Virginia

Travel back in time and witness Roanoke Valley's humble beginnings and how it has grown into the region it is today.

Nestled in the shadows of the Blue Ridge, the Roanoke Valley has developed as the capital region for western Virginia. After a century of growth fueled by transportation, education, and healthcare, the region has undergone significant visible change. While some of the valley's landmarks remain, many have been replaced or dramatically altered.

Located at the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley, Botetourt County's history is closely tied to its role as a transportation crossroads.

The area's 18th century trails and wagon roads have long since transformed into today's US Route 11 and Interstate 81, but Botetourt County still stands. Many traveled along these earlier routes and found lodging at some of Botetourt County's inns and taverns, such as ""Hotel Sam"" Obenshain's Blue Ridge Hall, or at roadside motels like the Royal and the Shenandoah. After the Civil War, the hardworking and industrious residents of Botetourt County returned to their respective communities to rebuild, and they prospered in agricultural, industrial, and commercial pursuits. Botetourt has also produced talented artisans and craftsmen, such as furniture maker Charles Keeling and coppersmith Porter Caldwell. Through vintage images of the homes and farms of the Bolton family, the Stevens family, and others, Botetourt County Revisitedremembers and celebrates the significant impact these individuals had on building the county's strong communities.

With roots in Native American, African and European cooking traditions, Brunswick stew developed in colonial- and Federal-era Virginia, when squirrel was a necessary ingredient.

By the nineteenth century, the mouthwatering delicacy had become an important part of politicking, celebrating and family gatherings. At the same time, it spread beyond Virginia, following barbecue culture into the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, author, award-winning barbecue cook and Brunswick stew expert Joe Haynes entertains with barbecue stew history, legend and lore, complete with authentic recipes.

A hair-raising ride through Alexandria's greatest ghostly past. A must-read for fans of the supernatural and Virginia history!

The ghost of a Revolutionary Warspy that fosters a centuries-old grudge against the British, two young lovers parted by fire but reunited in death and Union and Confederate soldiers who still battle at the Hotel Monacoare among the haunts of Alexandria, Virginia.

Beside the Potomacand the twice-blooming wisteria, local author Michael Lee Pope takes readers on a thrilling journey with his collection of historic ghost lore. Join him as he searches for the identity of the Female Stranger of Gadsby's Tavernand wanders the lonely halls of Woodlawn Plantationto encounter Alexandria's restless souls.

Join award-winning journalist Michael Lee Pope as he takes you on a fascinating journey through this community's supernatural legends, lore, and history. Includes archival and contemporary images.

Ghent, perhaps more than any other Norfolk suburb, has a story to tell that transcends its historic port city lineage, reaching national importance in its planning and execution.

The Ghent District is a historic and treasured neighborhood within Norfolk, and though the story of its origins have been muddied over the years, its legacy is clear, as the Ghent Historic District has been on the National Registry of Historic Places since 1980. Despite changing times and tastes, Ghent's period architecture, tree-lined streets, and attractive waterfront location combine to ensure that Ghent will remain a beloved, integral area of Norfolk for generations.

Historian Carole Herrick uncovers the history of this former farming village to thriving community in over 200 vintage images.

McLean was a farming community in 1910, when Henry Alonzo Storm established a general store that included the McLean Post Office. The store was located on Chain Bridge Road beside a stop on the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad, an electrified trolley that ran from Rosslyn to Great Falls Park. The stop was named after John R. McLean, a founder of the trolley and owner of the Washington Post newspaper. A village and vibrant community gradually developed around Storm's Store..The Franklin Sherman School, the first consolidated public school in Fairfax County, opened near the store in October 1914; McLean Day, the first event of its kind in the county, started in 1915 to raise money for the school; and the McLean Volunteer Fire Department incorporated in 1923 as Station 1 in Fairfax County.

Take a tour of Virginia's scenic rail trails with author Joe Tennis as he explores restored train stations, discovers a railroad's lost island graveyard and crosses the commonwealth on its idyllic paths.

These classic rail lines of Virgina that were once only accessible to train engineers or a few lucky passengers can now be enjoyed by anyone looking for a scenic hike or bike ride. The trails highlight the natural beauty of Old Dominion, from the sunrise side of the Eastern Shore to the setting sun at the Cumberland gap, and each trail, with names like the "Virginia Creeper" and the "Dick & Willie," has a personality and grandeur all its own.

Buckingham County, located in the heart of central Virginia, was established in 1761.

Since Buckingham County's formation, African Americans have contributed to the history and legacy of the county and were the majority of its population from 1810 to 1910. Former residents include Frank Moss, a Reconstruction lawmaker, and Carter Godwin Woodson, noted African-American educator and ""the Father of Black History.""

