of volunteer opportunities, as well as utilize our robust genealogy library, bookstore and museum. This is truly a remarkable community resource and I feel very grateful to be a part of it. Thank you for helping to make The Heritage Museum and HRHS such a vibrant place. Sincerely, Ann-marie

Staffing Changes at the Heritage Museum Mary Nelson retires! After five years sharing her expertise in the front office, Mary Nelson retired in September. Prior to working at HRHS, Mary spent 25 years working for a major Insurance company and five years as a consultant, so retirement will be a nice change. Mary states. ―I‘m looking forward to a new challenge called ‗retirement,‘‖ she said. ―At HRHS, I met many great people, enjoyed working with the volunteers and learning about local history. I‘m planning to travel, research my genealogy, spend more time with family and friends, volunteer and putter around in my flower beds. I‘m not saying good-bye to HRHS as I‘ll be around to research, attend functions, and volunteer.‖

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Meet the new assistant! Penny Paul Imeson joined The Heritage Museum lastPaul Imeson. Please stop in and welnew assistant,staff Penny come Penny team! Penny was raised in Harrisonburg month as to thetheAssistant and, many movesDirecup and down the east coast and toafter the Executive abroad, she waswas delighted tor. Penny raisedtoinreturn to the area with her family in 2002. In addition a degree in mathematics from RanHarrisonburg and, to after dolph-Macon Woman‘s College and an MBA from the Colmany moves up and lege of William & Mary, Penny has extensive experience in down the east coast and abroad, she was delighted to financial analysis, budget management, marketing and cusreturn to the area and withherher family Tom, in 2002. tomer service. Penny husband, ownShe and has oper-a bachelor‘s degree in mathematics from Randolphate AAMCO Transmissions and Total Car Care in HarrisonMacon an MBA fromWhile the Colburg. TheyWoman‘s have three College sons and and a lovable Labrador. it lege of William & Mary. has been rewarding to work alongside her husband to build their business, is enthusiastic to apply talents, orPenny Penny and her husband, Tom, ownher and operate ganizational and creativity the mission of The HeritAAMCOskills Transmissions andtoTotal Car Care in Harriagesonburg. Museum They and HRHS have three sons and a lovable Labrador. She brings extensive experience in financial analysis, budget management, marketing and customer service to HRHS and The Heritage Museum. Stop in and welcome Penny!

