Virginians scan Civil War documents for cyberspace archiving

Virginians all over the state are bringing their family’s treasured Civil War documents to local scanning events sponsored by the Library of Virginia through a partnership with the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission.

Their mission: cyberspace eternity.

Letters, diaries, military papers, home front memoirs – most anything that describes life in Virginia during and after the Civil War is being sought and preserved. Not just for future generations – the state library and commission are making the digitized material available online to anyone in the world, be it long lost relatives, researchers or Civil War aficionados.

Local organizations from libraries to city halls throughout Virginia are inviting descendants to bring in family papers, and archivists are traveling the state to digitize their documents, guaranteeing a place in history for the soldiers and their families.

Scanning Process

Officially dubbed the “Civil War 150 Legacy Project: Document Digitization and Access,” the scanning process goes like this:

·        Call and make an appointment for the designated day that library archivists are in your area – while walk-ins are welcome, appointments help the event planners balance workload.

·        Bring your family memorabilia to the event. Staff will ask you to sign a permission form, then they will go over a couple of handouts on how to care for your personal collection and donation possibilities.

·        The archivist will review your documents with you and write down identifying information.

·        Event associates will scan the material.

·        Later your digitized documents will be uploaded for internet access.

This is a multi-year effort. For a schedule of upcoming events, visit:

http://www.examiner.com/day-trips-in-richmond/virginians-bring-their-civil-war-documents-to-scan-for-cyberspace-archiving

The American Civil War story starts at Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia

Tredegar Iron Works was the top producer of artillery and ammunition for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Now the South’s largest munitions foundry in Richmond, Virginia has repositioned itself under the slogans “Your Gateway to the Civil War” and “Your Story Starts Here.”

Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy and at the heart of the 1861-1865 conflict that became the defining event in American history. So it is fitting that the National Park Service has teamed up with the American Civil War Center to provide spellbinding exhibits on the 8.3-acre Tredegar site that tell the gripping story of that epic war and emancipation.

Gateway to the Civil War

Staggering death tolls, courage under fire, the very future of the country and its founding principles of freedom – these are the tales that are told at Tredegar today.

As the official Gateway to the Civil War, park rangers and visitor center staff will orient visitors to the entire conflict and provide guidance to the region’s 13 battlefields and many other significant sites.

The Tredegar grounds are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Within easy walking distance are two islands used during the Civil War, one where women and children manufactured ammunition and the other a prisoner-of-war camp for thousands of Union solders.

Chickahominy Indian Tribe lives on ancestral land in Virginia

The Chickahominy are still vibrant as a community on land between the Chickahominy and James River in Charles City County, Virginia, near where their ancestors lived.

The tribe has over 800 members, making it the second largest of Virginia’s Indian tribes. Hundreds of its members live within a few miles of each other -- the tribe owns about 110 acres subdivided into family lots. At its center are the Chickahominy Tribal Center and Samaria Baptist Church, formerly the Samaria Indian Church, once a school for Indian children.

Annual Pow-Wow

Thousands of people from across the United States attend the Chickahominy’s annual Pow-Wow held on Tribal Center grounds each September. The public is welcome to watch the Chickahominny Tribal Dancers perform traditional dances that have been passed down through many generations. Members often wear traditional dress known as regalia to the fall festival. One of the highlights is the crowning of Miss Chickahominy, Junior Miss Chickahominy and Little Miss Chickahominy.

The first weekend in May the Chickahominy host the Six Nations Pow-Wow, and the tribe holds a crab fest each October.

The Tribal Center is located at 8200 Lott Cary Road in Charles City County.

The tribe is governed by a chief, two assistant chiefs and an elected Tribal Council which includes both men and women.

The Chickahominy were an Algonquian tribe and at times allied itself with the famous Chief Powhatan.

To see a slide show of the Tribal Center grounds, visit : http://www.examiner.com/day-trips-in-richmond/chickahominy-indian-tribe-lives-on-ancestral-land-virginia

Bald eagles are a sight to behold on Virginia’s James River

The majestic bald eagle is making a comeback in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and tourists can see the magnificent birds in their natural habitat by taking a boat tour on the James River.

Capt. Mike Ostrander runs the bald eagle tours year-round on his Discovery Barge II, a 24-foot covered pontoon boat that seats six passengers. He guides tourists to a number of nesting pairs south of Richmond. The Center for Conservation Biology estimates that Virginia’s breeding population of bald eagles is now around 650 pairs, up from under 30 in the late 1970s.

The sightseeing excursion to see the nation’s symbol – the bald eagle graces the Great Seal of the United States – lasts two hours and includes commentary. Bald eagles mate for life and share a nest, which they may continue to construct year after year. Their distinctive white crowns and tail feathers appear around age 4 or 5, and the birds live to around age 30.

Launch sites for this unique boat tour include the Richmond Yacht Basin and Deep Bottom Landing in Henrico County. The cost is $40 per person. The boat tours run from 7 – 9 a.m. and 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on specified dates listed on the “Discover the James” website or can be scheduled by calling Capt. Mike at 804.938.2350.

In addition to bald eagle tours, tourists can book river wildlife tours, a Civil War river tour, and the John Smith water trail as well as fishing trips or fishing instruction.

