Virginia

Nannie Berger Hairston was a crusader for justice in twentieth-century Virginia.

Nannie Berger Hairston was born in West Virginia in 1921, half a century after the end of the Civil War. She attended segregated schools, graduated, married and started a family. When Nannie’s husband, John, lost his job in the coal mine, the Hairstons moved to Southwest Virginia. It was the height of Jim Crow, and yet, against great odds, she and John became leaders in the community, advocating for civil rights and social justice. Nannie Hairston’s advice was sought by the powerless as well as the powerful. At the time of her death in 2017, she had taken her place as an icon for truth, justice and love.

Local author Sheree Scarborough uses Nannie Hairston’s own words to tell her story.

The Byrd Machine ran Virginia politics for more than half a century.

This political organization rose to power during the era of Jim Crow, wielding power and influence over everything from who got the nod to be governor to how the state maintained racial segregation. Inheriting its tactics from two previous political machines, the Byrd organization operated with a pathological hatred of debt spending, crushing the power of labor unions and forcing its will on Black schoolchildren protesting separate and unequal facilities. The nadir of its era was massive resistance, a move to close public schools rather than integrate them.

Journalist and author Michael Lee Pope details the rise and fall of the last great political machine in Virginia.

Become a part of history with this interactive book about George Washington!

From the documents that drafted a nation to hand written notes from George Washington himself, this book is a treasure trove of historical information. Opening with a detailed description of Washington's death from a common infection and his harrowing final moments, each chapter is meticulously researched and documented with reference material and fascinating details of Washington's life. Inside hidden pockets and envelopes are documents, letters, and interesting facts guaranteed to keep even the most jaded readers enthralled as they learn about one of America's founding fathers and the first president of the United States.

A collection of photographs from one of America's most famous amusement parks, Kings Dominion, and the iconic attractions that make up the park.

Kings Dominion officially opened in 1975 on a 400-acre site between Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Modeled on sister park Kings Island in Ohio, it debuted with several iconic attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, Rebel Yell, and Lion Country Safari. Over the decades, ownership has changed several times, yet the park continues to grow and remain popular, even "starring" in the 1977 film Rollercoaster. Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, it has evolved into one of North America's premier regional theme parks and is currently home to an impressive assortment of attractions and live entertainment. The park also boasts a formidable arsenal of roller coasters (14), including four of the wooden variety, three LIM-launched coasters, and the 30-story-tall Intimidator (I-305) giga coaster.

The story of a high stakes rivalry between Governor Francis Nicholson and pirate captain Louis Guittar.

Governor Francis Nicholson of Virginia was a proven pirate-hunter and enforcer. By the spring of 1700, his concerns about pirate activity in the Chesapeake Bay and rivers of Virginia were at a fever pitch. Nicholson was unimpressed with the HMS Essex Prize and its commander, John Aldred, who had been tasked with keeping colonial shores safe from smuggling. The HMS Shoreham was sent to Virginia to secure the area from the scourge of piracy, and its arrival brought some relief. Then, the arrival of the ship La Paix, commanded by buccaneer captain Louis Guittar, brought Nicholson on high alert and ready for action.

Author Jeremy Moss tells the stories of Nicholson and Guittar through their fateful battle on the Lynnhaven Bay.

On October 29, 1900, Indiana Fletcher Williams died, leaving her 8,000-acre plantation estate and almost $1 million to create the Sweet Briar Institute.

Later renamed Sweet Briar College, it was founded by Williams to honor her daughter, Maria Georgiana "Daisy" Williams, who died tragically in 1884 at age 16. For over a century, Sweet Briar has recruited dedicated faculty and staff to teach exceptional students. The school's award-winning lands include old-growth forests, rare arboreal and floral species, scenic hiking and riding trails, and two lakes. Complementing these natural resources are beautiful campus buildings, many of which are listed in national and state historic registers. Each of these features is rare for a college campus; taken together, they compose the rich physical and community heritage of a historic college that celebrates its 115th birthday in 2016

Glen Allen, a suburb of Richmond, began as a farming community and today is rich in history and legend.

Walkerton, a famous tavern, was built around 1825. Rail service arrived in the 1830s, and the previously unnamed settlement became known as Mountain Road Crossing, Allen's Station, and finally Glen Allen. Then came John Cussons, an English adventurer, soldier, and entrepreneur. In the 1880s, he built Forest Lodge, a magnificent hotel and 1,000-acre park where celebrities reveled in splendor. In 1892, Virginia Randolph, a visionary African American educator, established a school that served generations of Black youth. With fascinating scenes of daily life, Glen Allen traces the community's history from its early rural years to the crisis it faced in the 1980s; its landmarks were in decline and its future at stake. Yet Glen Allen emerged with thriving new cultural, recreational, and tourism venues--a triumphant retake on its renowned hospitality of two centuries ago.

Cary Holladay writes short stories, novels, and essays. Her work has won an O. Henry Prize and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Images in the book have been gathered from museums, libraries, the files of Henrico County, and private collections and include rare photographs of Forest Lodge and the Virginia Randolph Training School.

This collection of stories, photographs, and illustrations chronicles the unfailing Confederate spirit of the city, despite its defeat on the battlefield.

Welcome to Virginia! Parent and child Cardinals explore Virginia in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

These poignant words were written in the summer of 1865 by twenty-year-old Confederate Sergeant Isaac Newton Koontz, in a letter he penned for his fiancée just hours before his death at the hands of Union firing squad in the heart of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. The execution of Koontz and Captain George Summers came after the surrender at Appomattox Court House, and remains one of the most tragic yet little-known events of the Civil War.

One month prior to kneeling on the hard ground to face their deaths, Koontz and Summers, along with four other Confederate soldiers, stole horses from a Union troop stationed near their home. Soon after the theft, the young men--remorseful and goaded by their fathers to uphold their honor--returned the horses and were offered a pardon by Union Colonel Francis Butterfield. The rebs returned home, free of mind and clean of conscious. All had been forgiven. Or so they thought.

As the sun crept over the horizon on June 27, 1865, Union soldiers--under new command--swarmed the family homes of Summers and Koontz in a swift raid and arrested the two bewildered men. They were told that their pardons were no longer valid, and later that same day they were tied to a stake and shot with Union muskets--no trial, no judge, no jury.

Before their deaths, Summers and Koontz were allowed to write farewell letters to their loved ones, and these heartrending documents serve as the basis for Robert Moore's insightful recounting of the Summers-Koontz execution. An experienced Civil War writer and a direct descendent of Koontz's fiancée, Moore brings this shocking story to life with a clarity that will appeal to Civil War experts and enthusiasts alike. Exhaustively researched and well written, Tragedy in the Shenandoah Valley tells one of the great and largely untold stories of the Civil War.

Journey to the new world with a privateer! Christopher Newport made history when he founded the first British colony in America. This biography takes young readers through Newport's exciting adventures on the high seas as a privateer-full of sword fights, pirates, exotic foods, and shipwrecks-to his landing in Jamestown.

Just south of the Mason-Dixon Line, Frederick, Maryland, was poised at the crossroads of the Civil War.

Here, Confederate troops passed west to the Battles of Antietam and South Monocacy, while Union troops marched north to Gettysburg and south to raid the resources of the Shenandoah Valley. Both heroes and villains were made in the spired city, such as Dame Barbara Fritchie, who is said to defied General Jackson; General Jubal Early, who threatened to put the town to the torch; and the local doctors and nurses who cared for thousands of wounded soldiers. Join local historian John Schildt as he recounts the fascinating history of Frederick in the Civil War.