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Hotchkiss Bus Tour Highlights Cartographer’s Life By Pat Ritchie The life of Civil War mapmaker Jed Hotchkiss became more real to 33 people on Sat., Oct. 9, as they visited his home in Staunton, four churches, and the cemetery where he is buried. The tour was jointly sponsored by Augusta County Historical Society and Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society. After a visit to The Heritage Museum to see the exhibit, the tour stopped at Mossy Creek Presbyterian Church where Dr. Bill Blair summarized Hotchkiss‘ early years in Virginia and at Mossy Creek. In the church cemetery, Dr. Blair pointed out the stone of his relative James T. Blair who died during the Civil War. When researching Hotchkiss‘ career, Dr. Blair found a journal entry that recorded Hotchkiss‘ chance encounter with James T. Blair. The young man had lost his shoes, and HotchPhotos by Pat Ritchie kiss gave him a pair of his old shoes. Bill Blair pointing out the grave of some Forrer family members in Mossy Creek Presbyterian At Loch Willow Presbyterian Church Church. One of Blair’s relatives recorded in his diary a chance encounter with Jed Hotchkiss at Churchville, we saw a rare photograph while fighting in the Civil War. He lost his shoes and Hotchkiss gave him a replacement pair. of Loch Willow Academy which was founded by Hotchkiss. The church was founded after the Civil War and was named for the academy. Kitty Armstrong, a current church member, showed her relative‘s report card which had been signed by Hotchkiss when he taught at Stribling Springs. After a box lunch, our next stop was The Oaks at Staunton, home of the Hotchkiss family from 1867 until 1946. Current owner Brandon Collins told us about the home and graciously allowed us to tour the house, including the vault in the basement where Hotchkiss stored his Civil War-era maps that were sold eventually to the Library of Congress. Since 1867, the house has been home of the Hotchkiss and then the Collins families. The foyer features stained glass windows and six different kinds of woods, including a cedar ceiling. Two chairs and a bed frame in the house were owned by the Hotchkiss family. In Staunton, Hotchkiss was an elder at First Presbyterian Church and was a founding member of Second Presbyterian Church, our next stops on the trip. At Thornrose Cemetery, Hotchkiss himself (also known as Brian Holsapple) gave a brief summary of his service to his beloved South. It was also pointed out that while the graves at Richard Stephenson, curator of the Heritage Museum’s Hotchkiss Thornrose face east, the Jed Hotchkiss grave faces south as he reexhibit, and Robert Grogg stand beside Hotchkiss' desk at The Oaks in quested. Staunton, where the Hotchkiss family resided from 1876 to 1946. In addition to tour guides with personal ties to Hotchkiss, several members of the tour also boasted ties to Hotchkiss. John Montgomery Irvine IV is the great-grandson of Alansa ―Allie‖ Rounds Even tour leader Katharine Brown, president of Augusta County Sterrett, niece of Hotchkiss who lived in the Hotchkiss home for Historical Society, had a personal Hotchkiss story. While in Ireland several years, and he added several stories about her. Allie‘s diary viewing historical documents, her son noticed several guestbook from the pre-war period can be viewed online at signatures from Staunton, Virginia. Hotchkiss had signed the www.valley.lib.virginia.edu, part of the Valley of the Shadow web- guestbook during one of his trips to Europe to recruit investors for site. Family history researcher Susan Theiler explained how she had Virginia projects. discovered that her ancestor Oswald Grinnan was assistant principal “Jed Hotchkiss, Shenandoah Valley Mapmaker” will be on exhibto Hotchkiss at Loch Willow Academy. Susan and her brother Arch it at the Heritage Museum until April 30, 2011. Admission is free to Scurlock traveled from northern Virginia to join the tour. members and $5 for nonmembers.

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THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Meet the HRHS Volunteer of the Year 2010

SEYMOUR PAUL Seymour Paul received the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society Volunteer of the Year Award at the society‘s annual banquet last month. So it was fitting that when contacted for an interview, Paul was heading out the door to a meeting at—where else?— the historical society. Becoming the society‘s go-to man for technological issues was a natural fit for Paul, a retired electrical engineer who ended his career as a manager of marketing services. ―Now I guess I‘m an electronic engineer,‖ he said, adding that fellow volunteer Hugh Hutchins shares the workload. ―We do all the computer maintenance, software, databases, that sort of thing.‖ From 2003-2008, Paul was treasurer as well as a member of the board of directors. ―He‘s one of those go-to people who has done everything from changing bulbs in our exhibit to working on our website,‖ said HRHS Executive Director Ann-Marie Alford Latchum. ―He‘s been indispensable in providing me with the context and history of the organization since I‘ve arrived.‖ A Rockingham County native, Paul and his wife, Barbara, lived in northern Virginia and California until 1998. ―Then we spent two years living on a boat in Mexico,‖ Paul said, ―and came back to the area in 2000 to live in the family home in Ottobine.‖ Upon his return, Paul began frequenting the society‘s genealogy library. The library ―needed modernizing,‖ he said, so he started working on a complete index of the books and documents. ―Then I started maintaining the computers and working on the web and then I got sucked in to the treasurer‘s position,‖ Paul said, with characteristic dry humor. ―I did that from 2003 to 2008.‖ Now he and a team of volunteers are creating an index of surnames—a finding aid that will enable researchers to locate all known references among the library‘s materials. In addition to his webmaster role and technology responsibilities, Paul sits on the development committee, which meets weekly to discuss projects, exhibits and the society‘s

Information Requested: Freda Kirby is searching for a photograph of her ancestor, Mary Jane Switzer (Apr 18, 1864 - Dec 17, 1919). Miss Switzer married William Thomas Eavey on Dec 31, 1989.

