The Latest News for You!

Volume 14, Issue 5

May 2023

Central Rappahannock Heritage Center

Newsletter

A place that loses its history loses its soul.

Message From The Chairperson

For many Americans, May is bookended by 2 holidays–Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. Maybe that means flowers or brunch for Mom, and a Barbeque or beach to kick off summer. For me, Mother’s Day is probably like many, once doing nice things for my own Mama or grandmothers, then waiting to see what my own offspring might surprise me with.

I recently attended a meeting of the Fredericksburg Genealogical Society. When I entered, I introduced myself by my first name only. The first question was “what’s your maiden name?” That’s genealogy for ya’! Anyone who’s spent any time working a family tree understands the frustration trying to figure an ancestress’ parentage. But YOU know that the Heritage Center is a great help in all that. We hold court records, family records, church records–all good sources of birth and marriage information.

Memorial Day has most often been spent at the Cemeteries. Yes, plural. Until I was responsible for my own little people who dutifully sprinkled rose petals at the Confederate Cemetery, I’d dash with my father from there to the National Cemetery, spending time with all of those whom war took too soon. (And I do recognize that without that war, I wouldn’t be me, as my great-great grandfather first came to Fredericksburg as a Surgeon with the Confederacy, where he met a nice local girl… a story for another day.)

I will be at the Confederate Cemetery again this year. Never so much for the lost soldiers, but as with Mother’s Day, because of the women who came before me. For it was the women of Fredericksburg who formed the town’s Ladies' Memorial Association, and who sacrificed what little they could spare after the war to get the dead properly buried. (And here is where I apologize for March’s inadvertent error– I failed to recognize that Spotsylvania has its own Ladies' Memorial Association and Confederate Cemetery. Mea Culpa!)

And this year in May, I celebrated another event centered on a specific mother and my foremothers as well. I attended the Washington Heritage Museum’s Evening at the Monument. A location where I once played, but early on I learned about how the monument was built for a woman by women. While there are so many sites honoring the Father of our Country, this site honors the mother who raised him.

May holds one other special event in my life, again, thinking of my mother… I’m a May baby and I can’t celebrate a birthday without giving credit to my mom, and to all of the women who cared for me in maternal ways, making me who I am today. Here, I’ll share with you a collage of my maternal line that my husband put together for me a few years back. We don’t get here on our own.

Cheers!

Florence Barnick

Chairperson

From the Archives

As we approach Memorial Day, perhaps no land feature has dominated the city of Fredericksburg like the National Cemetery on Marye's Heights. Today it is fully developed and beautifully landscaped. Below are two photos from our archives. The first one below is undated, but probably from the 1880's that shows a rural setting. The second one is from the 1930's and shows the lower portion of the first photo. One can only imagine what the luminaries would look like today without all the development!

MANY THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS

2023 HERITAGE CENTER SPONSORS & CORPORATE MEMBERS

Deborah Baker

Jeanette and Nick Cadwallender

Barbara Hicks Cecil

Jim and Betsy Greene

Mary Katherine Greenlaw

Lucy Harman

It's that time! Please become a 2023 sponsor! Corporate and private contributions are welcomed! Help us continue to save our history!

To become a Heritage Center Sponsor, please visit our website. If you have any questions, please contact The Heritage Center at (540) 373-3704.

Collections Report

We are often asked what type of material we archive at The Heritage Center. An easy answer is for interested individuals to review past Newsletters. It lists all the collections The Center has accumulated over the years and gives many examples of the range of records we are interested in. Don’t hesitate to contact us!

An 1858 document from the local area describing services rendered for (doctor) services.

Postcards sent from various locations to Fredericksburg area residents.

A photograph of Oscar Wood Tate, 1986.

Book - Spending the Night on Virginia's Main Street,

A Postcard History of Motels Along U.S. Highway 1.

Three photographs of Company B, Culpeper National Guard, 1916.

An 1837 document describing services provided for blacksmith/repair work.

An early 1900's photo album of area families.

An 1836 Fredericksburg area document listing services rendered for blacksmithing.

A 1921 Promissory Note from the Service Motor Company for a Buick Roadster, another 1921 note with tax stamps affixed.

A 1926 insurance receipt paid to A. B. Botts & Co

List of farm choirs written on Toluca and Fredericksburg Telephone stationary.

A signed 1913 note from C. O'Conor Goolrick to Alfred J. Pyke, with

a 1925 Fredericksburg area telephone directory; additional correspondence from C. O'Conor Goolrick, and other miscellaneous receipts.

A copy of a photograph with identifications for the students and faculty at Lignum School, circa 1905.

A copy of a 1926 deed for land at the intersection of Hawke Princess Anne Sts, southwest corner. Included is a series of records concerning the title search.

Anyone familiar with our website has noticed and perhaps utilized the clickable link at the bottom of the page; CRHC Amazon Wishlist. However, if you are not familiar with it, please explore the page and the list here, www.crhcarchives.org and see if anything strikes a chord of personal interest that you may then wish to donate to The Heritage Center.

As an example, there is a book found on our wish list; Spotsylvania County, Virginia Marriage References and Family Relationships, 1721 - 1800. This is just one example of the many informational sources we actively seek.

Please help us with our most needed archival supplies!

Along with records of history, The Heritage Center also accepts donations of archival supplies.

Hollinger Metal Edge Archival Supply Wish List

We are always grateful for donations of new collections, materials to bolster the archives, or supplies to aid in the archival process.

Thank you for your interest in the Center's collections.

John Reifenberg

Collections Manager

The Heritage Center gladly provides research services. Please contact us for research requests and rates at contact@crhcarchives.org.

Hours

Open by Appointment.

Location

900 Barton Street #111