America has an array of women writers who have made history--and many of them lived, died and were buried in Virginia.(/b>

Gothic novelists, writers of Westerns and African American poets, these writers include a Pulitzer Prize winner, the first woman writer to be named Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the first woman to top the best-seller lists in the twentieth century. Mary Roberts Rinehart was a bestselling mystery author often called "the American Agatha Christie." Anne Spencer was an important figure in the Harlem Renaissance. V. C. Andrews was so popular that when she died a court ruled that her name was taxable, and the poetry of Susan Archer Talley Weiss received praise from Edgar Allan Poe.

Professor and cemetery history enthusiast Sharon Pajka has written a guide to their accomplishments in life and to their final resting places.

Since Europeans first settled along the banks of Back Creek in the 1740s, southwest Roanoke County's history has been as fluid as the creek itself. Local historian Nelson Harris details the eclectic history of the area.

The once dense forest with log cabins gave way to the sprawling suburbs of the present. The colonial-era Trader's Path that directed Scots-Irish homesteaders, the growth of the apple industry in Bent Mountain after the Civil War, a state highway built by convicts during the Depression and Cave Spring becoming a modern commercial center have shaped the region. The changing picture of daily life in Back Creek spanning two centuries emerges in stories of one-room schoolhouses, doctors on horseback, country stores, local baseball and NASCAR races at Starkey.

Virginia Beach: A History of Virginia's Golden Shore brings to life the people, places, and events that contributed to the city's celebrated reputation. Through stories and memories, readers are introduced to the varied citizens who called this land home, including such characters as Sarah Offley who married three of early Virginia's most powerful settlers, and to the city's illustrious visitors. This volume also details, in both word and image, the influential resort age, which began in 1880 and saw the community flourish as people flocked to the Atlantic shore to dance, picnic, and enjoy the surf at the Princess Anne Hotel. Everyday vacationers mingled with notables such as Alexander Graham Bell and John, Lionel, and Ethel Barrymore at the landmark hotel with the railroad at its front door. Although little of the golden shore remains unchanged, modern residents continue to preserve what they can-especially their memories, pride, and love for the city.

Crack open these pages to learn that Virginia is truly for History Lovers.

Begun in the seventeenth century as a small settlement nestled along the Elizabeth River, Norfolk grew into a vibrant port city by the Revolutionary War. The city spread out from its earliest neighborhoods like the Freemason District into 19th century enclaves like Ghent on the Hague. 20th century Norfolk was marked by its development into a bustling Navy town. Journey through the vibrant past of this multifaceted locale, guided by expert authors from local museums, historical organizations, and city institutions. Walk the city's most historic neighborhoods and learn the history of its beachside communities. End with suggestions of places to eat and play that evoke traces of Norfolk's past.

In never-before-published photos and archival materials, journey through Roanoke's past and discover the vibrant history of downtown.

Downtown Roanoke celebrates the vibrant history of a community that lies at the heart of the scenic Roanoke Valley. From the saloons and livery stables of the late 19th century to the flagship department stores that attracted hundreds of shoppers in the late 1950s, Roanoke has experienced dramatic change. Over 200 archival images have been compiled to produce a stunning collage of the downtown area over the past century. Included are the American Theater, the Rialto, the Jefferson, and the time-altered streetscapes of Jefferson, Campbell, Kirk, and Church. This collection highlights the storied past of Roanoke through hotels, hospitals, churches, merchants, and special events, including the American Legion parades, the Diamond Jubilee, and the march of the VMI and VPI cadets at Thanksgiving en route to Victory Stadium. Downtown Roanoke is a tribute to the heritage of Southwestern Virginia's leading urban center. Today it remains a metropolitan district alive with culture and commerce, having re-emerged from the challenges of shopping malls and suburbia. The photographs in this collection, many published for the first time, provide a nostalgic look at the progress of Roanoke's historic downtown corridor.

Suffolk's peanut star was already on the rise when an Italian immigrant named Amedeo Obici moved his chocolate and nut operation, Planters Peanuts, to town in 1913 to be in the heart of peanut country. Three years later, Mr. Peanut was born in Suffolk. The success of the goober gave the community cause to celebrate, and it did so on the first large-scale basis in 1941 with the National Peanut Festival and Exposition, complete with a parade and queen. Today the Suffolk Peanut Fest carries on the legume's legacy. More than 200,000 people attend the fete each fall to enjoy family entertainment and pay homage to the humble peanut.

Explore the fascinating history of Fairfax, Virginia with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

Fairfax was settled in the early 18th century by farmers from the Piedmont region. The city is situated in the heart of Fairfax County, southwest of Washington, DC.

For years, Fairfax served as an important agricultural, trade, and judicial hub in the suburbs of the nation's capital. The area was serviced by the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway, one of Northern Virginia's two electric railways, which provided a direct line from Washington, DC, to Fairfax. Today, Fairfax has a vibrant downtown that helps support the over 20,000 residents who live in the city.

Fairfax shares photographs of its rich historic landmarks, including the Ratcliffe-Allison House, Truro Rectory, Blenheim, and the long-standing court house.