Volume 32, No. 4

Allen Litten Seymour Paul was honored as Volunteer of the Year at the HRHS Annual Banquet last month.

larger goals. ―He‘s really good at thinking up creative ways to help the museum,‖ said current treasurer Bonnie Paul. ―In a way he seems behind the scenes, but he‘s really doing things which are very visible there.‖ Paul doesn‘t see his work as anything outstanding. ―I just do what I enjoy working on and try to help out where I can, just like a lot of other volunteers,‖ he said.

Correction: Our last edition failed to credit Dale MacAllister for his stirring memoriam to John Stewart. Thank you, Dale, for sharing wonderful memories of Dr. Stewart with our members!

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THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Antique Firehose Donated to Museum Residents and those travelling through Dayton Oct. 26 would have enjoyed the sight of a group of ―firefighters‖ pulling an antique fire hose through town. The fire hose, with an approximate date of 1890, was donated by the town to the historical society. Dayton Mayor LJ Purcell and Dayton business owner Jody Meyerhoeffer pulled the fire hose to the corner of Mill and High streets in Dayton to make a transfer of the fire hose to HRHS representatives. A brigade of HRHS members then joined forces to bring the hose to the museum where it will be displayed. The reel was purchased in 1904 to be used with the existing hand-pumper fire engine (named ―Rescue‖), ladder buckets and ladders, already part of the fire-fighting tools of Dayton Friendship Fire Company No. 1. The reel was retired in 1930 and later restored, showing off its brass nozzles. Purcell was interested in having the historical society acquire the reel, as the town did not have an appropriate place for display. He drafted a gift agreement with the historical society that provides a safeguard, which would return the fire hose to the town if HRHS dissolves or leaves town. The fire hose is on display at the Heritage Museum for a limited time.

The HRHS “fire brigade” (above) brings the firehose to its new home. Dayton Mayor L.J. Purcell (left) with Triangle Emporium owner Jody Meyerhoeffer pull the restored antique

DO YOU KNOW WHO YOUR ANCESTERS ARE???

Lecture & Book Signing!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR ANCESTERS DID?

January 20th, 7pm

Visit our extensive genealogy library today! We have one of the largest collections of Rockingham County records.

Come by The Heritage Museum and meet Warren Hofstra, Professor of History at Shenandoah University, Winchester, VA

Volunteers are available each day to assist. Having a hard time finding just the right gift? Give a gift membership to friends and family interested in researching their ancestry!

Dr. Hofstra will be signing copies of his popular book following the lecture

Or pick up a copy of Unpuzzling Your Past in our bookstore!

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THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY

New In The HRHS Bookstore Planning your Christmas shopping? New books and merchandise will be arriving just in time for the holidays! Check out these new titles! Images of America: Bridgewater (By Bob F. Holton & Carleen Loveless) Shenandoah 1862: Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign (By Peter Cozzens) The Shenandoah Valley, Campaign of 1864 (Edited by Gary W. Gallagher) Unpuzzling your Past (Fourth edition, by Emily Anne Croom)

New Hotchkiss Items Civil War Battles: The Maps of Jedediah Hotchkiss

lly ifu d!!! t Maps by Jedediah Hotchkiss; u e Bea trat Edited by Chester Hearn and Mike Marino s u l Il $24.95 160 pages Civil War Battles: The Maps of Jedediah Hotchkiss is the story of the Civil War as told through the maps of Jedediah Hotchkiss, cartographer for Stonewall Jackson. Make Me a Map of the Valley: The Civil War Journal of Stonewall Jackson's Topographer Written by Jedediah Hotchkiss; Edited by Archie P. McDonald Forward by T. Harry Williams $19.95 352 pages

tic tas ! ! n a F c e! pri

Make Me a Map of the Valley is a stirring day-by-day account of the Civil War by the man whom Pulitzer prize-winning historian T. Harry Williams has called ―perhaps the foremost mapper of the war.‖ Hotchkiss Maps Price varies. $10, $16. Prints feature areas of interest, including Bridgewater, Port Republic, Staunton and Brocks Gap.

