Virginia

Although fairly new on the American scene of cities, Chesapeake possesses a long history dating back to the early 1600s, when the first intrepid settlers began establishing farms on the fertile soils of Tidewater Virginia. Over the centuries, the region divided itself into larger cities, such as Norfolk and Portsmouth, a number of small towns, and rural county governments. Combating the expansion of the City of Norfolk, the leaders and citizens of South

Norfolk and Norfolk County agreed to merge their governing entities in 1963 to create the new city of Chesapeake. Chesapeake, Virginia chronicles the history of the young city, nestled between the Elizabeth and Indian Rivers, and explores the various towns and villages that provide the area with its unique charm and character. From Berkley and South Norfolk to Deep Creek and Great Bridge, readers will journey into the past and hunt with the early American Indians that inhabited this lush landscape, toil with the colonial fathers as they began taming the land for future settlement, battle with the Continental troops as they defeated the British at Great Bridge, strain with the workers as they dig the historic Dismal Swamp Canal, and so on

across four centuries of struggle and prosperity into the twenty-first century.

Once the primary hunting ground of the Monocan Indians and later a harmonious common area shared with the Quakers, Lynchburg was a crossroads for various cultures even before its founding following the French and Indian War. With roots in the prosperous tobacco fields, the City of Seven Hills became one of the nation's wealthiest communities by the Civil War. During the robust and arduous times to come, Lynchburg continued to thrive by developing diverse industries and eventually becoming a respected educational center.

From the days of the Powhatan Indians to the establishment of Middle Plantation nearly 400 years ago, from its rise to power for a hundred years as the capital of England's largest North American colony to its decline into as many years of obscurity, Williamsburg has been shaped by the forces of history. Beneath the remarkable surface of today's restored colonial city lies an even more fascinating glimpse into the life of a community that has weathered the full sweep of American history.

Few would guess from looking at the resplendent Virginia Beach shoreline-its stretches of fine sand, sloping dunes, and rolling waves-that the city has experienced anything but peace and tranquility since the history of its native Chesapeake tribe collided with the ambition and vision of new European settlers on the colonial coastline. But turmoil and conflict, as well as progress and achievement, are all a part of the area's unique story.

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.