To see pictures of eagles, visit the article online.

2011 is the “Year of Henricus” as America’s second settlement turns 400

It’s been proclaimed the “Year of Henricus” as America’s second successful English settlement moves into its fifth century.

The year was 1611 when the London Company sent Sir Thomas Dale to Virginia to relocate the colony’s seat from Jamestown to a more secure upriver location. Spain at the time was hostile with England, and Jamestown was located in swampland. So it was that the “Citie of Henricus” was established on a bluff on the James River below the falls of present-day Richmond (pictured here).

It was in the Henricus settlement where private land ownership for common people was first introduced in America, and it was here where Pocahontas made her first English home. The first English hospital was developed at Henricus, and this is where North America’s first college was chartered. Tobacco was established as a cash crop here, becoming the first successful export of what would become the United States of America.

Today there is a living history museum on the site.

400^th Anniversary Commemoration Events

Henricus Historical Park is commemorating the 400^th anniversary in 2011 with a number of events.

On March 26 and 27, the origins of America’s educational system will be highlighted – Henricus College was founded in 1619 – along with the Indian attack led by Chief Powhatan’s brother and successor which destroyed the Citie of Henricus in 1622.

On May 7 and 8, medical care at America’s first hospital – Mount Malady – will be featured with a focus on the workers who were patients there.

Tobacco is the topic on July 23 and 24 with the spotlight on the lives of those who worked the fields, indentured servants and African slaves.

September is the actual 400^th anniversary of the settlement’s establishment, and a hundred living history interpreters from across the nation will be on hand to celebrate it. Dubbed “Public Days and the Godspeed”, it is a special event planned for the 17^th and 18^th.

Henricus Historical Park is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Tuesday through Saturday and is located at 251 Henricus Park Road in Chester, Virginia. There is a fee of $8 for adults and $6 for children 3-12.

http://www.examiner.com/day-trips-in-richmond/2011-is-the-year-of-henricus-as-america-s-2nd-settlement-celebrates-400-yea

Hanover Tavern is an experience in Southern elegance

Hanover Tavern is a beautifully restored structure from yesteryear that offers multi-faceted entertainment today. Owned by the Hanover Tavern Foundation, this historic building is the site of history, theatre, and fine Southern dining.

Guests can take a self-guided tour of the 1733 structure using brochures available on the ground floor. Or guided tours can be scheduled if visitors want to hear stories about the tavern’s famous guests along with the building’s remarkable architecture.

Making its home at Hanover Tavern is Barksdale Theatre, a separate entity and partner with the foundation. On stage now through February 6 is Nunsense by Dan Goggin, an award-winning comedy about nuns who conduct a fundraiser for fellow sisters’ funerals when their cook accidentally poisons some of them.

Christmas Eve Dinner

A full service restaurant is open at Hanover Tavern six days a week. Due to its popularity, reservations are recommended. The tavern specializes in classic Southern foods with modern adaptations. Many theatre goers enjoy an evening of dinner and theatre in this gracious setting.

The restaurant will serve a special Christmas Eve dinner from 4:30 until 8:30 p.m. To make reservations, call 804-537-5050. 

The Colonial tavern is located in Hanover’s quaint courthouse town about 20 miles north of Richmond at 13181 Hanover Courthouse Road directly across the street from the courthouse. The restaurant serves lunch (weekdays), brunch (weekends) and dinner Tuesday through Sunday when the historic tavern is open to visitors.

Irvington Virginia is a town for the ages

Irvington was a steamboat town on Virginia’s Northern Neck that fell on hard times after the fire of 1917 as the steamboat era came to a close. You would never know it now - Irvington made a grand comeback, reinventing itself as a waterfront community and the place to go in the Chesapeake Bay area.

The Tides Inn is a resort in Irvington that epitomizes southern graciousness on it Carter’s Creek location overlooking the Rappahannock River. With its own spa, marina, restaurants, cruises on a historic yacht and an18-hole golf course, the Tides Inn is a destination in itself.

Not to be outdone, Irvington’s Hope and Glory Inn is one of the highest rated inns in America with recommendations too numerous to mention. This boutique inn has seven rooms and 13 cottages in a unique and memorable setting.

Irvington has another golf course, the Tartan Club, designed by none other than Sir Guy Cambell of St. Andrews, Scotland in 1959 – the only golf course he designed in America. And the town’s newest golf course, the King Carter, has been recommended by Golf Digest.

History comes alive

On King Carter Drive visitors can relive life in the age of steam – Irvington’s Steamboat Era Museum features the boats themselves, what the landings were like, and the people who rode and worked on them.

Historic Christ Church built by Robert “King” Carter in the 1730s is an awesome architectural experience in Irvington and a National Historic Landmark that visitors should not miss.

The town is also known for its boutique shopping experience. There are a number of interesting shops worth visiting in Irvington.

The town also hosts a farmer’s market the first Saturday of every month from April through December from 8 a.m. until noon at the Irvington Commons Green that is quite an experience.

And the White Fences Vineyard and Winery is just outside Irvington’s town limits.

A lot of holiday events are coming up in Irvington including a number of events at Tide’s Inn.