On Sale ―Where the River Flows: Finding Faith,‖ by Rob Hewitt. $50, sale price $15. Hardback. 279 pages. Color photos. A multidenominational history of religion in the Shenandoah Valley from 1726 to 1876.

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Order by phone 540-879-2616, from the website www.heritagecenter.com, or come by to see all we have to offer! Page 7

THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Continued from the Summer 2010 newsletter

The Diary of John B. Sheets, of Mt. Crawford Co. I, 33rd Virginia Infantry, C.S.A. Transcribed by Dale Harter John B. Sheets enlisted June 22, 1861, in Harrisonburg, as a private in Co. I, 33rd Virginia Infantry Regiment. He was killed in action near High Bridge, Va., April 7, 1865, 18 days after his 27th birthday. Editor’s note: The diary is being transcribed as it was written, to include errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation. Any information added by the editor will be enclosed in brackets [ ]. If a word is illegible, it will be noted with a question mark enclosed by parentheses ( ? ). November 4, 1862 Started for camp. Weather clear & cold. Road very dusty. Stayed at Mt Jackson Tuesday night. No news of importance. [Lt. Gen. Thomas J. ―Stonewall‖] Jacksons Corps reported to be at Berryville about 12 miles east of Winchester. Paid $1.50 for Breakfast & Lodging. November 5, 1862 Started early for Winchester. Weather clear winds high. Very disagreeable traveling Arrived at Winchester about dark & put up at Mr Jones. Nothing definite about the position of the Army. November 6, 1862 Cloudy & cold. Remained in town until 11 Started in direction of Millwood in search of Jacksons Army, & found them encamped about 7 miles S.E. of Winchester. Find all the boys well & in good spirits. November 7, 1862 Cloudy & cold. Commenced snowing about 8 oclock A.M. Everything busy in camp making shelters. No tents must do the best we can. Requisition for clothing & camp (equipage?). Evening cold & disagreeable. November 8, 1862 Morning clear & cold, evening cloudy. Recd. pay up to the 31 st of August recd. $97.40 pay_ No news of interest one hundred Yankee prisoners at Winchester. November 9, 1862 Cold & windy. Revielle at 4 oclock. Orders to be ready to move at 9_ with one days rations in haversacks. 12 n. orders to cook another day rations. Cannonading heard in the direction of Charlestown [Charles Town]. November 10, 1862 Clear & very pleasant all day. Moved from camp 7 miles S.E. of Winchester about 7 am, passing through Winchester & encamped about 4 miles from town near Martinsburg Road. No news of interest. November 11, 1862 Clear & pleasant all day quiet in camp. 44 members of Company (I) 33 rd Regt., Col. [Edwin Gray] Lee Comd. Present November 12, 1862 Morning clear & pleasant. 33rd ordered on picket to Bunkers Hill. Arrived at Bunkers Hill about 4 Oclock. Raining. 3 Companies sent out on picket duty. Quarters in a (Taylor?) Shop_ Distance from camp 8 miles. Joseph Lower sent on detached service. November 13, 1862 Clear & pleasant. The village (?) desolate, fences all gone Houses unoccupied, churches disfigured &c. A Regt from the 4 th Brigade relieved us. Returned to camp about 8 oclock a.m. Lt. [Oliver Hazard Perry] (Kite?) [George C.] Eastham, & myself came in advance of the Regt. November 14, 1862 Clear & Pleasant. Received 6 tents from the Company. No news of interest.

