History Of Clarke County Virginia

These five consolidated volumes constitute a surname index, with corresponding microfilm locations, to the residents of the Pennsylvania counties of Berks, Bucks, Lancaster, Luzerne/Wyoming, and Northampton respectively, in the year 1850. (Wyoming County was formed from Luzerne in 1842.) Although it was not possible, for reasons of economy, to list every person appearing in the census by given name, each book lists all the surnames appearing in the census for the county(ies) in question (i.e., Berks, 7,000; Bucks, 8,000; Lancaster, 15,000; Luzerne/Wyoming: 10,000; and Northampton, 5,000).

Although it is one of the smallest counties in Virginia, Clarke County has a remarkably rich history reflected in its cultural and natural resources. Located in the northern Shenandoah Valley and 60 miles northwest of Washington, DC, Clarke was formed from Frederick County, Virginia, in 1836. Native Americans roamed the area for centuries, and their story is reflected in the name of the Shenandoah River, which refers to "daughter of the stars." The Blue Ridge Mountains provide a dramatic eastern backdrop with recreational opportunities along the Appalachian Trail. Significant past citizens include Thomas Lord Fairfax, Gen. Daniel Morgan, and politicians Harry F. Byrd Sr. and Jr. After the Civil War, many of Clarke's former slaves stayed and built their own free communities. Unlike surrounding counties, Clarke has maintained the rural and agricultural traditions begun in colonial times. These and other distinctive stories that make up Clarke County's unique history are captured within this book.

Excerpt from History of Clarke County, Virginia and Its Connection With the War Between the States It has been said that when the Pilgrim Fathers landed from the May Flower on Plymouth Rock, one of them had in his hands a pen and ink horn and that he immediately commenced to write history. His spirit still lives and has been writing from that day to this. When one visits Boston he sees everywhere monuments and markers of historical events, from Bunker Hill Monument and Paul Revere's' old house to the place where the witches were burned. Old South Church and Fanueil Hall are filled with mementoes of the past. How is it with us? Here in the County of Clarke from Mt. Airy to the Opequon, from Gaylord to White Post, every foot of ground has been made historic by the footsteps of our armies, by the combats of our brave men. Every neighborhood, every house, has its story of suffering and adventure for the cause all loved so well. The J. E. B. Stuart Camp of Confederate Veterans wish before it is too late to preserve these facts, which should be and will be of so much interest to their descendants and all who may hereafter be citizens of our beloved county. The story properly and fully written would tell of bravery unsurpassed on the part of our gallant soldiers, of devotion unrivalled on the part of our old men and noble women. Of a patriotism on the part of all which led them to suffer all things, bear all things, if thereby they might bring success to the battle for liberty under the Constitution handed down to us by our fathers. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

In Clarke County, the spirits of the past bring history to life. The ghost of a brokenhearted Confederate soldier stares out a window waiting in vain for the return of the love of his life. Victims of a plane crash still linger at the scene of the tragedy forty-five years later. Union troops are still crossing the Shenandoah River through a hail of musket balls and cannon fire. From the legendary phantom coach of Carter Hall to lesser-known haunts along the county's back roads, a rock-throwing poltergeist, a smoky figure in a bedroom and strange creatures lurking in the woods, Michael Hess brings you the very best in Clarke County ghost lore.

The origins of Clarke County, Virginia go back more than 250 years to the men and women who first settled in Shenandoah Valley and left their imprint upon the land. When, in the early 1830s, the people in one portion of old Frederick County moved to establish their own county, they were seeking to maintain the way of life they had inherited from this earlier generation. At the same time, they were acting in concert with contemporary forces that had a statewide, and in some ways national, significance. The origins of Clarke County--how it came to be, and why--are examined here for the first time. Warren R. Hofstra not only tells the story of the people who made Clarke County a separate place but also puts the movement for its formation in the context of Virginia and U.S. politics. It is a story fascinating in detail and rich in implication, for the issues that strained old Frederick to the breaking point--local control vs. an expanded federal government, conformity vs. pluralism, agrarian values vs. commercial pursuits--are still featured in the political debates today both regionally and nationally.