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THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY

November 15, 1862 Clear all day. Moved to a new camp about ¾ of a mile N.W. of our former camp. Making off the Pay Rolls for Sept. & Oct. but (?) prevented by the move. Pitched our tent in (?) church ground. November 16, 1862 Cloudy appearance of (falling?) weather. Cold all day. Preaching in camp by Chaplain [J. Marsdin] Grandin, text from 6 th Chapter 17 verse St. John. 5th Regt. went on picket duty. Reports of Small Pox in the 4 th Regt. Pay Rolls finished. November 17, 1862 Rain last night. Morning still raining & continued all day slow. Recd pay for Sept & Oct. Barrel of apples Bought for $30 & sold for $60. Capt. [George] Huston & Lt. Eastham to report in Winchester tomorrow (witness?) (?) [George R. or Henry] Derrer. November 18, 1862 Raining near all day Slow. Huston & Eastham gone to Winchester. [2 nd Lt. Daniel W.] Huffman & myself put up a fireplace in the tent performs excellent. 27th [Regt.] gone on picket, apples in camp at 50 c (to $1?) doz. Wrote a letter to a friend at night. No news. J [Jackson] Glovier brought to the Company. November 19, 1862 Cloudy all day. No rain, no cold. Had some pies baked. Orders to cook 2 days rations & the men to have 40 rounds cartridges & to move tomorrow morning at 9 oclock AM A man murdered near camp of Co H 33 rd J [John] Decher [Decker]. November 20, 1862 Clear & pleasant. Started on picket at 9 am arrived at Bunker Hill 1 oclock PM, our company posted on the Martinsburg Road. Lt. Huffman comd. Ordered in at 9 ½ oclock P.M. left Bunker Hill 10 ½ arrived at camp 2 ½ A.M. Orders to move at day break. November 21, 1862 Cloudy & cold. left camp about 8 am (ride?) and marched to within one mile of Middle Town and encamped (?) farm. distance 19 miles Very sore feet did not get to camp with the Regt. November 22, 1862 Clear & cold. left camp about sunrise. Lay on the pike opposite camp until 9 oclock a.m. Marched to Woodstock distance 17 miles. 1st Brigade in the rear. November 23, 1862 Cloudy & cold Revielle at 4 oclock. Wagons started from camp at day light & encamped near Mt Jackson Distance 14 miles. Miller & [John, Jr.] Corl left for home at night without leave. November 24, 1862 Clear & cold, left camp about day light wagons in the rear. Left the Valley Pike at New Market. Crossed the Massanutten Mountain & encamped near the Shenandoah River, on the Gordonsville Road. Distance 18 miles Sent $100 home by (P S?) Harris (?) $170.

Inaugural Heritage Museum Christmas Ornaments created by LDA Creations at Silver Lake Mill! Start collecting our annual ornaments! Each year, The Heritage Museum will feature a collectors‘ edition ornament for HRHS enthusiasts. Quantities are limited so place your order today! Looking for that hard-to-buy-for person? Come in for Hotchkiss Map mugs created by Silver Lake Mill.

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Interested in becoming a volunteer?

Admissions and genealogy slots available Sign up for our volunteer training Saturday, Nov. 20, 10-11 a.m. Light refreshments will be served Page 9

THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY

We love our volunteers!!! Wayne Angleberger Linda Bowers Shelby Burris Shelvie Carr Sandra Conrad Libby Custer Elizabeth Diehl Agnes Donnelly Bob Eggleston Lois Emswiler Debbie Estep-Turner Edgar Flora Gerald Griffin Nancy Harris Judy Harrison Dot Hatmaker Anne Hill Hugh Hutchins Glenn Huffman John Jackson Lynn Jackson Willie Layman Martha Lee Judy Liskey Pem Liskey Allen Litten Jean Litten Mitzi MacAllister Sallie Meffert Pat Messick Allison Mongold Caroleigh Newman Pat Ritchie Seymour Paul Mary Helen Purcell Herb Propst Sue Propst Al Saufley Wilsene Scott John Sellers Faye Sellers Ilene Smith Jane Smootz Megan Sullivan Paula Thompson Margaret Tysinger Michelle Van Pelt Myra Yancey Peyton Yancey Arlene Way Faye Witters Kay Woolf

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Docents and members of the Shenandoah Valley Textile Guild gather on the porch after a Cromer-House tour Aug. 28, 2010. Left to right: Nancy Voas, Sandra Conrad, Paula Thompson, Jean Litten, Rosemarie Palmer, Kathleen Conery.

Volunteers Open Cromer-Trumbo House The March-August season for Cromer-Trumbo House tours has been successful, largely due to the efforts of our enthusiastic docent volunteers. Thank you to Megan Sullivan, Caroleigh Newman, Judy Liskey, Allison Mongold, Connie Lehman, Sandra Conrad, Paula Thompson, Rosemarie Palmer and Jean Litten. Sandra Conrad's flower arrangements were a beautiful touch. Nancy Voas and members of the Shenandoah Valley Textile Guild generously gave of their time and talents with demonstrations of their crafts on our porch during monthly openings. Debbie Estep Turner has been invaluable in helping with our room-byroom inventory on Tuesdays. Judy Liskey also helped with this project. Allen Litten's skillful photography can be seen on our Facebook page. We are grateful to Cheryl Lyon of the Silver Lake Mill for her attractive newspaper ads and for spearheading our joint venture with Fort Harrison for our monthly "History Day in Dayton" tours. From November through February, the Cromer-Trumbo House will be open by appointment only for groups of 10 or more. Organizations may consider this for one of their activities. Our meeting room is also available. Call 879-2616 to make arrangements. —Rosemarie Palmer

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THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Claus, We know it is cold at the North Pole but that your good wishes warm the world. Our museum has been busy this year and we could use your help with a few special end-of-year wishes. We are always looking for new members and volunteers! But we would also appreciate donations of funds and equipment for: Advertising (Don’t you know we are the best kept secret in the Valley?) New Signs for our Visitors Storage for our Collections Bookshelves for our Expanding Bookstore and Updated Lighting for our Exhibit Hall Sincerely, The Heritage Museum and HRHS Elves

Interested in making a donation to our collections or archives? Please schedule an appointment with our Collections Review Committee. Items must be reviewed by our committee before being accepted into permanent collection. Thank you for keeping HRHS in your thoughts and for allowing us to process your items with thoroughness and care.

Thanks To Our Business Sponsors For Their Proud Support Of HRHS

LDA Creations 2328 Silver Lake Road, Dayton, VA 22821 540-879-2800 Volume 32, No. 4

If your business would like to become a supporter of THE HERITAGE MUSEUM, contact Ann-marie at 540-879-2616.

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THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Frakturs Needed for Exhibit Frakturs (also called Taufschein) were commemorative certificates of marriage, birth or baptism. Handwritten in German and decorated with delicate watercolors, the certificates were produced in the Valley for the early settlers before the printing presses and other official documentation were available. Thomas Shank, of Cathedral City, Calif., recently donated two hand-drawn and handcolored frakturs that were passed down through his family. Both were created by famed fraktur artist Peter Bernhart, who plied his trade in Rockingham County between 1789 and 1818. To complement and expand upon this recent acquisition, The Heritage Museum is planning an exhibit of these folkart treasures, which have significant value as religious artifacts and genealogical finds. Often, these little treasures have been kept in families for years or sold to collectors or museums.

Courtesy of Allen Litten Birth certificate (also called a “taufschein”) for Samuel Schenck (1806-1848), dated 1810; created by Peter Bernhart

If you have a fraktur or know of the location of a fraktur, please let us know. We will make a copy and a translation in return for displaying a digital copy in the exhibit. Fraktur owners may wish to remain anonymous and HRHS will work diligently to preserve privacy and anonymity.

OR CURRENT ADDRESS Harrisonburg — Rockingham Historical Society P.O. Box 716 Dayton, Virginia 22821

Non-Profit U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 19 Harrisonburg/Rockingham